YOUmedia Projects
The House On Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros is one of the most brilliant of today's young writers. Her work is sensitive, alert, ‘nuanceful’...rich with music and picture. --Gwendolyn Books
A deeply moving novel...delightful and poignant.... Like the best of poetry, it opens the windows of the heart without a wasted word.---Miami Herald -- Review
Mango Street becomes common ground for Chicago Teens @ YOUmedia
Out of 1 of the 72 neighborhoods in Chicago comes the story of Esperanza Cordero, her family of six and the imaginative expanse of her neighborhood. A series of vignettes provides insight into her experiences as a young Latina in a ‘poor’ section of Chicago. However, the fundamental themes of Identity, American Dream and Community transcend the boundaries of class and race becoming the stories of anyone who has lived in this city.
The House On Mango Street project provides students with a new means of forming unique connections to literature and its themes through the use of media arts and digital technology. The development of theme-based artifacts calls for teens to discuss, imagine and experiment with different ways of bringing the text to life though their own distinct perspectives and creative talents.
During this 10week project students will engage in the themes of Identity, American Dream and Community by linking their personal narratives to the cast of characters presented in the book. In addition to product creation, teens will participate in weekly book discussions to analyze how modern media has shaped their perception of these themes. The end result will be a collection of work representing the fusion of literature, personal narrative, and digital media.
The Areas of Focus for The House on Mango Street Project are:
- Photography – Photo Diaries of Chicago neighborhoods
- Digital Video – ‘Challenging the Theme’ Public Service Announcements
- Fan Fiction – Vignette Flipbook inspired by The House on Mango Street
- Art & Design – Mixed Media Composition inspired by The House on Mango Street
- Digital Music & Spoken Word – Thematic Poetry with Original score accompaniment
- Digital Queendom – Video Vignettes inspired by the House on Mango Street