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Shoot Four: The Seasons
Susan Linda Wrightson
Ramon C. Cobbs Elementary School, New Castle, Delaware
Subject: Science
Grade: 1
"In preparation for each of the four photographic excursions,
the children were instructed in what to look for to capture the
essence of a season [on film]....[and they] showed great interest
in learning about the camera."
Purpose and Description of Project
Susan Wrightson used photography to teach her students to identify
the four seasons. Students took their photos of seasonal landscapes,
trees, and plants, and people wearing appropriate outer apparel
and participating in typical outdoor activities. The photos were
then used in class to reinforce their knowledge of the seasons.
Activities
The first graders had weekly one-hour photo lessons from January
through mid-May. In preparation, the Delaware Art Museum loaned
Wrightson an exhibit of artwork. Comparing and contrasting the
photos and paintings proved to be a helpful activity. Students
talked about what to look for outside to capture the essence of
a season. The school provided each student with a
camera
which they could take apart and put back together. They used the
cameras to learn camera parts and to take filmless practice shots.
Wrightson helped them learn to use the "class camera,"
and again they practiced without film. Three Kodak
slide/tape presentations on how to take good photos and achieve
good composition offered helpful tips prior to the actual photo
activities.
The first two field trips were made in January and the last two
in May. Each trip around the school grounds took about an hour
as each student took one photo of the landscape, people involved
in outdoor activities, appropriately dressed people, or trees
and plants. The photography excursions were followed by a day
of evaluation. Wrightson selected student photos to use in identifying,
sequencing, matching, and comparing activities.
Materials, Resources, and Expenses
The art reproductions from the Delaware Art Museum were free,
while the Kodak presentations cost only the necessary postage.
Outcomes and Adaptability
After using the students' photos for evaluation activities, Wrightson
found her class could identify seasons and match season with appropriate
outdoor apparel with 80% accuracy. They were even more successful
in sequencing seasonal photos and matching season with appropriate
outdoor activity.
As for the motivational success of the unit, the students enjoyed
taking and working with the photos. "Every Thursday afternoon
many children asked if we would be having photography class today."
Their photos would prove useful for future science classes because
the first graders succeeded in their photographic efforts. The
activity could be expanded to a full year in order to cover all
seasons, rather than just winter and spring. Wrightson also recommends
the project for higher elementary grades, with each student preparing
an individual album of the four seasons, complete with written
descriptions. If four distinct seasonal changes do not occur in
a particular area, students could photograph animal behavior,
holiday celebrations, or crop changes.