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Island Heights-You're Beautiful

Cynthia Kinstler
Island Heights Elementary School, Island Heights, New Jersey

Subject: Community Studies
Grade: 5-6

"This project actually introduced itself to the students. They brought clippings regarding the award to class and asked for more information about what would be going on."

Purpose and Description of Project

The 19 students in this project, selected from volunteering fifth- and sixth-graders, photographed various aspects of their community-people, places, and things-and the town's history under the guidance of Cynthia Kinstler. They produced individual hand-made scrapbooks of their favorite photographs, along with explanatory captions; coloring books of drawings based on photographs that they presented to the school's second-graders together with a history lesson; and a slide presentation and speech about the project that was a highlight of the sixth grade's promotion assembly. Kinstler says that not only did the students' sense of self-worth and their pride in their community increase-which was her goal-but that they demonstrated an unexpectedly high level of proficiency in both selecting their subjects and taking their photos.

Activities

The students and teacher began by setting a goal of 10 good-quality pictures per student, plus enough slides for the presentation at the promotion assembly. They then brainstormed areas of interest to be photographed, organized the list into people, places, and things; and broke into groups.

Kinstler then pre-tested the students on both photography and the history of the community, and the students set out to learn more about both topics. Various members of the community, including a historian for the county, showed slides and photographs to the class, which both highlighted historical aspects of the area and introduced students to the elements of good photography. Students also interviewed community members and reviewed printed materials and old news articles contributed by their families. The teachers then demonstrated and let them practice handling, cleaning, loading, and operating a camera.

The small groups now set off to photograph their particular areas of interest. Subjects included churches, trees, flowers, an art studio, an art gallery, a swamp, the post office, the river, the yacht club, the home of a famous artist, and the oldest house in the county.

While awaiting processing of their pictures, the students learned to sew and bind their photo scrapbooks. When the prints were returned, each student was allowed to select his or her 10 favorites to be mounted in the individual scrapbooks. Now came further research, and at last the articles to go with the photos were written, edited, and printed out on a word processor. The printed materials were then glued onto the scrapbook pages with the appropriate photo. Students also selected pictures they were particularly proud of and copied them with pen or pencil on white paper. They added historical information, puzzles, original poetry, and games to these coloring books and presented them to second graders. They gave a history lesson and helped with the coloring and puzzles.

Final activities included putting together a slide show and writing a speech for presentation at the sixth-grade promotion assembly and the presentation of a framed photograph of their school to the board of education. The students were then post-tested on both photography and history.

Materials, Resources, and Expenses

Primary human resources were the county historian, two particularly knowledgeable senior members of the community, and staff at local photography stores. Kinstler provided her two 35 mm cameras, and two other 35 mm cameras and four cameras were supplied by parents. Slide and print film used was ISO 100. Other supplies included a slide sorter, slide trays, tapes, a tape recorder, a slide projector, duplicating paper for the coloring books, and contact paper, legal paper, cardboard, and colored tape for the scrapbooks.

Outcomes and Adaptability

Kinstler says that post-tests showed that students had significantly increased their knowledge about both photography and local history. There were also measurable improvements in language arts (such areas as vocabulary, composition, and editing), computer education (use of word processor and printer), and affective education (responsibility, decisionmaking). And, she adds, students were so enthusiastic that "the afternoon blahs simply never occurred."

The project should be replicable regardless of geographic area, according to the teacher, who says she recommends that "all teachers take some of the 'ho-hum' out of their lessons and put some 'flash' in."

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