Teaching Young Children

Scootersbabygirl

Hi! I haven't posted on this section of the forum before but I'd really appreciate some advice! At my children's school they do an after school program, and the leader got me to start a photography club/class for children grades 4 - 8. I've got TONS of ideas for what to do with them once the cameras for the class come in, but they won't be in until next week and I have a class this week that I have to run with them without any cameras. Any thoughts on some fun things I can teach kids when I don't have any cameras?

OffTopic

How about some basic composition tips and have them look through magazines (haha, is that old school? maybe they can look on the computer!) for images that demonstrate the different principles...leading lines, symmetry, patterns, framing, perspective, rule of thirds...

ziggy53

I'm with Lori on this.

Start with some basics on the "art" involved, and explanations on how concepts like composition came to be. For this age group, 4-8 year-olds, that means lots of visuals.

Print some examples of good versus bad, let them make choices, then explain what makes one image better than another.

Use on-line virtualizations* of focal length and aperture differences and shutter speed differences to drive home the concepts in a simple way. (This will work better with the older children to be sure.)

Demonstrate the difference between color and B&W photography, and show examples of when to use each.

The above should easily cover a single class.

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*http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/

http://www.kamerasimulator.se/eng/?page_id=2

http://www.photonhead.com/simcam/

http://lens-reviews.com/Technical-Talk/Technical-Talk/lens-field-of-view-visualisation-tool.html

Moving Pictures

I'd focus on the basic concept of "get closer. Way, way closer."

deb22

Hi, hope things went well! If you run into the no camera problem again [next year maybe] go to your dollar store and buy one of those BIG PLASTIC FLOWERS, It is great for this age group to learn perspective and a lot of fun as they get to lie on their backs and 'pretend to shoot up' or straight on etc. They like to visually see things and those flowers work great to learn colour contrast as well. In this age group you need big things with big colour to capture their attention. Good luck, it is tons of fun.