How does media change the way we see and understand the world?


This photograph is just one moment in time, caught on a camera. But what happened before? And what happened after? And who took the picture? And why?!

These are all questions that we will explore as we learn about the media and how it communicates to us through TV, radio, newspapers and photographs.

The literature that we will read for this project is called Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera: or Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving Pictures by Victor Appleton and it is an e-book (electronic book). If you think you might have trouble accessing it at home, please email me and we can think together about how to solve your trouble!

In this project, we will create two main products:

1) Media Analysis Journal


You will be responsible to do five close analyses of different kinds of media during this project. For each journal entry, you must both describe and interpret the media. Try your best to answer all seven questions, and remember that we will have time to refine these journal entries before you turn in your journal at the end of the project.

2) Photograph Exhibition


In the second half of this project, you and a partner will work together to create photographic distortions. You will create photographs that do not tell the true story! As part of this component, you will also write an expository essay that exposes the real truth.

Over the next 6 weeks, we will learn about the Media Makers, and we will also learn how to become them.