Comparative Photography
Grades 5, 6, 7 | Arts Education, ELA, ADST
Grades 5, 6, 7 | Arts Education, ELA, ADST
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Students will define and explore concepts in photography through personal and peer perspectives. Practice articulating aesthetic responses and empathizing with alternate interpretations. Engage in a constrained creative challenge to experiment with photography techniques and composition.
Strengthen ELA skills by exchanging ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking.
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How it supports the curriculum
How it supports the curriculum
Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Art - Experiencing art challenges our point of view and expands our understanding of others. Engaging in the arts develops people’s ability to understand and express complex ideas.
ADST - Complex tasks require the acquisition of additional skills.
ELA - Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world. Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
Content Connections
Content Connections
Curricular Competencies
Curricular Competencies
Classroom Things Needed
Classroom Things Needed
Technology: iPads, Camera App
Services: Google Classroom, Student Google/iPad Accounts
Materials: Picture Frames
Teacher Skills needed
Teacher Skills needed
👉 Note: We can help build your confidence with all of these skills before and during the project!
Google Classroom: Creating assignments and collecting projects.
Student Skills needed
Student Skills needed
👉 Note: Just like the teacher skills, we can help build students' confidence with all of these skills before and during the project!
None!
Project Outline
Duration: 4 Classes
Project Outline
Duration: 4 Classes
Phase 1
Phase 1
Launch Activity: What is Photography? Whole-class “brain dump.” Students share words, tools, ideas, and feelings they associate with photography. Capture responses on the board or shared digital doc or photograph the whiteboard.
Activity: Photo Word Challenge. Show students a curated slideshow of diverse photographs. For each photograph:
Students write one word it makes them think of.
Then, they explain why someone else’s word also fits the photo.
Phase 2
Phase 2
Mini Lesson - Photography Basics. Students explore photography basics by looking at the diverse photography through a technical lense.
Working Block - Creative Photo Challenge: One Object, Infinite Views. Watch a short video. Then, students choose one object and take multiple photos of it—each from a different angle, pose, or framing. Rule: No two photos can be the same.
Phase 3
Phase 3
Mini Lesson - Editing. Focus: Lighting, cropping, saturation, contrast—editing with purpose.
Working Block - Pick a photo and edit it / Word Association. Students choose one image from the last class that they’re proud of or feel drawn to. Students write one word that best describes the feeling, idea, or message of their photo. They record it discreetly (e.g., on the back of a sticky note or a small slip of paper). Using editing tools in Photos, students adjust their image to strengthen the emotion or message behind their word.
Phase 4
Phase 4
Gallery Walk: Display all the edited images around the room preferably printed and framed (can be on the iPads). Students walk around and leave one word on a sticky note next to each image that describes how they interpret it. Students collect the sticky notes from their image. They then reflect on the differences between words.
Creative Reframe and Reflection: Choose one word from a peer that surprised them. Write a micro-story, poem, or caption from that perspective. End with a quick class discussion. Prompts:
“Did anyone’s photo say something louder than they expected?”
“Who had a surprise reaction that made them rethink their image?”
Learners leaving their interpretations of their peers photography.
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