Click here to access the photos to view during class today
Objective: Today we will prepare to read Our Town by considering various representations of American hometowns. We will consider how these representations use setting and characterization to convey various themes about home and place. What makes a hometown American? Is there something universal in these representations? And if so, what is it that makes a town, our town?
Do now: In your notebook, jot down what you see in your mind when you picture an
American Hometown
Describe the specific words and images that pop into your mind.
I see...
I imagine...
Today, we will view and write about a photo exhibit in the New York Times that features photos teenagers took of their hometowns. The goal is to get a sense by the end of the period of how different artists use characters and setting to convey themes about home and place. We are doing THEMATIC research that relates to the work we did in The Laramie Project that we will continue in Our Town. As you work today, refer to this chart if you need help generating language and ideas related to setting:
Language and Categories Related to Setting
|
Settings: public space, private space, institutions
Weather, seasons, time of day, historical period
Natural/Industrial/Artificial
Cramped/open etc.
Color
Symbol
Class
Education
Religion
Community
Urban/Rural/Suburban
Materials
Transportation
Architecture
Composition
|
WORKSHOP
1. Browse through the photos with a partner (five minutes), choosing 1-3 that you interest you.
2. In your notebook, use the following questions as a guide for partner conversation and written response. You should have about a page of writing for each photo (15-20 minutes).
Looking at individual photos
What is the setting of the photo (time, place etc)?
Who are the characters?
What theme does this photo convey about home or place?
What assumptions do you make about this hometown and its culture?
What is universal about this photo?
Comparing and Contrasting Photos (Choose 1-2 more that strike you for their similarity or difference)
What are the patterns?
- What is repeated?
- What is contrasted?
Share at your tables (3-5 minutes)
Reflect:
Is there anything universal about these photos?
Do these photos represent “Our Town?” Why or why not?
How do these photos confirm or refute your initial image of an American hometown?
How do these photos confirm or refute your initial image of an American hometown?
Homework: Thorton Wilder’s play Our Town is one of the most widely read and performed plays in American history. Tonight, do some background research to bring in tomorrow to share.
1. Choose something specific from one of the following categories to research and bring in an artifact of your research.
Here are some options:
Biographical: Thorton Wilder
Historical: 1938 and/or 1900: customs, events, political climate etc.
Topical: Background of Our Town-- common interpretations, criticism etc (Sparknotes ok, but focus on a specific category, such as characters, context or key quotes rather than the whole guide)
Thematic: Women’s suffrage and changing roles in the household in 1900's, alienation effect and Bertolt Brecht, whiteness studies
Artifact options (I will post the best ones on the website):
-Colored outline/page of notes
-Mini-poster with main points and details
-Annotated drawing
Checklist for grading:
- Provides accurate information
- Paraphrases and uses direct quotations
- Cites source(s)
- Reflects 45-60 minutes of work
- Presentable and organized
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