APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers wrote a rhetorical analysis and an argument.
You did as stated, kids, your last timed-writing practices before the big day next week. I hope you’ll join me Thursday when you’ll have the opportunity to practice the multiple-choice portion of the exam. Students who missed any part of the practice this week due to additional exam or other obligations can pick-up sections they missed in T-12 and complete them at home.
Here’re two more photo series I came across this morning. Examine each for their individual compositions and the knowledge they impart.
- “Iconic War Photographs: Civil War to Afghanistan” from Newsweek
- “Most Beautiful Photos of Africa” at Golberz.com
See you in a couple of days.
PHONE FOUND. Would someone let Ana M. know that she left her phone in T-12 and it’s safe? Thanks kids.
APELC Class Notes
Objective: APELCers completed a synthesis essay.
As the objective states so you did, juniors and seniors. Today’s essay was a practice essay and you’ll complete two more next class followed my a multiple-choice practice at the end of the week. We’ll complete the worldview presentations the week after this and talk over some final details for the APELC exam on May 12.
I’d mentioned LIFE’s 100 Photographs That Changed the World to students I’ve been conferring with over timed-writing 8. I think that rather than being a limitation to learning, photographs can be an invitation to learning, as I discussed with Ariel during her conference, so I’d encourage you to explore more of nation and world through their photographic histories. Here’re some portals:
- Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog
- The Library of Congress American Memory Home (photos and other media)
- Library of Congress’ Historic Photos (Flickr pilot project)
- Shorpy Historic Photo Archive
The Big Picture at The Boston Globe and The Frame at The Sacramento Bee are two excellent photo blogs that document current events around the world with large, bold images.
REMINDER. Kevin, Kate, and Priscilla, I’d like to borrow your original timed-writing 7 drafts for tomorrow (Tuesday), if I could. Thanks. You’re CDO’s greatest treasures.
APELC Class Notes
Second and fourth APELCers, today we covered the same material in class and did the same in the liberry as your colleagues in periods 1 and 3.
I wanted to post some of the images we discussed in all periods, as I mentioned in yesterday’s notes, and that highlighted the importance of thinking beyond your assumptions and made clear the necessity of understanding context. Recall that I initially was talking with Trevor about images for his worldview paper on fascism and also the pink axes many teachers were displaying in their rooms this week. We focused on the power of symbols and visual argument to instigate.
Our initial reaction to the photo below, for example, is revulsion and perhaps anger, at least as we view it in the context of our American history.
Once we understand that the image is from the Telegraph series “Hooded penitents take part in hundreds of processions throughout Spain in celebration of Holy week”, which visually documented Holy Week in Seville, our understanding may change, although our first reactions may be hard to forget if we can forget them at all.
Of the following pair of symbols, the one on the left is at first as disorienting (at best) as the image above, even if we understand its ancient Eastern origins depicted on the right. And, as such, I fully expect to see versions of the latter in several students’ presentations and final papers.
Find out more at Symbols.com, a great reference. The science of signs, or semiotics, actually informs much of what we do in APELC. Here’s a neat introduction when you have time: Semiotics for Beginners.