Students will use Adobe Firefly Generative Image Model to create visuals of belonging, origin and place. Students will describe a physical location, engaging how this location impacts the student’s identity and sense of being and belonging.

Students are encouraged to interview family members and loved ones, and / or refer to primary source descriptions of a location. Ideal locations should be one with no existing photograph representation. This assignment helps students have a conversation with the power of Generative AI,limitations, role in information literacy, and explore how technology can expand an imagination to a non-corporeal place.

An example generated visual is one where a student interviews their grandmother about her hometown in Vietnam. Inputting her grandmother’s description of the location, a student will generate visuals in Adobe Firefly.

To provide context about this assignment, read the following article following a similar project, Envisioning Ancestors with AI - The Library of Virginia. This project shares insights into the cultural and technological implications of generating images of ancestors with no existing pictorial / photographic representation.

Additionally, read to Jurassic Art - 99% Invisible. While illustrations of dinosaurs are rooted in science, namely fossil analysis, nobody has actually seen a real dinosaur. What happens with cultural forces (Jurassic Park) changes the conversation about representation.

Phase 1 - Students learn about the location they will be describing, as well as beginning to collect textual description of their location, preferably primary source artifacts or first hand interviews. Students should expect to gather enough information to generate 4-5 images.

Students will additionally do research on locations nearby - sourcing images, primary source from the time period or not, for future comparison with Generative AI results.

Phase 2 - To provide context about this project, students will read an article following similar projects and implications, Envisioning Ancestors with AI - The Library of Virginia, as well as Jurassic Art - 99% Invisible.

Phase 3 - Students will input their source descriptions into Adobe Firefly Generative AI model, and generate 5 images representing the same or different places.

Phase 4 - Students write a short essay engaging with the two readings above, documenting their research and / or transcribing their interview, including their generated images for documentation, as well as real life examples of / other locations for comparison.

Phase 5 - Students will present their work in class, engaging with their thoughts about Generative AI as technology, and what it means to have visual representation of an idea which may or may not reflect reality.

Research Students present and submit interviews and primary source research - showing clear understanding of information literacy and research skills.

Creation Digital literacy skills are showcased in generated images from Adobe Firefly Image Generation Model.

Engagement Presents a complex and authentic description of the location, as well as a compelling engagement with the two provided readings.

Step by step instructional slide deck on generating images in Adobe Firefly.