Archives Collection and Critical Thinking

The Charleston Museum’s website lends itself as a great resource for teachers (and parents) helping their students navigate lessons during this time at home. Here is how to utilize it for children of all ages.

Accessing the Museum’s Collection Online

Start at the Museum’s Homepage (www.charlestonmuseum.org) and access the Main Menu (at the top left hand corner of the page). From the Main Menu, access the Collections Page. 

The Museum’s Collection’s Page is the main page for the public to access our digital collections of photographs, specimens, objects and 3D renderings. The Museum’s staff is constantly adding to this database to further our Mission.

The Archives Collection and Critical Thinking Skills

From the Collections Page, access the Photograph Collection for images from the Archives. Explore photographers like Morton B. Paine, and Franklin Frost Sams for scenes around the Lowcountry.

Teachers and parents can use these images to practice Critical Thinking skills with their student.

Here are a few sample questions from our Museum Educators to easily use our collection for your home classroom.

1. Are there people in the photograph?
2. Who do you think they are?
3. What are they doing?
4. Using the background, what time period is this from? What clues can you find to narrow down the time?
5. What else do you notice in the background?
6. Where do you think the photograph was taken?
7. Is this a staged picture or a candid photo? Why?
8. Why do you think this image was saved as part of the Museum’s collection?

For more questions and deeper analysis of images in our Collection, use the Photo Analysis Worksheet from the National Archives, with the link below.

Photo Analysis Worksheet from the National Archives

Example:

From the Morton Brailsford Paine Collection, the image titled “Asheville Trip, Charlotta and Nipper” (recently featured in the Lowcountry Image Gallery).

1. Are there people in the photograph?
   • Yes. There is a woman and a young boy in the photograph with a dog.
2. Who do you think they are?
   • From the name of the image, the woman is Charlotta and the dog is Nipper. 
3. What are they doing?
   • They are on a road trip to Asheville from Greenville, as noted by the photographer’s notes. 
4. Using the background, what time period is this from? What clues can you find to narrow down the time?
   • Using the background, the image could be from the early 1900s. The clues are the type of car, clothing and dirt road. 
5. What else do you notice in the background?
   • In the background, the viewer can see a dirt road and old model car. 
6. Where do you think the photograph was taken?
   • The photograph was taken on a road trip to Asheville, as noted by the photographer’s notes. 
7. Is this a staged picture or a candid photo? Why?
   • This photograph could be staged, because both people are looking at the camera and the woman is posing with the dog.
8. Why do you think this image was saved as part of the museum’s collection?
   • This image would be saved as an example of life in Charleston in the early 1900s, the types of clothes adults and children wore, etc. An image like this helps the Museum understand the cultural history of the Lowcountry. 

Suggested Topics and Standards to Cover: 

• WWII Collection for 5th Grade Standards
• Civil War Collection and Plantations for 3rd, 4th and 8th Grade Standards
• Earthquake of 1886 for 3rd Grade Science

If you have any requests or questions for our Museum Educators, please email us, we’re here to help!