Exploring Perspectives

Unit: Telling Stories Through Photos

Lesson 5 of 20

Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 20 Prep students

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Curriculum Links

Australian Curriculum v9: The Arts – Visual Arts – Foundation Year (Prep)

Learning Objectives (Content Descriptions):

• AC9AVA0P01
  Use visual arts processes and materials to explore ideas, emotions and stories
• AC9AMAFE01
  Explore how and why the arts are important for people and communities
• AC9AMUFP01_E8
  Use digital devices to record arts explorations, such as capturing photos to curate a sequence showing steps or ideas

Achievement Standards:

Students create artworks and discuss their meaning and intention, sharing ideas about what the work shows or means to them. They explore different ways of making and viewing artworks, including using digital technologies to capture or present their work .

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Lesson Overview

Students will explore how the way a photo is taken—its angle and perspective—affects the story or feeling the photo conveys. They will experiment with different viewpoints to understand that changing perspective changes meaning. This builds on skills in capturing images and interpreting visual stories.

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Learning Intentions

• Students will recognise that photos can tell different stories depending on the perspective from which they are taken.
• Students will experiment with taking photos from different heights, angles and distances.
• Students will discuss what story or feeling each photo might tell.
• Students will begin to use digital technology safely and purposefully to capture images .

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Success Criteria

• Students take at least two photos from different viewpoints.
• Students explain the difference in what each photo shows or makes them feel.
• Students use digital cameras or tablets safely and respectfully.
• Students share their photos and ideas in a group discussion.

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Materials Needed

• Devices with cameras (e.g., tablets or digital cameras) – enough for small groups or shared pairs
• Simple photo prompts or objects around the classroom or outdoor area (e.g., a favourite toy, a plant, a chair)
• Display board or space for sharing photos
• Whiteboard and markers for discussion notes

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Lesson Plan Breakdown

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students and discuss the idea that pictures tell stories.
• Show two simple photos of the same object (e.g., a toy) taken from different angles: one from above, one from close up.
• Ask: “How do these photos look different? What story or feeling does each photo tell?”
• Explain: Today we will explore how changing the way we take photos can tell different stories.

2. Demonstration & Modelling (5 minutes)

• Teacher demonstrates taking photos of a simple object from three different perspectives:
  • Eye level close-up
  • From above looking down
  • From below looking up
• Show photos to the class and discuss how each one looks and what story or mood it might tell.
• Highlight how “perspective” means the point of view we choose when we take a photo.

3. Guided Activity: Taking Photos (10 minutes)

• In pairs or small groups, students choose an object or a scene in the classroom or outside.
• Students take turns taking photos of the object from at least two different perspectives.
• Teachers and aides support with device use and encourage safe handling and sharing.

4. Sharing and Discussion (7 minutes)

• Students gather to share their photos on a board, projected or screens.
• Facilitate a conversation where students describe differences they notice between photos:
  • “What can you see in this photo that you don’t see in the other?”
  • “How does this photo make you feel compared to the other one?”
• Write key observations on the board: different angles show different stories.

5. Conclusion and Reflection (3 minutes)

• Recap learning: Photos tell stories that change when we change where we stand or how we look at something.
• Ask a few students to share one thing they learnt.
• Explain next lesson will build on this by telling stories with photos they create.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Observation of students during camera use for safe handling and cooperation.
• Listening to students’ explanations about the differences between photos to assess understanding of perspective.
• Collecting and reviewing student photos to see variety of perspectives captured.
• Provide positive oral feedback to encourage creativity and sharing of ideas.

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Differentiation

• Provide hands-on support with camera/tablet use for students who need help.
• Offer simple prompts or favourite objects for students to photograph.
• Extend learning for advanced students by encouraging them to try extreme or unusual angles (very low or very high).
• Use peer support for reviewing photos and sharing ideas.

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Inclusion and Wellbeing

• Remind students about respecting peers’ photos and ideas.
• Encourage a positive, supportive environment for sharing.
• Offer alternative participation by describing photos verbally for students who find camera use challenging.

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This carefully designed 30-minute lesson aligns with the Australian Curriculum v9 Arts Foundation Year content and elaborations, specifically focusing on students using digital devices to explore and share images while developing an understanding of perspective in visual storytelling, as expressed in AC9AMUFP01 and AC9AMAFE01 standards . The lesson also cultivates communication, collaboration and reflection skills fundamental to early learners in Arts.

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If desired, the teacher can document the lesson by photographing students’ work or using tablets to capture the discussion points, creating a simple digital portfolio of the exploration that supports future lessons in the unit "Telling Stories Through Photos".