- Definition
Cropping means cutting out the extra parts of a picture to make the main subject stand out more or to make the photo look better.
Cropping a family photo to remove the messy background focuses the picture on the people.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Cropping is like using your hands to make a little window to look through, so you only see the most interesting part of a scene.
Ask your child: If you could only keep one part of this picture, which part would you choose?
Common mix-up: Kids may think cropping is just about making a picture smaller. It's a thoughtful choice to guide the viewer's eye to the most important part of the image.
Examples
- On a tablet, pinching and zooming to reframe a photo before you save it.
- Cutting a magazine picture to only show the dog, not the whole park around it.
cropping is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
