#4: Photoshop for Fifth Graders: The First Step is Word

Here are the basic skills fifth graders can learn in Photoshop if you’ve prepared them with basic computer skills. I’ve provided links but they aren’t live until publication:

• Photoshop artwork–already live
• Photoshop actions–already live
• Photoshop basics
• Photoshop filter and rendering tools
• Photoshop starters–auto-correct with the auto-correction tools–those quick fixes that make a photo look cleaner (coming up)
• Photoshop crop tool–with the lasso and the magic wand
• Photoshop clone tool– within a picture and to another picture
• Photoshop–change the background (put yourself in front of the Eiffel Tower or on top of Hoover Dam)
• Photoshop tools–add custom shapes

Getting Started

Before we get into Photoshop, we’ll start with a program your fifth grader is most likely comfortable with: MS Word. For basic image editing, Word does a pretty good job, so we’ll start with a project using Word’s tools. Each version of Word has slightly different tools so adapt your lesson to what is available in your school. Plus, if you’re using a different word processor (i.e., Google Docs), adapt this to its tools:

• Open a blank document. Insert a picture with multiple focal points (see samples).
• Duplicate the image once for each focal point.
• Click one image to activate toolbar.
• Crop each duplicate to show just one of the focal points available in the Picture toolbar
• Use other tools available on the toolbar. This will vary, but may include
  • add a border
  • wrap
  • change background
• Rotate picture creatively.
• Resize and move to fit on page
• Test picture effects available
• If you use pictures from the internet, be sure they’re royalty free.

The skills students will learn:

• insert an image
• duplicate image
• activate image toolbar
• crop
• add picture effects as available

I’ve put it all on one page for you if you want to print it out:

Photoshop lesson plans here.

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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.