Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Unit Title: Photovoice for Student Choice

Lesson: 3 of 10

Lesson Title:
Ethics in Research and Research Photography

Lesson Background:
Students have learned Photovoice is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology.
Students need to know what they ethics are involved in this type of qualitative research, because
it involves humans and possibly photographing people. Students also need to revisit how their
digital footprint will impact their future job employment and how they impact the digital
footprint of others. Therefore, students will need to become familiar with the human photo
release form and who needs to sign each form based on who they are photographing and how.
Students will learn why it is important to build trust and confidentiality with who they are
participating in research and photographing.

Lesson Objectives:
1. Explore what it means to act in an ethical manner – to act in ways that do no harm to
others.
2. Student explore what it means to act ethically while conducting research. There should be
increased awareness that there may be unintended harmful consequences on others while
conducting research.
3. Students should learn how to plan to avoid hurting others while conducting research.
4. Photographing humans is intrusive and disrespectful if consent is not given to take and
use images in research or publish images on social media.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to plan ahead and consider multiple perspectives when researching with
humans.
2. Learn how to respect the confidentiality of other students in the class as their opinions
and ideas are shared for Photovoice data.
3. Learn how to be ethical and respectful when photographing humans.
4. Learn how to gain consent when photographing others and appropriately signed photo
release forms if the photos containing humans will reveal their identity.
5. Learn how digital footprints impact future employment or other opportunities.

Key Words:
Photovoice, Participatory Action Research, Perspectives, Ethical Behavior, Confidentiality,
Photo Release Form
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Grade Level: 6-8 Timing: 95 Minutes (2 Periods)

Related Activities: Materials:

Introduction to Photovoice; Connecting with
Research Issues
Photo Release Consent Form
Ethics Case Studies (Hand-Outs Attached)
Flip Chart Paper
Markers
Photovoice Unit Google Slides #26-29

Setting: Classroom

Standards:
CTE:
Communication
2.6 Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of digital media information and
communications technologies.

Career Planning and Management

3.8 Understand how digital media are used by potential employers and postsecondary agencies to
evaluate candidates.

Responsibility and Flexibility

7.4 Practice time management and efficiency to fulfill responsibilities
7.5 Apply high-quality techniques to product or presentation design and development.

Ethics and Legal Responsibilities

8.4 Explain the importance of personal integrity, confidentiality, and ethical behavior in the
workplace.
8.7 Conform to rules and regulations regarding sharing of confidential information, as
determined by Agriculture and Natural Resources sector laws and practices.

Leadership and Teamwork

9.10 Understand how to organize and structure work, individually and in teams, for effective
performance and the attainment of goals.
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Next Generation Science Standards:

Featured Practice Featured Disciplinary Core Ideas
Crosscutting
Concept

Asking Questions & Defining N/A Links among science,

Problems engineering, technology, and
Obtaining Evaluating and society
Communicating Information

CCSS:

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

English Language Arts Standards

⚓ Anchor Standards → College and Career Readiness

Reading
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7, & SL.1
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words and orally.

Speaking and Listening

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of
reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Language
Conventions of Standard English:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW (Learning Cycle)

Ethics in Research and Research Learning Cycle Stages Estimated Time
Photography

A. Don’t Take my Picture! Invitation and Reflection 10 Minutes

B. Acting Up and Acting Out the Scenario! Concept Invention 40-50 Minutes

C. Reflection 15 Minutes

D. Photo Release Consent Form 10 Minutes

E. Ethical Research Principles 20 Minutes

Total 95-105 Minutes

Preparation:
 Make enough copies of the “Scenarios Handout”
 Flip Chart Paper for each group

Activity
Part I (Day 1)
A. Don’t Take my Picture!
Slide # 26

1. Students should respond to the following prompt in their field journal:

a. Describe a time when someone you know took your picture when you did not
want them to.
b. What was the situations? How did you feel?
c. Describe a time when a stranger took a picture of you. What was the situation?
How did you feel? Did they ask your permission or not?

B. Acting Up and Acting Out the Scenario!

1. Count students off to get them into groups of four (4).

2. Give the students a number from 1 – 5 .
3. Try to get equal genders as you count.
4. Each group sits at a different table number; 1 – 5.
5. Students read their assigned scenarios and decide who will act out which part.
6. Students act out what happened in the scenario.
7. Then the students discuss the following questions after each scenario:
a. How would you feel in each person’s shoes?
b. What is the photographer saying with this picture?
c. Does the photographer have permission to take the picture?
d. Is the photographer respecting the person?
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

e. What are the risks of unintended consequences in taking this picutre?

f. What are the benefits of taking this picture?
g. What can the photographer influence with this picture?

Part II (Day 2)
C. Reflection
Slide #27
a. Are there any circumstances where we want to create (stage) a picture?
b. What are the advantages of photographing candid events?
c. Are there ways we can capture a candid picture and get consent?
d. How can we make sure we aren’t taking advantage of people?

Do a whole Class Discussion

D. Photo Release Consent Form

Slide # 28
1. Have students read the consent form
2. Have students discuss the situations in which the form must be signed.
3. Give each student 1 Photo Release Consent form at this point to past into their field
journal.
4. Go over the Photo Question Guidelines
a. Do I have consent to take pictures? IF NO – GET CONSENT
b. Am I respecting this person’s and their privacy?
c. Are there any circumstances where I/we want to create (stage) a picture?
DON’T STAGE PICTURES
d. What are the advantages/disadvantages/risks of photographing this event?
e. Are there ways I/we can capture a candid picture and get consent?
f. How can we make sure we aren’t taking advantage of people?
g. Who/What can I influence by taking this photgraph?
h. Does this photograph help me answer the research question?

E. Defining Ethical Behavior: QFT

1. Brainstorm Ethical Behavior in Response to the Photo Prompt; Slides #29 &30
2. Use flipchart paper to make an “Ethical Research Respect Agreement”
3. Take a photograph of the respect agreement and print it out.
4. Have all students sign the respect agreement and give them the signed respect agreement
to paste into their field journal.

Misconceptions
 Students may not understand how important it is to respect people’s privacy and conserve
confidentiality.
 Students may feel sharing the ideas of others is not a breach of confidentiality when the
ideas are shared publically in class.
 Students may feel it is ok to take pictures of people if the person does not know about the
photograph.
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Assessment
Formative:
 Check for understanding during scenario acting and discussion questions.
 Ethical Research Respect Agreement

Summative:
 Ethics Scenario Quiz

Accommodations:
Adjust lessons according to specific IEP/504 plans.
Monitor student progress and troubleshoot with those who are struggling with understanding
how to analyze the scenarios.

Hand-Outs
1. Ethics Case Studies
2. Photo Release Form
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Ethics Case Studies

Scenario 1

Teachers Research:
A teacher wants to know who many different types of school supplies she may need to buy for
her students, if any at all. She believes she will need to buy pencils, erasers, or color pencils for
those who occasionally forget to bring materials to school. Also, some students’ families have
been impacted by the recent fires in California and they have lost everything. Then, the teacher
thought it might be a good idea to get these families other types help too. For example, she
thought the families may need anything from a toothbrush, clothing, or even a place to live. The
teacher gave the students a survey to fill out that asked for information, such as the students’
names, ages, if their families lost their homes in the fire, and where they were living now. Once
the teacher looked at the data the students provided, she thought she would help them all by
creating a Go Fund Me account to help all the families based on need. The teacher thought more
people would donate money if she posted the students’ picture, name, and age on the Go Fund
Me website and shared it all over Facebook. The teacher was so excited by how much money she
thought she would be able to get the families.

Act out the teacher and the students to see how both sides feel and come to conclusion what then
next steps should be.

Scenario Two
Student Researchers
The Leadership Class is planning the first dance and rally at school. The students in the class
voted to have a superhero theme. The week of the rally, they have spirit week where different
contests will be taking place at lunch. The students want to use donated money to buy prizes for
the contests, but they can’t agree on what students will like. The students did a research project
and conducted a student survey with questions to help decide prizes everyone would like. After
spirit week, students’ names who won the contests were read during the announcements at
school. The speaker is so loud on campus, even the neighbors close to the school can hear
everything that is read in the bulletin. The students shared every name and grade level of the
contest winners. The students then shared that there were pictures of the events available on the
school’s website and they encouraged everyone to look at them. Pictures were also given to the
principal and then sent home in the principal’s monthly newsletter he emails to everyone in the
community.

Act out the roles of the principal and the student to see how both sides feel and come to
conclusion what then next steps should be.
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Scenario Three

Student Research
The environmental club at school wanted to celebrate all the students for the recent increase in
recycling and decrease in litter on campus. They decided to have a lunch time party with
different types of games. They wanted to promote the event and even take photographs of
students recycling or putting wasted in the trash. They were going to make funny memes from
the photographs to create more hype and positively reinforce the responsible behavior of the
students at school. The students snapped photos of students and teachers. They even went so far
as to get permission to use the photographs in the memes. They wanted to make sure they did not
embarrass anyone, so they had photo-release forms signed too. The schools’ website manager
posted the memes on the school’s website to show off the fun and positive events taking place on
campus.

Act out the roles of the principal and the student to see how both sides feel and come to
conclusion what then next steps should be.

Scenario Four

You are conducting research for a class at school. You are curious about homelessness and how
to help people who are in this situation. As you research, you decide to photograph every
homeless person you see. Avoiding embarrassing the person, you avoid letting the person know
you have taken a picture of them. Suddenly, a person walks up to you and asks you if you just
took a picture of them. You didn’t realize they could see you. The person becomes angry.

State what you do next.

Scenario Five
Student: You are on a street when you see an elderly woman and man stop to light a cigarette.
Thinking this could make a great picture; you pull your camera out and take pictures of them.

Viewpoint of Elderly Woman and Man: You and your elderly sister are walking down the
street. Suddenly, a young middle school student stops and takes a picture of you. You don’t
know the young person and yell to them as they walk away, that you don’t want your picture
taken.

What should both parties in this scenario do next?

Scenario Six

Photographer: You are outside walking to the bathroom. As you walk past a class, you see into
a classroom where there are several students asleep on their desks and a student on their phone
behind a book while the teacher is talking. You have been looking for pictures of positive and
negative classroom teaching. You take several pictures from just outside the doorway.
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Teacher: You are trying to teach students about the video game Fortnite. The lesson includes
secret tips on how and where to land. You see some students looking at the door and there is a
student there taking pictures and running away. One of the students tells the teacher who the
student was running away. You let the principal know about the students’ behavior.

Scenario Seven

Photographer: You are sitting at home watching TV with your older siblings and your parent,
and grandparent. You have been doing a Photovoice project that is supposed to capture one day
in your life. As part of this, everyone in your house has signed a photo release that says you can
photograph anything. Your older sibling and your parent/grandparent start to argue. As the
argument grows more explosive, you start to take pictures.

Older Sibling: You are in a bad mood already and when your parents and grandparent keeps
asking you about cleaning up the kitchen even though you said you’d do it tonight, you are tired
of it. You start to yell at your family and then your brother or sister starts taking pictures of you
and your family.

Parent/Grandparent: You expected that the kitchen would already be clean when you got home
from work, but it’s still a mess. Your son/grandson/daughter/granddaughter keeps watching TV
as if they can’t hear you ask about the dirty kitchen. You’re tired and angry.

Scenario Eight

Photographer: Your best friend has diabetes and takes insulin injections as needed daily. You
have been friends since first grade. One day after school you are at his house and see him inject
the insulin. He usually does this privately in his room, but he left the door open and you can see
what he is doing. Also, this is the first time you have ever seen anyone have to do give
themselves and injections. It’s pretty impressive and brave for a middle school kid do this and
you’re proud of your friend’s courage. Because your friend signed the photo release form you
take out the camera and snap a photo of him. You figure he does not mind because he is giving
the injection to himself in front of you already. You think this is great way to build awareness
and compassion for those who have the disease. Your friend has no idea you snapped a picture.

Friend: As you take your insulin injection, you feel like you are being watched. You look back
to see if anyone is there but don’t notice anyone. You shake of the paranoid feeling and put the
insulin back where it belongs. You run out to have fun with your friend who has been waiting for
you in the room.
Lessons Adapted from YPAR

Photo Release Form

I agree to have the photo # ______ used in the Photovoice Research project at school.

I am at least 18 years of age or older: Yes No

Parent/Guardian Signature Participant Signature Age

Print Parent/Guardian Signature Print Participant Name

Photo Release Form

I agree to have the photo # ______ used in the Photovoice Research project at school.

I am at least 18 years of age or older: Yes No

Parent/Guardian Signature Participant Signature Age

Print Parent/Guardian Signature Print Participant Name