Grade 11 Media Arts - Photography Unit 

Unit:​ D
​ igital Photography ​ ​Grade:​ A
​ SM3M - 11 University/College Preparation   
Subject​: ​Media Arts ​ P
​ rerequisite​: A ​ SM2O/AVI2O ​L
​ ocation:​ C
​ lassroom, School Property, 
and home ​ S ​ trands​: ​A, B, and C ​ ​Time Frame: 2
​ 0 x 75 minute periods  

BIG IDEA FOR THE UNIT 

Everyone has the capacity to interpret and create images. This unite will allow students to explore their creativity, build 
their interpretive and technical skills, and enhance their understanding of the power of photography to communicate their 
perspectives of the world and capture moments in time. Digital photography is booming with all of the devices readily 
available with cameras in this modern age. Students will learns about digital photography, photographic terminology, and 
editing images. By developing their understanding of visual storytellings in a photographic approach, students will be 
able to review the elements and principles of design. This unit will further refine students’ abilities to use the 
photographic medium to express ideas, change meanings through context, and further their understanding of visual 
culture. Through a series of scaffolding lessons, students will acquire the skills necessary in order to complete their final 
photographic assignment, a series in which they may explore a specific theme and compile a photographic portfolio.  

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS 

Ontario Curriculum Overall Expectations 

A1. The Creative Process: a ​ pply the creative process to create media art works, individually and/or collaboratively. 
 
A2. The Principles of Media Arts: ​design and produce media artworks, applying the principles of media arts and using 
various elements from contributing arts (dance, drama, music, visual arts). 
 
A3. Using Technologies, Tools, and Techniques: ​apply traditional and emerging technologies, tools, and techniques to 
produce and present media art works for a variety of audiences and purposes. 
 
B1. The Critical Analysis Process:​ demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis process by using it to monitor 
the creative process, and by examining, interpreting, assessing, and reflecting on media artworks. 
 
B2. Identity and Values:​ demonstrate an understanding of how media art works reflect personal and cultural identity, 
and affect personal, cultural, and community values and their awareness of those values.  
 
B3. Connections Beyond the Classroom:​ demonstrate an understanding of the types of knowledge and skills that are 
transferable beyond the media arts classroom.  
 
C1. Terminology: d ​ emonstrate an understanding of, and use correct terminology when referring to, elements, principles, 
and other concepts relating to media arts.  
 
C2. Contexts and Influences: ​demonstrate an understanding of the sociocultural and historical contexts of media arts. 
 
​C3. Responsible Practices: ​demonstrate an understanding of responsible practices associated with producing, 
presenting, and experiencing media art works.  

Ontario Curriculum Specific Expectations   

A1.1. U ​ se a variety of strategies to investigate creative challenges and generate innovative ideas, individually and/or 
collaboratively, for addressing them.  
 
A1.2. ​Develop plans, individually and/or collaboratively, that address a variety of creative challenges, and assess and 
revise their plans on the basis of feedback and reflection.  
 
A1.3. P ​ roduce and refine media artworks, using research, exploration, input, and reflection.  
 
A1.5. U ​ se an appropriate tracking tool to produce a detailed record of their application of the creative process, and use 
this record to determine, through reflection, how effectively they applied this process. 
 
A2.3.​ Analyse how media artists use the principle of duration, and apply that principle in the design and production of 
media artworks that explore elements from contributing arts.  
 
A2.4. ​Analyse how media artists use the principle of point of view, and apply that principle in the design and production 
of media artworks that explore elements from contributing arts.  
 
A3.1. E ​ xplore a wide range of traditional and emerging technologies, tools, and techniques, and use them to produce 
effective media art works.  
 
B1.1. A​ nalyse, through examination and reflection, their initial response to media art works, using various strategies and 
modes of communication.  
 
B1.3.​ Analyse how each stage of the critical analysis process contributes to their comprehension of media artworks, and 
communicate their findings.  
 
B2.1.​ Identify and analyse ways in which media artworks express the personal identities of artists.  
 
B2.2.​ Analyse the ability of media artworks to express historical or contemporary cultural identities, and explain how 
obstacles can limit that ability.  
 
B2.5.​ Analyse how the process of critically analysing media artworks has affected their perception and understanding of 
different communities, cultures, ideologies, and/or social groups.  
 
B3.1.​ Identify areas of postsecondary study that are related to media arts and that reflect their personal skills and 
interests, describe the requirements for each area, and create and maintain a portfolio that could be used when applying 
to programs in these areas.  
 
B3.2.​ Analyse skills connected with design, production, distribution, or management processes in media arts.
 
 
C1.1.​ Describe the stages of the creative and critical analysis process with reference to media art works, and explain and 
use correctly and appropriately a broad range of terms related to the conventions, concepts, principles, and elements of 
media arts when creating or analysing media artworks.  
 
C1.3.​ Explain terminology associated with the technologies, tools, and techniques used in the production and 
presentation of media art works, and use this terminology correctly and appropriately when producing, presenting, and 
analysing media artworks.   
 
C2.1.​ Analyse the connections between a contemporary media art work and related historical art works.  
 
C2.2.​ Explain, on the basis of research, the history and development of various media technologies and/or items that are 
dependent on these technologies.  
 
C3.1.​ Describe and apply healthy, safe, and conscientious work practices when producing, presenting, or promoting 
media art works. 
 
C3.3.​ Identify and apply responsible environmental practices associated with the media arts workplace.  

Learning Goals & Objectives 

Students will learn: 

● To become proficient at the technical aspect of photographing with a digital camera 
● How to work with post processing software to digitally edit, save, size, and post images 
● To develop and practice skills using digital photography tools  
● To learn and take photographs with digital cameras to maximize the quality of the output from them 
● To appreciate more about the Art of Photography through the study of historic and contemporary trends and to 
apply that appreciation to and through their work 
● To develop the habit of looking closely at the visible world around them in order to represent it in terms of 
aesthetics, beauty, and truth 

ASSESSMENT and EVALUATION 

Achievement Chart Categories that will be addressed: K

​ nowledge and Understanding​; ​Thinking​; 
Communication​; ​Application 

Assessment will be based upon engagement of in-classroom activities and individual work - group collaboration, 
individual reflection, and research - in order to critically analyze and determine the significance of photography in our 
increasingly digital age.  

Assessment Tasks and Strategies 

Lesson 1 - Deconstruction of an Early Photographer ​(​Assessment for Learning) Students will learn to analyze 
photographs from history by making connections between the subject matter and composition.  
● Achievement categories: knowledge and understanding, communication, thinking 
● Assessment tools: Checklist Chart 
● Assessment mode: written and research based 
 
Lesson 2 - Basic Photographic Composition Assignment:​ (Assessment of Learning)​ T
​ his assignment will allow 
students to try out the basic ways to create strong photographs by experimenting with techniques that are necessary to 
create interesting images.  
● Assessment tools: completion check and rubric 
● Achievement categories: knowledge and understanding, communication, thinking, application 
● Assessment mode: Performance 
 
Lesson 4 - Lighting Assignment: (​ ​Assessment of Learning) This assignment will allow students to try out various 
ways to create photographs by experimenting with lighting techniques.  
● Assessment mode: Performance 
● Assessment tools: Evaluation Sheet 
● Achievement categories: knowledge and understanding, thinking, application 
 
Culminating Assignment:​ (Assessment of Learning) Students will create a photographic series based on their 
learning. This assignment will allow students to creatively explore the skills they have learned throughout the unit and 
apply them to create a photographic portfolio related to a theme of their choice.  
● Assessment mode: creating  
● Assessment tools: rubric 
 ● Achievement categories: thinking, application, knowledge and understanding, application 

Success Criteria 

At the conclusion of the unit of study, students will: 

● Be able to create and take photographs using available resources 
● Have explored the elements and principles of media arts, the connections between contemporary media 
artworks and traditional art forms, and the importance of using responsible practices when engaged in the 
creative process 
● Have learned the skills necessary to create and interpret media art works.  

OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT  

LESSON  LESSON DESCRIPTION 

Lesson 1 - The History and Evolution of  Students will learn how photography was created and 
Photography  developed; from the camera obscura, digital photographic 
  processes, and today’s digital age, many innovations made the 
technology as accessible as it is today.  
- Students will engage in the critical analysis process 
to understand how and why photographers of the 
past created the images that they did. 
 
Assessment FOR Learning: Deconstruction Chart - Early 
Photographers 

Lesson 2 - Basic Photographic Composition  In this two part lesson, students will understand how using 
different techniques can make a photograph have a strong 
composition.  
- On the first day of the lesson, students will be 
expected to analyze photographic qualities that 
images have 
- The second part of the lesson will be reserved for 
students to practice in efforts to demonstrate the 
skills they have learnt during the lesson.  
 
Assessment AS Learning: Basic Photographic Composition 
Assignment 

Lesson 3 - Adobe Lightroom and Editing Digital  Students will learn how to edit photos in Adobe Lightroom, a 
Photographs  program that is specifically a photography-based editing 
software. In this lesson, student will use a variety of tools 
available in the program: brightness and contrast, sharpening 
and adding clarity, adjusting saturation, cropping, perspective, 
and dodge and burn.  
- Students will use these skills towards their Basic 
Photographic Composition Assignment 

Lesson 4 - Lighting in Photography  This lesson is particularly important for students to experiment 
  with the importance of lighting in photographs - light is 
essentially what allows us the ability to capture an image. 
Students will explore different ways in which to use both 
artificial and natural light to manipulate how their 
photographs display emotions and moods.  
  
Assessment AS Learning: Lighting Assignment 

Lesson 5 - Aperture and Shutter Speed  A lesson reserved for experimentation of the concepts 
learned: Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed are particularly 
difficult elements to understand in a beginner photography 
class and therefore no assessment is required. The students 
will learn how each of these elements affects the exposure 
(how much light strikes the film or digital sensor) of their 
photographs. They will also experiment with capturing 
motion, and focusing on subjects.  

Remainder of Unit - Culminating  The final project is an opportunity for students to capture 
photographs related to a particular theme of choice using the 
techniques and skills learned throughout the unit. Students 
will create a series of 10 photographs in portfolio format with 
a written statement attached.  
 
Assessment OF Learning: Final Project Photographic Series