Focus on the Art of Photography with Photography Lesson Plans
Students explore the world around them through the lens of a camera with these photography lesson plans.
By Alison Panik
Photography is the art of taking still or moving pictures. At one time, possessing a photograph was a treasure, possessing a camera rarer still. Today children have seen hundreds (perhaps thousands) of photos of themselves and their families, and may even have their own digital cameras. Taking pictures can be lots of fun, yet photography also offers an opportunity for students to explore artistic concepts like framing, vantage point, and creative decision-making, as well as the science behind the invention of the camera. Because photography is also a personal view of the world of each student, it can also serve as a catalyst for verbal and written expression.
While many students may not have resources at home that allows for the use of a camera, there are many ways to obtain cameras for student use at school. You can ask for donations of used cameras from local community groups, purchase disposable cameras at discount stores, visit yard sales, or look for online classified listings for used cameras. Even one traditional film camera can be shared among students; if you make a contract that each student may take a set number of photos and no more. Keep your eyes out for discounted print developing for film or digital cameras so that students can see the results of their work.
Teach beginning photography skills using hand-made cardstock, and practice "cameras" with viewfinders cut out. Let children practice framing scenes inside and outside of the school. Invite one student to pose so children can practice framing the model in the viewfinder of the practice "camera". Next show several different kinds of real cameras to children, emphasizing the common components (lens, viewfinder, shutter, flash), and discussing the differences. Talk about the importance of light and how each camera uses light to capture an image. Define and discuss photography vocabulary (subject, frame, vantage point, close-up). Practice basic photography with these introductory activities:
- Take a photo of a scene. Then get in closer to take a second photo. Practice filling the frame with the subject.
- Try taking photos of the same subject (a pet, a friend, a flower) from different locations. Stand up high. Get down low.
- Review the photos. Display each one for students to view and discuss, asking open-ended questions, such as "What is going on in this picture?".
The lesson plans below provide a variety of activities for students of all ages to explore the expressive qualities of photography.
Photography Lesson Plans:
Photography and Vantage Points
This lesson serves as an introduction to vantage points, a good place to begin. This lesson should come before the Photography Portfolio lesson below. Teachers can use old photographs of local buildings and places with this lesson to make it even more relevant, and help provide students with a sense of history, time, and place.
Language as Experienced Through Pinhole Photography
This inspirational idea for a lesson (grades 3-6) explains how a language therapist and an art teacher worked together to make and use pinhole cameras with students with language development needs. Click through the links to find directions for constructing pinhole cameras.
Click on the “Activities” tab for four lessons incorporating photography (one for each level: grades K-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-12). While all of the lessons are creative and exploratory in nature and require some level of teamwork, I especially liked the activity for Grades 4-6. Students work together as photojournalists to create photo stories about topics related to the environment around the school (“city in motion”, “the neighborhood around our school”, etc.). Be sure to click on “Print Activity” to see the full lesson description for each grade level.
Focused on developing students’ sense of place, this lesson plan is full of ways to study a sample photograph by Todd Hido then create one in response to this experience. I would begin with an “art in the dark” experience, presenting the photograph on a large screen or blank wall for students to view then follow the introduction and discussion suggestions presented here. Among the activity suggestions (for all ages) are ideas for creative written responses, opportunities for creating photos that tell a story, and examples of drawings inspired by Todd Hido’s work.
Explore your local community - town, country, school environment - using a camera. Be sure to explore the link to "Visual Learning Strategies", an exciting approach to the way we look at artwork.