🗓️ Before Class: Teacher Prep
- Gather/set out: Printed type samples (good and bad contrast/legibility examples), Blank color wheel template (paper), Crayons or colored pencils (primary + secondary colors), Hand-lettering practice sheet.
- If today includes physical/hands-on work: make sure the classroom cameras are charged, working, and have a cleared SD card ready for photo uploads.
- Print today's student handouts (see 🖨️ Student Handouts below) in the language versions your class needs.
- Pull up today's slide deck (see 🖥️ Slide Deck below) so it's ready to project.
🖨️ Student Handouts (print, one per class day)
Word + picture + definition + a short writing task for that day's vocabulary, in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese.
🧑🏫 Substitute Teacher Guide
A scripted, step-by-step runsheet for today's class -- hand this to anyone covering the room who doesn't know the daily routine.
- Day 1: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
- Day 2: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
🎯 Essential Question
- What makes type readable, and how does color create a first impression?
📈 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson (2 Days), students will be able to:
- Define typeface, font, kerning, and leading.
- Explain why designers avoid low-contrast type and certain "unprofessional" fonts.
- Build a simple analog color wheel and identify warm, cool, and complementary colors.
📐 Standards Alignment
CDOS (Career Development & Occupational Studies)
- CDOS 2 — Integrated Learning -- students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.
- CDOS 3a — Universal Foundation Skills -- basic literacy, communication, and problem-solving skills required for a career.
ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) Photoshop Exam Objectives
- ACP 1.4 — Demonstrate knowledge of key terminology related to digital images.
- ACP 1.5 — Demonstrate knowledge of basic design principles and best practices employed in the design industry.
🎓 Study this for the ACP exam: Domain 1: Working in the Design Industry
📚 Key Vocabulary
- Typeface / Font
- A typeface is a family of letter designs (like Helvetica); a font is a specific style/weight/size within that family.
- Kerning
- The spacing adjustment between individual letters.
- Leading
- The vertical spacing between lines of text.
- Serif / Sans-Serif
- Serif fonts have small decorative strokes at the ends of letters; sans-serif fonts do not.
- Complementary Colors
- Colors opposite each other on the color wheel that create strong contrast when paired.
- Analogous Colors
- A group of 3 colors sitting next to each other on the color wheel -- naturally harmonious together.
- Monochromatic
- A color scheme built from a single color, varied only by tint (adding white) or tone (adding gray/black).
- Tertiary Colors
- A color made by mixing a primary color with a neighboring secondary color (e.g. red-orange).
🧰 Materials & Tools
- Printed type samples (good and bad contrast/legibility examples)
- Blank color wheel template (paper)
- Crayons or colored pencils (primary + secondary colors)
- Hand-lettering practice sheet
🧠 Do Now (Warm-Up)
What do you already know about fonts or lettering? Have you ever picked a font for a project before?
📋 Main Workshop / Lesson Sequence
This lesson spans 2 Days. Suggested pacing:
| Day | Focus | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Typography Basics | Do Now + discussion (5 min). Mini-lesson (15 min): typeface vs. font, kerning, leading, serif vs. sans-serif -- with printed good/bad readability examples. Rule to remember: type exists to be read, not just to look fancy (never sacrifice legibility for style). Hand-lettering practice (15 min): write your name or a short word in 2 very different letter styles. Share + quick vocab check (10 min). |
| Day 2 | Color Basics | Do Now (5 min): what's the difference between a typeface and a font? Mini-lesson (12 min): color basics -- warm vs. cool, complementary pairs, and why color is often a design's first impression. Color wheel activity (20 min): color in a blank color wheel template and label warm/cool/complementary pairs. Exit ticket (8 min). |
✅ Assessment & Exit Ticket
Color wheel and hand-lettering samples collected; a 3-question check on typography vocabulary.
Exit Ticket: Name one "rule" about type or color from today, and explain what could go wrong if a designer ignores it.
📊 Pull up the anonymous Class Check-In for students to fill out before they go.
🧩 Differentiation & Accommodations
English Language Learners: provide translated or bilingual glossaries, visuals, and sentence frames; pair with a peer for meaningful participation. Students with IEPs: provide extended time, step-by-step checklists, and one-on-one or small-group support as specified in each student's plan. Attention-related needs: break the task into smaller steps, use visual timers, and minimize distractions. Students who finish early: extend the task by adding a second design variation, mentoring a classmate, or writing a short reflection connecting today's skill to a career pathway.