Lesson 1: Differences between lenses
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
Students will differentiate between lens mounts and focal lengths specific to their camera. Students will understand the basic principles of types of lenses. For example students will be able to define the difference between a Prime lens (fixed) and a Zoom lens (variable)
What type of mount does your camera have?
What is the length of the lens?
What is the difference between a prime lens and a zoom lens.
What is the specific advantage of a prime lens over a zoom lens in low-light situations?
Wide Angle
Standard / Kit lens
Telephoto
macro
Prime
zoom
Ef mount-types of mounts
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The sat connection is
Scientific Literacy. Students apply principles of optics, specifically how aperture affects light intake and Depth of Field.
Command of Evidence (Reading/Writing)Students must use technical data (focal length, $f$-number) as evidence to justify their choice of lens for a specific scenario (e.g., "I chose a 10mm lens because I needed the widest field of view").
The purpose of this lesson is to enable students to transition from passive consumers of images to intentional creators of imagery by understanding the technical and artistic implications of lens selection on a Canon T7.
DOK 1 (Recall): Identifying lens types (Prime vs. Zoom, EF vs. EF-S) and definitions of technical terms.
DOK 2 (Skill/Concept): Calculating the 1.6x crop factor and setting up the camera based on lighting conditions or desired composition.
DOK 3 (Strategic Thinking): Justifying the choice of a specific lens based on desired artistic outcome (e.g., "Using a 50mm lens at $f/1.8$ will isolate the subject by creating bokeh").
real-world, culturally relevant connections are to help students understand why lens selection matters in modern visual culture.
Students often believe that a higher focal length number (e.g., 300mm) automatically makes a lens "better" because it brings subjects closer.
For Novice Learners (Scaffolding)Lens "Cheat Sheet": Provide a small, printed card that fits in their camera bag mapping focal lengths to uses.
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