Photography assignment suggestions/opinions/tips

I recently started a Digital Photography course at a community college and need a little help with an assignment (no worries, I'm not looking to cheat or anything, I'm just a little confused.). Here's the assignment:

1) Find a scene with a wide range of values (very bright to deep shadows).Take 5 shots that are exactly the same of that scene (if you have a tripod, use it), the only difference for each shot will be that you will change the exposure:
- Normal exposure (0.0)
- Overexposed 1 stop (+1.0) and 2 stops (+2)
- Underexposed 1 stop (-1.) and 2 stops (-2)

2) Take an image where you freeze motion and another one where you blur motion (2 exposures).
You may use Shutter Priority, choosing a fast shutter speed (1/500) or a slow shutter speed (1/30)

3) Take an image where you have a "shallow" depth of field (aperture setting) and another with maximum depth of field. You may use Aperture Priority, setting a small aperture (f/122) or a large aperture (f/2.4)

For the first part of the assignment, I get the part about changing the exposure and that stuff, I'm just not sure what type of photo and/or scene would have "a wide range of values", as she (my professor) puts it. I have tried photographing the shadow of a bench with a lot of slats, and a brick wall kinda split in half by a shadow, but I feel like these aren't what she wants. They seem too simple to have a "wide range" of values. If you could let me know what you think my teacher means, give an example of a photo with a wide range of values, or help in any way you can, it would be really appreciated.

I understand part 2, I just don't know how to get what I want. I already have the frozen motion picture that I want, but I don't yet have the blurred motion photograph. My idea for blurred motion is to photograph some insect trails around the streetlamp across from my house tonight. Here's the problem: I tried to get this type of shot last night with my Nikon D3100, but it didn't catch any trails of the bugs in the picture. I tried a shutter speed everywhere from 1/12 of a second to 30 seconds, but none of them worked. So the question is, what setting do I use on my Nikon to get insect trails?

This assignment is due this Tuesday (August 30), so, I'd love it if you could help me in any way.

I had to wonder if you were in my class, this sounds like the first assignment I give!

Freeze motion-someone running, car moving, carousel going around, etc. You are best off to take a photo of the same thing. One where you stop motion and one where the motion is blurred. The idea is to see what the different shutter speed does to the image. You aren't going to capture the insect trails around a light. The light is going to overpower the insects. I'd suggest maybe trying passing vehicles as the go down your street or "light writing"

Insects are too small and dark to show well. Try cars on a street, tripod, do shots at 1/000 or so and then do some at 1/4 sec, you might have to do it when it is not full sun or the 1/4 sec. Might be overexposed.

Depth of field, go downtown, long lens setting, shoot down a row of parked cars, change the f-stop from wide to small and see the difference.

Exposure, water some dark green leaves in bushes, bright sun, tripod, You will get highlights off of the wet leaves, and deep shadowns under the leaves, then rack the exposure as indicated. That is called bracketing exposure.

Have fun.

A scene with a high range of values would be something where there's direct sunlight and shadow in the same view. Since you also want to show the effects of fast and slow shutters, what springs to my mind is a highway overpass, or some kind of bridge where cars are crossing. If the scene is sunlit, you have the sunny cars and the shadowy underpart of the bridge. Probably a 3-4 stop difference between the two. Presto! High range!

Any scene which has movement, and one part is in sunshine while another is in shadow, will do the trick for you.