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I thought I would share a bit of this lesson as some people are looking at primary sources related to civil rights right now. As part of a year long and school wide study on Ruby Bridges, the library and art room collaborated on a joint kindergarten and first grade project inspired by the Rockwell painting featuring Ruby Bridges. Norman Rockwell’s painting is loosely based on a photo that was widely shared over wire-service at the time. In the library, kindergarten and first grade students analyzed that photo. First, they made observations, pointing out things they saw in the photo, things that were interesting to them, or even what they thought they would see, but didn’t. Then they shared their reflections, sharing what they thought was happening in the photo or what they thought about individuals in the photo. We noticed that students’ thinking was based on the observations that they had made. Students used those observations and reflections to then ask questions, wondering what else was happening when the photo was taken or how people felt who were in the photo. Through their analysis, the students really interpreted the photo, which, in a way, is what Rockwell did in his famous painting.