The content and images in this curriculum and presentation are copyrighted and trademarked. Photographs’ subject matter is divided into categories. All photographs are by Zion Ozeri. You may only use the presentation or parts of it while implementing the DiverCity Lens in your school. For any other use, including reproduction, you must get special permission from Zion Ozeri. The use of the following content, which may be objectionable, is at your own risk, and Zion Ozeri holds no responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of any content provided, prior to your use. You may contact Zion Ozeri for any questions: zion@zionozeri.com

Program Outline

The program is divided into twelve 45-minute lessons**, each of which is outlined in greater detail in the pages that follow. Lessons include:

I. The Language of Photography

II. Speaking the Language

III. My Identity

IV. Multitudes

V. Exploring Community

VI. Community in Image and Text

VII. Community, Culture, and Diversity

VIII. My Portfolio: Photo Selection

IX. My Vision: Titles & Artist Statements

X. Photo Presentations: Sharing Our Work

XI-XII. Putting It All Together: Exhibiting Our Work

**Please note: Many of these lessons can be extended over 2 or even 3 sessions, depending on how much time you want or need to spend on critique and discussion of student work. We recommend the more time you can spend, the better.

Some of the lessons also include suggested extension activities if you’re looking for further learning opportunities.

Lessons

I. The Language of Photography

In this lesson, students are introduced to the course and to the notion of “reading” a photograph.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Lesson #1 Supplement
Chalkboard, wipe-board, or chart paper

Preparation: Set up a projector or smartboard to display the photograph Two Sisters, or another photo of your choice by Zion Ozeri. Also make enough copies of Worksheets A for the class.

Lesson Plan:

A. Reading a Photograph (25 minutes)

B. Intro to Zion Ozeri’s Work (10 minutes)

C. Course Overview (5 minutes)

D. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Reading a Photograph (25 minutes):

We’re constantly looking at images–on TV, magazines, the Internet, even on our phones–but we don’t often stop to think about how we are looking. In this activity, students will engage in an exercise to slow down their looking and help them learn to read a photograph. By splitting their “objective” and “subjective” observations, students will begin to separate observable facts from interpretation and will begin to think about the assumptions they make and why they make them.

Ask students: What is the difference between an “objective fact” and a “subjective interpretation”? Ask students to give examples of each.
Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, show students the photograph Two Sisters (included in the Lesson #1 Supplement), or a different photograph by Zion Ozeri.
Distribute copies of Worksheet A (“Objective and Subjective”), also found in Lesson #1 Supplement.
Review the worksheet. Explain that an objective observation is something that doesn’t change from person to person. It’s something you can all agree on; for example, “there are X number of people in this photo,” or “the photograph is in black-and-white." Objective observations might also refer to the shapes, textures, and shadows that can be seen in the photo. A subjective observation, on the other hand, is an opinion, a feeling, or an interpretation based on what you see, such as “it reminds me of the time I did X,” or “I think that man might be their father,” or “I think they look poor.”
Once students have grasped the distinction between objective and subjective observations, give them time to study the photograph carefully. Have them note their observations on their worksheets. Give students plenty of time to work and encourage them to record everything they see or think about the photograph. Even when they claim to be finished, encourage them to go back and make sure there isn’t anything they’ve missed.
Have students share their observations in a whole-group discussion. Record on the board all the objective and subjective observations the class has come up with, and discuss any questionable or conflicting observations. Invite students up to direct the looking by pointing to details in the image. Encourage students to support their subjective interpretations with objective observations, asking, for example, “Why do you think that?” or “What did you see in the photograph that made you say that?”
Ask students what one can and cannot learn from the photograph. What questions does it raise? What do they think the story is? What additional information would they like to know about it? Also ask students to consider the composition of the photograph—that is, the way the elements of the photograph work together (for example, the angle of the camera, the relationships among the figures, the focal point of the picture, etc.). How does the composition add to the meaning or impact of the photograph?

Extension Idea – Text Study

If you have the time, you might distribute Worksheet B (from the Lesson 1 Supplement) as well and have students read and discuss the texts in relation to the photograph. How do the texts relate to the photograph? How do the texts help you understand the photograph? How does the photograph help you understand the texts?

Extension Ideas – Creative Response to Photography

If you have the time and the inclination, you might also ask students to respond to this photograph (or a different photo of your choice) in one of the following ways:

Ask students to write about the scene, describing what they think happened just before the picture was taken and what they think will happen next.
Have students write a monologue from the point of view of one of the people in the photograph.
Have students paste a photocopy of the image in the center of a piece of white paper and ask them to draw what they think is happening outside the frame of the photo.
Have students assume the physical positions of the figures in the photograph and then ask them to act out the scene.
After listing the students’ subjective observations, ask them to create poems about the photo, using the language of their observations. Have students share their work and discuss the relationship between visual art and poetry.
Make a photocopy of the image along with thought-bubbles above the heads of some of the figures. Have students fill in the bubbles with what they think the subjects of the photograph are thinking.
Have students create a soundtrack for the image, or a “musical collage,” by editing music clips into a medley that expresses something about the photo.

Afterward, ask a few students to share their work with the rest of the class

B. Intro to Zion Ozeri’s Work (10 minutes):

Share with students the context and background of the photograph (see photo caption).
Explain to students that the photograph was taken by an Israeli-born photographer named Zion Ozeri who lives in New York (See “About Zion Ozeri”). Ozeri travels around the world photographing different Jewish communities and other global communities. He looks at the diversity of the world Jewish community as well as the commonalities that tie the community together. Students will be looking at his photographs in more depth during the course and also taking photographs of their own.
Show students some additional photos by Ozeri and encourage them to respond to the images with questions, comments, etc. Answer any questions they may have.

C. Course Overview (5 minutes):

Explain that throughout the course students will be exploring the role of photography in communicating aspects of their identities, communities, and cultures. They’ll be looking at photographs as a kind of text that can be read. Not only will they be looking at photographs, but they will be taking their own photographs as well. At the end of the program, they will create an exhibition of their work that combines their images with written statements.
Answer any questions that the students may have.

D. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes):

1. For homework, ask students to experiment with their cameras by starting to take some pictures around their home or school. What kinds of stories can they tell? What kinds of visual effects can they create? Here are some specific activity ideas to help frame the students’ work:

Shifting Personas - Take four portraits of the same subject, changing the setting and some of the features within the frame each time. Which shot is most effective? Which tells the most about your subject?
Point of View - Take three pictures of the same subject from three different angles. How does the change of angle affect the feeling created by the photograph?
A Different Light - Take three pictures of the same subject in the same setting from the same angle. But do it at three different times of the day—morning, noon, and evening. How does the scene change with the lighting? Which do you like best and why?
Creating Mood - Create a specific mood—funny, scary, sad, etc.—with a photograph. How will you use the light, framing, scale, etc., to express that mood?

2. Have students send you some of their photographs to discuss in the next class.

Alternatively, you might have students try out some of the activities suggested in The Little Book of Contemplative Photography by Howard Zehr (see bibliography). This is an excellent resource and is highly recommended. Students can experiment with the following exercises:

“Tuning up” our eyes, p. 10
Exploring the ordinary, p. 27
Break the rules, p. 29
Exploring abstraction, p. 36

Note: Whenever students take photographs of other people, they should get signed model releases from their subjects. There is a blank model release form in the resources section of this guide that you can print or copy and distribute to students.

II. Speaking The Language

In this lesson, students will share some of the photos they took for homework and then explore some of the ways that photographers communicate through their work.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Lesson #2 Supplement
Video THE LAB: Decoy (download it here)

Preparation: Set up projector or smartboard to display student photographs as well as the photos included in Lesson #2 Supplement. Cue up the video so it’s ready to be shown as well, and make copies of the photographer quote worksheets also included in the supplement.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Student Work (15 minutes)

B. Video: THE LAB: Decoy - Discussion (10 minutes)

C. Visual Communication (15 minutes)

D. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Sharing Student Work (15 minutes):

Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, share some of the photographs students took for homework. It’s OK if you do not have time to share work from every student. Let students know that you will be sharing, discussing, and critiquing the students’ photographs throughout the course and that while not everyone will be able to share every week, they will all have a chance to share several times during the course.

Please Note: Before they begin sharing their work, it is important to make sure students understand the goals and process of a critique. The idea of a critique is that students can share their work, in progress, with their peers and get constructive feedback. Encourage students to discuss and critique their classmates’ work in thoughtful, constructive, and appropriate ways. Critiques should always be about the work and not about the person. They should be helpful, offering suggestions or ideas about how to enhance the work. They must never be insulting or demeaning.

We recommend students not provide too much (or any) background information at first about their photographs. Instead, their classmates should view the work without any preconceptions. During the course of the critique, the photographer can share additional information or answer questions as necessary.

Encourage classmates to share constructive critiques and ask probing questions. Comments and questions might include some of the following:

“In this photograph, I like the way you….”
“I think this photograph works because…”
“I think this photograph is less effective because…”
“I think it might work better if you…. because…”
“Next time, you might try…”
“What catches my eye is…”
“This photograph reminds me of…”
“Where/when did you take this photograph?”
“Why did you choose to…?”
“What idea or feeling were you trying to communicate with this photograph?”
“What do you like about this photograph?”

Transition Questions: Does a photographer simply capture reality through a camera lens, or can he or she communicate ideas and distinct points of view? If so, how?

B. Video: THE LAB: Decoy & Discussion (10 minutes)

1. Show the 3-minute video titled THE LAB: Decoy. You can find it here.

2. Discuss:

What happened in this video?
Were you surprised by the result? Why or why not?
How does this video influence your ideas about what and how a photographer communicates?

Transition Question: So, what techniques can a photographer use to communicate stories or ideas?

C. Visual Communication (15 minutes):

1. Discuss some of the ways a photographer communicates ideas or presents a unique point of view. These include the choice of subject, the use of lighting, decisions about what to include or not include in the picture frame, the camera angle, use of color (or not), composition etc.

2. Use some of the photos included in the Lesson #2 Supplement to illustrate some of these points. For example:

The two photos of a bicycle rider in a broad-brimmed hat show how color/black-and-white can communicate different moods or ideas. What feelings or impressions do you get from the two different images?
The four photos of a woman and a bearded man illustrate how color, cropping, and composition can change the meaning of an image. How do your impressions of the man and woman change depending on who is in front? Who seems more important? How does the logo on the man’s shirt affect the photograph? Is it distracting? Does it provide useful information? How does color influence your relationship with the subjects?
The three images of Hillary Clinton show how the media use photographs to influence what we think about public figures. How does Clinton look in the first picture – young? Happy? Friendly? Compare to the other two pictures. What’s different? What sense do you get from each?
The split image of a glamour model serves as a reminder that what we see is not always reality. Photoshop and other techniques can be (and often are) used to subtly alter images. How is the model different in the two images? What is the effect of these differences? (See the Resources at the end of this guide for some articles that explore this issue in greater depth.)

3. You might also look for and discuss additional examples of these techniques in Zion Ozeri’s work.

D. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes):

1. For homework, have students continue to experiment with their cameras (see homework suggestions in Lesson #1).

2. Also, have each student respond in writing to one of the three photographer quotes included at the end of the Lesson #2 Supplement.

What do they think the photographer meant?
Do they agree with the quote?
Why or why not?
Students can also do some additional research to learn more about the photographer and his work.

3. Ask students to bring in one object each (or a photograph of the object if they cannot bring in the actual item) that they feel represents an important aspect of who they are as an individual.

III. My Identity

In this lesson, students will continue to share some of their initial photographs and then reflect on their identities and the ways they present themselves to the world.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Students' photographs
Students’ identity objects
Lesson #3 Supplement

Preparation: Set up projector or smartboard to display students' photographs as well as the images contained in the Lesson #3 Supplement.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Student Work (20 minutes)

B. Personal Identity Sharing (15 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (10 minutes)

A. Sharing Student Work (20 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, share a few of the photographs students took for homework. Ask students to talk a little about their pictures – what they were trying to achieve in their photographs, how they feel about the results, and what they might have discovered in the process.

When sharing photos, encourage students to refer to specific details in their photographs and in their peers’ photos. Also draw their attention to some of the formal elements in their work. The formal elements of photography include placement of shape, line, and texture; camera angles; what is in and out of focus; framing (what is in the foreground, mid-ground, and background); lighting and contrast, etc. A photographer must consider these elements when trying to communicate something about his/her subject.

Try to incorporate some of the following vocabulary into the discussion:

Composition - How the different elements of the image are arranged in relation to each other; how the shapes, lines, colors, and other formal elements work together.

Contrast - The juxtaposition of light and dark, smooth and rough, different colors, etc.

Framing - How an image is situated within the rectangle of the camera’s eye; what the photographer has kept in and what he or she has left out.

Point of view - The position of the camera, relative to the subject - for example, whether the picture is taken from below, straight on, from the side, or from above.

Scale - The size of the subject in relation to the image or to the other objects in it - for example, whether the subject is very small within the landscape or captured in a close-up portrait.

Candid, posed, and staged - Whether and to what extent the subjects and settings have been intentionally arranged by the photographer. In a candid shot, for example, the subjects are not positioned at all by the photographer; in a staged photograph they are arranged in a way that would never happen in real life.

See the Glossary in the “Resources” section for further definitions. You’ll also find some books and websites about the art and science of photography in the “Resources” section of this guide. And remember, you don’t have to have all the answers to be able to facilitate a healthy and effective class discussion.

B. Personal Identity Sharing (15 minutes)

1. Discuss the meaning of the term “Identity” (see Glossary). Ask students to explain what they think the word means. You might also ask students to look the word up in different dictionaries and compare the definitions.

2. Ask several students to share the objects (or photos of objects) they brought in for homework. You might also ask students to share with each other in pairs or small groups.

3. Discuss:

What does the object say about your identity?
Does it represent your entire identity, or are there other aspects not represented?
Do you think you see yourself the way others see you?
Does a social media profile reflect your true identity? Why or why not?
How can you capture your authentic identity in a photograph?

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (10 minutes)

1. For homework, ask students to take photographs that reflect who they are - their identity.

2. Show students the photographs in the Lesson #3 Supplement. How are the people in the photos represented? What techniques have the photographers used? How do props, setting, lighting, etc. help paint a distinctive portrait of the individual? (For example, both of the photographs by Zion Ozeri show an individual in his own environment, but one uses the books as props to create a claustrophobic feeling; the other uses a telephoto lens to create an expansive environment.)

3. Discuss some of the different approaches students can take in their photographs. Encourage students to think about whether or not they want to be in the picture, how they might use props, whether to use black-and-white or color, etc. Students should consider:

What makes you unique? How can you best capture who you are visually?
Do you have to be in the picture for it to show your identity? If you want to be in the picture, how will you take it?
What types of props, settings, or other people can you include in your photograph to help reflect your distinctive identity?

4. Have students send you their photographs before the next class.

5. Also, ask each student to bring in a quote that goes with one of their photographs. The text can be from any source - a song, poem, book, religious text, etc.

IV. Multitudes

In this lesson, students will share their “identity” photos and texts and then examine some additional texts to help them explore the concept.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Student photographs and quotes
Lesson #4 Supplement

Preparation: Set up a projector or smartboard to display student photographs as well as the photos included in the lesson supplement. Also make enough copies of Worksheet C for the class.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Student Work (20 minutes)

B. Text Study - Multiple Identities (15 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (10 minutes)

A. Sharing Student Work (20 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, share some of the photographs students took for homework along with the quotes they found.

2. Ask students to read their quotes and explain a little bit about their photographs. Why did they take the photograph? What were they trying to communicate? What does it say about them? Encourage other students to ask questions and offer comments or critique. What do you like about this photograph? How do you understand it? What other approaches could the artist have taken?

Transition Question: Based on our photos and texts, what can we say in general about our identities, about how individuals in this class see themselves?

B. Text Study – Multiple Identities (15 minutes):

1. Distribute Worksheet C (“Multiple Identities”).

2. Have students read the first text. Discuss:

What does it mean to “contain multitudes”? What is the writer trying to say about his identity?
Do you contain multitudes? What makes up the multitudes in you?
Do you ever contradict yourself? How?

3. Have students read the second text. Discuss:

How do you understand this text? Have you ever felt like you weren’t being you? When? Why?
How does this text relate to the first one? How can you balance the different aspects of your identity while staying true to who you are?

4. Have students read the third text. Discuss:

Have you ever felt different? When?
Do you think our culture teaches that being different is wrong?
What do you think the author means when she says “every tool is a weapon”?

Note: You might choose to do this activity as a full-group discussion, or have students work on the questions in pairs first and then share. Feel free to make connections to the students’ own photographs where appropriate.

Transition Question: What contributes to our identity? Answers may include family or home, background, religion, interests, values, environment, friends, health, gender, etc. For now, we’ll focus on family and home.

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (10 minutes):

1. For homework, have students take photographs that reflect what’s important to them about their homes or families. Help students understand that you don’t simply want snapshots of family members. Rather, students should try to take photos that reveal something important, and that show what makes their families distinctive.

2. Show students a couple of photographs by Zion Ozeri that depict families (for example, Oil Pressers, Floricultores, or Bet-Levi, or any of the photos in the “Families” section of his work), and discuss his use of symbols, props, and setting in communicating important aspects of the family and home.

3. Encourage students to discuss the assignment with family members in order to figure out how best to express what makes their family unique. You might also ask students to conduct additional research into their family history or do interviews with family members to help them flesh out the assignment.

4. Have students email or bring in their photos so they can be shared during the following session.

V. Exploring Community

In this lesson, students will share their photos of home/family and then consider the meaning of community.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Student photographs
Lesson #5 Supplement

Preparation: Set up projector or smartboard to display student photographs, as well as the photographs included in the Lesson #5 Supplement. Also make a copy of each photo in the supplement (enough so there’s one photograph for each pair of students).

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Student Work (15 minutes)

B. Defining Community (10 minutes)

C. Capturing Community (15 minutes)

D. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Sharing Student Work (15 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, share some of the photographs students took for homework.

2. Ask students to explain a little bit about their photographs. Encourage other students to ask questions and offer comments or critique. Note commonalities as well as differences among students’ work. Also encourage students to pay attention to the effects of composition, framing, and other formal aspects of their work.

Transition Question: We’re clearly a diverse group but we also have a lot in common. Would you say our class is a kind of community? Why or why not?

B. Defining Community (10 minutes):

Discuss:

What defines a community? Is there a minimum number of individuals needed to constitute a community? Do they need to have something in common? Do they have to agree on that? (Make a list of some of the elements of a community on chalkboard or chart paper.)
Who is your community? What different communities are you part of? (List the different types and examples of community.)

Extension Idea – Mapping My Community

If you have the time and the inclination, you might have students give more thought to their communities and the ways they interact:

Hand out a sheet of paper and markers, crayons, or colored pencils to each student. Ask each student to take a few minutes to draw a picture or diagram that shows “me in relation to my communities.”

The students’ diagrams should show the many communities they identify with, how the different communities intersect, and what the students get from their communities or contribute to them. The drawings can feature Venn diagrams, arrows, stick figures, or any other kinds of visual representation. Students can include any symbols or images that represent their communities.

Have some students share their drawings and explain what they signify. Discuss:

What is the nature of the relationship between an individual and a community?
What do you get from your community? What do you give to your community?
What makes a community distinctive or unique?
How do you navigate between or among your different communities?
Is there a responsibility that comes with belonging or being part of a community?

C. Capturing Community (15 minutes):

1. Remind students that although Zion Ozeri has often sought to capture the global Jewish community in his work, he has also taken lots of photographs of many other communities throughout the years.

2. Divide students into pairs and give each pair one of the photographs included in the Lesson #5 Supplement.

3. Have each pair discuss:

How do you see community reflected in this image?
What community or communities do you think are being shown?
What aspects of community are represented?

4. Ask a few pairs to share their responses with the larger group.

Note: Nearly all of Zion Ozeri’s photographs reflect ideas of community in one way or another. You might want to look through other examples of his work with the students and try to identify aspects of community that are communicated through the images.

D. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes):

For homework, have each student choose a community to profile in their photographs. This community will be the focus of their photography over the course of the next several sessions. It could be their neighborhood or school community, their church or synagogue community, a club, team, or other group they’re part of. Students should begin to take photos that capture what is distinctive or unique about that particular community.

Have students email or bring in their photos so they can be shared during the following session.

VI. Community in Image and Text

In this lesson, students will share some of the photographs of their communities and then match an image of community with relevant texts.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Student photographs
Lesson #6 Supplement

Preparation: Set up a projector or smartboard to display student photographs and Volunteer Fire Brigade (or, if you prefer, a different photo by Zion Ozeri). Also make enough copies of Worksheet D for the class.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Student Work (20 minutes)

B. Image and Text (20 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Sharing Student Work (20 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, share some of the photographs students took for homework.

2. Ask students to explain a little bit about their photographs. Encourage other students to ask questions and offer comments or critique. Note the different types of communities featured in the photographs.

B. Image and Text (20 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, show the photograph Volunteer Fire Brigade by Zion Ozeri, or another photograph by Ozeri that expresses aspects of community.

2. Have students observe the photograph (you may want to do a quick “objective/subjective” exercise with them, see Lesson #1).

3. Discuss:

What does this photograph suggest to you about the idea of “community”?

Note that the photograph shows volunteers who are contributing to the welfare of their community. An important element of community is that the individuals in the community benefit from being a part of it but also must contribute to its welfare and success. In addition, the Jewish star on the fire-truck indicates that these volunteers identify with a specific sub-community within Santiago—the Jewish community. But they also feel part of the general community and are there to help anyone in the local area who needs it. One could also say that these volunteers are part of a specialized community of fire-fighters. The younger boys are brought into fire-fighting community and trained to become the firemen of the future.

4. Hand out Worksheet D (“Image and Text”). Ask students to work in pairs to read together all of the quotes and then choose one that they think best relates to the photograph.

5. Have students share and discuss their responses. Encourage students to reflect on the meaning of the individual texts and make connections among the texts and between the texts and the image. Photographs and texts are both ways we can communicate ideas. Sometimes a photo can help us better understand a written text; sometimes a text can expand the way we understand a photograph.

It’s worth noting other parallels between texts and photographs. For example, writers, as well as photographers, make choices about the point of view, setting, what kinds of details to include, etc., when creating compositions. Both also make use of metaphors in their work.

Chapter 6 in The Little Book of Contemplative Photography is titled “Exploring Metaphor.” You might use the activities in this section to extend the lesson and help students experiment with metaphor and symbolism in their photography.

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes):

For homework, have students continue to photograph the community they’ve chosen. In addition, ask each student to bring in a quote that connects to one of their photographs of community. It could be a quote from a poem, a song, a religious text, etc.
You might also ask students to do some research about the community to share next time.
Have students email or bring in their photos so they can be shared during the following session.

VII. Community, Culture, and Diversity

In this lesson, students will share some of their photos and texts and then explore additional texts that relate to community, culture, and diversity.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Lesson #7 Supplement

Preparation: Set up projector or smartboard to display student photographs. Also make enough copies of Worksheet E for the class.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Student Work (25 minutes)

B. Text Study – Culture and Diversity (15 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Sharing Student Work (25 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, share some of the photographs students took for homework along with the quotes they found.

2. Ask students to read their quotes, explain a little bit about their photographs, and share any additional information they have researched about their communities. Encourage other students to ask questions and offer comments or critique. Discuss the connections between photos and texts.

Transition Question: Clearly, we are a diverse group, in terms of our identities, values, and communities. Is diversity a good thing? Why or why not?

B. Text Study – Culture and Diversity (15 minutes):

1. Distribute Worksheet E (“Culture and Diversity”).

2. Have students look at the first two texts. Discuss:

What is the difference between a melting pot and a mosaic? Do you think one is a better analogy than the other?
Is there a different model you would suggest?

3. Have students read the third text. Discuss:

What are the potential dangers of diversity?
Have you ever felt like you were “blown off your feet” by another culture? Is that bad? If so, how can we protect against it?

4. Have students read the fourth text. Discuss:

What does it mean to be a “hyphenated” American?
What is the author’s experience of being bi-cultural?
Do you think this type of experience is inevitable? Why or why not?

5. You might choose to do this activity as a full-group discussion, or have students work on the questions in pairs first and then share. Feel free to make connections to the students’ own photographs where appropriate.

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes):

1. For homework, have students continue to photograph the community they’ve chosen to profile.

2. Have students email or post photos so they can be shared during the following session.

3. Also, tell students to bring their cameras (with their photos on them) or printed images of their favorite photos to the next class. Students will begin selecting images for the exhibition.

As students continue to take pictures, they should continue to experiment and push the limits of their creativity. Chapter 5 of The Little Book of Contemplative Photography is all about the use of light. You might encourage students to try out some of the activities in this section and play with light while they continue to document their communities.

VIII. My Portfolio: Photo Selection

In this lesson, students will work in pairs or small groups to select photographs for the exhibition.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Students’ photographs (either printed or available on camera, phone, tablet, or laptop)
Lesson #8 Supplement

Preparation: Make copies of Worksheet F – enough so that there is one for each photograph that will be selected (i.e. the number of students times the number of photos each student will select for the exhibition).

Lesson Plan:

A. Introduction to Photo Selection (10 minutes)

B. Selecting Photographs for Exhibition (30 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Introduction to Photo Selection (10 minutes)

1. Remind students that you will be creating an exhibition of their work. An important step in the process is the selection of photographs for display. You should determine ahead of time how many photographs each student will be able to select for exhibition and let students know.

2. Explain that students will be working in pairs or small groups to select their photographs. Students should solicit advice and opinions from their partners, and once each member of the pair has chosen the requisite number of photos for exhibition, they should fill out a copy of Worksheet F (“Photo Selection”) for each.

3. Discuss with students the criteria they might use to choose photographs. These might include:

Which photos are your (or your partner’s) favorites?
Which photographs are the most interesting to look at?
Which photographs have the most to say?
Which photographs best reflect your vision or style?
Which photographs work well together?

B. Selecting Photographs for Exhibition (30 minutes)

1. Have students form pairs or small groups to share and discuss their photographs.

2. Hand out copies of Worksheet F and have students complete one copy for each photograph they select.

3. Circulate to offer students assistance as necessary.

In selecting photos for the exhibition, students might also think about how they want to crop their pictures to achieve the strongest composition. The activity “Where is the energy” on page 67 of The Little Book of Contemplative Photography offers a helpful exercise for cropping images.

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

For homework, have students finalize their selections and complete their worksheets if necessary.

IX. My Vision: Titles & Artist Statements

In this lesson, students will explore the role of titles and artist statements in the context of their work and then begin to write their own artist statements.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Lesson #9 Supplement
Chalkboard, wipe-board, or chart paper

Preparation: Set up a projector or smartboard to display the images in the Lesson #9 Supplement.

Lesson Plan:

A. Titles (15 minutes)

B. Artist Statements (25 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Titles (15 minutes)

1. Show students Zion Ozeri’s photograph Circus Clown (from the Lesson #9 Supplement) without revealing the title.

2. Ask students to brainstorm titles for the photograph. Make a list of the suggested titles on the board.

3. After a few minutes, reveal Zion’s title for the work.

4. Ask students:

Which titles do you like best? Why?
Do you see the photograph differently after learning Zion’s title?
What purposes can a title serve?

5. You can show the next three photographs in the supplement by Ozeri and discuss some of the different approaches to titling. For example:

Holocaust Survivor with His Grandchildren - Like the Circus Clown, this title provides content that you wouldn’t get simply from looking, and knowing this context adds to the power and emotion of the image.
Rest in Pieces - Sometimes a title challenges or surprises the viewer by using words in unexpected ways or forcing him or her to view the image in a new way. By substituting the term “Rest in Pieces” for the more expected phrase “Rest in Peace,” Ozeri surprises the viewer and draws attention to the vandalism that has taken place at this cemetery.
Gauchos Reflect - Titles can use humor or word-play to draw the viewer in to consider more closely what the image shows. Here, Ozeri plays on the dual meanings of the word “reflect” - which describes both the action of the subjects and the visual effect of the photo.

6. Remind students that if they haven’t yet come up with titles for the works they plan to show, they will need to do so for homework.

B. Artist Statements (25 minutes)

1. Explain to students that they will each also create a short artist statement to accompany their selected works. It’s up to the students to decide if they want to focus in their statement on a specific work, or if they want to describe their vision more broadly. Students should also decide for themselves how much information they want to provide in their statement and how much they want to leave up to the viewer.

2. Have students read the artist statement by Zion Ozeri included in the lesson supplement. Discuss:

What kind of information has the photographer included?
How does the artist statement help you (the viewer) understand or interpret the work?

3. Have students begin writing their own artist statements in class if there’s time. Statements should be no more than one or two paragraphs long, and might include some (but not necessarily all) of the following information:

What photography means to you.
What you’re trying to communicate in your work.
What you’ve learned or discovered through your photography.
What’s distinctive about your style or approach.
What you hope viewers will come away with when they look at your work.

4. Students can use the sentence starters on Worksheet G (at the end of the Lesson #9 Supplement) to help get them going. Circulate to help students as needed.

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

For homework, have students complete their artist statements and make sure all of their selected photographs have titles.

Extension Idea – Six-Word Captions

Background:

There are many ways to get your students writing about their work. If you have the time and the inclination, here’s another writing activity based on the concept of the six-word memoir.

According to modern legend, Ernest Hemingway was once asked to write the shortest story possible. He supposedly came up with the following six-word response: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” In 2006, the editors of Smith magazine, Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser, asked readers to follow Hemingway’s lead and submit their own life stories in just six words. The enthusiastic response spawned a worldwide phenomenon of six-word storytelling and led to the publication in 2008 of Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. Several additional collections of six-word memoirs have been published since.

The process of distilling a life (or an experience, idea, or moment) into six words creates an interesting challenge for a writer. It requires a creative approach, at the same time forcing the writer to use extreme concision and precision. The results can be funny, moving, obscure, insightful, poetic, or lyrical.

Just as we encourage students to be thoughtful, expressive, focused, and clear in their photography, the six-word exercise encourages similar qualities in writing. In this lesson, students marry the two art-forms by creating six-word captions for their photographs.

To learn more about six-word memoirs and read more examples, visit the links below:

Activity:

Share the original six-word memoir with students – “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Discuss:

What story do these six words tell?
What emotions and themes does it contain?
How is this brief statement able to communicate so much?
What specific words or imagery are particularly effective?

Explain that six words can be an effective way to try to help yourself to communicate almost anything in a concise and focused way. Have students return to the photographs they’ve chosen for the exhibition and write a six-word caption for one of their photos. In developing their six-word captions, students should:

Consider what mood or tone they want to get across
Choose their words very carefully for maximum impact and precision
Think about the best order to put the words in
Use punctuation and capitalization thoughtfully

Have a couple of students share their captions, and discuss:

Did you find it hard to create a photo caption in just six words? Do you think it would have been easier without that restriction?
How do your image and caption work together? Do you think one enhances the other? Do they together communicate more than either one alone?

X. Photo Presentations: Sharing Our Work

In this lesson, some of the students will share their selected photos and artist statements, and then the class will decide on a title for their exhibition.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Student photographs and artist statements
Chalkboard, wipe-board, or chart paper

Preparation: Set up a projector or smartboard to display student photographs.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Artist Statements and Selected Photos (20 minutes)

B. Exhibit Title (20 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

A. Sharing Artist Statements and Selected Photos (20 minutes):

1. Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, have some students share the photographs they selected for exhibition and read their artist statements.

2. Offer students feedback on their titles and statements, and encourage other students to offer feedback as well.

3. If you don’t have time for every student to share during this lesson, you can take some time in the next lesson to finish.

B. Exhibit Title (20 minutes):

1. Ask students:

What are some common ideas, themes, threads you can see in your work as a class? (Note answers on the board. Examples might include such ideas as “Framing Community”, “My Camera, My Voice”, etc.)

2. Ask students:

Based on some of these big ideas and concepts, what should we call our exhibit? What would be a good name that would connect with some of these ideas and help visitors make sense of the exhibit?

3. Note students’ answers on the board and as a group choose a title.

C. Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

1. For homework, have students finalize their artist statements, photos, and photo labels (title, artist, location, date).

XI-XII. Putting It All Together: Exhibiting Our Work

In this double lesson, the remaining students will share their selected photos and artist statements; the class will then mount their exhibition and debrief the course.

Time: Two 45-minute periods

Materials:

Computer and LCD projector or smartboard
Student photographs and artist statements
Printed photographs and labels for display – plus tape, glue, matting paper, and any additional items needed to hang exhibition (see “Mounting an Exhibition” in the "Resources" section)

Preparation: Set up a projector or smartboard to display student photographs.

Lesson Plan:

A. Sharing Artist Statements and Selected Photos (15 minutes)

B. Mount Your Exhibition (90 minutes)

C. Wrap-Up and Debrief (15 minutes)

A. Sharing Artist Statements and Selected Photos (15 minutes):

Using a computer and LCD projector or smartboard, have any remaining students share the photographs they selected for exhibition and read their artist statements.
Offer students feedback on their statements and encourage other students to offer feedback as well. Push students to keep their texts and statements concise, clear, and focused.

B. Mount Your Exhibition (90 minutes)

One way to handle the task of creating an exhibit is to split the class into small groups and then delegate the roles explained below. There will be a group of “curators,” a group of “installers,” a group of “writers,” a group of “publicists,” and a group of “educators.”

Explain the role of each group:

The curators will deal with the visual display of the exhibition. They will need to consider what the main ideas of the exhibition are and how these will be reflected in the way the exhibition is organized. Will it be organized by value, by artist, or by some other principle? Once put in place, do the chosen works look good next to each other, or do they clash? Curators can draw schematic diagrams to help them figure out how to organize the exhibition. Please see the unit introduction for more ideas about how to approach the visual organization of your exhibition.
The installers will work on the details of physically mounting the exhibition. They will make sure all of the work is mounted properly; they will figure out exactly where the photographs and labels go on the walls or where to put the easels; they will hang the pieces; they will make sure everything looks presentable and professional. They may need to measure the walls and draw floor plans or elevations before hanging the work in order to make sure they know exactly where everything will go. They may also need to consider traffic flow and other spatial issues in designing the exhibition.
The writers will create the exhibition labels and, if necessary, any brochures. Each artist will write his or her own artist’s statement and choose appropriate texts to accompany his or her work, but the writers will have to take everyone’s text and make sure it is in a clean, legible form. Writers will also have to write additional text, such as introductory panels, directional signs, or section headings. They will need to decide whether there is going to be an exhibition brochure and, if so, what it will look like and say.
The publicists will promote the exhibition, publicizing it in the school, community, and/or local media. Signs, posters, and press releases will be needed to announce the exhibition. The publicists will also organize the exhibition opening. Decisions will need to be made regarding the opening. When will it be? Will there be refreshments? Will there be speakers? Who will be invited—parents, other classes, community members, the press?
The educators will develop and deliver tours of the exhibition once it’s open. They will need to think about what makes an interesting tour and how their tours will be structured. Will they ask questions? What do they want visitors to learn from the exhibition and tour? Educators may need to write the text for their tours and practice leading them before the exhibition opens so they are ready once the exhibition is up.

The different groups will probably need to work together at times. For example, the curators will need to communicate with the installers regarding exhibition organization; educators and publicists may need to get together to schedule tours.

You can also plan a small reception for the exhibit opening. Make sure all students know where the exhibition will be and when the opening will take place, and have them invite their family and friends to attend. You may want to say a few words at the opening or ask some of the students to speak.

If you’re not able or don’t have the space to mount a physical exhibition for your school community, you can create a virtual exhibition instead. Online digital tools such as emaze.com are great for this kind of presentation. Emaze is easy to use (especially if you are at all familiar with PowerPoint) and offers lots of great design options. Visit https://emaze.zendesk.com/hc/en-us to learn more.

And don’t worry if you do not have experience mounting exhibitions. A student exhibition doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. It is most important that the students’ work is of high quality and that their efforts are well represented in the display. Other than that, it’s just a matter of putting pictures and words on a wall. You might ask the school handyman or a skilled parent to help. You should also see “Mounting an Exhibition” in the “Resources” section of this guide, which includes some specific suggestions for creating something that looks good and is not too expensive or work-intensive.

C. Wrap-Up and Debrief (15 minutes)

Finish up by discussing the students’ experiences with the DiverCity Lens course.

For example:

What did you find most interesting about the course?
What did you find least interesting?
What did you learn?
What else would you have liked to have learned or done?

You can have students respond in a large-group discussion or individually in writing.