Lesson

4: Lay out / Positioning

Inquiry Question: What does layout of images mean and how does it contribute to our understanding of text?
Learning Intention: (Taken from achievement standards/Learning Progressions):
Students understand how images influence interpretations of characters, settings and events.

Receptive: COMPREHENDING Productive: COMPOSING
Success Criteria:
I can recognise the foreground, middle ground and I can write about lay out and positioning of images and demonstrate
background of an image my understanding of their importance in making meaning of images
I can articulate my understanding of why layout and
positioning are important features of images.
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model- Teaching Strategies:
Familiarising Modelling Sharing Guiding Working Independently
Display a large group Foreground, middle Draw two lines across Give each child a picture Hand out a picture book to
photo (staff photo) ground and back ground. the picture to separate from a magazine. Ask them each child. Ask them to find
each area. to draw two lines across an image that has a
Ask the children if they Resource 1: Display the the picture as previously foreground, middle ground
have ever been in a large image from the book shown and cut across the and background.
group photo. Mirror by Jeannie Baker. lines.
How were you all Divide their page into three
positioned? some at the What images appear On the three large sheets
sections as below and write
front, middle and back. closer to you? introduce Explain that this is a of paper displayed have what they see in each
the word foreground general rule for the children glue each section. Anything that is
Take a class photo. Have distinguishing what is in portion of the image under overlapping will need to be
some children close to What images are in the each area. Point out that the correct heading. included in both parts.
you, some in the middle of middle? Middle ground some images overlap Foreground Middle background When they have completed
ground
the room and others at into different areas. this they are to highlight the
the back. Explain to the What images appear part of the image that is

class that you will display further away? Back Discuss how the layout most salient.
the photo on the white ground and positioning of Foreground
car
board later in the lesson. images impacts the person
viewers connection with, Middle ground
person
interpretation and
Display the class photo dog
understanding of the and discuss layout and
Back ground
tree
image. positioning

mountain

I do You watch I do You help You do I help You do I watch