Image and Photo Editing Pupil Activity Pack (Teacher notes)
Pupil Activity Code: EA43 – What is it?
Progression of skills in this pack:
1. Adjust the colours, brightness and contrast to improve a photo.
2. Create a before and after slide in presentation software.
3. Take and crop a screenshot.
4. Add drawing and text layers.
5. Import new images as layers and resize them to fit.
6. Add colour elements to a black and white photo using layers and eraser tools.
7. Use Artificial Intelligence to remove objects from photographs and expand them.
⏱ 3-4 Hours
📝 National Curriculum Content
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals.
🛠 What do pupils and teachers need?
Pupils will need access to the PixLR X website (free and works on all devices), the PixLR E editor and the Image Editing Pupil Activity Pack using the code above.
Google Maps to get the screenshot.
Be Funky website for extension challenge
Optionally for activity 1, pupils can add a before and after image to PowerPoint, Keynote for iPad or Google Slides.
This page and the pupil activity pack also includes an image editing vocabulary poster to help.
Introduction
There are more digital images and photographs taken and used than ever before, mainly because of the quality of cameras on mobile phones. Because of this, more and more photos taken by phones are added to websites and social media. It is important for pupils to understand that the quality of the photos posted online should be the best they can be, especially for professional purposes on company websites. This activity pack teaches pupils how images can be improved in different ways. It also helps pupils to share their understanding of a topic (for this activity pack, map work) using different image editing tools and features. A
Teacher Input
Talk to the pupils about why people would want to improve the quality of photos and images; to make an image clearer, more professional, to remove imperfections (this could be a talking point), add new elements (layers) or maybe merge images together.
Show the pupils the photograph below, which is a before (left) and after (right) editing. Ask the pupils what they notice about the two images and how the right image is improved – more light/brightness in the girls face for example, more colour in the grass and sharpness (notice elements stand out more in the right image).
Please note, if you are showing the image on a projector and whiteboard, the pupils may not be able to see the difference between the photos so you may want to print the image in colour or save it so the pupils can see it on their own screen. The pupil activity pack below also includes an introduction tutorial to image editing.
For the final Artificial Intelligence task, you may want to discuss beforehand how AI can have a positive impact on image editing (improve images etc) and also negative (creating fake images to influence news reports etc.)
Assessment
Pupils should save their improved photo for activity 1, also their presentation for the optional aspect of activity 1 and their annotated screenshot.
Certificates
Below is a certificate of completion for pupils that can be edited in Microsoft Word and printed. This could be awarded if you feel pupils have demonstrated the skills taught in the activities.
Pupil Activity Pack – teacher view
Introduction
Watch the video to learn why people edit photos and how we use them.
1. Adjust colours, contrast and brightness to improve an image
Watch the video to learn how to save the image below and then improve it using the Pixlr X website. Once you have done this, save the new image to your computer. You could also use the videos below to create a before and after slide in PowerPoint, Keynote for iPad or Google Slides.
PowerPoint
Keynote (iPad)
Google Slides
2. Taking a screenshot
Watch the video to learn how to use Google Maps and find an area, such as around your school or famous landmarks (we use London in the video). Use the zoom controls to show the area on the screen then take a screenshot using the information below (or watch the video). Do not worry that your screenshot includes other parts of your screen as we can remove them later.
Windows
Press Windows + PrtScn to save the screen to a file.
Chromebook
Press Ctrl+ Window switch key
iPad
Press the home button and standby button simultaneously to save the screenshot to your iPad’s Photos app (Camera roll).
Mac
Press Command + Shift + 3
4. Add text and drawing layers
Watch the video to learn how to annotate your image with text and drawing layers.
5. Add image layers
Watch the video to ideas and tips to add images layers over your original map image. Add small images of the landmarks on your map.
6. Save
Once you have finished your image then click on save to save the edited image to your computer.
7. Add colour elements to a black and white image.
Watch the video to learn how to add colour elements to a black and white image using the PixLR E editor. Start by using the image below (demonstrated in the video) and then move onto your own image.
Challenge: Use AI to expand an image to change the aspect ratio
Watch the video to learn how to use the Expand AI tool in the Befunky website to expand an image, changing the aspect ratio (e.g. turn a landscape photo into a square photo). Use the sample photos as shown in the video but then try using some of your own.