Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Photography Unit
Fifth Grade
1
Table of Contents
Lesson One 10
Lesson Two 15
Lesson Three 19
Lesson Four 23
2
Part One: Unit Overview
Enduring Idea:
Identity
o How we perceive ourselves in comparison to how other people perceive us.
Rationale:
In a society where people struggle with negative views about themselves, I want to use this lesson
to help students define their own identity, and to help them realize through photography that we
are all unique and our own person. Most importantly that how we see our own identity might not
Key Concepts:
Essential Questions:
Unit Summary:
In this unit students will learn about personal identity through photography. Students will do
pieces of writing about a partner describing how they perceive them. Students will then
photograph their partner with the same goal. Students will then create a piece of writing about
their own personal identity, and create a self-portrait representing themselves. At the end of the
unit students will compare how their partner saw them against how they saw them.
Unit Objectives:
3
Students will be able to write two different pieces of descriptive writing.
Students will produce two photographs, one of their partner and one self-portrait.
Students will engage in a class critique.
Students will be able to constructively critique their classmates work
Students will be able to analyze the difference between the two photographs of them.
Students will be able to analyze the difference between the two pieces of writing about them.
Content Standards:
Montana Art Content Standard 1- Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Montana Art Content Standard 4- Students analyze characteristics and merits of their work and
the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Lesson One:
Students will use what they learn to take photographs using different components of photography.
Students will write an opinion-based piece about whether photography is important to them?
4
Lesson Two:
Lesson Three:
Lesson Four:
Students will learn that how they perceive themselves might differ from how other people
perceive them.
Students will learn how to participate in a class critique.
5
Part Three: Assessment Overview
For Lesson Two: For this lesson student final photograph and essay will be collected.
6
of lighting. lighting. consideration of lighting.
lighting.
Students essays will be collected and assessed to see that they completed it and that they met the
length requirement. The essays will be assess that they are clear and coherent writing in which the
For this lesson students final photograph and essay will be collected.
The self-portrait will be assessed by the following rubric:
7
lighting.
Students essays will be collected and assessed to see that they completed it and that they met the
length requirement. The essays will be assess that they are clear and coherent writing in which the
Students' answers to the analysis questions will be collected and look at for completion.
Students will be graded for participation during the class critique.
o Students will be expected to analyze characteristics and merits of their work and the work
Student 1
8
Part Four: Detailed Instructional Plans
Lesson One
Key Concepts:
Lesson Summary:
Students will work with a professional photographer to learn about what photography is, how to
do it, and why it is important. They will work with the photographer to create their own
9
photographs and learn the fundamentals of photography through hands on experience. At the end
of the lesson students will write a short opinion piece stating why they feel photography is
important.
Lesson Objectives:
Lesson Standards:
Montana Art Content Standard 1- Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Montana Art Content Standard 6 Students make connections among the Arts, other subject
Behavior Expectations:
Students will be expected to be respectful and attentive audience members when the guest
speaker is presenting.
Students will be expected to handle all photography equipment with care.
Students will be expected to take photographs appropriate for school.
Modification Plan:
If a student is unable to psychically manipulate the camera settings they can be given a camera
10
Relationship to Unit of Study:
This lesson will serve as a starting point for a greater portrait photography lesson. In this lesson
their interest in photography. This lesson will teach students the basics of photography, which
they will utilize during the remainder of the unit. It will also teach them the importance of
To plan with the photographer I would like to sit down with them before hand with my thoughts
and ideas for the lesson, including the English Language Arts part of the lesson. I would like to
plan the whole lesson together. We will be co-planning and co-teaching the lesson.
Instructional Strategies
To introduce the lesson I will show students pieces of work from our guest photographer. I will
photography. This can include their opinions, something they might already know, or something
been introduced I will let them tell the class more about themselves.
To engage students and give them a lesson preview I will have the photographer hook their
camera up to the projector and then take a photograph of the class (something creative using the
different components of photography), which will then project on the screen for students to see.
The guest photographer and myself will present the information verbally from http://digital-
11
To start the lesson the guest photographer will start with a quick power point about the different
guest photographer teaches them about the very basics of the camera. Students will learn basics
12
Once students have learned
about the camera and its parts we will engage in a photo safari.
Students will go, with the guest teacher, and myself outside to take photographs using the
different components and basics learned from the guest teacher. They will be reminded that they
are taking photographs keeping in mind the composition, lighting, color, and perspective of their
shot.
After the photo safari is over the class will come back into the classroom and reconvene.
We will, as a class, review what an opinion piece of writing is, and what it should include. Once
students have reviewed the different parts of opinion based writing they will write a half to one
page paper on their opinion on if photography is important. Students will support their opinion
Assessments:
13
Materials Needed:
References:
cheat-.html
Link to importance of photography information
o http://digital-photography-school.com/6-reasons-why-photography-matters/
Lesson Two:
Key Concepts:
Lesson Summary:
Students will use what theyve learned about photography and cameras to photograph their
partner after describing them in a short piece of writing. Students will have to showcase their
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to create photographs of their partner capturing their partners personality
and identity.
Students will be able to write a short essay describing their partner.
14
Content Standards:
Montana English Language Arts Writing Standard 4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Montana Art Content Standard 1- Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Students will need to utilize the knowledge they learned in Lesson One about photography
Modification Plan:
If a student is unable to psychically manipulate the camera settings they can be given a camera
photography.
Instructional Strategies:
Introduction:
To introduce the lesson I will start by showing the students a video about perception and
photography. The video will show students how we view someone can affect how we photograph
them. We will have a class discussion about the video, we will address the following questions:
o What do you think about this video?
o What stood out to you the most?
o Do you think that what we think about someone can affect how we might photograph him
or her?
15
Sequence:
After the class discussion the assignment will be introduced. The students will quickly review
what adjectives and descriptive writing is. To remind students about what adjectives are we will
read the picture book Hairy, Scary, Ordinary by Brian P. Cleary. Once students have thoroughly
reviewed, I will put them into partners. The goal is partnering them with someone theyll get
along with, but that they dont know where very well. Once students have been placed in partners
they will be given their assignment. Students will write a short essay that is 1-2 pages describing
their partner. They can describe their partner however theyd wish as long as it is appropriate and
not hurtful. To help guide them in writing they will be allowed to interview their partner, they can
visually describe their partner as well. Students will not share their descriptions with anyone.
Once each student has finished their essay they will be given one camera per pair. The students
will either in the classroom, or outside with adult supervision photograph their partner. The goal
of the photograph is to capture who that person is, to try and capture their partners identity in a
single photograph. Students can take as many photographs, but at the end of the class they must
pick on single photo that best represents their partner. Students will not be showing their partner
the photograph they took of them. They will switch who has the camera so that both partners get
Closure:
Once students have photographed each other the class will come back together and reflect on
what went well and what they liked, and what theyd like to change. Students will also discuss,
without seeing the photographs if they think what they wrote, and what they photographed will be
similar.
Assessment:
For this lesson students final photograph and essay will be collected.
The photograph will be assessed by the following rubric:
16
3 Points 2 Points 1 Point 0 Points
Students essays will be collected and assessed to see that they completed it and that they met the
length requirement. The essays will be assess that they are clear and coherent writing in which the
17
Digital cameras for every student, or every pair of students.
o If digital cameras are not available, disposable cameras can be used.
Projector and computer.
Lesson Three:
Key Concepts:
Lesson Summary:
Students will use what theyve learned about photography and cameras to create a self-portrait,
after describing themself in a short piece of writing. Students will have to showcase their own
identity and how they perceive themself in the photograph they produce.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to create a self-portrait capturing their own personality and identity.
Students will be able to write a short essay describing themselves.
Content Standards:
Montana English Language Arts Writing Standard 4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Montana Art Content Standard 1- Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Students will need to utilize the knowledge they learned in Lesson One about photography
18
Students will need to know how to create a descriptive piece of writing, using adjectives.
Students will need to know what adjectives are.
Modification Plan:
If a student is unable to psychically manipulate the camera settings they can be given a camera
photography.
If a student is struggling to create a self-portrait a teacher may press the shutter release for them
Instructional Strategies:
Introduction:
To introduce students to the idea of self-portraits I will start by defining self portraits for them
artist.
I will stress that a self-portrait is not a selfie. I will show students examples of different
shoot-your-own--photo-5689
We wont look at all 100 photographs but we will view enough to help students get a sense of
what a self-portrait should look like. I will give students advice from the website A self-portrait
should be a very personal expression, not simply a mirror of something youve seen elsewhere.
Think about who you want to be and how you want to say that. Students will be capturing their
19
Sequence:
Once students have a firm grasp of what a self-portrait is we will move onto the writing part of
the activity. Students will create a piece of writing similar to what they did in Lesson Two. They
will write a descriptive piece about themselves and their own personal identity that is 1-2 pages
adult supervision they will work on taking their self-portrait. This might be difficult so they can
work with a partner to stand in for them so they can frame the shot. Students must create the
entire photo individually however. Students may take however many photographs as theyd like
Closure:
After all of the students have had time to create their self-portrait the class will reconvene. As a
Assessment:
For this lesson students final photograph and essay will be collected.
The self-portrait will be assessed by the following rubric:
20
of lighting. lighting. consideration of lighting.
lighting.
Students essays will be collected and assessed to see that they completed it and that they met the
length requirement. The essays will be assess that they are clear and coherent writing in which the
shoot-your-own--photo-5689
Lesson Four:
Key Concepts:
21
Photography can be used to showcase our own personal identity.
Photography can be used to show the identity of a person.
We can use writing to show the identity of a person.
How we see or think of a person can affect how we photograph or describe them.
We can use writing to show the identity of ourselves.
How we see or think of ourselves can affect how we photograph or describe ourselves.
How we perceive ourselves may differ from how other people perceive us.
Lesson Summary:
Students will look at, and read what they produced about their partner and themselves during
Lesson Two and Lesson Three. They will analyze the difference between the two pieces of
writing about them, and the two photographs of them. The class will then engage in a critique.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to analyze the difference between the two photographs of them.
Students will be able to analyze the difference between the two pieces of writing about them.
Students will be able to constructively critique their classmates work.
Content Standards:
Montana Art Content Standard 1- Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Montana Art Content Standard 4- Students analyze characteristics and merits of their work and
Students will need to utilize the knowledge they learned in Lesson One about photography
components.
Students are expected to be respectful and kind of themselves and their classmates.
Students are expected to provide constructive feedback in a respectful manner.
Modification Plan:
If students do not want to participate in the critique they can be given an alternate assignment.
22
Instructional Strategies:
Introduction:
Sequence:
After the class discussion is over I will take students into a different room where the two pictures
of them, and the two pieces of writing about them are hung up to look like a gallery. Students will
be given time to go around the gallery and see their classmates work. While they are wandering
partner?
o What is different about the writing you did about yourself and the writing done by your
partner?
o What is the same about the photograph you took of yourself and the photograph taken by
your partner?
o What is different about the photograph you took of yourself and the photograph taken by
your partner?
Closure:
23
Once students have answered the questions we will engage in a class critique. To help students
24
o Students will be expected to analyze characteristics and merits of their work and the work
Student 1
For this lesson students final photograph and essay will be collected.
The self-portrait will be assessed by the following rubric:
25
of consideration consideration of evidence of consideration of
of lighting. lighting. consideration of lighting.
lighting.
Students essays will be collected and assessed to see that they completed it and that they met the
length requirement. The essays will be assess that they are clear and coherent writing in which the
Student 1
26
27