Forced Perspective Photography with TOYS!

Photo Cred: Levi C.

Background Information: I love to use this lesson with the intro photography classes. This lesson helps introduce students to point of view and how photography can alter the audience's reality. My daughter was ever-so nice to donate her old plastic toys for my students to use. If you don't have a bunch of miniature toys laying around, the dollar store usually has plenty--even army men! To start this lesson off, I hand each student a random surprise toy--obviously with the message that they cannot keep it. This is usually followed by a few moans and groans. I show students a few examples of how angles can distort the viewer's reality through the use of forced perspective.	Learning Objectives: The student will learn how forced perspective is used in the photography and film industry to distort the audience's reality of size. The student will create original photographs using the technique of forced perspective. The student will reflect upon their own photographs. The student will provide feedback to their self and their peers.
TEKS (Art II): 1A. Consider concepts and themes for personal artwork that integrate an extensive range of visual observations, experiences, and imagination 2E. Collaborate to create original works of art 2F. Create artwork, singularly and in a series, by selecting from a variety of art materials 4B. Evaluate and analyze artwork using a method of critique such as describing the artwork, analyzing the way it is organized, interpreting the artist's intention, and evaluating the success of the artwork 4C. Analyze personal artwork in order to create a written response such as an artist's statement reflecting intent, inspiration, the elements of art and principles of design within the artwork, and the measure of uniqueness	Anchor Standards: Anchor Standard #1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Anchor Standard #2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Anchor Standard #3: Refine and complete artistic work. Anchor Standard #4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation. Anchor Standard #7: Perceive and analyze artistic work. Anchor Standard #9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Enduring Understandings: Creativity and innovative thinking are essential life skills that can be developed. Artists and designers shape artistic investigations, following or breaking with traditions in pursuit of creative artmaking goals. Artist and designers develop excellence through practice and constructive critique, reflecting on, revising, and refining work over time. People evaluate art based on various criteria.	Essential Questions: How does collaboration expand the creative process? How does collaboratively reflecting on a work help us experience it more completely? How do images influence our views of the world?
Project Duration: (1-2 Days) Introduction to forced perspective: 10 minutes Handing out props: 3 minutes Shooting Time: 25 minutes Editing and Uploading: 20-30 minutes (pending wifi stability) Reflection: 20 minutes Beach Ball Critique: 30-45 minutes	Reflection Questions: Do you think your overall images are successful? Why or why not? What do you think you did well in your images? What could you improve on in your images? What difficulties did you have when creating your images? What would you change if you could reshoot? Will you use this technique in your future artistic practices?
Project Extensions: Students may photoshop environments around their images to enhance the overall finished product.	Differentiation: Students may work in pairs to help with posing and focus. Students may have to borrow other's devices depending on focusing capabilities. Students may have examples from class readily available when shooting images.

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