Bisby
Photo Story 3 Project
High School Redesign Lesson
Kelly Bisby
Photo Story Poetry*
11th grade English
Rationale and Learning Outcomes:
The relationship between literature and technology is often quite fragile, especially since
many people hold to an “either/or” mentality – either you are a reader of classic
literature or computer savvy, a writer of elegant prose or a reader of celebrity blogs. But
in a world that is constantly changing, we teachers need to realize that technology is the
bridge by which we will reach our students. By giving them the opportunity to use the
computer as an interactive learning tool, they will be able to demonstrate their
understanding of a given text on multiple levels, including the project described in this
lesson. Over a three-day period, students will learn the various steps involved in
interpreting a work of poetry, from reading and analyzing the work to representing the
main themes of the work through photography and art. The students will then learn how
to create a Photo Story 3 movie focusing on a work of the Harlem Renaissance.
Product:
Students will work in cooperative learning groups to create a Photo Story 3 Poem that
analyzes a given work from the Harlem Renaissance through visual, verbal, and audible
cues.
Student Learning Expectations:
OV.1.11.2 Present a formal multi-media presentation
OV.2.11.5 Demonstrate critical listening skills and productive participation in selfdirected work teams for a particular purpose
W.4.11.15 Use available technology for all aspects of the writing process
R.9.11.4 Analyze how works of a given period reflect author’s background, historical
events, and cultural influences
R.9.11.5 Draw inferences from a complete selection and support them with text
evidence
R.9.11.6 Summarize, paraphrase, and critique complex structures in informational and
literary texts, including relationships among concepts, details, and visual components.
R.9.11.11 Analyze and compare the author’s use of figures of speech and sound
devices
R.10.11.3 Read a variety of poetry, including free verse
R.10.11.4 Analyze an author’s use of poetic conventions and structures
R.10.11.5 Analyze and compare characteristics of free verse
R.10.11.6 Analyze traditional and contemporary works of poets from many cultures
R.10.11.7 Analyze the author’s possible use of persona
R.10.11.8 Analyze techniques poets use to evoke emotion in a reader
R.10.11.10 Paraphrase and interpret to find the meaning of selected poems
* This activity is inspired by lessons developed through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).
Bisby
Photo Story 3 Project
Rigor:
Students will:
 analyze poetry using steps beyond TPCASTT and SOAPSTONE;
 use higher-level thinking skills to discuss and interpret poetry;
 decipher the underlying symbolism of Harlem Renaissance poetry;
 learn the steps involved in effectively using Photo Story 3 for Windows;
 and work collaboratively on a Photo Story 3 project.
Relevance:
Students will:
 use background knowledge to analyze a work of literature;
 work collaboratively on a detailed project;
 use technology to communicate a specific idea;
 and communicate effectively with peers and teachers
Assumptions:
The classroom has:
 been granted the 1:1 Laptop program funds (a laptop computer for each student
and wireless internet for my classroom);
 studied Harlem Renaissance poetry for at least two weeks;
 developed an understanding of figurative language, poetic elements, etc.;
 and been formed into cooperative learning groups.
Materials Needed:
 Laptop computers or computer lab available for two consecutive days
 Overhead wireless projector and teacher laptop w/Photo Story 3
 Copies of the following poems: “Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes,
“The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks, “Saturday’s Child” by Countee Cullen,
“If We Must Die” by Claude McKay, “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, and
“Mother Night” by James Weldon Johnson
Day One (45 minutes):
 Students will begin the class by breaking themselves into groups based on the
poetry they’ve been assigned:
 Group One – “Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes
 Group Two – “The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks
 Group Three – “Saturday’s Child” by Countee Cullen
 Group Four – “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay
 Group Five – “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
 Group Six – “Mother Night” by James Weldon Johnson
 The teacher will guide students through a short poetry annotation activity at the
front of the class using a Claude McKay’s “Tropics of New York.” After identifying
the images and symbolism of the poem, the teacher will point out that each
element can be turned into a visual image. The teacher will then display
examples of slides and photos that enhance works of literature (William Blake’s
illuminated plates, nursery rhyme illustrations, etc.) to facilitate a discussion of
* This activity is inspired by lessons developed through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).
Bisby
Photo Story 3 Project
the attributes of each interpretation and how it helps students construct meaning
from text.
 Students will then focus back on their groups. One student will read the poem
aloud as the rest of the group scans for literary elements and rhyming patterns,
highlighting as they go along. Groups will identify and analyze all key elements of
the poem and discuss whether these elements are used effectively.
Day Two (45 minutes):
 Students will use their laptops and wireless internet access to search for images
that seem to enhance the elements they have extracted from the poem. Groups
will discuss why an image would be appropriate or inappropriate for the
assignment, an approach that encourages persuasive and creative discussion
amongst group members. For example, if two group members believe a
particular image is “perfect,” but the remaining two do not, the students will need
to work out a compromise. During the process, students will save the images
they find on a group wiki (such as pbwiki.com). By the end of class, students
must have at least six images available to use in their story.
 Once these six images have been collected, students may begin to work on the
Photo Story 3 project. They will be encouraged to assign group roles such as:
writer of script, speaker, film editor, and/or facilitator.
Day Three (45 minutes):
 Students will work in groups of four to finish their final Photo Story 3 project. The
final product must contain a reading of the poem, a short explanation of what it
means, six images that represent elements or themes within the poem, and an
analysis of at least two literary elements in the poem.
 When each group is finished, they will save the project to the class wiki AND
send it as an attachment through e-mail to the teacher’s school account.
 An additional day will be used to view and discuss the movies.
* This activity is inspired by lessons developed through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).
Bisby
Photo Story 3 Project
Day One –
William Blake’s
illuminated plates
Nursery Rhymes and
Children’s Books
* This activity is inspired by lessons developed through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).
Bisby
Photo Story 3 Project
Day Two – Poem and Selected Images (student example)
“The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.
Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.
And remembering . . .
Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,
As they lean over the beans in their rented back room
that
is full of beads and receipts and dolls and cloths,
tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.
* This activity is inspired by lessons developed through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).
Bisby
Photo Story 3 Project
* This activity is inspired by lessons developed through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).