Everything All Quiet is Illuminated - A Medley of All Quiet Illuminated Texts
"This is precisely the time when artists go to work...We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal." Toni Morrison
Everything All Quiet is Illuminated - A Medley of All Quiet Illuminated Texts: Once upon a time there was an Illuminated Text Project for All Quiet on the Western Front. That project (I've included the handout below) eventually became The Harmony of War - Creative Response Project which gave students a lot more latitude in how they wanted to creatively respond to the novel. And yet (as Bruno would say) - we have a wonderful collection of Illuminated Texts from All Quiet on the Western Front - both from the original project and from the newer Harmony of War Creative Response. This lesson has the students watching and taking note of these videos - not only to gain a new and different understanding of the book that they just finished - but to inspire them in their own creative response projects.
Lesson Overview
Everything All Quiet is Illuminated - A Medley of All Quiet Illuminated Texts: As stated at the top of the page, this is a class where the class watches. Watches Illuminated Texts that students have created in the past years on All Quiet on the Western Front. Because "watching" rather than making Illuminated Texts can be a very passive act - I created a worksheet that students fill out as they are watching.
Because this Lesson is conducted AFTER they receive their own Creative Response Project - they can use the videos they see for inspiration - both in their content but perhaps even more in the hard work and ingenuity that the students showed. There were originally 9 videos (now there 8) but one of them will not convert to a video file (from Adobe Flash).
In addition to the worksheet, they are to do (for homework) a one page summary that focuses on the specifics of what they liked in the Illuminated Texts that they saw.
Here is the opening directions from the handout:
We are going to watch the following Illuminated Texts today in class. As you watch, you need to quickly (just a word or two) jot down a few notes on the Illuminated Text and what makes it successful (as a work of art – as an explication of the original text). After each presentation you will be given time to write more Here are some of the things that you need to cover:
What specific (VERY) actions, animations, colors, etc. made the text succeed.
Anything about the music (the choice, the timing, etc.)
Subtle touches that made it great
Any original artwork
Creative Animation
Something NEW that the Illuminated Text made you see about the original text
The Beginning / The End
Things you would like to be able to do in an Illuminated Text
The students would then turn in their one page summary and filled in worksheet the next day. Make sure they are filling it out AS THEY ARE WATCHING.
Handout (All Quiet Illuminated Text Watching)
Most Recent Handout
Please see the Lesson Overview above and the actual handout for more instructions. This is the handout that the students receive.
The Handout for the Original PreIlluminated Text Project: Docx PDF
This is actually older than Illuminated Texts - and has the students create Slide Shows using Pictures they put together to illustrate an song about war of their own choosing.
The All Quiet Illuminated Texts we watch
TheFlowersAreGone_ArielaTapp_LauraWeiss_2006.mp4"The Flowers are Gone" by Ariela Silverstein-Tapp and Laura Weiss
SoldiersThings_AaronLichamer_KevinYu_2010.mp4"Soldier's Things" by Aaron Lichamer and Kevin Yu
Leaving_FrankYi_ZacharyYin_2010.mp4"Leaving" by Frank Yi and Zachery Yin
APrayerfortheLost.mp4"A Prayer for the Lost" by Simon Huynh and Jennifer Cheung
NotMen_VickyVaccaro_JuliaGhica.mp4"Not Men: An Illuminated Text "by Julia Chica and Vicky Vaccaro
32.mp4"32" by Michael Kenney
DestructionofWar_IllTxt.mp4"The Destruction of War" by Feon Chow
TheIronYouth_MonicaVillegas_2024.mp4"The Iron Youth" by Monica Villegas
Remote Enhancements
This assignment works quite well remotely - with the teacher showing the Illuminated Texts and students using Google Docs to record their reactions.
All Quiet on the Western Front Exam: There are many versions of this exam - this one focuses on the novel, the stories we read before, and Grand Illusion. It is more than possible to write an exam that requires thinking and does not try to "trick" the student - but rather to try and assess how much the student has been paying attention in class to what's been going on. It is also important to give thoughtful multiple choice exams because it is the kind of thing that the students may encounter again and again in their academic lives - starting with their ACT/SAT tests - and later in college.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
When students see the incredible work that other students have done - it makes what their doing - their Creative Response Projects so much more real. It also gives them one more way to see All Quiet on the Western Front through another student's lens.