[Maddy Scopellite]: Midterm Portfolio – #2 Plain Language
The Project
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Translation
Brooklyn, New York, in the summer of 1912, was peaceful and calm, especially on a Saturday afternoon. Words like “somber” (serious and sad) or “prairie” (a wide, grassy area of land) were pleasant, but they didn’t really describe Brooklyn. The word “serene” (meaning calm and peaceful) was the best way to describe it.
One Saturday afternoon, the sun shone down and warmed the old wooden fence in the yard of Francie Nolan’s home. Francie was a young girl who often thought about a poem she learned in school. Her yard had a tree, but it wasn’t the kind of tree mentioned in the poem. It had pointed leaves that grew out in all directions, making it look like a bunch of open umbrellas. This tree was called the “Tree of Heaven.” It was a special kind of tree that could grow anywhere, even in difficult places like empty lots or piles of trash. The Tree of Heaven was common in poor neighborhoods because it could survive in tough conditions.
When people walked through wealthier neighborhoods, they might see a small Tree of Heaven behind iron gates. Seeing this tree could be a sign that the neighborhood might eventually become a poorer area. The Tree of Heaven seemed to grow wherever people with less money lived, and as the neighborhood changed, old houses would often be divided into small apartments.
Francie’s yard had one of these trees, and its branches reached up to her third-floor fire escape. Francie, who was 11 years old, liked to sit on the fire escape and imagine that she was living in the tree, surrounded by its branches. This was what Francie did every Saturday afternoon during the summer.
Saturdays in Brooklyn were special. People got paid for their work, which gave them a sense of freedom and relief. They could buy nice food, go out for fun, and enjoy themselves. Some people stayed up late, singing, dancing, and celebrating because they knew they didn’t have to work the next day. Sundays were for resting, and many people would sleep in or go to church later in the day.
Homework Assignment Description
Homework Assignment translation
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Title & Length of the Film: Write the name of the film and how long it is.
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Main Idea: Write one sentence about the main point or problem the documentary focuses on.
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Themes: What are the main ideas or messages the film talks about?
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Film Structure: How is the film organized? If the story doesn’t follow a straight timeline, explain how it’s told differently.
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Part-by-Part Breakdown: Use the following “Parts” to explain how the documentary is structured:
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PART I: Write a short summary of the beginning of the film. What does the start of the movie tell you about the subject?
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End of PART I: Add the time in the film when Part I ends.
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PART II: Write a short summary of the middle of the film. How does the story develop from the beginning?
End of PART II: Add the time in the film when Part II ends.
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PART III: Write a short summary of how the documentary ends and how the problem is solved or addressed.
End of PART III: Add the time in the film when Part III ends.
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Documentary Techniques: What styles or methods does the filmmaker use to tell the story?
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Who is the Narrator?: Who is telling the story or giving the film its point of view?
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“Truth” in the Film: How does the film explore or challenge the idea of what’s true?
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Camera, Editing, and Sound: What choices did the filmmakers make with the camera, editing, or sound? How did these choices impact the story?
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Your Impressions: Was there anything about the film that stood out to you or surprised you?
Remember, don’t look up answers or use Artificial Intelligence—it will be clear if you do!
Project Description
The Plain Language project “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is a plain language version of the longer piece of writing, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”. The second component is a translation of my own homework assignment called Assignment 3: “Man with a Movie Camera” Analysis.
Documentation
This description is the longest I could find of the current classes I’m taking, it’s a thorough outline of questions we have to answer with a few sentences. It is a similar to the short projects in this class, where it is important we hand in well written work. When I first read through this assignment, I was confused to some of the new terms and what the final product should look like (essay format, short answer format, bullet points).
The final product of this translation actually helped me understand what my teacher was looking for in our homework assignment a lot easier. I think even reformatting it helped in this descriptions usability to the reader. For the concepts that I always struggle with (main idea, themes), having a plain language description helped to frame my answer better.
Reflection Questions
What is the theme of the work?
The theme focuses on making dense, literary language more user-friendly by converting it into simple, clear wording. The aim is to create a version that’s easier to grasp for those who find poetic or complex language inaccessible.
How is that theme particularly expressed through the modality of the week?
This theme is highlighted by rephrasing detailed, imagery-filled language into direct and easy-to-follow sentences. It involves either translating line-by-line or summarizing longer sections to strip down the text, keeping the main ideas intact but without the complex phrasing.
Which elements of the work are beautifully/wonderfully/perfectly expressed through the modality?
In Part 1, I think my Plain Language summary captured the essence, making its meaning obvious on the first read instead of requiring repeated reading to understand. In Part 2, changing the more complicated phrasing from the directions was crucial in order to complete that assignment.
Which elements are lost or inexpressible through the modality of the week?
Some of the artistic qualities and layered meanings found in the original text may be lost in translation. Subtle references, metaphorical language, or emotional resonance can become less impactful or even disappear entirely when simplified.
Who does this project exclude? Who would not be able to interact with this work? Who is this modality not accessible for?
This project may not be ideal for visually impaired users, readers who require more detail/emotion, or readers who have difficulty staying focused on long texts.
Now that you’ve identified who is excluded, what is one way you could remix this piece to include another population?
To make the project more accessible, I could create an audio recording of the Plain Language version, allowing users to listen to the simplified text instead of reading it.
Additional Modality (N/A)