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Santa Fe, A Portrait of Three Cultures

Marilyn L. Huber
Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Subject: English
Grade: 10-12 (Remedial)

"The project produced pride in their pictures, their cultures, their families and their writing."

Purpose and Description of Project

Marilyn Huber's project was designed to help her students learn about photography, learn more about their own and other cultures, develop a better self-image, and improve their writing skills. To do this, she focused on Santa Fe's rich cultural heritage- Indian, Spanish, and Anglo-but also discovered that her teenage students had their own ideas about what constituted "cultures," such as "low riders" (those with low-slung cars) and "jectors" (those living in low-income housing projects).

The outstanding result of the project, according to Huber "was a newfound student pride in work. They considered the finished products as good as those from a 'regular' class." Students learned photography- even though quite a few had never taken a photo and came from homes without cameras-and also became more interested in writing assignments.

Activities

Huber introduced the project with discussions and presentations on Santa Fe history and culture, displays of professional photographs, and guest speakers on such topics as photography, graphics, and layout and design. She also took photos in every class and posted them on the bulletin board.

Students chose their topics and began to plan their own photo projects. Topics covered an enormous range including a traditional wedding, ballet lessons, motorcycle racing, fiestas, scenic wonders, rock stars, Catholic saints, and horse raising. While the students' "magnificent plans" sometimes collided rather painfully with reality when they saw their pictures, this too was part of the learning process, according to Huber. They learned by comparing their photos with published ones, seeing what they did wrong, and applying new techniques for better results.

Once the school yearbook staff had processed all the film and provided the students with proof sheets, selections and prints were made. Huber or a photography student at this point pitched in to help any students who had not produced acceptable pictures.

Students checked their facts with history experts on the school staff and wrote final drafts to be typed by a teacher aide and by business students. The final step-that of designing their own layout and actually mounting the photos and compositions-was, according to Huber, the most enjoyable for the students.

Materials, Resources, and Expenses

Human resources came from both within and outside the school. School personnel assisting with the project included the librarian; an advanced English teacher who was also a photographer and local historian; teachers of Spanish, sociology, business, history, and journalism; and the school audiovisual specialist. Outside sources included a professional writer/photographer, a graphic artist, a local camera shop that demonstrated different print tones, the Place of the Governors Museum, and the Oliver LaFarge Library.

Students used all types of equipment, ranging from "Kodak cameras to ancient box cameras."

Outcomes and Adaptability

Huber reports that "the use of cameras opened a new world for these remedial students." She found that they learned at least elementary photography; that their attendance improved and discipline problems diminished. The project produced 'pride in their pictures, their cultures, their families, and their writing," she concludes.

She adds that while she "intertwined this project into the required English writing and reading program," other teachers could adapt it to art, sociology, history, or almost any other subject. While Santa Fe may be unusual in retaining clear-cut manifestations of its three historical cultures, Huber suggests that any area has at least remnants of cultural differences.

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