by Tara O’Gorman, Image, Sound, and Story 5th Grade Teacher
On Friday, October 28, 2019, Class 5 – O of the Casimir Pulaski School in Yonkers, NY was thrilled to have the honor of hosting JBFC’s Creative Culture/Focus On Nature Artist-in-Residence, Cinematographer, Filmmaker, and Neuroscientist Christi Cooper.
In preparation for this exciting opportunity the class watched the film trailer for Youth v. Gov, Christi’s current work in progress, followed by the execution and successful completion of a cross curricular unit, “Human Rights and Climate Change,” with a focus on media content created by the students.
Next, in the weeks leading up to this day, the class was divided into production groups which gathered information from various videos, and websites for their own media piece. The students wrote original scripts, chose images for voice-overs and green screens, and filmed and edited their work with the support of 6
th grade
Image, Sound and Story mentors.
It was especially thrilling to see students making conscious choices as to which visuals to use for their videos based on the JBFC
Image, Sound & Story component, “Foundations.” Drawing from what they learned in that lesson they were particularly aware of how impactful certain images may be for younger audiences while maintaining their dedication to getting their point across. It was clear that the students were interested, engaged, empowered, and invested in the final product. Several groups Facetimed in the evenings rehearsing their scripts and choosing appropriate music to enhance their story while others spent outdoor recess revising their work.
The day finally arrived! The minute Christi Cooper walked into the classroom she was kind and patient as she graciously addressed questions ranging from where she lives, how long has she been working on her film, to “Have you ever studied a serial killer’s brain?” I guess that may come up when one has a PhD in Neuroscience.
Christi complimented my students on their fine work and dedication to spreading the word about how our Human Rights are being violated due to the government’s lack of movement to end Climate Change, as well as having the confidence to use their voices to speak about the subject and to inform other students through their impressive storytelling skills.
We are all grateful to have had a filmmaker with such talent and passion share her process so generously with us that morning. I have a strong feeling that our new friend and Creative Culture/Focus On Nature, Artist-in-Residence Filmmaker has awakened a whole new generation of environmental warriors and storytellers of tomorrow.
Christi Cooper was the JBFC’s inaugural Focus on Nature Artist-in-Residence, an opportunity curated in partnership with EarthXFilm through the JBFC’s Creative Culture initiative. For more on teacher Tara O’Gorman and how she teaches sustainability in the classroom, check out this feature on Tara from Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF)!
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