Grab a camera and take creative photos of your local community through nature’s eyes; a bird’s eye, the world through a tree’s branches, or the perspective of an insect.
Develop digital, artistic, and photography skills while exploring environmental storytelling and seeing ecosystems from new perspectives.
Choose a nearby area (both natural and urban will work) large enough for students to spread out and be able to make different kinds of pictures.
Inform students that they will go outside, so they can bring proper shoes, clothing and a phone/camera.
Introduce the activity
Explain point of view (POV) photography and how students can imagine seeing the world through the eyes of an animal, insect, or plant. Share simple ideas such as:
Choose a topic
Students select an environmental theme (e.g. invasive species, soil health, flooding, biodiversity, waste) and think about how to show it from nature’s perspective.
Plan and take photos
Encourage students to plan their idea, then use their phones or cameras to take creative photos. Remind them to consider framing, angle, and lighting, and to stay safe outdoors.
Add a short story
Each student picks their best photo and writes a short caption (max. 100 words) explaining the POV and environmental theme. The text can also be a poem.
Reflect in class
Lead a discussion and ask questions such as:
How did you choose to represent your environmental topic through your photos?
What story or message do you think your images communicate about the environment?
Did taking photos from a different perspective change the way you see the natural world? How so?
What surprised you or stood out to you while capturing your images?
If someone else looked at your photos, what do you hope they would notice or feel?
Share and exhibit
Before exhibiting, students can share their work wit each other, and use the method of Two Stars and a Wish in order to improve the poem/text a little more. Adding the method of A New Perspective or See – Feel – Understand helps students to fully appreciate and reflect on each others pictures.
Display the photos and captions on a classroom gallery wall or as a digital exhibition. The exhibition can also be presented to the wider school community.
| Engage | Create |