My AP students are studying photo essays and the idea of bias has become a focus. Discussions shepherded them toward realizations that we cannot simply observe what is included in the photographs–we must also pause to consider what is excluded. They have come to recognize that in every story (including our history), the story teller shapes the telling–selecting or rejecting the details that reflect their experience, their understanding. The story teller owns the power. Since story is inextricably tied to human experience, investigating who we grant that power becomes a critical step in how we see the world and ourselves.
(Day 25–today I needed a challenge within the challenge. Since I like to use all the words and overword everything, getting this thought across only using 100 words forced me to weight each word chosen…which was a nice departure from the same format day after day. I feel as though some things were left unsaid and that the point could be punchier, but this was a fun exercise nonetheless.)
Sometimes You Just Need A Poem 