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Focus on Life
Eugene A. Schmidt
Alan B. Shepard Junior High School, Deerfield, Illinois
Subject: Science
Grade: 7
"The greatest feature of this program was how it 'turned
on' the students to learning. Suddenly, the concepts came alive
for them. This wasn't something you read about; this was something
you had used your knowledge and skills to create."
Purpose and Description of Project
Schmidt found that "there was no doubt that the photography
was a vital part in the students' gaining additional information
about their specimens. It is one thing to read about seed germination
and discuss it and even grow seeds in class, but photographing
that process to show various stages requires a great deal more
knowledge about the process itself." "In addition,"
says the teacher, "the photos and written reports provide
a basis for continuing inquiry all year long-both by the students
who developed each display and by others whose curiosity is roused
or who are eager to find more in the photos than the original
author did."
While, as in any project, some student products were last-minute
efforts, Schmidt found that "most were accomplishments of
weeks and months of investigation and planning" and "showed
creativity, style, composition, thoroughness, and definitely pride."
Activities
Schmidt, an amateur photographer, assembled a finished "photo-tivity"
from his own materials to give the students an idea of what would
be required of them-to use photos in conjunction with a brief
written paper to explain scientific facts. Students had the option
of working alone or with a maximum of two partners, and their
projects could deal with simple observations or actual experimentations,
with little- or well-known phenomena, with simple or complex topics.
A variety of topics was discussed in class, decisions about solitary
vs. team work were made, and then research began. Information
sources included the Life Science text, classroom library,
building learning center, the town library, libraries in nearby
colleges, and the nearby Botanical Gardens.
Most students relied on the immediate environment for specimens-such
as ponds, trees, and icicles-while others purchased such items
as fish, tadpoles, and seeds. They took their photos with a variety
of
cameras
after some basic instruction from Schmidt, either going
out on their own or, in the case of microscope photos, working
under the teacher's supervision in the school's science lab.
Examples of the photo-tivities included: photos of sugar maples
in the summer, fall, winter, and spring, accompanied by a paper
explaining the reasons for leaf color change, leaf loss, and leaf
growth; photos of snails, including their genus and species names
and a description of how snails use their muscular foot for locomotion;
and photos of dandelions displaying phototropism, with an explanation
of what actually happens in the plant for this turning to the
sun to take place.
The final photo-tivity displays were judged on the ability of
the students to orally relate their meaning, the quality of research
in the written paper, the use of specimens to demonstrate scientific
concepts, and the quality of the photos as demonstration elements.
Materials, Resources, and Expenses
Cameras provided by the students included a 35 mm.
For microscope photos, they used the
school science department's camera, which mounted directly
onto a microscope. The youngsters took up to 12 photos each.
Outcomes and Adaptability
Schmidt observed improvements in research skills, writing style,
thought processes, compilation of materials, and observational
abilities. The phototivities not only continued to spark discussion
among the seventh-graders after they were completed but were displayed
during an orientation for incoming junior high schoolers to introduce
them to the science topics they would be studying.
The teacher enthusiastically endorses the use of photography in
other subjects and grade levels. He specifically suggests that
the project could be adapted to the photographing of phases of
construction or design for industrial arts or showing how to measure
time according to shadow lengths in math. And if cost is a big
factor, he notes, an entire class could work together to produce
a joint photo-tivity.