Lessons Overview

#1 Picture This

#2 Storyboard 2

#3 Lights, Camera, Action

#4 Word and Thought 'Balloons'

#5 Presentation or Publication

Resources

Links to samples

Assessing the Unit

Extensions & Ideas

This is wide open for many kinds of tips. The key is to match your available tools, the age-level expectations, and focus of the lesson. I'm not a photographer, but was very struck years ago..... first generation digital cameras..... with the power of cameras to get kids to see in new ways, and for photos to prompt responses and writing.

I've put a few resource links in the lesson...... go deeper on your own. The initiator for me was a Kodak lesson set (for polaroids.... expensive!) that have many steps and tips, but the most useful over the years was to show the kids that photos are generally:

1. Passive- the open eye camera where nothing stands out.... broad panorama, groups of people.

2. Neutral- Clearly there is a compositional focus..... the statue and the fountain but no feeling or 'point of view' is generated.

3. Active- The photograph is staged..... an angle up, a dynamic moment captured, view both ways from the corner of two long empty hallways, graffitti on the 'Reading matters' sign..... the photographer is telling or starting a story. (sample)

4. Again, depending on your intent and time, it can be very fruitful to spend time working through the idea of storytelling with photos, so that they see in new and appreciative ways, and the actual time working with photos is pretty small, because the work was done ahead.

5. A good activity, and story starter any time (I've done this with teachers and students) is to send some out with a camera to take 6 pictures- 3 favorite spots, 3 worst spots on campus. Funny, and meaningful discussion will follow, and writing can too! (Yes, I let them photograph urinals etc.)

6. Limit time and number of photos. Pro's take tons, but this lesson set is trying to develop planning and discrimation skills..... so it's better for kids to be very focused on staging and then capturing is a few well done efforts..... so that there is no photo editing needed!