What's in a Face?
Strategies
Before Reading-
This pre-reading strategy engages students by having them evaluate a series of statements which are geared toward the topic of discussion. This strategy can have multiple types of layouts, but each serve the same purpose. Anticipation guides allow the students to become aware of important information that lies within the text. It is up to the teacher to create anticipation guides that are meaningful and aid students in understanding the material.
The teacher must analyze the material and format the information in clear, declarative statements that will provoke interest and prediction. Students will be allowed to discuss reasoning behind their choices through class discussion. Students then read the passage and afterwards they discuss the differences between their thoughts and the author’s intentional meaning. Click for Anticipation Guide Template.
Vocabulary-
Vocabulary Frames allows students to reconstruct the traditional review index cards into a more complex and thorough way to comprehend new terms. The index card is divided into sections for various information about the term being defined.
Students will create vocabulary frames for various words like Conceptualism, Photography, and Composition. All of these words will be used throughout this lesson and doing this activity will allow students to thoroughly understand these main ideas for their artmaking assignment. Click for Vocabulary Frame Template.
Comprehension-
The KWL strategy involves students in active learning. Students begin the strategy by discussing what they know about the topic being addressed. Secondly, students debate what they want to learn as they create questions they will answer after they read the material. Lastly, students record what they have learned after they have read the text.
Students will create KWL charts as we read passages from the book Cindy Sherman by Eva Respini. Students could fill in the “know” section of the chart with words/phrases like, “female photographer”, “black and white pictures”, “movie inspired”. The section “want” could include words/phrases like, “why this silly poses”, “what is conceptualism”, “why the choice of title”, and once they have read the passages the students will have a thorough understanding of Sherman’s artistic point of view. Click for KWL Template.
Writing-
Open-Mind Portraits help students contemplate deeper about a character and reflect on the series of events that happened throughout the character’s story. The portraits consist of two parts: the face of the character is depicted on the “top” page and then mind of the character is created on the second page. Multiple “mind” pages can be created by the students which could show essential moments in the character’s story.
Students will create open-mind portraits of Cindy Sherman and use a actual/favorite Untitled Film Still as one their “top” pages. The students will then create a story behind that particular photograph of Cindy Sherman and communicate what point of view she was possibly attempting when she created that particular scenario. Click for Open Mind Portrait Template.
After Reading-
Exit Slips is a strategy that teachers can use so that students can write responses to questions, or formulate their own questions at the end of class or lesson. This allows students to reflect on what they’ve comprehended and declare what they are unclear about. These are beneficial to teachers because they informally measure the students’ comprehension.
Students will use exit slips to address issues like “Can you clarify this…”, or “I enjoyed learning…”, or they can write a question or statement about anything pertaining to the lesson. Click for Exit Slip Template.