Pemberton, Patrick, photographer. No play today. Life In the time of Coronavirus. United States California, 2020. -03-28. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2023696007/.
Using this source in the classroom can help students zoom in on the topic of lockdowns. Lockdowns involved balancing public health with individual freedoms, economic concerns, and social impacts. Having students analyze the effects of this event will encourage critical thinking and their ability to analyze complex situations. This source can also help students think about lessons learned for future public health crises, which can lead to an understanding of the importance of scientific evidence, public trust in institutions, and the roles individuals play in addressing collective change.
Because lockdowns had a significant impact on people’s mental health, social interactions, and daily lives, exploring this in the classroom can help students develop empathy. Discussing the pandemic and its impact can encourage students to think about their role as citizens and how they can contribute to public health challenges.
This source is an image of a closed playground in March 2020. Caution tape has been wrapped around each playground item, ensuring they cannot be used without breaking the tape.
- This image shows a playground blocked with caution tape, indicating its closure during the COVID-19 lockdown. Lockdowns were a set of restrictions implemented by governments around the world to slow the spread of the virus. During this time, people were asked to stay home as much as possible; nonessential businesses were ordered to close; schools and universities transitioned to remote learning; domestic and international travel were restricted or prohibited; and public gatherings were canceled or limited.
- Studies have found the lockdowns to be effective at slowing the spread of the virus. However, lockdowns also had pronounced negative effects such as economic disruption, social and mental health impacts, and educational disruption. There has been ongoing debate on the effectiveness and appropriateness of lockdowns. Some argue they were needed to save lives and prevent the healthcare system from collapsing, while others say they caused significant economic and social harm and that less restrictive measures would have also been effective.
- What specific restrictions do you think were in place when this image was taken?
- How did lockdowns affect the physical and mental well-being of children?
- What does the caution tape symbolize?
- How does this image represent the concept of “loss” during the pandemic?
- What lessons can be learned from this experience to better support children during future public health emergencies?
New Mexico Common Core Standards
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Reading |
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects |
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RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.8.3: Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
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RH.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
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- Students could write a descriptive paragraph or poem about this source with a focus on sensory details and figurative language to describe the scene and its emotions. This can grow into narrative writing, where students must write a short story or personal narrative about their experiences with the lockdowns and restrictions. Alternatively, students can write from the perspective of a child who goes to the playground only to find it closed.
- Have students write a persuasive essay arguing for or against specific lockdown measures. They could argue for the need for restrictions to protect public health or argue for the importance of easing restrictions to protect children’s well-being and development.
- Students could analyze news articles or personal accounts related to the pandemic and its impact on children. In this activity, students must identify the author’s purpose, analyze the use of language and rhetorical devices, and evaluate for credibility.
- This source also pairs well with Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. In this novel, the “Georgia Flu” has devastated the world, killing most people. The novel focuses on the survivors and their attempts to rebuild and reimagine the world while holding on to the best parts of the world before (e.g., performing arts, kindness).
- Parents and/or administrators may object to using this source and topic in the classroom because of students’ sensitivity to trauma. The pandemic was traumatic for a lot of people, and revisiting lockdown times could be emotionally distressing for students. Students had diverse experiences during the pandemic, and some may be uncomfortable sharing personal stories or discussing sensitive topics.
- The pandemic was also a very political time, especially in the United States. Discussions about it can lead to disagreements and divisions because of the topic’s political polarization. There is also the fear of stigmatization of individuals such as healthcare workers or people severely affected. A lot of misinformation surrounding the pandemic floated around the internet, and this may still shape ideas about the subject.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Handling Sensitive Topics. Resource guide for speaking with students about sensitive topics.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The COVID-19 resource from the CDC with factual, updated information.
- World Health Organization. The COVID-19 resource from the WHO with factual, updated information.
- Precautions taken in Seattle, Wash., during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic would not permit anyone to ride on the street cars without wearing a mask. 260,000 of these were made by the Seattle Chapter of the Red Cross which consisted of 120 workers, in three days. This is an image from 1918 or 1919 showing the requirement of masks to ride public transit during the influenza epidemic.
- Pandemic Visit, COVID, barrier visit. Another image showing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This image includes people.
- Pandemic Stash 1. This image shows an example of panic buying during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A collection of resources teachers can use to teach about a pandemic.
- Kaiser Family Foundation. A collection of news articles and publications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.