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AP English Lang and Comp Students to Present Documentaries

Plans adjust due to distance learning, but students forge on
Every year, juniors in Ms. Katy Berotti’s AP English Language and Composition step into their communities in order to create documentaries. Due to COVID-19, they have faced some particular challenges, but groups have all decided to move forward with their topics. Each group recently submitted a screenshot that captures some of how they are working on this unique assignment.

Below is a list of the topics they are exploring, their group members, and their most recent update on the project as presented to their teacher, Ms. Berotti. We can't wait to see what they produce. 
 
Topic: Representation in the Chattanooga Art Scene
Group members: Isis Cantrell, Lily DuPloy, and Maggie Parsley
We are discussing how we are going to edit down our interviews. We shared photos from interviews (which you can see in the background). We probably will not be able to conduct another interview, so we are figuring out how to make a cohesive documentary out of what we have. For the rest of the period and for homework we will listen to and take notes on our interviews to figure out what is important.
 
Topic: Fast Fashion and Sustainability Among Teenagers
Group members: Addie Youmans, Mia Hammonds, and Morgan Brown
This is a collage of responses from a student survey our group sent out to ask our peers about their shopping habits and how they view sustainable fashion. We received over 50 responses and from there have shaped our documentary project to focus on how fast fashion brands target teenage girls with trends and low prices. While we have had some setbacks from being out of school, we are setting up interviews with students and a local alpaca farm and moving along with our documentary well.
 
Topic: Local Environmental Issues
Group members: Mia Iannios, Emma Dexter, and Hunter McVay
We have completed our first interview with Kelsey Vasileff, owner of Southern Squeeze plant-based kitchen, where she answered questions regarding our chosen topic of ethical food sourcing. She recommended several ethical food sources for us to reach out to, such as Crabtree Farms and Main Street Farmers Market, which our group is hoping to get interviews with soon. Emma, Hunter, and I (Mia) feel this interview went very well and can’t wait to see where this project takes us! 

Topic: Gender Pay Gap
Group members: Priyanka Sud, Jennifer Wu, Carolina Kelley
Right now we’re debating on whether we should stick to pay gap or broaden into sexual harassment, so we’re currently doing research on that; if we choose to include that, we’ll probably add more interview questions. We don’t have any still life photos right now because we don’t know if we will be focusing on all digital or if we will have any relevant connections to still life.
 
Topic: Women in Music in Chattanooga
Group members: Aria Cooper, Kenzie Grisar, and Alison Williams
We are creating a documentary about women's place in Chattanooga's music scene throughout history. This is the email we got back from Alyssa DeWaele, the Museum specialist at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. We are using today's class time to contact the people she mentioned in her email with the hope that we can interview one of them. 
 
Topic: Leading in Crisis
Group members: Talley Lyons, Molly Hathorne, Astha Sinha
In this screenshot, Ms. Gordon is being interviewed. She is discussing how GPS went about addressing COVID-19 and how GPS's plan has gone so far, including how the students' education and high school experience have been affected. She talks about these experiences through both her position as a biology teacher and as the Head of Upper School.
 
Topic: How Businesses in the Chattanooga Area Interact with Environmental Sustainability
Group members: Reese Miller, Allie Foropoulos,  Emma Henderson
We are currently in the process of scheduling interviews with businesses in Chattanooga, including the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, Ruby Falls, and GPS. In order to illustrate how businesses in Chattanooga practice sustainability, we plan to get footage around town, write and record narration, and record our interviews through online platforms like Zoom. We have faced some challenges due to the unordinary circumstances of COVID-19, in particular with coordinating interviews and finding ways to get new footage while practicing social distancing. We are still looking forward to learning more about sustainability, especially with Chattanooga’s unique resources such as our bike transit system, renewable energy sources, and organic farms.
 
Topic: Chattanooga Roller Derby 
Group members: Anna Kate Stipanov, Annie Thrash, Katherine Day
For our Chattanooga Roller Derby documentary, Anna Kate, Annie, and I (Katherine) worked primarily on scheduling virtual interviews with members of the roller derby team. We are looking to interview with people after school next week. We think that we are going to use Google Meet for the interviews. We have tested screen recording on Zoom and on Google Meet in order to get a better understanding of how interviews will work. We also discussed adding some introduction to the Chattanooga area and its inclusivity.
 
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