What Are the Elements of Visual Literacy?

Images are all around us. We see images in books, in advertisements, in social media posts… And they all have their own story to tell! Being able to “read” these visual texts with the same skill and nuance as written texts is essential in the modern world.

One of the ways that students can do this effectively is by learning the “language” of visual texts. To help your students learn this language, the Teach Starter team has created this set of ten elements of visual literacy worksheets. Each worksheet features a carefully selected photo and four guided questions that prompt students to consider one key visual element, such as layout, shot, angle, modality, salience, color, texture, gaze, symbolism or vector. By focusing on one element at a time, students can develop a deep understanding of how each technique influences the story told by the image.  

Read on to learn more about using this elements of visual literacy resource with your students.

Creative Ways to Teach the Elements of Visual Literacy 

These elements of visual literacy worksheets can be used in a variety of ways to engage your students. Here are some ideas for extending your students’ learning while using this resource: 

• Visual Literacy Station Rotation – Set up learning stations where each station focuses on one element (e.g. layout at Station 1, salience at Station 2). Students rotate through the stations in small groups, completing a different worksheet at each one and discussing their responses together.
• Find That Feature – After completing each worksheet, encourage the students to look through fiction and nonfiction books to find images that feature the visual element they have just learned about. These can be shared with the class or displayed on a class bulletin board.
• Create Your Own –  After completing the full set of worksheets, challenge the students to take their own photo and write four questions about one visual element, mimicking the format of the worksheets. Students can then swap these with a partner and answer each other’s questions.

Download Now to Explore the Elements of Visual Literacy

Getting your hands on this low-prep, curriculum-aligned visual literacy resource is simple!

Use the Download button above to access either the quick-print PDF or the editable Google Slides version of this resource. (Note: If you choose the Google Slides file, you will be prompted to make a copy of it on your personal drive before opening.)

You now have ten ready-made activities that can be used immediately or slotted into your existing literacy and visual arts units.

This resource was created by Samantha Rose, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Resources for Teaching Visual Literacy

Are you looking for more visual literacy resources to use in your ELA lessons? Click below for a great sample of teacher-made, curriculum-aligned activities!

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Visual Literacy Analysis Slide Deck

Teach visual literacy analysis using this comprehensive slide deck featuring 20 stimulus images, each accompanied by thought-provoking question prompts.

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Visual Literacy Worksheets

Enhance critical thinking with visual literacy worksheets that guide students to analyze images, infer meaning and explore how pictures tell powerful stories.

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Visual Literacy Techniques Poster Pack

Teach your students how to uncover hidden meanings in images with this vibrant set of Visual Literacy Technique Posters!