Photography · Week 14 · Portraits, People, and Ethics
Ethics of Photographing People
Students examine consent, privacy, and dignity in street and news photography and write a personal code for photographing people.
- Students will
- Students analyze consent, privacy, and dignity in sample photographs and write three rules for their own code of photographing people.
- SEL skill
- Weigh who could be affected before choosing to photograph or post
- What it looks like
- Students practice responsible decision-making by weighing safety, fairness, and consequences before taking a photo of someone.
- Content focus
- Ethics of photographing people
- Format
- Small group problem-solving
Responsible decision-making
Responsible decision-making means choosing in a caring, constructive way by thinking about ethics, safety, and the consequences for others. More responsible decision-making activities
What you get
A teacher guide with what to say, step by step, plus student pages and a supports page for students with diverse learning needs, including those with IEPs. Print or Project it, or assign it in Google Forms and Google Docs for Google Classroom. Your first 10 activities are free.
Standards
- MA:Cn11.1.HSI: Media Arts, Connecting, Anchor Standard 11 (Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding), High School Proficient
- Artistic process: Connecting
- Level: High School Proficient
More responsible decision-making activities for Photography
- Golden Hour in the Desert Responsible decision-makingStudents plan a shoot around desert light and heat, deciding when and where they can photograph safely.
- Choosing the Best Frame Responsible decision-makingStudents evaluate a contact sheet against criteria and choose their strongest frame with reasons.
- Editing Honestly Responsible decision-makingStudents decide which edits improve an image and which would mislead viewers, especially in news and documentary work.
- Before You Post Responsible decision-makingStudents compare ways to share photos online and weigh audience, privacy, and digital footprint before posting.
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RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.