Final Due Date: April 25Th Final Review Date: April 18Th

Photo Journal Project

Final Due Date: April 25th Final Review Date: April 18th

Description:

A picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t you agree? :) In our society, pictures tell the stories of our lives through national media and social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. People use shared images to connect with each other and with the world. Photo journals are another way of using images to create a shared experience with an audience. Photo journals can be digital or printed out to display. While photo journals can be very different from each other, they also share common characteristics: photographs, a theme, a goal, and writing that ties everything together for an audience.

For this project, you will create your own photo journal. At its most basic level, your photo journal project should have 3-5 8x10 pictures (in black and white or color), pictures should have black frames and/or black backing, and you should have a short writing piece for each image.

This project is designed to take the place of your final exam in English. Depending on your theme, you can also choose to include other subject areas in the project such as Science, History, foreign language, or even Math for dual credit. Think big! Be creative! Say something important with your work! We will be consulting with actual photographers, and there will be field trip opportunities connected to this project.

Photo journals will be displayed for the public, and there is also a possibility of publication in your local paper.

Materials:

A camera of any kind

3-5 black 8x10 frames and/or black paper to back photos and writing

3-5 PRINTED photographs

*If you would like to work on this project, but materials are an issue please reach out to me. I will make sure you have what you need. I can also assist with printing pictures.

Field Trip Dates: 3/7 to The Center for Human and Civil Rights and 3/31 to The Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Field trips are OPTIONAL.)

Meeting dates (Pick any 4. These are mandatory.)-

On campus meetings in T2 at 10:00am- 2/10, 2/24, 3/9, 3/23, 4/13, 4/20

Webinars at 2:00pm or they can be individually scheduled for a time and date that fits your schedule: 2/11, 2/25, 3/10, 4/14

Presentation Date and Location: TBD

Publication Opportunity: TBD

Components of your Photo Journal Project

Theme

Theme is an extremely important element of your project. Its the first thing you should decide. You should choose a theme that you can connect with personally as well as academically. You should have ONE theme that unifies all of your images and writing. You are not choosing different themes for each photo. Your project must have a TITLE related to the theme. Your theme and your title are not the same thing.

Possible Themes for your project:

DiversityControlExtremesSurvival/Overcoming Challenges Beauty Amidst Adversity Symbiotic Relationships Community Safety Home

SymmetryPoint of ViewSegregatedSolaceMutualismPathsCamouflage Tragic Hero Obstacles Tolerance Renewal Cooperation Heroes

Create Your Own (Must be approved)

Photos

•Photos must be original. You can not copy or use photos from the internet or any other source.

•Photos can be spontaneous , staged, or a combination of both.

•Photos cannot be sexual in nature or have profane or offensive content. If you are not sure if an image is acceptable, just ask. I would be glad to take a look.

•Photos can be in color or in black and white.

•Photos can be edited using filters, editing technology, etc.

•You must have 3-5 8x10 photos.

Writing

•You must have a short writing piece (a few solid paragraphs) for each image or 1 essay that discusses all of your images.

•Decide if your photos and images should be viewed in a certain order. If so, your writing should be in the same order.

•Writing pieces MUST be: Typed (12 or 14pt font, Times New Roman, black ink only), revised and edited by the student AND teacher, backed by black paper.

•You MUST cite at least TWO expert sources in your writing. Which experts you cite will depend on your theme and photographs. For example, you may decide to research how colors affects mood and incorporate this into your photo editing, or you may quote historical or scientific data related to your theme. The possibilities are endless! Quotations should be CITED, EXPLAINED, and CONNECTED within you writing with the full citation listed at the bottom of your final writing piece.

Guiding Questions for your Writing (Try to include as much of this information as possible for EACH picture):

-Simple explanation of the photo (What is in the picture? When, where, how, why was it taken?)

-How is the image connected to your theme? (Be sure to remind the reader what your theme is in every separate writing piece.)

-Was the image spontaneous, staged, or a little of both? How did you stage and/or edit this picture? How are your staging/editing choices related to your theme?

-What is the mood of the photo? How is this related to your theme?

-Is there symbolism in the photo? How is this related to your theme?

-Is this image connected to a literary work, scientific concept, or history? Don’t forget to make clear connections for cross-curricular credit.

-How are your images connected to each other?

-Close each writing piece by discussing how you personally connect with the image.

Goal:

A really good project will connect the theme and the images to the writer on a personal level. An excellent project will have a goal in mind that helps improve our community. What issues can you shed light on? What kind of awareness can you raise for a particular issue? What cause or group can you advocate for through your work? Think big!

Clarifying Information:

•This is a major project grade. It will count as 20% of your English grade in place of your semester final exam.You will be graded on the originality, thoughtfulness, and clarity of your project, as well as how you progressed through the project and how well you took your critiques and incorporated suggestions.

•This project is not a scrapbook, or a series of social media photos of you and your friends. You should approach this as an artistic endeavor and a serious task. Strive to dig deeper into your ordinary life through the theme you choose. There is nothing wrong with having some photos of you, or your friends, or you with friends if you feel that a particular moment or image is important to your journal and related to your theme. However, a journal that is just you hanging out with friends or taking selfies is not going to make the cut, and you will be asked to change the theme and subject of your pictures. In other words- if your Photo Journal starts to look like a wayward Facebook page or Instagram account, you are not on the right path with this project.

•You are required to attend at least 4 meetings via webinar or during cafe to have a teacher review your work in progress.

•You are required to have your final photos and writing pieces reviewed by 4/18. I will make final suggestions and you can revise. The final due date for your completed project is 4/25.

•If you need assistance with getting materials for this project, please let me know as soon as possible. I will make sure you have what you need.

Photo Journal Lay Out Options:

Option 1: 3-5 Photos in a specific order with 1 essay

<~~~Pictures

<~~Essay

Option 2: 3-5 Photos in order with short writings for each.

<~~~Pictures

<~~~Writing Pieces

Option 3: 3-5 Photos in random order with 1 essay

<~~~Pictures

<~~~~Essay

<~~~Pictures

Option 4: 3-5 Photos in random order with short writings for each.

<~~~Pictures

<~~~~ Writings