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Lesson 1

We will prepare to write our responses to the Culminating Task by breaking down the prompt and organizing the information and tools we have gathered and used throughout the unit. We will also review our previous activities and begin gathering evidence, as we move toward crafting a thesis statement in the following lesson.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I identify task expectations and develop an appropriate plan for accomplishing the established outcomes?

  • Can I recognize and interpret language and sentence elements and structures to deepen my understanding of a task or prompt?

  • Can I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence from previous activities and texts in the unit to begin to clarify my thoughts about the assigned task?

  • Can I evaluate the relevance and credibility of information, ideas, evidence, and reasoning presented in the unit texts?

Texts

There are no texts for this Lesson.

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will discuss the Culminating Task to ensure that we understand what we are being asked to do.

The Culminating Task question is as follows:

How has the work of an American photojournalist highlighted, defined, and influenced important moments and figures in history and culture?

With a partner, discuss how we defined photojournalism and review the important moments in history and culture from the unit. In your discussion, be sure to consider what it means to "highlight and define," especially in reference to the impact of an image on viewers.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss

We will review and discuss our responses to previous activities in the lessons.

Review and be prepared to discuss your notes in your Learning Log, considering your responses to the activities in previous lessons, the guiding questions we used for each preceding Section Diagnostic, and the texts to which they applied. In those lessons, we examined photojournalistic images under the following lenses:

  • Section 1: As a history-maker: What is the role of photojournalism in constructing the way viewers catalog and remember history? How does photojournalism shape the people and cultures it documents?

  • Section 2: As a political influencer: What impact does photojournalism have in crafting or shifting political attitudes and decisions? In what way can it work as propaganda?

  • Section 3: As a catalyst for change: In what ways has—or can—the power of an image motivate change in a culture, society, or politics?

  • Section 4: As an authentic representative of the journalistic image: What is the responsibility of the photojournalist in the face of momentous cultural tragedy? How is it that photographs "lie" or “tell the truth"?

Activity 3: Write

We will review some strategies for prewriting as the initial process of composing an expository essay.

Brainstorm to determine a focus for writing. Using an effective process, begin to organize your ideas for writing a response to the Culminating Task prompt. This might involve clustering around a central idea, making a list of ideas and evidence, developing an outline, or using an organizational tool.

As this is an expository prompt, you should begin by developing a claim in response to the question. Then, you will need to identify evidence that supports your claim. This evidence can come from the photos we have examined, as well as corresponding text, or from the different tools you completed throughout the unit.

As you think about organizing and developing your ideas into an essay, keep in mind the “be sure to” expectations of the task:

  • Present and develop a central claim about how the photojournalist has highlighted, defined, and influenced history and culture.

  • Present and develop supporting claims about each photograph or text you select, explaining how and why the photographs were politically influential, made history, or were catalysts for social change.

  • Provide historical and social context about your chosen photographs, including information about the photojournalist and the purpose and message of their photographs.

  • Explain how visual evidence from the photographs and ideas from texts develop and support your claim.

  • Explain connections or comparisons between the photographs and how, together, they are representative of the photojournalist and the field of photojournalism.

  • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary that demonstrates your knowledge of the topic.

  • Establish and maintain a formal style and objective point of view.

To organize your thoughts, you might use whatever organizational tools you find are most effective for you. The Organization Reference Guide has some good information, and the Organizing Evidence Tool, Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool, and Visual Analysis Tool can be helpful resources to use.