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Look Twice
Laurie Pate
Knight Elementary School, Lilburn, Georgia
Subject: Language Arts
Grade: 4 (Gifted)
"The project has increased students' awareness of the use
of media and has helped them to have a different perspective and
better understanding of media and its effects on their daily lives."
Purpose and Description of Project
Laurie Pate stressed the importance of communication. Because
of the role media plays in communication, she has involved her
groups in a media production project. This group of fourth graders
chose to produce a slide/tape presentation on the school's nature
trail which many of the gifted students had helped to develop.
While the written trail guide was informative, the students felt
some people were missing small, beautiful objects near the trail.
The students selected as their solution a series of close-up slides
with a guiding narrative that would make people more aware of
the subtle aspects of nature.
Activities
The slide/tape project was a total student product. Pate provided
procedures to follow, but the students were in charge of decision
making, organizing, analyzing, and evaluating. A naturalist from
Panola State Park walked with them along the nature trail to help
them become more aware of their surroundings. Then they brainstormed
ways to show their audience that the small objects, the signs
of change, and the unusual things were worth looking for.
To help them develop a photographer's point of view, Pate showed
the students how to use cardboard viewfinders. They walked along
the nature trail "keying in" on specific objects, deciding
what they wanted to communicate, and seeing what their slides
might look like. After the students selected and sequenced their
ideas, they drew a storyboard and added a limited narrative that
would let the pictures communicate the ideas.
Students selected by majority rule and compromise the best slides
and sequenced them to create the desired effect. After the final
visual effect was evaluated, they taped and synchronized the narration
and background music.
Materials, Resources, and Expenses
Students used the school's 35 mm
camera
and Pate's zoom lens. Pate supplied ISO 400
film
because she felt it was the easiest for
young students to use. A tripod and release cable were used to
keep the camera as steady as possible.
The only major resource persons were the naturalist who led the
nature walk and the music teacher who suggested appropriate background
music relating to the students' ideas.
Outcomes and Adaptability
Pate did not use books on photography to show students photography
techniques because she wanted to see the results of their own
perceptions and judgments. She found this created "a relaxed,
free atmosphere in which the students felt free to experiment
with their slides." She also found that this media project
had a number of beneficial outcomes: the group's common goal fostered
cooperation and persistence; the students learned to set realistic
objectives, to organize, and to manage their time well; problem-solving,
analyzing, and synthesizing skills were enhanced as they gathered
information from several sources. As the students adopted the
viewpoint of visual presenter, they became more aware of nature's
subtleties as well as more able to express their own creativity;
and they created a product that would benefit the entire school.
Pate concludes that the project is suitable for entire classes
as well as small groups. Other media options include videotapes
and 8 mm movies.