THEATER/TECH is taught by Marcia Kimmell.

This description should help counselors and advisors know whether to recommend that a student take THEATER/TECH as an Art Elective.

In THEATER/TECH students will study introductory units on:

Acting
Directing
Monologues or Scenes from Scripted Theater
Video Production
Use of Camera
Editing
Media Literacy
Analysis of Television, Film & Digital Game Images
Creation of a Commercial
Character Analysis
Archetypes in Myths & Fairy Tales
Current Cultural Icons
Costume & Make-up
Coordinated with Halloween
Script Writing
Story Boarding
Set Design
Props
Lighting
Improvisation
Theater Games
Role Plays & Creation of Original Theater

FINAL PROJECTS - In the last third of the semester students will select a final Theater or Video project that will be a collaborative effort of several students. They will produce a one act play, an original theater and/or multi-media piece, or a video. The project will draw from skills they have studied in THEATER/TECH and will require research and/or working with a mentor they choose from, either a teacher or resource person within the school or one chosen from the community, business or culture found outside the school. All student projects and mentors must be approved by the THEATER/TECH teacher.

Skills that students will learn in this course are:

Team-work
Leadership
Creative Problem Solving
Aesthetic Choosing
Risk-taking
Research
Adding Depth and sophistication (in character work – understanding psychological, cultural, historical background; also in Design)
Use of Equipment
Focus
Professional Work Ethic
Learning to be a Production Team
Collaboration
Pride in their accomplishments

Students do not have to be “talented” to take THEATER/TECH. They do need to be genuinely interested in Acting and be willing to try new things. There will also be opportunities for students who are interested in the technical aspects of theater and video production, rather than acting.

English Learners are especially encouraged to take THEATER/TECH to help increase their reading, writing and spoken language skills.

ART CLUB - MHS VAPA will also offer an ART CLUB on Wednesday Lunch Period to any interested students.

FIELD TRIPS - We will also plan various field trips on some Fridays

Follow this link to be taken to a directory of senior portfolios from 2005 through 2007.

This lesson combines students’ artistic skills with vocabulary development.

Materials: Notebook or composition book, or 50 pieces of paper per student; pencil; crayons, markers, colored pencils; Mega-List of Greek roots (see previous post)

Activity: For each Greek root, students draw a picture that represents the MEANING of the Greek root. For example, the Greek root bio means life. So their page for bio would have the root bio, drawn fairly large. It would also have a picture that represents the meaning of the root, such as a flowering tree or buzzing insects. Finally, they would write some words that use the root bio, such as autobiography, biology, biotic, etc.

The finished pages would look something like this:

You can give them the five words or let them use a dictionary. I usually make them try to come up with the words themselves. Towards the end of the project we go over them as a class. If they couldn’t come up with five words on their own, they can fill them in as we go over the list.

I did this project with a summer school English class. Classes were 2 hours per day. I gave them 5 class periods to finish. I gave extra credit for coloring. The more time they spend on the imagery, the more they are absorbing the meaning of the root.

This lesson was created by Mr. Gipson.

What is Computer Art?

• Computer Art is a 5 Unit elective class that focuses on using computers as creative tools.
• Students learn to use the Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash and Dreamweaver.

In the first semester, students will learn to use a computer as a drawing tool.

• Basic shapes and objects
• Digital photo manipulation
• Creating the illusion of 3D in a 2D space
• Tracing
• One- and two-point perspective
• Drawing the human face
• Drawing the human body

In the second semester, students will learn how to use the computer to create 2D animations.

• Animating the human walk cycle
• Animating basic facial expressions
• Animating to music and sound
• Animating photos and text

The values taught in this class are

• Attention to detail
• Creativity
• The pursuit of perfection
• Self-expression

The class is taught by Mr. Gipson in Lab 342.

Here is a slide show overview of the types of projects created in Ms. Lawson’s art class. We will explore a variety of media both digital and traditional. An emphasis will be on the use of personal symbols.

intro-to-art

Tuesday, 8/19

• Off Campus Department Meetings

Wednesday, 8/20

• Transitions/Changes - Goodbyes and Hellos
• 11:30 - 12:30: Lunch (provided by Grace Fellowship-Thanks Kentaro!)
• 12:30 - 3:30: Construction Updates
• Team meetings to review class lists with counselors and deans
• Begin Room Set-up

Thursday, 8/21

• 8:00 - 11:30: Breakfast; Department Share-out; Binders and Procedures (using the student planner); Personal goal setting
• 11:30 - 12:30: Lunch on your own or with your team
• 12:30 - 3:30: Team Meetings

Friday, 8/22

• 8:00 - 10:00: Breakfast; Teams Share-out; Support Staff Overview
• 10:00 - 12:00: Freshman Orientation
• 12:00 - 1:00: Lunch with Freshmen and their families
• 1:00 - 3:30: Room set-up

Eleventh graders Ana and Edwin collaborated on the Digital Art Music Video Project. Together, they created this stunningly detailed video to go along with the song. Nearly all the illustrations used in the video were created from scratch by the two young artists. The project took about eight weeks to complete. They used Adobe Flash, Illlustrator, and Photoshop.

Newsweek Magazine ranks Mission at number 331 nationwide. Out of San Francisco high schools, Mission comes in second place!

Mission at 331, second only to Lowell.

The Bears won their first San Francisco Section championship since 1992-93. Read more about it in this article at the Examiner.