Elementary Students | Grades: k-5 (Ages 5-11)
Secondary Students | Grades: 6-12
(Ages 12-18)
In this resource, we'll review the best practices in gathering, producing and using image assets in our lesson production. Several of these practices are unique to certain grade levels, while others apply across the board and even into video production. Knowing how all the pieces come together will not only help us communicate better, but it will unify our efforts in producing the best quality content for our students.
Lesson development is multifaceted and there are often many hands that touch the project. (Authors, SMEs, Instructional Designers, Copy Editors, Video Producers, Graphic Designers and Developers.) We are all human and we all have a unique perspective on life and our work. To help streamline the expectations of our company and unify our product, we've put together several resources to make sure we have as much consistency as possible.
Elementary Students | Grades: k-5 (Ages 5-11)
Secondary Students | Grades: 6-12
(Ages 12-18)
To get started, let's look at some imagery standards for our course content. Click through each tab to see specific information on each topic.
Most middle and high schools have a dress code governing what students can and cannot wear. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 15 percent of America's high/combined schools have strict dress codes requiring school uniforms; however, other schools still have many rules and regulations for appropriate clothing.
Images depicting people should not be provocative or distracting. Since this means different things to different people, it's best to use the most common public school dress codes, for all grade levels, when selecting images or video clips.
- Shorts, skirts and dresses should be around knee-length.
- Necklines must be modest. Necklines that should not expose cleavage or too much of the chest.
- Shirts, tops, and dresses should have sleeves and not overtly accentuate the curvature of the body in a suggestive manner. Spaghetti straps, strapless tops, muscle shirts, off-shoulder shirts, and tank tops are not allowed in many school guidelines, particularly when they expose the entire shoulder or bra strap for girls and chest or abdominal sides for boys.
- No midriff exposure. All parts of the stomach and back must be fully covered without pulling or tugging.
- Sleeveless tops are acceptable if undergarments are not exposed, and the clothing meets other modesty standards of midriffs and necklines.
- Swimwear for females should be one piece and shirts should be worn by males when not in or around water.
- Clothing should not overtly display name brands or logos.
Exceptions to the dress code standards are made for:
- historical imagery
- culturally specific imagery
- health/medical imagery
- fine art imagery
In these cases, the use of imagery that does not adhere to the dress code standards should be relevant to the course content and non-explicit in nature.
Depicting diversity goes well beyond skin tone. Diversity includes different:
- religions
- cultures
- abilities
- disabilities
- genders
- body types
- and physical features
We want our course images to be as inclusive as possible and we can do this by being mindful in some of the decisions we make. Additionally, context matters, especially in courses like social studies or history. Before changing any course images, check with your ID to ensure the images selected are not specific to course/lesson content.
Generally speaking, vector images are used most in k-5 course and photographs are more commonly seen in 6-12. When creating/composing imagery for development and video production, keep the following points in mind.
- Image appropriateness - Is the dress code being met?
- Age appropriateness - Are students being depicted at or around the same age as the students who will be taking the course?
- Diversity representation - is there an opportunity for better inclusivity?
- Stereotypes - Do these images perpetuate stereotypes of people, cultures, or genders?
- Image size/orientation - Will the images being requested fit in the context of the interactive they are being requested for?
- Illustration/image quality - Is the illustration/image style consistent with other images being used in the lesson/course?
The depiction of violence, weapons, alcohol, drugs, or tobacco are avoided in our standard course content. There are many ways to show the concept of war, without the graphic nature of war. Similarly, you can show the effects of drug or tobacco use without depicting the act itself.
Note: There may be exceptions made in health courses or certain secondary courses where specific subject mater is being covered. These instances are rare and should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, the use of name brands and/or recognizable brand figures is prohibited as well to avoid the appearance of product placement, product promotion or sponsorship. If you see an image requested that has an obvious name brand, you can edit the image or find an alternative but always check with your course ID before replacing an image. (There are occasions where specific brands of products are used in the lesson content.)
Editorial Use Images: Editorial photos can also be used for educational purposes, so long as the information presented is educational or factual in nature. Non-editorial images are preferred but should a viable alternative not be available, we are able use editorial images in our course content and video production.
To safeguard the quality and integrity of our course content we have a list of approved asset resources for use in course development. Any assets from resources outside this approved list will require prior approval before they can be used in production.
- Shutterstock (images only)
- Storyblocks
- Wikimedia Commons
- .gov or .edu sites, based in the United States, with proper attribution & prior authorization
Examples: nasa.gov or phet.colorado.edu
If you see assets request from outside this list, double check with your course ID and your manager to make sure the assets can be used in course development.
Below are several images that would not be appropriate in our course content. Click on the image to see a suggested alternative and see if you can determine why the change was made.
