Date: October 27, 2016

To: Mr. Roney

RE: Armstrong & Karr NPDL Information Gathering Field Trip Proposal

Dear Mr. Roney,

Mr. Armstrong and I are encouraging our seniors, as a part of their Passion Project, to find a story that they can tell. We are encouraging them to use film (print or video) to help tell the story. Some ideas that we have given to them include:

  • photo journalism (article to be submitted to local newspapers)
  • documentary video (video to be submitted to local news)
  • photo portfolio to illustrate and portray, through visual imagery, their chosen story (submitted to local photo clubs & news)
  • a children’s book (to be read to children)
  • other ideas as decided by each group

To facilitate information gathering, Mr. Armstrong and I would like to take our NPDL groups on an information gathering field trip. The philosophy behind our idea is to get our kids out of Rosamond and into a setting that is vastly different. To that end we would like to take them to Downtown Los Angeles and Venice Beach where they can see both the people who live there (homeless, and beach dwellers) and the architecture in both an urban and coastal setting. We chose Downtown LA because the buildings are, for the most part, over 100 years old, and there is a high population of homeless. Venice Beach was chosen for the motley shops and unique characters who reside on the boardwalk.

We know that safety is a concern so our direct route is as follows. We will first take students to The Last Bookstore, a bookstore in Downtown that is housed in an old bank building built in 1914. The building has original flooring, Art Deco walls, and the original bank vault (ironically housing the horror books). We will walk down 4th and Spring streets to allow students to see other turn of the century architecture, the park, and individuals on the street. We will, of course, stay together as a group.

After we leave Downtown LA we will head across town to Venice Beach. Venice Beach offers a very different subset of people than any other part of California. While there we will walk the boardwalk, stop to see the mosaic house, Muscle Beach, and the coast in general. Student can bring a lunch or buy lunch at one of the shops. During the lunch hour we will discuss possible project ideas and remind students to stay with their groups while we explore Venice Beach. Students will not be going in the water, though they will be allowed to go to the beach for observation.

Specific Route:

  • First Stop – The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA
  • Second Stop – Venice Beach, Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA
  • Third Stop – Home, Rosamond, CA

I think that the only piece missing from the high school NPDL project is the intrinsic motivation needed in each student to give them the drive and interest to design and complete their project. With this field trip we are hoping to inspire our students and heighten their interest in completing their Passion Project. This trip will encourage a great deal of “buy-in” from the student, it will get them off campus and into the world (an NPDL focus), and it will help them come together as a group.

Here are links if you would like to explore our destination further:

  • The Last Bookstore
  • Venice Beach

Respectfully,

Veronica Karr