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Promoting Yourself Through Advertising

Daniel P. Lynch
Patterson Cooperative High School, Dayton, Ohio

Subject: Career Education
Grade: 10

"All students have a 'product' of what they learned which can be used to promote themselves and help to land a job."

Purpose and Description of Project

Daniel Lynch designed his project to expand his students' knowledge of the camera and how to use it creatively in the classroom. He also aimed at showing that promotion could be one way of dignifying an individual. His commercial art students produced portraits and magazine-type ads to elevate themselves to the status of professional artists.

Activities

Over a period of five months, students were shown eight Kodak audiovisual presentations on various aspects of photography. Each presentation was followed with discussion, questions and answers, and note taking. Study sheets reinforcing the material learned were handed out. Written resource materials included 4-H and Kodak pamphlets on photography and darkroom techniques. To review, Lynch used "Photography Baseball." Students were divided into two teams and were asked to answer photography questions. Each correct answer put a runner on base, and each wrong answer was an out (with the usual three outs per inning).

A local professional photographer explained to the class how to light and arrange a creative portrait for their ad project.

In preparing the actual advertisements, students worked in pairs. Each pair was assigned a 55-minute period to take 20 photos, 10 of each partner. Students reviewed information on planning creative portraits and promoting themselves before they planned and took their photos in and around the school.

Students designed their ads in three steps: (1) They prepared three miniature pencil sketches in which they experimented with layout, typography, and copy. (2) One sketch was selected and expanded into a full-size ad rendering. (3) Students then completed a full-size comprehensive of the final ad which showed color and final layout of the printed piece. The final ad was then pasted up to combine art, photo, and line copy. The school's graphic arts instructor showed the students how to convert the glossy photos into halftones suitable for offset reproduction.

Materials, Resources, and Expenses

Lynch scheduled student photo sessions so only one 35 mm camera was needed. Twelve rolls of black-and-white film, commercial developing and paper, art materials, duplication expenses, color film, and developing for the project documentation photos were used. The only outside resource persons involved were the local photographer and the art instructor.

Outcomes and Adaptability

Previously, photo experience had been limited to audiovisual presentations. Following this project, Lynch sees that his students feel comfortable in using the camera. They created interesting portraits and learned how to deal with a real world challenge-taking original photos and putting together a promotional ad campaign.

Student knowledge of photography was evaluated by means of a 20-question multiple choice test which was based on the study sheets. Lynch noted that students found the questions on lens opening and film and shutter speeds the most difficult. The ad pieces were graded by means of a 100-point commercial art rating sheet. Ad ratings average 85 out of 100 points. According to Lynch, students also demonstrated a thorough understanding of photography (test grades average 83%), increased their commercial art skills, and felt at ease experimenting and improvising in their picture-taking techniques.

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