Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography (3-3-09)
9 weeks Brief Description of Content Assessment Activities
Unit 1:
1-4 weeks
On-going:
Offer students a hands-on constructivist,
personal investment in their lifelong learning as an expressive artist and an informed audience
Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Build up expectations for student participation and engaged, successful learning.
Focus is on:
HISTORY of CAMERA and PHOTOGRAPHY as an art form, from DaVinci to present time. Explore chronological history, theme based compositions and/or individual artists. Ideas for this unit of study:

Readings from teacher selected web-based information focusing on how photography was developed and used History, theme

How photography is used today, i.e. environmentalism
Web resources for information:
Smithsonian, PBS, National Geographic,
Life Magazine, Time Magazine, New York
Times, different colleges
COMPOSITION which includes:
 Framing
 Rule of Thirds

Focal point
LOOKING at the camera—students explore and identify parts of the camera
Evaluation Criteria
1

on a variety of equipment
Camera operations
How the camera is related to the “eye”
Explain SLR, point and shoot
Parts of the camera:
Diagram, reading,
What is film?
Project:
Allow students to use “cell phones” (with appropriate supervision) or “frames,” to acknowledge what goes unseen in any picture and to understand images are part of everyone’s daily life
Student created Brochure on Camera
Parts using “Word” template. Medium for creation determined by instructor, i.e. hand drawn and lettered, computer generated, etc (Shirley has examples)
Photogram
Word find about the history on photography
Crossword puzzles reinforcing the vocabulary of photography
Quiz on the parts of the camera, history of photography and composition
Student brochure on the foundations of photography
Technique/Process:
Use a Pin hole camera (actual camera can be made by student or pre-made and
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handed out.)
Know dark room procedures:
Artist:
Man Ray
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Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography
9 weeks Brief Description of Content Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Assessment Activities
Unit 2:
Week 2
Safety Poster
On-going:
Build up expectations for student participation and engaged, successful learning.

Photography as an art form
 Composition
 Organizing for effort--POL

Paper development

Photography folder—
Student assembled container for class handouts
Artistic Foundations:
I: 4
Analyze the health and safety issues related to creating art
Safety Poster
Learning Goal:
Student will create a poster that classifies health and safety considerations, personal responsibility and darkroom procedures that were presented in class for successfully developing a photograph.
Assessment Activity:
Poster:
After discussion and/or presentation of:
Focus is on:
Safety procedures in the darkroom:
 Chemicals and correct procedures for mixing

NO POWDERS

Eye wash station—when to be used

Pregnancy risks need to be discussed—do not take this class if you’re pregnant or may become pregnant or if you’re nursing

How “safe lights” work
Dark Room Procedures:



Tour with the lights on
Behavior code
Proper dark room conditions—
NO LIGHTS—i.e. no cell phones

Dark room capacity

Consideration—don’t dawdle on the equipment, it needs to be shared

Clean up after yourself safety concerns, personal responsibility and darkroom procedures, students will identify a theme for their poster and include the appropriate items for their topic.

Health and safety posters should include the health and safety considerations discussed in class that need to be in place for creating a photograph
 Personal responsibility posters should outline classroom expectations for each participant when working in the darkroom
 Darkroom procedures should identify equipment in the darkroom, its purpose and how to take care of it.
Medium for poster can be decided by instructor.
Evaluation Criteria
Checklist for demonstrating knowledge:
Poster includes necessary information for selected category
Direct connection between class discussion and items on poster
In conversation with instructor, explanations clear for selected topics under a specific classification
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
Appropriate materials management
Project:
Pinhole camera—instructor provided or student created
Elements:
Space: foreground, middleground, depthof-field
Value: black to white –learning correct exposure
Principles:
Focal point
Contrast
Technique/Process:
Darkroom Paper Development Process:
Developer
Stop
Fixer
Water wash
Drying
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Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography
9 weeks Brief Description of Content Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Assessment Activities
Unit 3:
Week 3
On-going:
Build up expectations for student participation and engaged, successful learning.
Darkroom rules and procedures
Paper developing

Photography as an art form
 Composition
 Organizing for effort--POL

Paper development

Photography folder—
Student assembled container for class handouts
Focus is on:
Reinforcing paper process and reversals
Enlarger function and parts:

Reading

Diagram

Demonstration
Test strips
Using timers
Adjusting exposure time and light strength
Project:
Photogram/vignette cutting
Elements:

Positive and negative space
 Line
 Texture
 Shape

Value
Artistic Foundations:
Skill based
Photogram and reversal
Evaluation Criteria
6

Principles:
Pattern
Repetition
Technique:
Making a reversal from an original
Artist(s):
Man Ray
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Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography
9 weeks Brief Description of Content Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Assessment Activities
Unit 4:
Weeks 4 & 5
On-going:
Build up expectations for student participation and engaged, successful learning.
Rule of thirds
Darkroom rules and procedures
Paper developing

Photography as an art form

Composition


Organizing for effort--POL
Paper development
 Photography folder—
Student assembled container for class handouts
Focus is on:
Rolling film on reels
Film development
Artistic Foundations:
Present/Perform
1:1 select photographs applying criteria
1:2 select criteria to use
Learning Goals:



The student will create a series of high quality photographs
The student will apply quality criteria to determine the five highest quality photographs in their portfolio to be presented to the class
The student will evaluate the use of photographic design principles and elements of visual art in a series of the students five best photographs
Assessment Activity:
You will determine quality criteria to determine the five best works in your photographic portfolio. Develop a contact sheet or view images on a light table: students select 3 to 5 of their “best” prints illustrating the rule of thirds, correct exposure, and the elements: shape, space, Project:
Photographs of instructor-selected subject matter, i.e. class portraits
Elements: range of value Apply the criteria to select the five best photographs and in a classroom presentation, explain your reasons for using the criteria, evaluating your work for use of photographic design principles.
Shape
Space
Value
Principles:
Technique:
Loading film
Camera function—where to position yourself and subject with regard to the
Evaluation Criteria
8

light
Dodging
Skills:
Film loading
Processing tank
Artist(s):
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Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography
9 weeks Brief Description of Content Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Assessment Activities
Unit 5:
Week 6 -7
On-going:
Focus is on:
Composing a photograph based on:

Selection of lenses

Camera angles

Film speed
Project:
Instructor decides on 3 elements to be depicted 3 different student generated photographs
Elements:
Line
Principles:
Technique:
Filters
Dodging
Artist(s):
Artistic Foundations:
Create/Make:
Perform/Present:
Respond/Critique:
Evaluation Criteria
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9 weeks
Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography
Brief Description of Content Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Assessment Activities
Unit 6:
Week 8-9
On-going:
Focus is on:
Project:
Elements:
Principles:
Technique:
Artist(s):
Artistic Foundations:
Create/Make:
Perform/Present:
Respond/Critique:
Evaluation Criteria
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9 weeks
Saint Paul Public Schools Curriculum Map Visual Arts 9-12 Scope and Sequence: High School Photography
Brief Description of Content Standard Benchmarks
The student will:
Assessment Activities
Unit 6:
Week 8-9
On-going:
Focus is on:
Project:
Elements:
Principles:
Technique:
Artist(s):
Artistic Foundations:
Create/Make:
Perform/Present:
Respond/Critique:
Evaluation Criteria
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