NPS PHOTO Students of Nick Kozak's art history classes have been hard at work. They have been delving into the history of General and President Ulysses S. Grant, and using their research to craft short documentaries about his life and memory. Their projects began with a visit by rangers to their classroom at Manhattan Hunter Science High School. It was quickly followed by a visit to the General Grant National Memorial, the final resting place of Grant and his wife Julia, just north of their school in Manhattan. Then the work truly began. The students wrote out 4 -7 minute long scripts, and researched a variety of film techniques to be able to present their stories. They even used a green screen, set up in a storage room of their teacher's classroom. The films range in all types and styles;from first-person interpretation to interviews to dreams of a reincarnated Grant rapping about his place in history. On April 21, eight films were shown to classmates, colleagues, and to representatives of the NPS, at the "Taken for Grant-ed" student video festival, hosted at the high school. Over 50 people gathered to share snacks, watch the students' productions, and celebrate National Park Week and the centennial of the National Park Service. The videos are all available to be viewed by the public at: https://www.nps.gov/gegr/learn/photosmultimedia/takenforgranted.htm |
Last updated: April 26, 2016