BKH Lesson 10/2/13

Brooklyn History – 10/2/13

Unit 2: History of NYC/Brooklyn

AIM: How has your neighborhood changed over time, and how have those changes influenced your neighborhood?

Do Now: Copy the definition of a turning point. Think of and jot down examples of turning points on the International, National, City-wide levels.

Turning Point: Events that change the character of the world, a nation, city or neighborhood in a significant way.

AGENDA:

1. View Flickr images as a shout out.

2. Introduction to History Unit

3. Review the Do Now

4. Hand-out readings to students.

6. Intro timeline where students will add their turning points and Did you know fact as well.

7.  Independent work time + add turning points to the timeline.

8. Exit slip: Write one turning point that influenced your neighborhood. Why is this a significant turning point in your neighborhood?

 

HW: Finish coding and annotating your neighborhood text. (See Salak if you don't have a neighborhood article yet.)

Photo Practical (Summative)

PHOTO SUMMATIVE PART I

DIRECTIONS:

Take a photo to answer each one of the questions below.  Remember to TAKE YOUR TIME in setting up your shot. 

1.      What is in the frame and what is not in the frame?
2.     Where is the light coming from?
3.     How far away or how close up do I have to be to take this photo?
4.     Where is the horizon line?
5.     What would happen if I took one step to the right?
6.     Where is there repetition in line or shape?
7.     How can I capture texture?
8.     What can I do in this picture to create layers (things in the foreground, middle-ground, and background)?

PHOTO SUMMATIVE PART II

DIRECTIONS:

Choose one of your photographs and upload it to Flickr.  Save it to the set called “Photo Practical.”  Next, click on “You” then “Organize.” At the bottom of the screen drag your photo into the gray area in the middle of the screen.  Your photo should pop up in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.  Click on “edit photos” in the upper left hand corner of the tool bar and click on “Title, tags, and descriptions.”

Once there, write the following:

1.     Write a title for your photo in the “Title” space.
2.     Describe the composition choices you made when taking this photo (which question did you answer, and how did you answer it in this photo?) in the “Description” space.  Use the class’ photo composition terms where applicable.
3.     Add your first and last name, no spaces, in the “Tags” space.

Brooklyn History Lesson 9.24.2013

Welcome documentary photographer Erica Macdonald!

Aim: How do photographers use composition to capture their ideas about a subject?

Do Now: Now that you have taken some photographs yourself, write down one or two questions that you can ask a professional photographer. 

AGENDA:

1.Introduce the day and our guest speaker: Erica Macdonald

2.In conversation: A look through the photographs of Erica Macdonald

3.A discussion of some of your own photographs

4.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bkhistory413/

5.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bkhistory413/sets

6.Summary and Q & A

HW:  

1. Write an answer to the Aim question based on the visit by Erica Macdonald and your notes.  

2.  Go to the BK History Flickr page.  Choose someone's set of photos to look through and choose ONE photo you feel has strong composition.  We will be sharing student photographs in class tomorrow.

Questions that might help you get started on your Personal Narrative! 9.23.2013

1.Do I want to follow David Gonzalez’ model and write/reflect on a specific neighborhood that is important to me? If so, what neighborhood?

Brainstorm a list of reasons this neighborhood is important to me.

2. Do I want to follow Colson Whitehead’s example and talk about NYC in a more general way? Trying to define what it means to be a New Yorker and what my “private NYC” is…

Brainstorm a list of places/experience that I want t write about

3. Where can I use imagery and sensory language in my piece?

4. What personal anecdotes can I use in my piece?

5. Where can I include reflection in my piece?

6. Who is my audience?

Photo Assignment: Unit 1 - How can photographs capture our perceptions of NYC? Due Tuesday, October 24th

After examining the work of several NYC photographers for style and subject matter, take 5 photographs of your New York City that demonstrate your own relationship to the city.  For each photograph try to use one of the following techniques/terms when planning the photo.

PHOTO COMOPOSITION TERMS:

(Or – how to sound smart when looking at art)

Composition – how the image is set up (for example, what is in the foreground, middle-ground, background), what you choose to put in the frame

Foreground – What is in the front of the photograph

Background – What is in the back of the photograph

Frame – The borders of the shot.  The frame dictates what you include or exclude in your shot.

Juxtaposition – Setting one item in your frame next to another to highlight their differences (example: old and new, tall and short, light and dark)

Contrast – The lights and darks in your shot (example: shadow and light, light building next to a dark one)

Angle – Taking the photo from above, below, to the side, a long shot, close-up or straight on to highlight what is in the image (example, a long, lonely road from its center, or a tall building looking up from below)

Personal Narrative (Summative Assignment) Due Friday, September 27th

Unit 1:  Growing Up in New York, Then and Now

In this unit, students will read and examine stories and essays written or presented by several New Yorkers.  They will consider how each writer defines what is like to live in New York and what it means to be a New Yorker, as well as the intended audience for each piece and the writer’s craft.  The students will consider their relationship to the place in which they live and compare it to the writers’ experiences.  They will take initial photographs of their neighborhoods, documenting the character and places of interest. Then students will craft a personal narrative piece that answers the question “What is my relationship to NYC?  How is my identity shaped by where I am from and where I live?” How does my NYC experience shape my priorities for the city?

Summative Assessment:  My New York writing piece and photo illustration

How do writers communicate their experiences of being a New Yorker?  After reading and analyzing personal essays by several New Yorkers describing their perceptions and relationships to where they live, write a narrative from your own perspective of living in New York that addresses your relationship to the city, and how living here shapes your identity.   Use imagery and sensory language to develop a narrative effect in your work.   Include personal anecdotes, reflection and details to support your ideas about what it means to live in the city.

How can photographs capture our perceptions of NYC?  After examining the work of several NYC photographers for style and subject matter, take 5 photographs of your New York City that demonstrate your own relationship to the city.  

Anchor Texts:  Colossus of New York, Colson Whitehead; The Bronx Remembered slideshow, David Gonzalez; + 1 from the immigrant experience

Guidelines:

• The assignment should be 2 pages minimum and 4 pages maximum.
• Typed and double spaced
• Make sure to give your piece a title.
• Students must print out a hard copy.

BK History Lesson - 9.19.2013

Lesson Four:

AIM: How do photographers communicate their experiences

Do Now: 

Think about your neighborhood and David Gonzalez’ slide show.  What are 2 – 3 photographs you could take that would capture your neighborhood?

HW: Choose one of these photographs and use detailed imagery to describe it in order that your classmates can picture it.

AGENDA:

1. Do Now
2. Do Now Share
3. Hand out photo assignment and discuss (Due on Tuesday)
4. Explain:  Just like we look at different writes writing styles, we have to look at different photography styles
5. In groups look at pictures. Use the books and the LES Slideshow
6. Students come up and present their chosen image in their group
7. Mike introduces photo terms