Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Title of Lesson(s) Getting to Know Your Camera - Day 1

Teacher(s) Jade Browning

School St. Thomas Moore High School

Grade Level(s) 9-12th Grade Photography

Date to be taught 1.14.2020

Big Idea that drives Lesson/Unit:

Cameras come in all different styles, functions, and programs. The goal of this unit is to allow students
the chance to experiment and explore the capabilities of their unique cameras. Through trial and error,
guided discussions, and personal research students will be able to understand the different components of
photography and how they can control their photos.

Objectives:
● Students will…
○ Be able to download and store images
○ Learn how to independently control photographic settings
○ Be able to create and understand camera obscura

Fine Arts Goals Met by the Objectives:

● Cr1.2.IIa: ​Students who meet this standard understand that artists and designers shape artistic
investigations, following or breaking with traditions in pursuit of creative art making goals.
○ Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic
practices to plan works of art and design.
● Cr2.1.IIa: ​Students who meet this standard understand how to organize and develop artistic ideas
and work.
○ Through experimentation, practice, and persistence, demonstrate acquisition of skills and
knowledge in a chosen art form.
● Pr4.1.IIa: ​Students who meet this standard understand how to select, analyze, and interpret
artistic work for presentation.

○ Analyze, select, and critique personal artwork for a collection or portfolio presentation.
● Re8.1.Ia: ​Students who meet this standard understand how to interpret intent and meaning in
artistic work.

○ Interpret an artwork or collection of work, supported by relevant and sufficient evidence
found in the work and its various contexts.

Key Artistic Concepts:

● Functionality of a camera
● The history of camera development
● How to create your own camera
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

● Downloading, saving and cataloging images

Essential Questions:
● What is the anatomy of a camera and how does a camera work?
● What are the different types of cameras and how do they affect photography?
● How do you create a functioning pinhole camera and how does it work?
● What is the best way to save and catalog images to preserve their quality?

Vocabulary:
● Shutter
● Shutter speed
● ISO
● Aperture
● Camera Obscura

Artmaking Materials Needed:

● Camera
● Computers

Teacher Materials Needed:

● Camera
● Vocabulary Sheet
● Camera Templates

Contemporary/Historical/Multicultural exemplars

Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (5-7 minutes)
○ Check in sketchbooks
○ Pass out video/photo permission slips
■ This is a requirement of my program to video record myself teaching, as well as
take pictures as I teach for professional purposes only
■ DUE FRIDAY!
○ Reminders: Pringles Cans are needed by Thursday at the latest, $10 for printing is due
Friday
● DEMONSTRATION: ( minutes)
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (25 minutes)
○ Quiz: Defining Good and Bad Photography
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

■Once you are finished with your quiz, you can get a press pass from the teacher
and decorate it until everyone is done with their quiz
○ Activity: Get To Know Your Camera
■ Using the templates and you cameras manual, label all the required parts of the
camera (using the terms in the word bank)
■ If a button is required but not there, draw in each button and dial and label as
needed
● If not complete by the end of class, it will be homework
● CLEAN UP: ( minutes)
● CLOSURE: (3 minutes)
○ Don’t Forget!!
■ Permission slips due Friday
■ $10 due Friday
■ Pringles needed by Thursday
■ Bring your cameras tomorrow!

Time Alloted for Lesson:​ 33-35 minutes

Activity Time

Discussion 5-7

Demonstration -

Design/Work Session 25

Clean-up -

Closure 3
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Title of Lesson(s) Getting to Know Your Camera - Day 2

Teacher(s) Jade Browning

School St. Thomas Moore High School

Grade Level(s) 9-12th Grade Photography

Date to be taught 1.15.2020

Vocabulary Acquisition:
● Aperture
Artmaking Materials Needed:
● Camera
● Computers
● Sketchbook/Notebook
Teacher Materials Needed:
● Camera
● Powerpoint
● Handout
Contemporary/Historical/Multicultural exemplars

Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (15 minutes)
○ Remember back to our three key components of photography (light, time, and subject)
■ Light is controlled by the aperture (and partially the shutter)
○ Go over handout / historical contexts
■ How did the first camera start
■ How did the first camera measure the aperture
○ Define what an aperture is
■ How is it measured
■ What does it do
■ How to control it
■ Where is it located
○ What is an F-Stop
● DEMONSTRATION: (5 minutes)
○ Change camera settings over to manual
○ Change the file type to the largest file and/or to a raw file
■ Define a raw file
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (15 minutes)
○ Spend some time taking photos inside (or outside) adjusting the aperture.
■ Take the same photo 3 times
● One with the correct f-stop
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

● One with two f-stops higher

● One with two f-stops lower
● CLEAN UP: (minutes)
● CLOSURE: (3 minutes)
○ Do not forget!!
■ $10 for printing is due friday
■ Permission slips for video recordings / photos

Time Alloted for Lesson:

Activity Time

Discussion

Demonstration

Design/Work Session

Clean-up

Closure
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Title of Lesson(s) Getting to Know Your Camera - Day 3

Teacher(s) Jade Browning

School St. Thomas Moore High School

Grade Level(s) 9-12th Grade Photography

Date to be taught 1.16.2020

Vocabulary Acquisition:
● Shutter
Artmaking Materials Needed:
● Camera
● Computers
● Sketchbook/Notebook
Teacher Materials Needed:
● Camera
● Powerpoint
● Handout
Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (15 minutes)
○ Remember back to our three key components of photography (light, time, and subject)
■ Time is primarily controlled by the shutter (and partially aperture)
○ Define what a shutter is
■ How is it measured
■ What does it do
■ How to control it
■ Where is it located
○ What are the different shutter speeds/what do they do
○ How do the shutter and the aperture interact with each other
■ How does changing the shutter effect what your aperture does?
● DEMONSTRATION: (5 minutes)
○ Change camera settings over to manual
○ Change the file type to the largest file and/or to a raw file
■ Define a raw file
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (15 minutes)
○ Spend some time taking photos inside (or outside) adjusting the aperture.
■ Take at least 10 photos
● A minimum of 1 should be a “blurred” action
● A minimum of 1 should be a “stopped” action
● A minimum of 1 should be a “low light” (if possible)
● CLEAN UP: (minutes)
● CLOSURE: (3 minutes)
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

○Do not forget!!

■ $10 for printing is due friday
■ Permission slips for video recordings / photos
Time Alloted for Lesson:​ 38 minutes
Activity Time

Discussion

Demonstration

Design/Work Session

Clean-up

Closure
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Title of Lesson(s) Getting to Know Your Camera - Day 4

Teacher(s) Jade Browning

School St. Thomas Moore High School

Grade Level(s) 9-12th Grade Photography

Date to be taught 1.17.2020

Vocabulary Acquisition:
● ISO
Artmaking Materials Needed:
● Camera
● Computers
● Sketchbook/Notebook
Teacher Materials Needed:
● Camera
● Powerpoint
● Photo Assignment Sheet
Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (15-17 minutes)
○ Remember back to our three key components of photography (light, time, and subject)
■ We have been saying the camera is like an eye - the aperture is like an iris in its
reaction to light, the shutter is similar to the way the eye blinks. Today we are
going to be talking about the ISO, which can be related more to the receptors of
your eyes. The parts that process all of the information given.
○ Define what an ISO is
■ How is it measured
■ What does it do
■ How to control it
○ What is the difference in ISO speeds?
● DEMONSTRATION: (5-10 minutes)
○ Discuss new photo challenge
■ Each week we will have a new photo challenge. Shooting a minimum of 25
photos based off of the prompt
● This weeks prompt
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (10- 15 minutes)
○ Cameras need to be on full manual from here on out!
■ “You know how to set the aperture, shutter, and ISO. Be sure you are mindful of
those things as you are shooting.”
○ The rest of the class time is to practice taking pictures, and start shooting this week's
photo challenge.
● CLEAN UP: (3 minutes)
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

○
Be sure to upload your photos off of your memory cards so that you have more space to
take pictures
● CLOSURE: (minutes)

Time Alloted for Lesson:​ 38 minutes

Activity Time

Discussion

Demonstration

Design/Work Session

Clean-up

Closure
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Title of Lesson(s) Getting to Know Your Camera - Day 6

Teacher(s) Jade Browning

School St. Thomas Moore High School

Grade Level(s) 9-12th Grade Photography

Date to be taught

Artmaking Materials Needed:

● Camera
● Computer
● Flash Drive/Hard Drive
● SD/CF cards
Teacher Materials Needed:
● Photo History Handout
● Sample Google Drive
Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (minutes)
○
● DEMONSTRATION: (minutes)
○ How to organize the digital portfolio
■ Inside each students portfolio there should be three folders
● Aperture (15 photos)
● Shutter (15 photos)
● Photo Challenge 1 (25 photos)
○ To create a folder:
■ Inside your portfolio in the left corner click the button that says new
■ Select the “add new folder” button
■ Label to the corresponding assignment
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (minutes)
○ Critique the 25 photos
■ This weeks theme was “self portrait” - however, you cannot have yourself in the
images.
■ How does each image (5 best images) represent you/ is a part of you?
■ How was shooting this assignment? Easy, hard, etc.?
■ Critique: strength, improvement, strength
● CLEAN UP: (minutes)
○
● CLOSURE: (minutes)
○
Time Alloted for Lesson: ​43-48 minutes
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Activity Time

Discussion

Demonstration

Design/Work Session

Clean-up

Closure
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

Title of Lesson(s) Getting to Know Your Camera - Day 6&7

Teacher(s) Jade Browning

School St. Thomas Moore High School

Grade Level(s) 9-12th Grade Photography

Date to be taught

Artmaking Materials Needed:

● Paper tubes
● Box cutters
● Aluminum foil
● Wax paper
Teacher Materials Needed:
● Photo handout
● Teacher example
● Extra pieces to walk students through the process
Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (10-13 minutes)
○ History of Photography - Where did the camera come from? How did it start? How has
the camera evolved since then?
■ Review handout
■ Discuss camera obscura
● DEMONSTRATION: (10 minutes)
○ Discuss safety with the tools
■ Be sure that the blade is always in the box cutter
■ Do not walk around with the blade out, do not wave it around, make sure when
not in use the blade is back in the box cutter
○ Walk through the process of cutting and building a camera obscura
■ Measure two inches from the top of your paper tube
■ In between the two tubes, place a piece of wax paper
■ Connect the two sides back together
■ Place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the tube
■ Poke a small hole with a thumbtack
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (15-17 minutes)
○ Material distribution:
■ Each student grabs one piece of foil, wax paper, and tube from the front table
■ Box cutters will be at the table - but must be used carefully
○ Each student creates their own camera obscura
● CLEAN UP: (3 minutes)
○ Place “cameras” in the bin
 Unit 2: Getting to Know Your Camera | Photography I

○ Put tape and box cutters back on the supply table

● CLOSURE: (5 minutes)
○ How do we get the image from these kinds of cameras to be a picture?
■ How does the printing process of photos work?
○ We unfortunately will not be processing photos at this time, but later in this semester you
could have the opportunity to create photos using these cameras.
Time Alloted for Lesson: ​43-48 minutes
Activity Time

Discussion 10-13 minutes

Demonstration 10 minutes

Design/Work Session 15-17 minutes

Clean-up 3 minutes

Closure 5 minutes