MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Digital Advertising I
Authored by: Dani Bratton
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Thomas Paterson,
Supervisor of Science and Technology Education
Approval Date: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Linda Gilbert
Shade Grahling
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I. OVERVIEW
Digital Advertising is a semester long course offered at Madison High School. The course is open to students
who have an interest in learning about the software and skills required to work in the world of graphic design.
The course will provide students with the opportunity to learn and expand skills and techniques throughout
the semester: layout, photo manipulation, design, and typography. The course will also focus on learning the
Adobe Creative Suite: Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. These three programs are the graphic
design industry standards, which will allow students tremendous flexibility and creativity as they work to
produce their projects. Students will use these 3 software programs in conjunction with one another to create
a number of possible projects: a business card, a Public Service Announcement, CD covers, DVD covers,
movie posters, magazine advertisements, a magazine cover, promotional posters, and book covers.
II.
RATIONALE
Digital Advertising I will allow students who are creative but not necessarily traditionally artistic to have an
opportunity to explore their creative abilities by designing high-quality professional-looking projects using the
Adobe Creative Suite. We have the most recent version of this software, and students will be able to learn
enough foundational skills to determine if they have an interest in graphic design as a career, or simply as a
class. Digital Advertising will focus on the importance of applying design rules and aesthetics throughout the
creative process. The course will allow students to expand their creativity and give them a solid foundation
and a working knowledge of project management. This curriculum gives the students lessons that are
currently applied in today’s industry and will continue to apply, even as the technology associated with
graphic design is upgraded. Students taking Digital Advertising will have a strong base upon which to expand
their software knowledge in college, should they study graphic design, public relations, marketing or
advertising. They will also have the means to enter the workplace in graphic design should they choose a
related career directly after high school. Students who excel in this class and have an interest in continuing to
learn about graphic design are encouraged take Digital Advertising II to further expand and deepen their
computer and design skills.
III.
STUDENT OUTCOMES (Linked to N.J. Core Curriculum Standards listed below)
Identify the basic elements of art and principles of design in diverse types of artwork. (1.1)
Use evaluative tools, such as rubrics, for self-assessment and to appraise the objectivity of critiques
by peers. (1.4)
Use discipline-specific arts terminology to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of works of
visual art. (1.4)
Define technical proficiency, using the elements of the arts and principles of design. (1.4)
Critique performances and exhibitions based on the application of the elements of the art form.
(1.4)
Develop criteria for evaluating art in a specific domain and use the criteria to evaluate one’s
personal work and that of their peers, using positive commentary for critique. (1.4)
Determine the role of art and art-making in a global society by analyzing the influence of
technology on the visual, multimedia arts for consumers, and creators around the world. (1.4)
IV.
Make informed choices among technology systems, resources, and services in a variety of
contexts. (8.1)
Create and manipulate information, independently and/or collaboratively, to solve problems and
design and develop products. (8.1)
Integrate new information into an existing knowledge base and communicate the results in a
project or presentation. (8.1)
Describe how components of a technological product, system, or environment interact. (8.2)
Demonstrate and explain how the design process is not linear. (8.2)
Use hands on activities to analyze products and systems to determine how the design process was
applied to create the solution. (8.2)
Describe how variations in resources can affect solutions to a technological problem. (8.2)
Analyze the factors that influence design of products, systems, and environments. (8.2)
Evaluate the function, value, and appearance of technological products, systems, and
environments from the perspective of the user and the producer. (8.2)
Apply critical thinking and problem-solving strategies during structured learning experiences.
(9.1)
Determine when the use of technology is appropriate to solve problems. (9.1)
Use data accessed on the Web to inform solutions to problems and the decision-making process.
(9.1)
Use effective oral and written communication in face-to-face and online interactions and when
presenting to an audience. (9.1)
Research current advances in technology that apply to a selected occupational career cluster. (9.1)
Participate in a structured learning experience that demonstrates interpersonal communication,
teamwork, and leadership skills. (9.1)
Describe and apply constructive responses to criticism. (9.2)
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
Graphic Design: The Basics
1. What is Proximity?
2. What is Alignment?
3. What is Repetiton?
4. What is Contrast?
5. How do you use these principles in design?
6. What is InDesign? What do you use it for?
7. What is Photoshop? What do you use it for?
8. What is Illustrator? What do you use it for?
9. How do these programs work together?
InDesign: The Basics
1. How do you access the server?
2. What is a text box?
3. What is a picture box?
4. How do you save an image from the internet into your computer?
5. How do import an image into a picture box?
6. How do you resize a picture correctly in a picture box?
7. How do you type words into a text box?
8. How do you move boxes in InDesign?
9. What is a pica? Does it relate to inches in any way?
Photoshop: The Basics
1. What is the lasso tool? How does it work?
2. What is the magic wand tool? How does it work?
3. What is the quick selection tool? How does it work?
4. What is the clone tool? How does it work?
5. What is the eraser tool? How does it work?
6. How do you change colors?
7. How do you create a layer?
Illustrator: The Basics
1. What is the type tool? How does it work?
2. What is the shape tool? How does it work?
3. How can you change and expand type?
4. How can you turn type into art?
5. What is a vector point?
6. What is the pen tool? How does it work?
7. What is a Bezier curve? How do you move it?
V. STRATEGIES
The development of this knowledge will take place through teacher demonstrations, and use of the software
through ongoing activities. Each student will create seven or eight projects to develop his or her design skills
and to start to master the software. All digital advertising projects will be created in individually, but students
are encourage to help each other with any software questions they can solve together, which will allow for
problem solving as well as responsible decision-making opportunities. All projects will be subject to a class
critique, which will give students an opportunity to review each other’s work and offer constructive and
helpful feedback to one another. Every student will them have the opportunity to make final adjustments to
each project before he or she receives a final grade.
VI. EVALUATION
Assessment may include:
• Homework assignment
• 7-8 individual design projects
• Class Participation
VII. REQUIRED RESOURCES
Textbooks for course:
Because of the ever-changing nature of the technology and tools used for Digital Advertising and graphic
design, any books purchased to address this class would be almost immediately obsolete. Instead, the students
will use on-line Internet resources, and perhaps some DVD tutorials as well.
VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
Graphic Design: The Basics (1 week)
1. Learning the rules of graphic design
2. Starting to critique design according to the principles of good design
3. InDesign: The world of design beyond Microsoft WordArt
4. The Server: How it works and how to save your work.
5. Using the internet to expand your design choices.
6. Create a Business card
Project 2:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Red Ribbon Week/5K Run project (2 weeks)
Where to find appropriate images for the project.
Meeting client requirements.
Sending a message using images and words.
Learning basic typography and the dos and don’ts of font usage.
Photoshop: The world through image art.
Using the Creative Suite to become graphic designers (6 projects: 15 weeks)
1. Type: the right font makes ALL the difference.
2. How to use the Photoshop Clone tool.
3. How to create a clipping path in Photoshop.
4. How to add layers in Photoshop.
5. How to use Illustrator to create a logo.
6. How to use manipulate type in InDesign.
7. How to lead and kern to create an effect.
8. How to use color, shadows and transparency to change your emphasis and your work.
9. Attention to detail: The difference between good and great.