Lesson Plan
Course Title:
Professional Communications
Session Title: Working with Type
Lesson Duration: Approximately two 90-minute class periods
[Lesson length is subjective and will vary from instructor to instructor]
Performance Objective: Upon completion of this assignment, the student will be able to use
desktop publishing software to create a document according to specified criteria.
Specific Objectives:
1. Review terms associated with typography.
2. Define terms associated with typography.
3. Use desktop publishing software to create a document and set margins and columns, and
add text boxes.
4. Format text.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
§130.99 (c)
(1) The student applies English language arts in professional communications projects. The
student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate use of content, technical concepts, and vocabulary;
(B) use correct grammar, punctuation, and terminology to write and edit documents;
(D) compose and edit copy for a variety of written documents;
(E) evaluate oral and written information; and
(F) research topics for the preparation of oral and written communications.
(4)
The student applies information technology applications. The student is expected to use
personal information management, email, Internet, writing and publishing, presentation,
and spreadsheet or database applications for professional communications projects.
(10) The student develops an understanding of professional communications through
exploration of the career cluster. The student is expected to:
(I) format digital information for appropriate and effective communication by:
(i) defining the purpose of a product;
(ii) identifying the intended audience;
(iii) using the principles of page design to create a product, including leading,
kerning, automatic text flow into linked columns, widows, orphans, and text
wrap; and
(iv) creating a master template that includes page specifications and other
repetitive tasks.
(J) apply desktop publishing to create products by:
(i) using word processing, graphics, or drawing programs;
(ii) applying design elements such as text, graphics, headlines, use of color, and
white space;
(iii) applying typography concepts, including font, size, and style; and
(v) editing products.
(K) deliver digital products in a variety of appropriate media.
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
1
Instructor/Trainer
References:
 Williams, R. (2008). The non-designer's design book. (3 ed.). Berkeley: PeachpitPress.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typography
 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Specimen,_by_William_Caslon,_LetterFounder,_Cyclopaedia,_1728,_Vol_2_edit.jpg
 Society of Typographic Designers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_of_Typographic_Designers
 http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=36
Instructional Aids:
1. Working with Type digital slide presentation
2. Gettysburg Address – Versions 1 and 2
3. Setting Up A Document
4. Working with Type Exam
5. Working with Type Exam Key
6. Working with Type Rubric
(Note: Teachers may need to adapt rubric terminology and elements to fit the course
materials)
Materials Needed:
Gettysburg Address Version 1
Gettysburg Address Version 2
Equipment Needed:
Projection device from computer
Computer with appropriate presentation software and desktop publishing software
Computer lab with desktop publishing software installed
Learner
Complete the Type Classification and Selection lesson, the Fun with Type lesson, and the
Typographic Illustration for Communication lesson.
Introduction
MI
Introduction (LSI Quadrant I):
Hand out Gettysburg (Version 1).
SAY: Read through this version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.
Hand out Gettysburg (Version 2).
SAY: Read through this version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.
ASK: Which one of these is easier to read and gets the information across the best?
(Obviously, Version 2)
SAY: Today we are going to learn some basics about typography and methods to
make a document readable and pleasant to view.
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Outline
MI
Outline (LSI Quadrant II):
Instructor Notes:
I. Review terms associated with typography.
A. Introduction – Johannes Gutenberg
B. Basic Definitions
1. Typeface
2. Font
C. Serif Fonts
D. Sans Serif Fonts
E. Special Fonts
1. Script Fonts
2. Decorative Fonts
3. Dingbats
F. Font Styles
1. Bold
2. Italics
3. Wide
4. Narrow
G. Font Parts
1. Ascenders
2. Descenders
3. Cap Height
4. x Height
Note: Use the slide presentation
to discuss terms.
II. Define terms associated with typography.
A. Font Measurement
1. Points
2. Picas
3. Ems
4. Ens
5. Measures
B. Dashes
1. Soft Hyphen
2. Hard Hyphen
3. En Dash
4. Em Dash
C. Vertical Position
1. Subscript
2. Superscript
D. ASCII Code
E. Spacing
1. Kerning
2. Tracking
3. Leading
F. Columns
G. Alignment Mistakes
H. Emphasis Mistakes
I. Justification
Note: Use the slide presentation
to discuss terms.
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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J. Font Selection
K. Paragraph Identification
III. Use desktop publishing software to create a
document:
A. Set margins
B. Set columns
C. Add text boxes
Teacher shows and
demonstrates how to create a
new document with proper
margins and columns in
desktop publishing software.
NOTE: Specific steps will depend on the software
utilized.
Teacher demonstrates how to
create text boxes in desktop
publishing software.
IV. Format text
A. Typeface
B. Point size
C. Tracking
D. Leading
E. Style
F. Justification
Teacher demonstrates how to
format text in desktop
publishing software.
NOTE: Specific steps will depend on the software
utilized.
Application
MI
Guided Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
1. Teacher shows and demonstrates creating documents and formatting type while
students follow along at their own computers.
2. Teacher maintains direct supervision of lab, providing guidance when needed.
MI
Independent Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Students will create a simple two-column document using desktop publishing
software and format text properly according to the guidelines included on the Setting
Up A Document activity sheet.
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Summary
MI
Review (LSI Quadrants I and IV):
Checking for understanding: (Q&A Session)
1. What is the difference between a font and a typeface?
 Typeface: The set of characters including uppercase and lowercase
alphabetical characters, numbers, punctuation, and special characters. A
single typeface contains many fonts, at different sizes and styles.
 Font: A set of characters in a specific typeface, at a specific point size, and in
a specific style. "12-point Times Bold" is a font — the typeface Times, at 12point size, in the bold style.
2. What type of font is best for body type in print: serif, sans serif, decorative, or
script?
Serif
3. Describe the differences in hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes.




Soft hyphen: Used to indicate where a word may be broken at the end of a
line.
Hard hyphen: A non-breaking hyphen, used when the two parts of the
hyphenated word should not be separated. (ex.: ill-fated)
En dash: Used to indicate a range. (ex.: Monday–Friday)
Em dash: Used to illustrate a break — as illustrated here.
4. What is the difference between superscript and subscript?


Subscript: Slightly smaller than the rest of the font, set below the baseline.
Superscript: Slightly smaller than the rest of the font, set above the baseline.
5. What is ASCII code?


American Standard Code for Information Integration
Used to create special characters not listed on a computer keyboard without
having to use dingbats.
6. Describe the differences in leading, tracking, and kerning.



Kerning: Space between two letters. Software usually automatically adjusts
kerning now. Kerning must be reduced for some letter combinations (Ta, Ye,
AV).
Tracking: Space uniformly between all characters in a line. (E x a m p l e)
Leading: Space between lines of type, traditionally measured baseline-tobaseline, in points.
7. Identify some common mistakes in typesetting.
Alignment mistakes:
 Orphans: The first line of a paragraph separated from the rest of the
paragraph by a column or page break.
 Widows: Short last lines of paragraphs, usually unacceptable when
separated from the rest of the paragraph by a column break, always
unacceptable when separated by a page break.
 Rivers: Spaces between words that create irregular lines of white space in
body type, particularly occurs when the lines of type have been set with
excessive word spacing.
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Emphasis mistakes:
 All caps: Using all capital letters for emphasis is generally a POOR CHOICE
because it is aesthetically too jarring.
 Underscores: A holdover from typewriter days and should usually not be
used because weight cannot be adjusted and they crash into descenders.
 Consider using bold or italics instead of all caps or underscores.
Evaluation
MI
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
The teacher will monitor student progress during independent practice and provide
individual assistance when needed.
MI
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
Students will take the Type Basics Exam. Desktop publishing documents will be
evaluated using the Working with Type Project Rubric.
Extension
MI
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):
Students who have mastered the skills can expand their desktop publishing skills by
adding images to their document.
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
6
Setting Up A Document
Instructions: You will create a one-page newsletter document for a non-profit organization of
your choosing. You may make up the text or use a filler text. The newsletter must conform to
the following guidelines:














Use a textbox to create a 1 1/2" x 8” banner for the heading
Create two equal-width columns with 1/2" gutter for body text
1/4” margins on top, left and right side
1/2" margin on bottom
Create three articles with headings to share body text
Create a call out textbox in column 2 to highlight a meaningful quote in one of the
articles
Use left justification for article headings
Each article paragraph of body text justified
Adjust tracking so justified text is readable
Leading and style appropriate for a newsletter
No spelling errors
Appropriate typeface and point size for heading and body text
Appropriate typeface selected to support a look and feel that is consistent with the
selected organization
Incorporate one of the graphic elements created in the Fun with Type lesson or the
Typographic Illustration for Communication lesson
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Student Name:
Date:
Working with Type Exam
1. Who invented the movable type in 1450?
2. A set of characters including uppercase and lowercase is referred to as
_______________.
3. A French term for the “feet” on fonts is _____________.
4. Sans serif means __________________ feet.
5. Bold, Italic and narrow are all examples of font ___________.
6. The portion of the font that rises above the x-height is the
_______________.
7. The portion of the font that falls below the baseline is the
_________________.
8. Kerning is the space between two _____________.
9. _____________ refers to the distance between two rows of type.
10. Body type is most readable when font ranges from 8 to 12 points.
True or False
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Student Name:
Date:
Working with Type Exam Key
1. Who invented the movable type in 1450? Johannes Gutenberg
2. A set of characters including uppercase and lowercase is referred to as
typeface
.
3. A French term for the “feet” on fonts is
4. Sans serif means
without
serif
.
feet.
5. Bold, Italic and narrow are all examples of font
styles
6. The portion of the font that rises above the x-height is the
.
ascender .
7. The portion of the font that falls below the baseline is the descender .
8. Kerning is the space between two
9.
Leading
letters
.
refers to the distance between two rows of type.
10. Body type is most readable when font ranges from 8 to 12 points.
True
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Working with Type Project Rubric
Criteria
Completeness
(10 pts)
Margins
(10 pts)
Columns
(10 pts)
Textboxes
(10 pts)
Font Selection
(30 pts)
Text Formatting
(20 points)
Spelling
(10 pts)
Exceptional
Above Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
All elements
included (margins,
columns,
textboxes, text,
graphic).
All elements are
included, but one
part is incomplete.
All elements are
included, but 2-3
parts are
incomplete.
None of the parts
of the project is
complete.
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Margins adhere to
project guidelines.
All but one margin
setting follows
guidelines.
More than one
margin does not
follow guidelines.
Margins do not
conform to project
guidelines.
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Columns are
established and
adhere to project
guidelines.
Columns are
established, and
partially adhere to
project guidelines.
Columns are
established, but do
not adhere to
project guidelines.
Columns are not
used.
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Textboxes are
added and adhere
to project
guidelines.
Textboxes are
added and partially
adhere to project
guidelines.
Textboxes are
added but do not
adhere to project
guidelines.
Textboxes are not
used.
25-30 points
15-24 points
1-14 points
0 points
Typeface and point
size are
appropriate for their
location within the
document. The
elements support a
look and feel that is
consistent with the
organization.
Only one of two the
two criteria for font
selection is met
(appropriateness
for location with the
document OR
supportive a look
and feel that is
consistent with the
organization).
Typeface and point
size decisions are
inappropriate for
their location within
the document. The
elements do not
support a look and
feel that is
consistent with the
organization.
No typeface or
point size
decisions are
applied in the
document.
16-20 points
10-15 points
1-9 points
0 points
All text formatting
elements (tracking,
leading, style, and
justification) are
applied well.
All text formatting
elements (tracking,
leading, style, and
justification) are
applied, but could
be improved.
More than one text
formatting element
(tracking, leading,
style, and
justification) is not
applied.
No text formatting
is applied.
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
There are 5-9
spelling errors in
the document.
There are more
than 10 spelling
errors in the
document.
There are no
spelling errors in
the document.
There are 1-4
spelling errors in
the document.
Points
Total_______________
AAVTC: Professional Communications – Working with Type
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
10