 |
| Image: Megan Andrews, Refugio State Beach, January 2015 |
Generating this writing prompt gave me an opportunity to use one of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken. I have always found it powerful for the exact reasons I used when I created the prompt on the above image.
In an instructional setting, I would spend a few minutes explaining some of the juxtapositions I see in the image, and why I find it both haunting and beautiful. I would talk about how the image invites all kinds of questions, but that it ultimately answers none of them. The brief story I included with the image speaks volumes, though, and it is brief for a reason: to provide the reader with the opportunity to draw his or her own conclusions about the event and its consequences.
I would then instruct my students to work on the assignment within the prompt: a blog post that analyzes a juxtaposition in a recent reading assignment. Since I teach English, this prompt could be used in nearly any unit; much of the work that I traditionally cover includes some sort of juxtaposition.
The purpose of this exercise would be for students to explore the impact juxtaposition can have, and how it can add depth to a work that may seem much simpler on the surface. While most of them lack the polish to effectively use juxtaposition in their own writing, recognizing it and how it is used in the work of others is an important first step.
After writing about the juxtaposition they selected, I would want my students to create a visual representation of it. They could find an image or create their own; the source is less important that being able to tie an image that conveys the message to the message itself. This step pushes students to think critically about how to represent the idea they have selected and turn abstract ideas into images that tell a story. If the students can do that, they are one step closer to developing the skills to be able to use juxtaposition effectively in their own work.
No comments:
Post a Comment