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Programs and Areas

First Year Writing Program

Teaching Resources: Group Projects

Tried & True Home  |  Cultural Icons | Reading Music | Online Marketing

Visual Culture: Reading Icons


What you will need to prepare prior to this class:
  1. Group Project Assignment prompt (24 copies)
  2. Popular Icon Quiz (24 copies)
  3. Copy of Icon Quiz Answer Key for yourself.
  4. 6 sets of 3 images that have the same iconic figure related to your course theme
  5. Overheads or Powerpoint of Discussion Questions and Sample Thesis Statements.
  6. Flag images (Hilfiger ad and another image: on overhead, powerpoint, or through Visual Archive access). The Hilfiger ad and the Faith Ringgold painting are on the Visual Archive. This sample lesson uses Flag images, but other iconic images could work as well.
  7. Blank overhead film sheets and black markers--if you want students to write their group theses directly on overhead for display
General Goals: To introduce students to Group Project and to simulate the steps that students will need to follow. Review various methods of analysis (Notice and Focus, The Method) and weak and strong theses.
What You Will Do:
  1. Review Group Project Requirements (distribute assignment handout) -- 5 minutes
  2. Cultural Icons (definitions) -- 5 minutes
  3. Match-Up Quiz (work on individually) -- 10 minutes
  4. Interactive: Match-Up Quiz discussion & Answer Key -- 10 minutes
    Ask students to consider what makes a figure iconic?
    Why are certain individuals on the list and not others?
    *See Icon powerpoint on Web Ct if you need more questions]
  5. Interactive: Analyzing Cultural Icons (National Symbols)
    Hilfiger Advertisement -- 10 minutes [Approach as Notice and Focus, and/or using The Method] Faith Ringgold painting or another image from Visual Archive of the Flag that situates it in another context-- 10 minutes [Approach Notice and Focus, and/or The Method]
  6. Small Group Activity (20 minutes)
    In small groups ask students to analyze 3 images related to your course theme (using Notice and Focus and/or The Method), and to generate a strong thesis that compares the use of a particular iconic figure(s) among the images. Ask a member from each group to keep notes of the group's observations and to write their strong thesis on the board or overhead.
  7. Review theses on the board, highlighting why certain theses are strong (or weak) and use this as an opportunity to further discuss the images (15 minutes)
Materials

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