America Dreams - Student: Photographer

The Library of Congress

	Teachers	Students	Resources

Task	Process	Team Roles	Conclusion

Photographer	You are the eyes of America. Design a photo essay that shows the American Dream. You might show how the Dream has been affected by time, cultural influences, and significant historical events (war, economic depression, elections, etc.). Be sure your group has completed the Getting Ready Activities on searching and document analysis.

Group Tasks
Each team member is responsible for a management task.		Team Manager Research Manager Production Manager Archive Manager

Assessment Questions How will your project be assessed? Identify which of these questions you will use to guide your inquiry:		What is the American Dream? How has the American Dream changed over time? How do diverse cultures view the American Dream? How have significant historical events affected the American Dream? How will new opportunities of the 21st century challenge the American Dream? What makes being a photographer an effective medium for exploring the American Dream?

Action Plan Create an action plan and and determine your timeline for completing the project. Include the following information in your Action Plan:
Timeline and Responsibilities		Choose your team management responsibilities and decide each manager's specific responsibilities. How much time do you have? What deadlines do you need to meet? What materials do you need? How do you plan to manage the materials?
Research Strategies		What is your focus for inquiry? Identify your research topic or theme. What questions will focus your research? List a series of genuine questions you intend to answer by your research. What additional information do you need to answer these questions? How will you know you've found what you are looking for? List the type of resources you intend to look for to answer your research questions. What primary resources from American Memory will you search for? How do you know that the examples you've found are valid? Once you have located a few examples of primary sources, what is your criteria for selecting these as evidence? Use the document analysis worksheet. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Tips for Searching the Collections There are many ways to search the American Memory collections. The Learning Page is a good place to start. You may find it helpful to read and practice "Finding Items in American Memory" to learn how to narrow your search idea. Learn to work with keywords and work within a specific collection of resources. Here are a few helpful hints to get you started: Search the collections by type and read the search tips chart Use the search tips list Each collection has a unique set of keywords. Find collections that may be helpful by using the "plain English" themes in the Learning Page Pathfinders. Within each collection, browse the indexes of authors, subjects, and titles. Use the Collection Connections section of the Learning Page to find out more about a specific collection or to see a list of collections with related topics.

Resources
General: To search all photographic collections, click here: Photographs, Prints, and Drawings Specific Collections that may be of help: Architecture and Interior Design ~ Gottscho and Schleisner ~ Photographs ~ 1935-1955 Title: Architecture and Interior Design for 20th Century America: Photographs by Samuel Gottscho and William Schleisner , 1935-1955 Baseball and Jackie Robinson ~ Multiformat ~ 1860-1969 Title: By Popular Demand: Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s Daguerreotype Photographs ~ 1839-1864 Title: America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotype Portraits and Views, 1839-1862 Depression Era to World War II ~ FSA/OWI ~ Photographs ~ 1935-1945 Title: America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA and OWI, ca. 1935-1945 Great Plains ~ Photographs ~ 1880-1920 Title: The Northern Great Plains, 1880-1920: Photographs from the Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections Native American Culture, Pacific Northwest ~ Multiformat Title: American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Panoramic Photographs ~ 1851-1991 Title: Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991 Prairie Settlement, Nebraska ~ Photographs and Letters ~ 1862-1912 Title: Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters Ranching Culture, Nevada ~ Multiformat ~ 1945-1982 Title: Buckaroos in Paradise: Ranching Culture in Northern Nevada, 1945-1982 Turn-of-the-Century America ~ Detroit Publishing Company ~ Photographs ~ 1880-1920 Title: Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880 - 1920 Washington, D.C. ~ Theodor Horydczak ~ Photographs ~ 1923-1959 Title: Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959 Western U.S. ~ Photographs ~ 1860-1920 Title: History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library Woman Suffrage ~ Photographs and Prints ~ 1850-1920 Title: By Popular Demand: "Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures, 1850-1920

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Last updated 12/19/2002