CityScapes

This activity sets the stage and encourages students to think about how an urban setting impacts their lives and how it contrasts with life on the reserve, if they experience this. 

In small groups, students watch a series of pictures and discuss 1) what they see, 2) what this makes them think, and 3) what it makes them feel. The images should be provocative and encourage students to reflect on their own lives.

In small groups, students watch a series of pictures and discuss 1) what they see, 2) what this makes them think, and 3) what it makes them feel. The images should be provocative and encourage students to reflect on their own lives.

As student look at the images they fill in the chart. When all of the images have been viewed, the students share what they see, think and feel as a group. The instructor can link this to their lives and ask them to think, pair share: how do these connect to your lives?

The images in the slide show will contrast life in urban and rural settings with Indigenous people portrayed in a variety of roles, including positive and negative images. This will evoke feeling in students and after the students go through the exercise they will have the opportunity to share what they see think and feel. Spiritual learners will connect with the urban and rural settings. Visual learners will be stimulated by the slideshow. And emotional learners will relate their feelings to what they think and feel. The entire activity encourages students to link what they see to their spiritual and emotional selves in a logical way.

Students will be given cameras to use for the project. They will learn how to use the cameras.

Students will sign out the cameras and will be taken through the basic elements of how to use an iPod Touch for taking pictures. Each student will learn to turn on the camera, take a photo, soom in and out, adjust the camera's focus and exposure, and use a filter. After the students are shown each skill, they walk around the room and take pictures to practice.

This is a hands on lesson where students will be taught each of the skills needed to operate the camera and will be given time to play around with the camera. This is a practical lesson and will not include spiritual or emotional learning. 

To show students how to create a well composed photograph.

Students will watch a video on how to make a good photograph. Then they will take each of the elements discussed in the video and practice them. They will choose one subject and will use their checklist (attached in the 'Materials' section below) to take the photograph with a different focus each time until all of the components have been integrated. 

The video is in the 'Materials' section below: '7 Powerful Photography Tips for Amazing Photos'

When the photos are completed, students will partner up and share what they did with a partner, describing the process they went through as they took the photos.

This is a hands on lesson where students will be taught each of the skills needed to operate the camera and will be given time to play around with the camera. This is a practical lesson and will not include spiritual or emotional learning. 

Students could focus on a feeling or belief and try to evoke the feeling/belief in the photo as they go through the photography principles in the video and checklist.

Students will evaluate other people's photos in order to gain familiarity with photograph composition and source of images.

For homework, students need to scrapbook 5 B&W and 5 color pictures from magazines and the news (no captions). They will use these images to evaluate the composition. This can be done as one lesson, going through all of the photographs at once, or it can be done as a warm up over multiple lessons. The purpose is to encourage students to analyze photographs using the photographic elements and discuss what they think the artist's message might be. 

They will use these photos for two purposes:

1. Composition evaluation including rule of thirds, framing, perspective and background
2. Content, message and emotion

Students will pick one photo at a time from the scrapbook and quick-write on post its about why it’s a good image and what its message(s) is/are. They will then share their thoughts with other students in their group who are looking at the same image. Students will rotate from table to table reflecting on different images. At the end of time, the instructor will have a group discussion with students:

• How similar or different were your opinions on the composition of the images?
• How similar or different were your opinions on the messages or meaning behind the images? 
• Why do you think your opinions were more similar on the composition than on the meaning (audience perspective differs)?
• How do you think people different from you might view these photographs?
• What have you learned from these photos that you could apply to your own photography?

Depending on the photographs chose, students will discuss the emotional and spirtual connection with the photos. Evaluating the composition of the photographs will encourage students to use their logical thinking and compare what they have learned about the elements of photography. Encourage students to connect to their own lives and think about universal emotions. 

Students will demonstrate their understanding of photo composition and source of image by creating a personal photo essay. 

Assignment: 

You are an amazing artist! You are going to take photos of life as you see it and experience it. Your photo essay or stories might answer some of these questions:

• What does it mean to live in the city? 
• What does it mean to be young in a city? 
• What does it mean to be Indigenous in an international city (lots of different cultures not Indigenous to Canada)?
• What is your life like in the city and how does it compare to your experiences on reserve?

Your photographs will answer these questions. You aren’t just taking any old picture - you are sharing your identity as a young Indigenous person living in an urban community. These pictures will be shared in a photographic exhibit where members of the community will come to see your photographs. 

Two Photo Essays are attached as examples, juxtaposing urban and rural perceptions.

Once the students have taken their photographs, the teacher or the students can work with software, such as PowerPoint, to create a slide show with their photographs.  They can place the photos in the order they wish them to appear.