Big Idea: Journeys - Lesson Plan - Photoshop and Visual Journeys

Oct 22, 2026

Lesson materials centered on the Big Idea “Journeys,” guiding students to think about what journeys are, when they begin and end, and how they lead to change. The plan connects life journeys to media through three Photoshop-based activities: manipulating images to shift meaning for a school-appropriate social issue, writing and designing three journey postcards to show beginning, middle, and end, and building a visual map route using daily photographs, with structured assessment criteria for participation, completion, and Photoshop proficiency.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Key Concepts

Key Questions

Lesson 1

Goal and Objective

Materials Needed

Anticipatory Set

Instruction

Assessment

Lesson 2

Objective

Materials Needed

Instructions

Assessment

Lesson 3

Objective

Materials Needed

Instructions

Carrie Schoenborn Molly Switalski Big Idea: Journeys What are types of journeys that people travel in life? Are all journeys physical journeys? What defines a journey? How do we know when a journey is over? Where do you go on a journey? When does a journey begin? What did you do on your journey? Did your journey take any unexpected turns? Key Concepts We take many journeys in life. There are many types of journeys, some physical and some not. Not all journeys have a definite beginning and end. A journey involves movement of some kind. Journeys result in changes. A journey fulfills a desire or solves a problem. Key Questions What physical journeys have you taken in life? What other types of journeys have you taken in life? Where have these journeys lead you? Why did you take these journeys? Lesson 1 Goal: The goal is to make students aware the basics of Photoshop, and how the meanings of images change through juxtaposition and manipulation. Objective: To have students use their Photoshop capabilities and work collaboratively in groups to change the meaning of an image by alteration and addition with other images through means of Photoshop tools. Materials Needed: -Magazines -Computer lab -Photoshop software Anticipatory Set: Have celebrity magazines on the students' desks that are school appropriate. Have them take a few minutes to look through them. Follow up by having a short discussion how and why images are enhanced through computer manipulation. Ask them how the computer enhancement creates different meanings to the viewers. Instruction Have students get into groups of 3-4 people. Have each group find an image online that deals with a social issue. They must add at least two other images and use four different Photoshop tools to change the meaning to create one new manipulated image. Tell the students that the context must be school appropriate. Assessment: Students will present their group project and explain to the rest ofthe class how they changed the meaning of the original image and what tools they used. They must explain why they added/subtracted the elements in the work that help to convey the meaning(s) in the manipulated image. 15 points for student participation. 10 points each for student group project completion. Lesson 2 Objective: --Students will write about one or two problems they have had in life and the journey that problem lead them on.--Students will use Photoshop to create 3 postcards that represent different parts of that journey. Materials Needed: --worksheet --writing utensil --computer with Photoshop --printer --images (brought from home, found images or a combination) Instructions: A journey is not always something physical. Often times a journey can begin in our life without us even knowing it. We may even complete an entire journey and not realize it until after it is over. We may go on a journey to try to fulfill a desire we have or we may need to go on a journey in order to solve a problem. You are going to use this worksheet to think about some of the journeys you have taken in life. Then you will use Photoshop to create three postcards that tell about your journey. REMEMBER: THIS IS A SCHOOL PROJECT. KEEP ALL INFORMATION AND REPRESENTATIONS APPROPRIATE. DO NOT USE NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THIS SCHOOL WITHOUT THEIR PRIOR CONSCENT. List some problems that you have had in life. Choose two or three of the problems/desires listed above and elaborate on them using the following questions. How did the problem begin? What are some things that happened as a result of this problem? Were there any failed attempts to solve this problem? Has the problem been resolved? If so, how? Any other important steps that occurred on this journey? After students have completed the worksheet they will choose one of the problems that they elaborated on that they find the most interesting. They must choo

FAQs

What is the lesson Big Idea about?

The Big Idea “Journeys” explores what kinds of journeys people take in life, what defines a journey, and how journeys can be physical or not.

Do journeys always have a definite beginning and end?

No. The materials state that not all journeys have a definite beginning and end, and a journey can begin without someone realizing it.

What do students do in Lesson 1 with Photoshop?

Students work in groups to find an online image about a social issue, add at least two more images, and use four different Photoshop tools to create one manipulated image with a changed meaning.

Oct 22, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan