Meaningful Photographs

The activity Meaningful Photographs  draws the attention to what they think makes their life meaningful and talks about how there are potential sources of meaning all around us, from the moments of connection we share with others, to the beauty of nature, to the work that we do and the things we create. The class teacher facilitates a discussion with students about what they think makes their life meaningful.  The teacher could put up all the responses on the board to keep the discussion engaging After the discussion, students will be given a period of one week where they have to bring or take photographs of things that they derive meaning and purpose from. They could be of people, place objects, pets, etc. Each student should shortlist at least 3 photographs. The students bring their shortlisted photographs to class. For each photo the students have to write down a response to the following question: What does this photo represent and why is it meaningful? The students then display this on a storyboard- a chart paper with the photographs and their responses below. We have a photography exhibit titled something like “Windows of the Soul” where we display all of these photographs and their responses.  When we give students time to recognize and appreciate sources of meaning through photography, we can help make those things more tangible and it is a reminder of what matters most in their lives. The use of photography will also benefit students who are more visual than verbal.