Students take photographs of people, places, and objects in their lives that are meaningful to them.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- identify items, people, and places with meaning to them
- create a “meaningful photo” collage with these images
- explain what each image represents and its personal meaning
Materials
Picture-taking device (camera, phone, etc) and a means to print or develop pictures; large paper for collage, pen and paper for written reflection
Exercises
Time | Activity | Notes |
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Before Lesson |
Prior to the in-class activity, give students the following assignment
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Consider ways to allow students who may not have access to the necessary technology (a camera phone, a camera, etc) to participate actively in the activity.
This lesson is adapted from an activity by Greater Good in Action. See this site for more information, research, and sources. |
2 mins |
Opening
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3 mins |
DirectionsExplain instructions for creating the Meaningful Photo Collage. Depending on your classroom materials and student needs, create parameters for the collage that work for you. Basic guidelines may include:
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10-15 mins |
Collage Making
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You may want to play music during this time.
This time can be social; encourage students to share their images with peers and talk about what they chose to photograph and why while making collages. With permission from students, plan to hang these collages around the room. |
25-30 mins |
Journal ResponseOnce students have created a collage of their photos and items, give them the following journal prompt and ample time to write a written response:
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This should be a quiet, reflective time.
Differentiation: for students who have difficulty expressing themselves in writing or starting a new task, provide sentence starters for each image. For example:
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5 mins (if time permits) |
ClosingIf time permits, ask students to reflect on the process of gathering and writing about meaningful items, places, and people in their lives. Suggested questions:
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Criteria for Success/Formative Assessment
Student reflections demonstrate thoughtful engagement with the reflection prompt and thoroughly explain the meaning of each image on the collage
Student collages should include an appropriate number of images that demonstrate thoughtful completion of the pre-class assignment