Curriculum Highlights

Key Learning Objectives: Students will learn how to take photos that are both informative and artistic of the watershed and the activities surrounding it. They will learn the processes to use both traditional film as well as digital media to create prints.

Geoliteracy Integration:  Students will be out in their own landscape exploring and documenting for scientific purposes as well as capturing the beauty of the Petaluma landscape. These interactions will benefit the student and help them see the connection they have with our water as well as help communicate these connections to others through public viewing of their art.

Fieldwork Activities

1. Walk to Adobe creek and take digital photos for a digital photo essay assignment.
2. Return to location after some "expert" advice for composition and desired subject matter.
3. Connect with Environmental Science class at Casa Grande to document their field work or photograph small tributaries that are undocumented on the atlas.
4. Return to a water way of their choice to shoot a roll of black and white film for the art show assignment.

CA Curriculum Standards Addressed

Collaboration creativity. 

Reading Tasks: What primary documents and informational texts will be read/analyzed?: primary documents - photos in scientific articles and sites.

READ MORE about the CA Curriculum Standards addressed by this project.

Participating Schools: Casa Grande High School

Lead Teacher: Josey Richter

Participating Classes: 10-12th grade

Overview: Students will learn what is it like to be a professional photographer with a client. Students will photograph water testing stations, creeks that are not photographed on the atlas, and photograph some of the activities that students are involved with while studying the water shed. These photos will be used in both artistic settings as well as added to the Friends of the River web site and water shed atlas.

 

Student Work

All photos in this slideshow were taken by:

Paige Thomas
Mary Flagerman
Ruby Arata
Bethany Nunes
Michael Quinto
Mari Machado

This video was made by students Ariana Schwalbenberg and Michaella Fomasi in Josey Richter's class at Casa Grande High School to share their experience with the Watershed Classroom program. It was shown as part of a presentation at the 2016 Watershed Classroom Showcase.