New Deal Photographers Match Game

Use this matching game to explore the characteristic traits of the New Deal photographers and gain a deeper understanding of the Great Depression and its lasting impact on the American people.

For a larger, more responsive format paste this url in your browser https://bit.ly/McQuStudios135

There are many paths to success in this challenge, making it a fun way to discover the photographers of the Farm Security Administration. Even an incorrect guess can reveal something new. Although the New Deal photographers shared a common mission each brought a distinctive artistic vision, technical expertise, and choice of camera to the task. As you learn to recognize their unique styles, you’ll also gain a deeper understanding of the Great Depression and its lasting impact on the American people.

Extension Activity 1: Become a Photo Detective

Use the game’s assessment hints to guide a collaborative analysis of New Deal photographs. Project or share the images linked below, then organize students into small groups to investigate each photograph and identify its most likely photographer. As students defend their choices with visual evidence, they will strengthen their visual literacy skills while applying the vocabulary and stylistic traits introduced throughout the game.

Answers: Select link to lean more at the Library of Congress
1. Walker Evans 2. Dorothea Lange 3. Marion Post Wolcott 4. Gordon Parks 5. Jack Delano 6. Russell Lee 7. Ben Shahn

Extension Activity 2: Curate a Signature Photograph

Documentary photographers rarely captured a great image with a single click—they often explored a subject from multiple angles before creating an iconic photograph. The Farm Security Administration collection at the Library of Congress preserves thousands of these images.

Challenge students to become curators by selecting a photograph that best represents one photographer’s distinctive style—without revealing the photographer’s name. Using the Library of Congress nimble search engine, students should explore the work of a favorite FSA photographer and choose an image that clearly displays that artist’s signature traits. Display the selected photographs and invite the class to identify the photographer behind each one. Which images are so characteristic that most students recognize the photographer at a glance? This activity reinforces close observation while celebrating each photographer’s unique visual voice.

Extension Activity 3: Discover the Story Behind the Lens

Every photographer brings a lifetime of experiences to the camera. The Smithsonian Archives of American Art preserves oral history interviews with each of the photographers featured in this game, offering a unique opportunity to hear their stories in their own words.

Ask students to read an interview with their favorite photographer, then share their discoveries with the class. As they present, encourage them to reflect on questions such as:

How did the interview change the way you understand the photographer’s work?
What life experiences, beliefs, or motivations shaped their photography?
Which photograph now has deeper meaning for you? Why?
What would you like to learn more about?

By connecting each photographer’s life to their images, students gain a richer understanding of how personal experiences, values, and historical events shaped some of America’s most enduring documentary photographs.