Reference no: EM132106841

Question: This weekend, you're going to be an observer and archiver. Using Ta-Nehisi Coates's "Acting French" to get you started, you'll curate a gallery of approximately 5 images and then write a separate 300 word reflection. You will be sharing the gallery in class on Wednesday, September , and the reflection is due on Blackboard by 11:59 pm on Thursday, September .

The Content: As you think about Coates's experience learning French and the "culture of scholastic achievement" that he describes, collect 5 images (or more) that speak to the essay in some way. You can obtain these images in one of two ways: either do some new photographing on VCU's campus OR collect photos from your own life. Each photo needs a caption; select a quotation from "Acting French" that you think describes or is in conversation with the photo (make sure to cite the page number at the end of the caption). You can use my gallery as an example of how to get started. You can present your content however you'd like; hard copies or a powerpoint might be especially effective.

After the Gallery: You'll see many images in class on Wednesday, and I want to encourage you to remain in conversation with the amazing images and work your classmates have put together. With that in mind, you'll spend Wednesday and Thursday describing the experience of creating your gallery AND of witnessing your classmates' work. What was the experience of photographing, collecting, or archiving like? What kinds of interactions did you have with other people while you were working? Did you make an interesting discovery or learn something new about "Acting French," VCU, or yourself? How do you now define the "culture of scholastic achievement"? You do not need to answer all these questions; they are just meant to get you started!