Photography/Library Skills
Tech Prep Lesson Plans
Written by: Deborah Jaros & Gloria Jones
Mrs. Jaros teaches Library Skills through the freshmen English classes and teaches library skills and searching
tips for any class starting a research unit. She obtained a B.S. in Communications and Fine Arts from Southern
Illinois University where she majored in Speech and Theater and minored in Psychology and English. She also
has a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, School Library Media from Southern Illinois University.
Mrs. Jones teaches Photography, Ceramics and Art Concepts. She has a B.F.A. in Art from Virginia
Intermont College and both a B.A. in Art Education and a M.F.A. from Southern Illinois University.
These plans will demonstrate how research skills and reading strategies can be applied to almost any unit of
instruction.
65
Photography Research in Four Days
Grade Level: 10-12
9 - 10
`
Subjects: Beginning Photography
Library Skills
Illinois Learning Standards:
Read with understanding and fluency:
Language Arts: 1.B.4a, 1.B.4b, 1.C.4c, 1.C.4e
Fine Arts: 1.A.5a, 1.B.5a, 1.C.5c, 1.C.5d, 1.C.5e
Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.
Fine Arts: 27.A.2a, 27.A.5, 27.B.5
Skills Standards:
1.C.4c Communication on the job: Follow written instructions
1.C.5d Solving problems and thinking critically: Identify solutions to a problem and their impact
1.C.5d Career Development Competencies: Understand how to make decisions
Overview:
Students will be given information on a photography project which will require research in
order to complete.
Students will learn how to search for books on the Shawnee Library System. Students will take a
pretest of their Internet literacy level.
Objectives:
1. Students will choose a photographer from the project list provided.
2. Students will be able to conduct a library search for books on their topic using the on-line
Shawnee Library System.
3. Students will evaluate their Internet literacy skills by participating in a pretest and post
discussion.
Academic Principles:
1. Develop skill in online library collection searching
2. Develop a foundation for Internet searching
3. Develop a vocabulary of art and art principles
CTE Application:
1. Transfer library searching skill to any library for lifelong learning
2. Use of online technology for obtaining information
Reading Strategies:
The Multilevel Connections handout will be used for students to list experiential, general, and
textual knowledge on their subjects.
66
Pre-Activities:
Begin class by informing students of today’s overview. Distribute the reading strategy handout for
students to fill out during today’s lesson. Engage students in a casual discussion of their own interests in order
to match each student with an artist that may encompass those interests. Explain to students that many of the
photographers they are looking for may not have books written about them, but we need to do a search to see
what may be available. Books remain one of the best sources of better quality reproductions when searching
for visual information.
Activities & Procedures:
1. Distribute handout explaining the photography project
2. Go over handout to check student’s understanding of each component
3. Demonstration of the on-line catalog for Shawnee Library System.
4. Each student conducts individual search, printing out results.
5. Allow 10 minutes for students to take pretest of Internet literacy.
6. Allow 10 minutes for discussion of pretest, thus creating a foundation prior to Internet
searching for this project.
Assessment:
Students will fill out “Student Checklist for Today’s Lesson.”
Closing & Summarizing:
Sum up what we did and where we are headed with Internet searching tomorrow. Allow students to
complete the reading strategy handout.
Materials Needed:
Computer Lab
Handout of Project
Reading strategy handout, “Multilevel Connections”
Internet Pretest
Student Checklist for Today’s Lesson
Resources:
Shawnee Library Link on our website: www.cchs165.jacksn.k12.il.us
67
Beginning Photography Oral Presentation Research and Essay Assignment
Oral Presentation
The object of the assignment is to familiarize the students with the visual aspects of photographs as
well as introduce students to a few of the important, innovative, and historical figures of the history of
photography. This research project should be about discovering an artist’s journey and metamorphosis into
becoming an artist.
The assignment will be presented orally to the class using PowerPoint format. The students should
have a knowledgeable understanding of both the photographer’s life and of the photographs.
Include the following information:
• place of birth, date
• family, upbringing
• education, apprenticeship, influences
• contributions
• timeline
Give at least ten examples of photographs and be prepared to discuss them:
• technique
• content
• composition
• light
• significance
Essay:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Each student is responsible for writing an essay based on the presentations.
Take notes during the presentations.
The essay should be a personal opinion.
Choose five photographers to write about and give your personal opinion on whose work you
liked, or disliked, and give reasons why.
5. Talk about subject matter, aesthetics, and other real issues for your opinion.
68
Beginning Photography Oral Presentation
Historical
Alfred Steiglitz
Matthew Brady
Louis Daguerre
Edward Steichen
Walker Evans
Edward Weston
Genre
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Gary Winogrand
Robert Doisneau
Bruce Davidson
Portraits
Gertrude Kasebier
Annie Liebovitz
Helen Levitt
Richard Avedon
African American
James VanDerZee
Carrie Mae Weems
Experimental
Man Ray
Jerry Uelsmann
Robert Parke-Harrison
Landscape
Ansel Adams
Emmit Gowin
John Pfahl
Alternative
Diane Arbus
Cindy Sherman
William Wegman
Dance/Music
Lois Greenfield
Bob Gruen
Howard Schatz
Hilary Shedel
69
Buildings
Andre Kertez
Norman Snyder
Political
Timothy Sullivan
Emmit Gowin
Mary Ellen Marks
Steve McCurry
Tina Modotti
Close-up
Paul Strand
Edward Steichen
Imogene Cunningham
70
71
NAME: __________________________________
INTERNET LITERACY PRETEST
1. If you want to find information on the Internet about what was found in King Tut’s
(Tutankhaman) tomb, what search engine would you start with to begin your query?
2. What key words would you type to begin your search?
3. Explain the process you use to decide which sites (hits) to go to for your information:
4. What is a URL?
5. What part of the URL is called the domain?
6. What do the following tell you about a site?
a. .gov
b. .com
c. .org
d. .edu
7. Have you ever used Boolean operators when conducting an Internet search? If so, how?
(Give example)
72
8. What do the following operators do when you add them to search engine queries?
a. and
b. not
c. or
d. “
e. +
f. –
9. Do you actively use some kind of evaluation system to assess the accuracy of information on a
given site?
_________yes
_________no
10. What kinds of things could you spot or investigate to evaluate a site?
11. How do you find out who “links to” a particular website?
12. What is the difference between a search engine, a subject index, and a meta-search engine?
13. List all of the search engines you can think of. Which one is your favorite and why?
14. How do you look up magazine articles on the Internet?
15. Do you know how to properly cite a website in a bibliography or works cited page?
73
Name: _____________________________________
Student Checklist for Today’s Lesson
_________ 1. I understand the definition of each of the components explained in the project handout.
_________ 2. I searched Shawnee Library System and found ________books.
_________ 3. I completed the Internet pretest.
_________ 4. I learned the following from the discussion after the pretest:
74
Photography Research—Day 2
Illinois Learning Standards:
Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras, and ideas:
Language Arts: 2.B.4b
Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information:
Language Arts: 5.A.4a, 5.B.4b, 5.C.4a, 5.A.5a, 5.C.5a
Know the language of the arts:
Fine Arts: 25.A.5
Skills Standards:
1.C.4c Communicating on the job: follow written directions
1.C.5c Career development competencies: understand how to make decisions
Overview:
Students will learn strategies for effective Internet research through demonstration and practice.
Students will search for information on their individual photography subjects chosen day one of this project.
Objectives:
1. Students will create an Internet search strategy.
2. Students will utilize basic search tips to develop effective Internet searches to obtain
information for the photography project.
Academic Principles:
1. Develop effective Internet research strategies
2. Locate and evaluate information on photography subject
CTE Application:
1. Use of technology to obtain information
2. Develop technical vocabulary
3. Expand one’s creative perspective
Reading Strategies:
The handout of the graphic organizer for summarizing will be used with today’s lesson.
Pre-Activities:
Begin today’s lesson with having students find their pretests from yesterday’s lesson (Day One)
Review briefly the first seven questions of the pretest in preparation for learning search strategy and basic
tips of Internet searching (today’s lesson).
75
Activities and Procedures:
1. Pass out handouts on “Creating a Search Strategy” and “Basic Search Tips” taken from
Bare Bones 101: A Basic Tutorial On Searching the Web found at
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml. In obtaining permission
from the webmaster to use this site, I was asked that the instructor mention the Bare
Bones 101 site during instruction to make students aware of the entire tutorial.
2. Using the handout, “Creating A Search Strategy,” decide what type of search we need to
create for this photography project.
3. Demonstrate how to create a search statement using one of the project photographers,
Ansel Adams and landscape(s).
4. Following the items given in the handout, “Basic Search Tips,” demonstrate each item
using Ansel Adams and landscape(s).
5. Distribute the reading strategy handout of the graphic organizer for summarizing.
Students will be required to fill out this organizer with information from one of the
websites found.
6. Each student will then create a search statement and apply basic tips to begin Internet
searching of his/her individual photographer.
7. Students are to cut and paste URL’s of useful sites to a Word program.
Assessment:
Each student will print out a word document listing at least three sites that include useful information
on his/her topic.
Closing and Summarizing:
The last five minutes of the class, students will share which basic tips were most useful to them.
Materials Needed:
Computer Lab
Handouts: “Creating A Search Strategy” and “Basic Search Tips”
Reading strategy handout “Graphic Organizer for Summarizing”
Resources:
Bare Bones 101: A Basic Tutorial on Searching the Web
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml
76
77
Photography Research—Day 3
Illinois Learning Standards:
Read with understanding and fluency:
Language Arts: 1.B.4a, 1.B.4b, 1.C.4c
Fine Arts: 1.A.5a, 1.C.5a, 1.C.5c
Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras, and ideas:
Language Arts: 2.B.4a
Skills Standards:
1. Communicating on the job: follow written directions (1.C.4c)
2. Maintaining professionalism: identify work related terminology (1.A.5a)
3. Solving problems and thinking critically: employ reasoning skills (1.C.5c)
Overview:
Students will be given information on how to evaluate web pages on the Internet. Using an
evaluation checklist (provided), each student will perform a formal evaluation of one of the URL’s on
their Word document, saved from yesterday’s lesson (Day 2).
Objective:
Each student will be able to evaluate an Internet website, related to his/her individual
photographer, by using a formal evaluation instrument.
Academic Principles:
1. Develop effective techniques for evaluating Internet websites
2. Develop vocabulary for evaluation
CTE Application:
1. Use of technology to obtain information
2. Develop technical vocabulary
3. Develop expertise in evaluation of Internet information for lifelong use
Reading Strategies:
The reading strategy handout entitled “K-W-L Activity Sheet” will be used with today’s
lesson.
Pre-Activities:
Have students take out Internet pretest from Day 1. Review briefly the information with
questions #4, #5, #6, #9, #10, #11. Discuss briefly why evaluation is important for good research.
Distribute the reading strategy handout, “K-W-L Activity Sheet.” Take a moment to let students fill in
the first two columns.
Activities & Procedures:
1. Pass out handout on “Evaluating Web Pages” taken from Bare Bones 101: A Basic
Tutorial On Searching the Web found at
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml
78
2. Pass out the evaluation instrument that students will be asked to complete on one of their
URL’s. This instrument is taken from the University of California at Berkeley’s Internet
tutorial at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
3. Discuss the vocabulary necessary for comprehension in order to perform a formal
evaluation.
4. Demonstrate the process of evaluation listed on the handout by using a URL containing
information on the photographer Ansel Adams.
5. Ask the class to fill in the evaluation instrument throughout the demonstration.
6. Each student will then conduct a formal evaluation on one of his/her URL’s having to do with
his/her individual photographer.
7. If the site is found to be creditable for research, the student will begin gathering
information from this site to be used in his/her report.
8. If the site is found to be questionable for research, the student will move on to another URL
on his/her list, but will not be required to do another formal evaluation.
9. Make sure students fill in the last column of the reading strategy handout.
Assessment:
Student success will be measured by completed evaluation and listing of useful information
from the site.
Closing and Summarizing:
Share with students that they will need more than one website to gather all of the information
needed for this photography project. Although they will not be doing formal evaluations on each site,
they need to informally question the content and authority or each site using their new knowledge of
how to evaluate websites.
Materials Needed:
Computer Lab
Reading strategy handout, “K-W-L Activity Sheet” Handout: “Evaluating Web Pages” from
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml
Handout: “Web Page Evaluation Checklist” from
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
Resources:
Bare Bones 101: A Basic Tutorial on Searching the Web
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml
Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
Further Resources for Students: Have students check out a list of hoax sites found at
http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_mah/documents/TCEA/hoaxtable.html
79
80
Photography Research—Day 4
Illinois Learning Standards:
Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced:
Fine Arts: 26.A.5
Understand the role of the arts and civilizations past and present:
Fine Arts: 27.B.4a, 27.B.5
Read with understanding and fluency.
Language Arts: 1.B.4a, 1.C.4c
Fine Arts: 1.C.5a, 1.C.5c, 1.C.5e
Skills Standards:
1.C.4c Communicating on the job: follow written directions
1.C.4c, 1.C.5c Career development competencies: understand how to make decisions
Overview:
Students will learn how to use our school’s subscription to EPSCO’s MAS database of
magazine and newspaper articles to search online for information on their individual photographers.
Objective:
Each student will be able to search for current full text magazine and newspaper articles on
his/her photographer.
Academic Principles:
1. Develop knowledge on using EPSCO’s MAS database program for finding full text
articles from magazines and newspapers.
2. Apply basic search tips learned previously.
CTE Principles:
1. Use of technology to locate information
2. Awareness of different applications of photography career pathways
Reading Strategies:
The “Sub Search” reading strategy handout will be used with today’s lesson.
Pre-Activities:
Discuss the advantages of using educational databases as opposed to searching on the Internet.
81
Activities:
1. Demonstrate how to use EPSCO’s MAS database using the example of Ansel Adams.
2. Demonstrate how applying basic search tips apply here as well.
3. Demonstrate how EPSCO’s program estimates the number of pages of an article when
printed out.
4. Demonstrate how to print selectively when the entire article is not needed.
5. Distribute the “Sub Search” reading strategy handout.
6. Students will then search their individual photographers to find 1-3 articles they can use
in their reports.
7. Students will print articles or portions of their articles.
8. Students will choose one of their articles with which to perform the “Sub Search”
reading strategy.
Assessment:
Students will yield printed information from 1 to 3 sources from the MAS database.
Students will successfully complete the “Sub Search” handout with one of their articles.
Closing and Summarizing:
Summarize the value of adding articles to research information. Magazines and newspaper
articles showcase why a photographer is making the news. Remind students that EPSCO’s MAS
program can be accessed from home since it is a link on our school website.
Materials Needed:
Computer Lab
Reading strategy handout entitled “Sub Search.”
Resources:
EPSCO’s MAS database
82
83