SchoolArts - December 2007

We learned how and why to critique photos, covering everything from composition and the rule of thirds, to what hues you get in color images shot under various lighting conditions, how and when to color balance, plus the fact that you can create a “tripod” by using a wall, shelf, or chair to minimize camera shake.

At the end of the project, each student gave a photo to the person they photographed and we had an exhibit as part of a school-wide “India Week.” We also had an article published in a local magazine, and one of our students sold a photo.

schools involved. Check out our photos from the American International School, Chennai, India. Contact the organization to see if your school has time to become part of the 100 People Project. They have extended the original deadline. Any medium is accepted.

Assessment

Students were assessed on participation in discussions, photographic technique (in-camera and on the computer), written biographies of their subjects, and the final result. Since we have students from various backgrounds such as France, the United States, Thailand, Finland and India, this presented an accessible way to understand their host cultures or their own culture beyond what they see daily.

Reflections

This project could easily be adapted to any community by representing the various statistics based upon that community, and could also be done with younger children. The ability to collaborate and integrate multiculturalism, writing, imagery and technology creates higher-level thinking and visual as well as auditory communication that goes beyond being just a school project.

The images can be seen at www.100people.org. Go to the “Schools” page to see the various

Keri McLeod is an art teacher at the American International School in Chennai, India. mkeri@aisch.org

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use.