Team+Aimee+and+Miranda


 * Aimee Sutherland & Miranda Casey - Shapleigh School - Kittery, Maine**

**Title: Words and Images**

 * Overview:** Words and Images is a semester long course that involves the integration of art, literacy and technology. Our focus is on self expression and creativity.

• Use technology to apply existing knowledge, generate new ideas and products, and express one’s ideas creatively • Use digital media and environments to communicate with multiple audiences utilizing a variety of sources
 * Curriculum Standards:**


 * Before Class:** Students were asked to purchase a sketch book/journal for the class. Prior to the first class we asked them to brainstorm some words that reminded them of being creative.

• Think about how people express themselves through different mediums. • Start to identify which mediums they are most comfortable expressing themselves with. • Design a cover for journal.
 * Instructional Objectives:**
 * The students will:**

1) How do people express themselves? 2) What do you do to express yourself? 3) What one way of expressing yourself would you miss the most if it was taken away? Why? 4) What talents do you have? 5) Are you creative in your life?
 * Lesson #1: "How Are You Creative?"** Students were asked to write in their sketchbooks the answers to at least 3 of the following questions that were listed on the board:

- Students took note of what words were the largest in size in their word cloud. The size represents how frequently the words were used (larger words were used more frequently, smaller words less frequently). - Students were encouraged to choose layout, color choice and font choice based on their personal preference to give their word cloud design a style that best represented them as individuals. - Students used their finished word cloud design as the cover for their sketchbook journal. - Students created a word cloud as their first assignment and will create another one as their last assignment to compare their growth and change throughout this class.
 * Lesson #2: "Wordles"** Students used the list of words and phrases related to self-expression and creativity that they brainstormed for lesson #1 to create a "Word cloud" using Wordle.

Homework: Students were asked to start noticing events in a typical day of their life in preparation for an assignment where they will be documenting a typical day using photographic images and words to create "snap shots" of a day in their life. Students are asked to take notes and make sketches of their idea.

**Technology Integration:** Laptops and Wordle web site **Assessment:** First word cloud design - did students follow criteria yes or no? 1. Did students use a list of words/phrases that were a result of answering the questions in lesson #1 regarding self-expression/reflection and creativity? 2. Did students use color themes, fonts and layout design to create a word cloud in a style that represents them as individuals? **Sources:** h** ttp://www.wordle.net **

**Lesson #3: "A Day in the Life"** Using ideas from their brainstorming sketches and lists, students begin a rough draft of the story board that will showcase events that represent a day in their life. This next assignment will take students on a journey where they will explore photography and writing by trying to document their individual daily story through images and words. For this particular class we began the planning stages for the slide show that students will ultimately be making as the final product for this class. While creating their story boards students are encouraged to: - Dissect their day by time frames and to zero-in on specific rituals and events that they take part in on typical days (waking up for school, getting ready for gymnastics practice, talking on the phone with friends, baby sitting little sister....). - Choose words and images that best represent an event (photo of alarm clock going off at a certain time.....photo of a hand holding a spoon over a cereal bowl...photo of hands lacing up soccer shoes....). - Feel free to choose images and then words to accompany or vice versa, whatever feels natural to each student is fine. The class briefly discussed how some people think in words first, and some in images first and how this might be tied into our strengths with multiple intelligences. Homework: Students are asked to continue their story boards for the next class. In class #4 we will start talking about how to actually plan the photography and written captions part of this assignment. Students will be asked to edit down their story board to only 10 events, choosing the most effective images and word combinations. • Students viewed a video clip by Barry Lane about Exploding The Moment in your writing. We discussed how to "zoom in" on a scene and note details that might normally be overlooked. • Students chose 2 scenes from their Day in the Life sketches and Exploded the Moments in their journals. Students wrote for 10 - 15 minutes describing the moments in detail. • Next, students partnered up and shared their work with each other. They provided feedback to each other about the moments they had exploded. • We discussed how as writers/artists/photographers we can take different angles to a story or scene (POV/Perspective). • Had them list 3 ways/angles they could show the moments they selected to explode.
 * Lesson #4: "Explode the Moment"** Students came to class with their storyboards sketched for A Day in the Life.

Homework: With a digital camera at home, try to capture several angles of ONE of your scenes from your Day In The Life storyboard. Bring camera to next class. (Cameras were provided for those who did not have access to one at home.)


 * Lesson #5**: **"Practice Makes Perfect"** As a group we reviewed basic strategies to take effective photographs touching upon the following key ideas:
 * Focus** - Making sure your image is in focus
 * Camera Angle/Perspective** - Is the photographer shooting the subject from above, below, the side, underneath.....
 * Composition** - How is the subject positioned within the camera frame? Center, off-center, going out of the frame....
 * Personal Point of View** - How does your image translate to the viewer? Will your viewer understand what you are trying to say?
 * Editing** - Clean up your image from unwanted distractions, check your background to make sure there isn't anything there to take away from your subject

Students used the remaining class time to work in teams to practice their photography skills using the **photo checklist** as a guide




 * Lessons #6-10: "Putting the Pieces Together**" After weeks of planning and practice students began their work on their final project. Students were asked to look at their process so far and figure out how to go about getting to the end of their journey. We talked about the final project being an i-movie that will show an overall view that will give their audience a peek into a day in their life as a 6th grade student. Students were given loose parameters about how they can tell their story to encourage them to be creative, interpretive and self-guided. We as the teachers have been acting as facilitators with the students guiding them with questions and support with materials, techniques and technology when needed on an individual basis.

- Choose 10 significant events that represent you throughout the day in a chronological order - Include at least 1 creative written piece inspired by and connected to 1 of your 10 significant events - Include at least 1 creative visual art piece inspired by and connected to 1 of your 10 significant events - Incorporate photography, sound, technology, and a variety of points of view (written & visual) in the i-movie to tell your story. - Students will participate in a culminating event where their work will be shown to an audience.
 * Criteria for the final project:**


 * Check-In**: At the beginning of class students were asked to do a quick "Check In" where they each write their name on the board with a quick note about what their focus for class that day will be. Teachers split the group and meet with students individually to offer guidance and support based on what direction students are taking that day (Who needs support with the creative writing piece? Who needs support with i-movie? Who needs support with the creative art piece? Who needs help with planning and story boards?).


 * Where do we go from here?** Students have started working on their i-movies and are all at different places on their time line. Some students have started to layout each individual event and others have jumped back and forth from their i-movie layout and have taken time out to focus on their creative writing or art pieces.


 * Class Check-Ins & Critiques:** Throughout the process students have been encouraged to share ideas and gather feedback from their peers on their projects. This has included a variety of informal conversations within the group. Students have also participated in giving more structured feedback through written responses to each others sketchbook journals throughout the planning and practice process. In one of the upcoming sessions the group will stop and evaluate each others work to gather suggestions and feedback that will help them continue working toward the completion of their i-movie project.




 * Lessons11 & 12: "Stop, Reflect and Assess**" Students broke out into small groups to share the progress of their i-Movie project so far. Each student presented their work to their group while the rest of the group evaluated the work by filling out the **Peer Reflection Sheet**. At the end of class students each left with reflection sheets filled out by their peers that included suggestions and questions for the presenters. For homework students were asked to assess their own work and to take into consideration the comments, questions and suggestions their peers gave them as well. Students used the **Midway Reflection Form** as a tool to evaluate their progress so far. Students continued to work on their i-Movie after taking in suggestions from their peers.


 * Session 13: "We made it! Wrap up & Share**" - Once completed students played their i-movies to share with their classmates. The movies were burned onto CDs and each student took home a copy to share with their families.

Students work was shared during the parent teacher conference nights. The movies were played for parents, students and staff on a laptop in the the main corridor of our school for everyone to view.

Student work was also shared in the same format during our spring book fair night.

=**Words & Images Documents:**= Contact information: Please feel free to contact us through the e-mail addresses listed below if you have any questions or comments. Thank you!

Aimee Sutherland (art educator) asutherland@kitteryschools.com Miranda Casey (literacy coach) mcasey@kitteryschools.com