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Cat in the Rain by Jenny Lee
The Illuminated Text that convinced me of the power and potential of the medium. This project explicates the short story "Cat in the Rain" from In Our Time. It was created by Jenny Lee at Whitney Young Magnet High School. One year and a half after this site opened, someone asked me how got the idea for Illuminated Texts -- the answer for that one is easy: I saw Jenny Lee's "Cat in the Rain."
Song of Solomon Group Work - Chapters 4 & 5 - Icepicks, teabags, and tombstones
Group Work. This group work have 3-4 students consider (by closely examining the text) Chapters 4 & 6 of Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. In this exercise the students will discuss just how "serious" Milkman is, Guitar is, and how their actions belie their image of themselves.
"i carry your heart" by e e cummings - An Illuminated Text in Flash
This is the second Illuminated Text that I have created using this poem. As my students transition from Power Point to Adobe Flash -- I wanted to go through the process and acquaint myself with what they were going through for myself. I chose this poem because I love it dearly- and, to me, it is an ideal candidate for a text-based animation -- the words are rich, beautiful, and multi-layered. When I was writing this Illuminated Text - it occurred to me how much these presentations are like essays or writing in general - you need to have some kind of overriding idea or thesis and each piece must support and play off of the other.
Frederigo's Falcon (from the Decameron) - Group Work
Though this work is Italian, I usually teach it directly after we study The Canterbury Tales, as Chaucer was influenced so heavily by The Decameron. This is a cooperative exercise designed to be completed by 3-4 students in one class period. The assignment has the students do a close reading of the story while answering fairly directed questions that lead to bigger and bigger (I hope) moments of critical thinking. It also looks at the idea of what happens to Frederigo and his love, and how that theme of not knowing what you want till it's gone (yes, the song by Joanie Mitchell is part of the group work and I play it while the students are working) is repeated throughout literature (as in "The Gift of the Magi).
Hamlet - An animated film by Kerry Ferrantella
This animation of Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet is done with skill, wit, and creativity by Kerry Ferrantella and his classmates. Kerry used the free program Windows Movie Maker to animate the still drawings that he had created and then they created the voice overs. The overall effect is astonishing and original. Mr. Ferrantella's teacher is Ian McCarthy, also of Whitney Young High School -- and I am greatful to him and Kerry for allowing us to share this on the website. I can't wait to use the project with my own students. Be patient when you click on the link below -- it is a large file and may take a minute to load.Read more
"Indian Camp" - Illuminated text by Jesus Alonso
This illuminated text on Hemingway's "Indian Camp" uses to text, to among other things, point out the journey from dark to light and back to light again. The words, in the presentation, move from darkness to light, echoing Nick's journey to the world that awaits him at the Indian Camp. It is moving and insightful. I also continue to show this Illuminated Text every year when we read the story - it never fails to impress me or my students.
Dreams often Lie: A Critical Thinking Webquest for Romeo and Juliet
This Web Quest has students putting together ideas from Romeo and Juliet such as Queen Mab, Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo (a documentary about two lovers from different faiths in civil war-torn Bosnia), and the origins of Shakespeare's play. I have always believed that Web Quests can be a valuable tool - however, they too often seem to be a technologically-enabled treasure hunt. I hope that this assignment pushes the genre to a level were a good deal of critical thinking can take place.
Beowulf, Heroism, and 9/11 - A Presentation
This brief slide show begins with the moving, translated words of Beowulf where he states that he would not race ahead of his friend Brecca, because he had promised him he would stay by his side. The presentation next recounts some of the heroes of 9/11while subtly (I hope) comparing it ideas of heroism from Beowulf. It ends with the fiery funeral of Beowulf and the casket of the last 9/11 firefighter being carried away on his fire truck. This is used with a group work on the same subject.
