NOTE: 1) Continue with Check-In and Wrap-ups at beginning and end of each day.

Description:

Students will plan and construct photographic collages of images that represent the story of their lives. These can either be individual collages, which can then be displayed as a collective statement, or a whole group mural-sized collage. If the project is approached as a whole group exercise, facilitate group process of dividing project tasks and ensuring that each student contributes. Collages are to be presented in a gallery showing in the next week, complete with individual student biography statements and CVs (resumes), which will be written in Week 4.

Objectives:

Students will learn to:

• think critically and reflectively about their lives
• create a visual statement
• sequence and prioritize written and visual information
• write a CV and artist statement using word-processing software
• appreciate and celebrate own creative output as an effective strategy for self expression (gallery showing)

Materials:

• posterboard (individual collages) or large sheets of newsprint (group)
• gluesticks, tape, markers, charcoal/pencil, tracing paper, oil pastels etc.
• cameras and 35mm film (ISO 25, 100, 200, 400)
• newspapers, magazines, other print! image sources, personal photos
• digital cameras: Glossy and Matte photo papers, high end regular ink-jet paper, at least one set of replacement ink cartridges

Process:

1. Free Writing: Consider inviting a Writing Workshop Facilitator ( in our pilot project, we invited Ed Wildman, a local author and facilitator) into the class to lead this exercise, and add some "this is REAL writing" flavour to the process.

Ask students: "What is the story that you want to tell about your life as (age) (gender) living in (location) in (year)? (Note: this question can be varied to more specifically reflect career exploration and choices, parenting, or other issues like violence, street-life etc.) Encourage students to think about both events and beliefs/ thoughts about the world and themselves and then to note them point form. Then ask students to free write for 30 minutes, building on the points they have noted. Instructor can also write her/his own story. Let students know they will be sharing what they have written, either by reading their stories or by the visual collages they create.