The letters do not have to be captured in order.

Students cannot stage their photos or retouch their findings.

They may not take photos of actual letters.

Students must look for objects and shapes that resemble letters.

The parameters of the project are simple: This way, they stay focused on looking for the letters instead of playing with the camera. For this project, I typically have students use iPads to take the photos. This Digital Photo-bet project takes time and hones students’ patience along with their observational and organizational skills. The very first project we do in my middle school photography class involves locating the twenty-six letters of the alphabet in our surroundings. Scavenger hunts are a great way to help them focus during these periods of newfound freedom. Starting off with projects to build these skills is crucial! Here are 2 engaging projects I use with my beginning middle school photography students.īeing able to leave the confines of the classroom is a big draw of photography classes, especially for middle schoolers. In addition, we must help students discover a new way of looking and learn to see all of the details they’ve been missing. It’s important to show students taking a good photo involves more than a click of a button. However, when they try to translate their social media skills to photography class, many of them realize their skills aren’t quite as sharp as they thought. These days, students can snap selfies and photos anytime, with little planning or thought.

I think a big reason for this is because students think it’s so easy to take pictures.

Photography is one of the most popular electives in my school.

Photostory projects