Re: Re: lesson plans for students

eric nelson wrote:

> Hello! Deborah, William, and all!
>
> I can speak from experience. Grade six is fun to do pinhole photography with.
>
> I like to break the unit into many parts to get a bigger bang for the
> set-up. I first start with a what is looking lesson. Where the students
> look through old master work paintings.
>
> For example:
> Jan Vermeer of Delft (1632-1675) is thought to have used a camera obsura
> for his paintings. If you have not looked at any of his paintings i urge
> you to do so. There is great artistry in his selected focus. There are
> indications of circles of confusion in his works and selective soft focus
> in his works. Delft was an early center for lens making.
>
> Compostional studies are the next topic after the viewing historical
> paintings and photographs. After studing the mechanics of how others see I
> have the students refine their own compostional process. We use viewfinders
> to select a portion of an all ready completed artwork. This is good time to
> refine their eye. Particular attention can be paid to the selected area's
> location in relation to the elements around it. This is often done in the
> classroom with "close-ups" of other masterworks. The isolated abstract
> element is appealing to them at this age level. - A large crowd shot is fun
> to do like WeeGee's<-sp? Famous shot of Coney Island. (sorry I don't have
> my samples here today for titles and spelling)
>
> The students finish their sketchs from the viewfinder exercise and then
> begin to "move the viewfinder up to make a sketch of thier own compostion
> of the room. Wide angle and telephoto can be introduced at this time. Wide
> angle close to eye telephoto far from eye.
>
> I introduce cameras by simple medical illustrations showing how the eye
> gathers an image. I use resource materials from old books to find these
> line drawings. The camera obsura drawings found in the pinhole journal are
> also excellent examples showing camera image formation. I convert my
> classroom into a camera obsura by blocking the windows and placing a hefty
> lens from an old spy plane in the window boards. The lights are turned
> -off. Spooky!! THe image(of the playground) is caught onto a sheet of
> frosted mylar, different aperatures are shown giving depth of field. I also
> have built an adaptor to hold other lenses like my pinhole or zone plate
> lenses.
>
> We turn on red light and set up an exposure on darkroom paper from the
> glass lens. A student holds a cardboard shutter to the lens. I process the
> darkroom paper with chemistry in the room. The suprise is awesome. White
> lights on and we study the picture! Operation of pinhole cameras are then
> demonstrated and performed. Polaroid cameras are quickies and an the 4X5
> ortho plywood cameras are slow.
>
> Then outside to make a few 4X5 ortho shots. These can be a group shot in a
> circle-or-off in pairs (depending on the group). THe kids process their own
> film in the classroom. This year i plan on cyanotype contact prints after
> the negatives dry. This is good because then the positive/negative steps
> can demonstrated under regular light. I follow their own cyanotype image
> making with a review of the steps they took. And follow with the historical
> steps in photographic discoveries: daguerreotypes, salt prints,
> cyanotype,.... ccd,cmos.
>
> I bring in my pictures and historic artifacts like a tintypes or
> daguerrotype to illustrate the history part of the talk.
>
> Each class (about 27 kids) is a different group of individuals and almost
> always some modifications are needed. I refrain from having the students
> make a camera. This is because i have scheduling time constraints. Only an
> hour a class. And there is no break between my next group of younger art
> students.
>
> Also, due to the wide diversity of students in the public schools i keep
> the lessons simple and encourage an expressive eye. Previously, i had a
> group make their own cameras but i learned of the trouble in shooting many
> focal lengths and shapes of film etc. So, I built 30+ plywood cameras that
> take 4X5 film holders. (I bought my holders from a spot in La Crosse
> Wiscosin. Old time photostudios or camera shops have them in their back
> room or basement it never hurts just to ask. I got mine for 5$ a piece!)
>
> I have some images of cameras and student works at my school's website:
>
> http://marshfield.k12.wi.us/art/elementary/pin.htm
>
> And a lot more about the chemistry and steps that i use for processing on:
>
> http://marshfield.k12.wi.us/art/cameramake.html
>
> A fellow art instructor in the area used the above for her art challenge
> (advanced) kids in high school. The students made thier own cameras and
> produced pinhole images earlier this year. I'd like to do a pinhole image
> swap next year or this year with my students and another group of students.
>
> Best wishes and sorry this is so long.
> Please let me know how i can improve my pages or the information on them.
>
> Good Luck!
> eric nelson
> artist educator
> marshfield public schools
>
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I like the idea of using the room as a camera obscura. Wish I could, but I
don't have any windows! I do have the kids make their own cameras in groups
(fulfilling cooperative learning and as a problem solving assignment mandated by
my school ) and it is very entertaining to see how creative they can be. But it
does take time and I am fortunate to be on a block schedule. Thanks for the
response. Deborah
Received on Thu Apr 12 20:46:17 2001