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Subject: Language Arts, Science
Grade: 7-12
"EcoGraphics provided a challenging, exciting opportunity for students to recognize their individual power to change the world," says Mary E. Micallef, teacher of gifted sixth- through eighth-grade students. "Based on a solid understanding of the worldwide disposal dilemma, these students explored their own community in creative and innovative ways to photograph the impact throwaway behaviors have on their immediate environment. They learned by experience to tell stories and to make a point through photography. They took action that made a difference in themselves and in their community. In addition, students reinforced research and reporting skills, positive communication skills, and solid decision making experience. They became adept photographers and interviewers, as well as public relations experts."
The interdisciplinary unit combining photography and ecology, and touching on such subject areas as science, social studies and language arts, was developed for gifted students at Tapp Middle School, Powder Springs, Georgia. The school is situated on the outskirts of Metropolitan Atlanta in "a rural, middleclass, black-and-white neighborhood" from which "approximately 100 students" participated.
"The project resulted in community awareness and personal involvement in students, parents, teachers, school and neighborhood that ranged far beyond the limits of the classroom or the school year," emphasizes Micallef. "The project's goal -- and one of its apparent results -- was personal change in throwaway behaviors."
"During the Individual Exploration phase, which took approximately two weeks, students were introduced to the disposal dilemma through a motivating and informative whole class presentation, including a graphic display of the amount of trash that results from unwrapping all the items in just one bag of groceries. Students were encouraged to brainstorm possible solutions to waste problems by exploring apparent causes and effects. They looked through books, magazines, Readers' Guides To Periodical Literature, pamphlets and brochures to generally understand the scope of the problem.
"Each student chose a particular aspect of the topic to research in depth and present to the class. Topics included litter, acid rain, hazardous waste, space junk, Love Canal, nuclear byproducts, pesticides, the throwaway ethic, incineration, plastics, recyclables, and so forth. Students wrote letters to congressmen, interviewed county officials, contacted industries, scoured current magazine articles, and explored dozens of innovative ways to obtain a sound information base for understanding their topics. Each student particularly notes viable alternatives to his or her disposal problem that are available through technology, public awareness, and a commitment to preserving ecological balance by business and government. As students gained expertise in their areas, they began to realize that change begins with the individual."
"During the two week, Individual Presentation/Class Discussion phase, students shared their carefully organized information with the class through individual presentations that included pamphlets, audiovisual aids, handout sheets, graphs and displays. They projected trends and alternatives through student-made bulletin boards, posters and permanent classroom displays. Some invited guest speakers-from the city mayor to a representative of a robotics firm helped the class understand terms and perspectives such as 'economic feasibility' and 'energy efficient.'
"Students gained valuable insights through class discussions of recyclable materials, more efficient packaging, laws governing waste disposal, biogas, the bottle bill, biodegradable material, resource recovery, compost, and other recycling/reusing/reclaiming options. Over a period of several days, students exchanged facts and opinions in an effort to understand causes, trends and possibilities for change. As their knowledge of ecological and technological principles grew, so did their understanding of economics and politics. Students became personally committed to finding solutions."
"In the Small Group Activities phase, which took at least two and as long as six weeks, students began to bring specific needs into focus as they explored their own community disposal problems. They decided to photograph the impact of waste disposal behaviors, laws, systems and management on the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Through creative, photographic, small group projects, they investigated the impact of waste disposal on Cobb County, Georgia, in general and on Powder Springs, in particular.
"One group interviewed the county manager of solid waste disposal and took slides of the entire waste disposal system from garbage pickup through trash compacting to sanitary landfill. This group wrote a script, found background music and made titles with pressure lettering and photographs, taken using a copystand, from books. The completed slide-tape project was shown schoolwide and now is available countywide to schools and organizations.
"Another group took black-and-white photographs of littered, cluttered, nuisance and even dangerous areas in the community. Calling these 'A Site For Sore Eyes,' they showed several areas to county officials who could call for a cleanup of the sites. Notices were posted to warn against future littering.
"In a particularly creative project, a group of students took black-and-white photographs of several historical homes in the Cobb-Marietta area. They carefully photographed the fronts, backs and both sides of the homes. In the darkroom, they enlarged the photographs to exactly the same size, cut out the homes, and mounted them on boxes the size of the photographs. They added construction paper roofs, grass and surrounding trees. It was easy to see the difference between these homes in clean and beautiful surroundings as opposed to the same homes 'staged' with litter.
"All students planned their own personal cleanup of the areas near their homes. But, one group took a survey of the kinds of litter in the area as they cleaned it up. They checked to see what litter had accumulated in two weeks, then again at one month-documenting what they observed with photographs. Later, they posted a 'No Littering' sign to see if this had an effect. Students agree that most people will try not to litter if they are aware of what they are doing. Signs and posters do help!"
"Students took pictures of each other to make EcoGraphics identification cards and badges. Children placed their own photographs on continuum between CONVENIENCE and CONSERVATION, graphically showing their stand on ecological issues. We discussed how the photographs, positioned on the continuum on the classroom wall, could mark where the student really feels he is right now or where he plans to be-and how the position could change as the student's throwaway behaviors change.
"As a culminating activity, students divided up a map of the school attendance area into 60 neighborhood units. Each child signed an agreement to patrol his or her own area, picking up litter on May 12. The children agreed to recruit neighbors and friends to help clean up and keep the area clean. Photographs were taken before, during and after the cleanup campaign to record and document this massive project. Awards were given to commend participation in the project. Newspapers covered the event.
"Students printed materials that were distributed that day at the Marietta Arts and Crafts Festival. They showed photographs of the cleanup campaign, and they displayed a backboard of posters and background information. They personally urged families to change their buying and throwaway habits in order to help eliminate part of the disposal dilemma."
"Students became champions of their particular causes both during the individual sharing weeks and again throughout their group activities. They were totally committed. They enjoyed the public attention attracted by their CleanUp Campaign and booth at the Fair. Many students felt personally empowered by their ability to get something 'big' and 'relevant' accomplished on their own.
"I was particular excited about the students' growing self-concept as they telephoned, visited and successfully interviewed businessmen, public officials and other sources. The students had solid background information -- they knew what they were talking about, and this gave them tremendous self confidence!
"Students learn when they are personally involved. The photographic skills that we had learned earlier in the year were really sharpened and developed as the students searched for means to clarify, express, and perfect their projects. Students took their own pictures looking for just the right mood, position, lighting, and scene to portray the statement they wanted to make. They spent hours in the darkroom as they worked with composition, enlarging, effective contrast, amount of light exposure and lengths of exposure time.
"At first, this darkroom activity demanded a great deal of teacher guidance. But as the projects neared refining and completion stages, groups of three of four students were working with total independence in the darkroom. They learned how to conserve materials and keep the darkroom clean. They already knew how to mix chemicals, choose paper types for maximum effectiveness, and freshen or replace chemicals as needed.
"I was especially impressed with their respect for each other's work. A new group would take special care to move dried photographs to an area where they would not get wet or mixed up with another group's project before beginning a new set of enlargements. They were concerned about leaving materials and supplies available to incoming groups-and often commented positively on work in progress. It was as though they were learning a new and valuable profession and, in the process, were assuming professional standards and understandings among themselves.
"EcoGraphics was a thoroughly rewarding and successful experience," concludes the teacher who tapped student-owned 35 mm cameras as well as school photo equipment and supplies to carry our her special project. "If a fully-equipped darkroom is available, the only expenses are film, paper, chemicals and lots of time!"