Art Integration

Protest Posters by UAI Students

04 Nov 2011, 5:21 PM by keith, High School

Teaching Artist Caits Meissner has been collaborating with U.S. History teacher Brodie Crawford at The Urban Assembly Institute of Math & Science for Young Women (UAI) to help bring history alive through they arts.  Throughout the year, students will be creating projects in a variety of media that are designed to deepen their understanding of our country's past and connect to relevant events and themes of today.

For their first project, students created original protest posters to communicate specific messages related to their study of The Bill of Rights.  Students also took a field trip to Zucotti Park to interview and photograph the protesters of Occupy Wall Street to find out firsthand about what they were protesting and why.  Each student wrote an essay on their own unique viewpoint on The Bill of Rights, and then looked at examples of propaganda and protest art as inspiration for their own posters directly related to the main arguments of their essays.  For the final step in the project, students took digital photo portraits of one another holding their posters, and then reflected on their work and gave one another feedback.

"I think the project is awesome.  We connect art to current events and the essays we wrote.  I hope that people can see our posters and understand our point of view.  Usually our voices aren't heard." - Merlissa, 11th grade

"I found it very interesting to connect our history work with our art work.  It's a good way to express our ideas about what's going on in the world today.  I hope that people see our posters and recognize, and then things change." - Regine, 11th grade

"Basically, we had to make a thesis statement about how we felt about the governmentand make a poster to help people see our ideas.  Mine is about how the Bill of Rights protects us.  The Bill of Rights promises protection from the government." - Nicole, 11th grade

"My poster says 'Stop the Abuse of Power'."  We went to Occupy Wall Street and saw the protesters, and I've seen it on the news too.  I hope people see what kind of power they have and how they could use it in a good way to prevent bad things from happening." - Camiel, 11th grade

"I think it's a really good project.  It's about our rights.  We interviewed protesters to find out what they were really protesting.  My poster is about how our rights can be violated sometimes, especially if you don't know them." - Lucey, 11th grade

"My poster is about the First Amendment and how we should be able to speak out.  My poster has a person speaking out with handcuffs on their hands.  I was trying to communicate that even though we have freedom of speech, we're not so free sometimes." - Issis, 11th grade 

At Manhattan Acadmy of Arts & Language (MAAL), teaching artist Vee Bravo has been collaborating with science teacher Mr. Gallanero since the beginning of the year to integrate digital media/ video into the curriculum for The Living Environment class.  Over the course of the year, MAAL students will be creating a "digital handbook" for the class consisting of original media to complement the class.

Students have begun working on original educational media- short videos that illustrate specific concepts from the Living Environment curriculum.  The current batch of videos focus on students demonstrating how to properly use various science tools and instruments, with students handling all the production, shooting and editing.  The videos will be in both Spanish and English, and we are also exploring possibilities for distributing and sharing the videos so that other students can access and benefit from the videos.

"We were working on balance scales and how to use them to measure stuff.  We're making videos, so we learned about shooting different kinds of angles.  The videos show people how to use science equipment like balances and other things." - Sashaly, 10th grade

"I worked on shooting using two video cameras for different angles.  More angles will show how to use the equipment better.  I want the videos to help next year's students.  it's fun because I like having a camera in my hands." - Carolinie, 10th grade

"We are editing today using the computer.  We're making a video about using the balance scale to measure an object.  This video will help us learn more about science." - Edwin, 10th grade

Day 3 :: Feb 4th, 2PM...SHOWTIME!

After a couple glitches during our final tech run, its Showtime at Black Box 416.  Thanks to the support of HBO, New Design High School, and Urban Arts Partnership, the students are ready to rock the house.  24 Hour Plays Intersession 2010 rocks my world! 

Check out the program for this phenomenal show: 

The theater is packed to the brim. Sit back and relax and get ready for the magic...

New Design Principal, Scott Conti welcomes the audience and guests.

The singing and songwriting intersession group warms up the house.  Amazing all the talent in this school!

It's SHOWTIME!  Watch our actors in action.

 

The full cast and writers of the 2010 24 Hour Plays Intersession takes questions from the audience. 

Post show joy as teachers and director, Michael Kenneth Williams, congratulate writer, Maynor Alas, on his work and brilliance. 

Congrats to all who made this 3 day intersession a success!!! So proud to have been a part of it.

Stay tuned for the Life Stories 24 Hour Plays in July 2010!

 

Day 2 :: Feb 3
 
In the morning the ensemble gathered for bonding and theater games. Focusing on techniques to prepare them for the 24 Hour Plays, the group played games, which build character skills, focus, listening and responding, and creating physical environments.  
 
 
Writers hand in their scripts; do a critique and revision session with New Design English Teacher Avi Kline; rewrite and print.  
 
 
Urban Arts Teaching Artist Julia Grob leads actors through character building exercises designed to prepare them for the daunting task ahead. Students create character profiles. 
 
 
Guest Directors Rosie Perez, Michael Kenneth Williams and Gaby Hoffman work on scripts with their casts focusing on character breakdowns, conflicts, and exploration & memorization techniques with actors. 
 
 
Students go home to memorize scripts and come in for DAY 3: blocking and rehearsal. 
 
GOOD LUCK TEAM

 

 

Day 1 :: February 2 
 
3 writers, 10 actors and the production staff gather for orientation. 
 

Each participant writes a descriptive bio, selects a prop & then shares these and their hidden talents with the group.  

 

 
 
 Writers and actors split up for day long workshops in their respective discipline.
 
Guest Playwright Harrison Rivers leads a short-form writing workshop and then each writer (using material from Orientation) is tasked with composing a 10 minute play by the end of the day.
 
 
Harrison Rivers leads playwrights in a workshop. 
 

Actors observe a scene study class with Acting Coach James Tripp at Stella Adler. (Check out our actors bonded and ready to read their scripts after our master class at Stella Adler!)

 

 

Page: 1 2 3
Facebook Twitter Contact
Website design by Hudson Union