Upon our return from Memorial Day, I will ask my students to take their Mexico City research to another level.    This semester we read a 350-page historical novel based on the Life, Love, Art, and Death of Frida Kahlo.  Every student in the class submitted an extensive research paper comparing what we read about Frida in the book and what we discovered about Frida on the campus databases. Recently, we transitioned to a group research project focused upon Frida’s hometown, Mexico City.  For Final Exam Week, my groups are preparing oral presentations for a wide variety of CHILANGOLANDIA ideas: Cine Mexicano; Mexican Street Food; Lucha Libre; Mexico City Subcultures; Juan Gabriel, the 1968 Olympics;  the Mexico City Earthquake.  As an instructional model, I have focused my research upon the Mexico City Metro System (See my postcard for the Chabacano station above.)

This week I’ve asked my students to prepare  an appropriate image to represent their chosen topics – That will be the FRONT of their postcard.   Now on the BACK of their postcards I want to see a visual analysis; that is to say, we will explore how the combined elements together make for interesting meanings.  How do the colors, buildings, shapes, locations, and so forth combine to make for an interesting communication and reading? For the back my Chabacano postcard, I tried to focus on the information I had readily available:

• From my reading, I learned Arnold Schwarzenegger had filmed a few scenes from his classic 1990s science fiction movie Total Recall in the Mexico City Metro – Chabacano Station.
• I knew from my research there was and always will be complications with the safety and maintenance of escalators that connect Mexico City Subway tunnels.
• I found an image that presents both Arnold and the Escalators
• This is the way the BACK of my postcard looks:

In my Canvas instructions, I suggest my students take this route:

 I ask my students now that they have researched many pieces of the visual, they are in position to make interesting claims about the visual as an entire composition.  The next Postcard Activity will contribute to their FINAL EXAM PRESENTATION.

1. Discuss the basic elements of your image:  picture, captions, description, colors, shapes.
2. What visual element grabs your attention first.  What seems to be most important?
3. Can you SUMMARIZE what is happening in the image?
4. Are the people in you postcard important.  What are their facial expressions.  How are they dressed.  What may they be thinking at this moment?
5. What probably happend the moment before this picture was taken.  After?
6. Is there something IMPORTANT that WE DON’T SEE in this PICTURE?
7. Is there something YOU DIDN’T SEE the FIRST TIME, but now you SEE IT’S IMPORTANT?
8. Share your discovery with your classmates!

Jay’s Tips:

 When you look at your IMAGE, you may want to consider ONE, MORE, or ALL of  the following WRITING PROMPTS – You DECIDE!

1. SUMMARIZE the overall idea  of the image – imagine describing the image to someone who cannot see it  – WHAT’S GOING ON?

2. DESCRIBE THE PARTS. Identify the visual elements that make up the entire composition. Consider the identifiable objects in the piece (such as buildings, shapes, icons, people, and so forth) as well as more abstract visual elements, like colors, textures, typefaces, organizational layout, groupings, patterns, and so forth  WHAT CATCHES YOUR EYE?

3. EXPLAIN HOW THE PARTS RELATE TO THE WHOLE. Look at the items in the visual holistically; that is to say, see how all of the combined elements together make for interesting meanings. How do the colors, buildings, shapes, locations, and so forth combine to make for an interesting communication and reading? MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS OF YOUR IMAGE.

4. EXPLAIN THE TITLE & CREATOR. Use the name of the piece and describe the creator/artist to analyze the message the artist may have been trying to convey. Understanding the title and author can provide clarity, historical context, and meaning to a piece.  IF YOUR IMAGE DOESN’T HAVE A TITLE – WHICH IT PROBABLY DOESN’T – MAYBE, YOU COULD PROVIDE YOUR OWN TITLE – Like this: This image doesn’t come with a title, but if I  had  to create one myself, I would call it this:  “Insert Your Title Here.”

5. CONCLUDE WITH A STRONG ANALYSIS – Now that you’ve described the many pieces of the visual, you’re in position to make interesting claims about the visual as an entire composition. Provide an analysis that gives insight into what the painting may be trying to portray – WHAT’S THE  MESSAGE – WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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Before the semester began, I practiced creating a few Mexico City Postcards before I posted the assignments on Canvas.

• I probably followed a few of the instructions above and ignored others – This is how my postcard for MEXICO CITY EMOS came out – I LIKE it.
• My students will decide what’s BEST to write depending on the information THEY have available.
• NO NEED TO COPY ANYTHING – What is the person who reads the back of their postcard this postcard going to think if information is COPIED or A.I -GENERATED?
• I’m hoping that by providing my students the opportunity to make things more PERSONAL, their writing becomes more AUTHENTIC.
• This is how the postcards will appear on Canvas:

FRONT:

BACK:

Today I purchased plastic sleeve protectors at Office Depot in Mexicali. My plan is for my students to create double-sided postcards to be used for display on Final Exam Day.   By the time we create the postcards, my students will have submitted their images and writing on our class discussion boards.  Maybe this sounds OLD and OUT-OF-TOUCH, but I constantly fear many students don’t see or care what their classmates are writing.  In my opinion, they often pay more attention to WORD COUNT than to DIVERSITY of IDEAS.

Below I practiced with another Mexico City Metro System Postcard.

• This one features a glimpse of a Mexico City Subway Map:

On Final Exam Day, I hope for students to pass their cards around, so we can hold them in hour hands to read them.  I think it will make a difference in the level of discussion we have for our research. 

Before I began my teaching career, I participated in a California bilingual teachers program in Mexico City. They called it D.F. back then. In the daytime, I worked in the Mexico public school system. At night, I took classes on Mexico City college campuses. I spent a lot of time navigating the city. That could be me in the picture above. I know what it’s like to run my finger across the Metro Maps. I lived with a wonderful Mexican family for a year. In this way, I learned of Frida, Juan Gabriel, Mexican Subcultures, Mexico City Street Food. Y MUCHO MAS.

I plan to include my postcards with my student postcards. If my students want to know more about my Mexico City experience, they can read my postcard and ask me any questions they want. LET’S DISCUSS!