Jane K. Marshall
Part One: The Art of Photography
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1. Students will be introduced to the vocabulary of photography. Basic terms (detail, time, frams, vantage point) will be explained.
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2. Students will view “From New Lots Station, Brooklyn” in terms of the above vocabulary. Following a discussion, they will be able to determine basic “city” themes raised by N. Jay Jaffee (change, individuality, loneliness, strength.)
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3. Additional photographs (from
Stop
,
Look
,
and Write
and
Pictures for Writing
) will bemade available for student viewing. Students wlll analyze photographs with reference to basic terminology.
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4. Students will use photographs to heighten their powers of observation (of detail). Writing assignments will be given which will encourage the transference of seeing detail to writing with detail. (See specific lessons:—
Stop
,
Look
,
and Write
and
Pictures for Writing
.)
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5. Students will be encouraged to take pictures of their own which will reflect their view of the world. They will be expected to explain what they intended to show. Students will refer directly to: detail, time, frame, vantage point.
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6. Students will view one anothers photographs before they are “explained” by the photographer. They will be encouraged to write about what they see in a creative fashion (short story, poem).
Part Two: New York Photography and Poetry
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1. A general discussion will take place which will address the purpose of the topic. Questions: (Why are you being encouraged to study New York photography and poetry?) A. What do photographs have to do with poems? B. Why study New York? (What do you know about New York? What does New York have to do with you?) C. Why study New York’s past—or any past for that matter?
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2. Students will read and discuss N. Jay Jaffee’s “Armed With A Thousand Pens” (poem). Discussion will concern similarities between photography and poetry.
Early New York: 1890-1930
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1. Students will listen to a brief historical lecture on early New York. A discussion will follow which will concern the duality of the city experience.
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2. Students will be exposed to various musical pieces of this time period, and will comment on various moods projected in these works.
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3. Photographs by Alfred Steiglitz will be introduced (“The Hand of Man”, “The Flat Iron Building”, “Icy Night”). Students will be expected to recognize varying themes/moods through discussion.
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4. Students will write a contrast paper concerning “The Hand of Man” vs “The Flat Iron Building”.
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5. Students will study poems of this time period (“Factory Windows are Always Broken”, “Sky-Signs”, “Brooklyn Bridge at Dawn”). They will comment about themes which exist in each. They will compare these themes to those raised by Steiglitz.
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6. Students will be exposed to general photographs of this era which reflect housing, dress etc. They will be asked to imagine themselves living during this time. Students will make entries in a “diary” pretending that they are living in the time period (1890-1930).
New York in the Thirties
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1. Students will listen to a brief historical lecture concerning the thirties.
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2. Students will discuss the ramifications of a fast-paced society (disorientation, stress, diseases of stress) etc.
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3. Students will discuss the repercussions of the depression. (Walker Evans’ photographs may be shown.)
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4. Films of the thirties will bediscussed (gangster etc.). Students will be exposed to basic story plots. Discussion will follow—concerning plots, actors, heroes of the thirties.
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5. Steichen’s photographs will be introduced. Students will explain why “Homeless Women: The Depression” is a good depiction of the thirties. They will discuss Steichen’s use of detail, time, frame, vantage point.
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6. Students will jot down whatever comes to mind (in any form) after viewing Steichen’s “The Empire State Building” and “Rockefeller Center”. These writings will be shared among class members. A discussion will follow which will concern style, mood, and rythmn of these writings.
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7. “The Empire State Building” and “Rockefeller Center” will be discussed with reference to the fast-paced society.
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8. Thirties poetry will be discussed. The discussion will focus on symbolism and imagery of this time period. The poems will be compared to Steichen’s photographs (with reference to theme, mood).
New York in the 1950’s-60’s
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1. Students will listen to a brief historical lecture on New York in the 50’s-60’s.
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2. Students will discuss causes of prejudice and alienation. (overcrowding, fear of unknown, unemployment etc).
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3. Students will listen to music of the 50’s-60’s. The emergence of rock music will be discussed. (What was rock’s primary statement? Why was Elvis so popular? etc.)
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4. Students will be exposed to a summary of the black movement of the 50’sÐ60’s. ( Brown vs Board of Education, freedom riders, NAACP, Malcolm X, Black Panthers etc.)
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5. Gordon Parks’ photographs will be discussed with reference to the movement.
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6. Jaffee’s photograph “Livonia Avenue, Brooklyn” will be discussed with reference to the theme of the “invisible man”.
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7. Students will read selections of the Beats. (How are these poems different from poems previously read in this unit?) Students will write personal reactions to each of these poems.
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8. Final discussion: What was/is the American dream? Is it dead? Where are we now?
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9. Students will write a paper explaining what they learned from this unit.
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This unit is created with a ninth grade advanced English class in mind. It should follow “Poetry and Paintings: A Comparative Study” (previous unit). Presumably both unite could be modified for use with other levels and/or grades. I would expect this unit to run for two to three weeks.