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?
Kit Lens: EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II (standard zoom, good for general photography).
Portrait/Low-Light: EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (popular, affordable lens for blurred backgrounds and crisp images).
Telephoto Zoom: EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III (good for sports/wildlife).
Wide-Angle: EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM (ideal for landscapes)Wide Angle
Ef mount-types of mounts
Creating (AS.VA:Cr2.1): Demonstrate proficiency in using diverse photography equipment to create original artwork.
Responding (AS.VA:Re7.1): Analyze how different lenses (e.g., a 50mm "nifty fifty" vs. a telephoto zoom) influence the viewer's perception and the mood of a photograph.
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-stop-number) as evidence to justify their choice of lens for a specific scenario (e.g., "I chose a 50mm lens because I wanted to use 1.8 f-stop to blur the background").
The purpose of this lesson is to enable students to start making choices based on their understanding of the technical capabilitues of each lens as well as the artistic implications of lens.
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.
Scenario Portfolio Review & Critique:
students will be given a shooting scenario (e.g., "low light indoor portrait") and have them select the best lens from a lineup, such as the 50mm
Students will than present a small portfolio of 3-5 images. They must explain:
Which lens was used (e.g., for a landscape).
The technical rationale (e.g., "I used the 10-18mm to capture a wider angle of view").
The creative outcome (e.g., "The wide-angle exaggerated the distance between the foreground and background").
digtial camera
computer
possible scenario cards or activites
acess to at least 5 different lenses