One Object, 20 Ways – Photography handout designed to enhance students’ creativity and skills.
Lesson Plansand Handouts
One Object 20 Ways photography handout This activity is designed to enhance to students’ technical skills and creativity by having them photograph one object in the classroom in 20 ways, using different composition, lighting, and creative prompts.
Cyanotype Cards This Grade 9 lesson plan is easily adaptable for Grade 10-12 students. There are various options for creating cyanotypes, also known as “sun prints” (collecting plants, finding various objects, inverting photos, using stencils, etc.).
ABC’s Through the Lens (Graduation level) A unit plan in which students conceptualize and create a 26-image photography series, with each image inspired by a letter of the alphabet. Students are instructed to ensure image is experimental in technique but cohesive in concept or aesthetic. Can be presented as a Media Arts or Photography project.
No Memory is Ever Alone (Graduation level) This lesson was inspired by the work of Catherine Panebianco, and her series “No Memory Is Alone”, in which she reimagined family moments using her dad’s old slides. Her work shows how memories can connect to our present experience. It is intended for photography classes but could be adapted to other courses, using devices that have cameras.
Fragmented Portraits Student Handout (Graduation level) This is a student-ready handout for creating fragmented portraits inspired by the work of Brno Del Zou, using PhotoShop or other digital imaging software.
Photo Essay Lesson Plan (Graduation level) In this unit, students communicate a story through photography which they present to the class in a digital slideshow (or in a 2D format if using 35mm film). Their story could be personal, historical, cultural, social, or environmental, depending on their passions and interests.
Speed Dating Photography (Graduation) Students research chosen photographers and select some of their works to share with other students using a “speed dating” format, discussing craftsmanship, composition, and choices the photographer made.
Diopters and the Elements & Principles of Design (Graduation) This lesson is aimed at helping students improve the quality of their photography both technically with the use of diopters, and stylistically with the use of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.
Forced Perspective (Graduation) An engaging lesson on forced perspective, a technique that employs optical illusion by placing objects or staging people in a certain way to affect distance, size, and viewpoint.
Painting with Light (Graduation) Students photograph a subject in the dark (no daylight or lights) with a long exposure time, “painting” it with a flashlight to reveal the details while the shutter is open.
Lost Civilizations (Graduation) This project involves going on a field trip to a forgotten or abandoned place and to tell the story of this place through photographic images rather than words. The point is to uncover a “lost civilization” and share it with the rest of the world.
Manual and Digital Photomontage (Graduation) Students working in either digital or manual photography combine 2 images in PhotoShop to create a surreal, humourous, imaginative, social, or political message.
Resources
Intermediate Level
Shape: Intermediate Photography UnitA slideshow for teachers to share with their students, teaching them to consider the Element of Shape when taking digital photographs.
Element of Line: Digital PhotographyA slideshow for teachers to share with their students, teaching them to consider the Element of Line when taking digital photographs.
Element of Texture – Digital PhotographyA slideshow for teachers to share with their students, teaching them to consider the Element of Texture when taking digital photographs.
Introduction to Digital Photography A slideshow for teachers to share with their students when beginning a unit on digital photography. It covers basics, such as how digital cameras work and composition tips.
Photo Composition – a detailed and helpful slideshow with beautiful examples. Some of the slides are directed at teachers, but most slides are student-ready.
