The decisive moment

In this activity, children will mentally break up events into stages and try to describe an event with a single picture that captures the gist of the event best. The activity encourages visual-motor skills, anticipation, and planning.

Learning outcomes

Competencies
- Motor competence: visual-motor coordination, quickness
- Cognitive competence: anticipation, planning, understanding what is essential and what is less important
Target group
5 years and up
- Work in pairs
Required materials
- Camera
Materials
- Examples of photographies

Download
(.pdf 258.15 KB)

Description of the activity (step by step)

Preparation:

Talk to children about the stages of different activities/events (e.g.: meeting a friend, coming to kindergarten, eating, board games, playing with a ball, an object falling to the ground, jumping in the air, etc.). Each of these activities can be broken down in stages. In the case of coming to the kindergarten that could be for example entering through the door, taking off the shoes and jacket, saying by to parents, and greeting other children and teachers. Together, try to describe the key pictures (scenes) in the sequences of events and try to determine the most important moment which captures the event best. Search online, and then together watch the photos that best encompass the story and dynamics of the captured moment.

Implementation:

Children are divided into pairs. Choose an activity they would like to document. One half of the pair is the photographer and the other is tasked with carrying out the activity. The children eventually swap roles. The child assuming the role of the photographer is always looking to capture the key moment.

Reflection:

Review the photographs, discuss them, and then pick the ones that best fit the concept of the decisive moment.

Variations and additional ideas

Take a series of photographs, which will serve as instructions for carrying out activities together with the text (e.g. proper handwashing)

Background information and didactical perspective

In photography, pressing the shutter button at the right moment is very important, as well as capturing the moment in time that most convincingly describes a certain event, tells a story, and touches the viewer emotionally.

Experience from kindergartens:

All the children were in the roles of photographer and model during the day in performing their activities of the daily routine. They photographed free play, washing, sweeping, tidying up, construction play, and took a lot of photos. We then looked at the footage and the children chose the key ones that they found important for the new activity. Most often, they chose a funny moment with a funny hairstyle, dress or movement of an individual; something special in a series of photos of a certain activity.

Short description of the topic