🗓️ Before Class: Teacher Prep
- Gather/set out: Printed "good vs. bad" flyer examples for each principle, 2-3 real sample flyers per student/pair for annotation, A poorly-designed sample flyer (paper, one per student), Rulers, Pencils, scissors, glue sticks.
- 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
- Day 3: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
🎯 Essential Question
- How do repetition, contrast, proximity, alignment, and scale make a layout stronger?
📈 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson (3 Days), students will be able to:
- Define repetition, contrast, proximity, alignment, and scale as they apply to graphic design layout.
- Identify these 5 principles in a printed 'good vs. bad' flyer comparison.
- Redesign a poorly-laid-out flyer by hand, applying at least 3 of the 5 principles.
📐 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 1.5 — 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
- Repetition
- Repeating a design element (a color, font, or shape) consistently throughout a piece.
- Contrast
- The visual difference between elements (e.g. dark text on a light background) that makes something stand out and stay readable.
- Proximity
- Grouping related items close together so the eye understands they belong together.
- Alignment
- Lining up elements along a shared edge or axis so a layout looks organized, not scattered.
- Scale
- The size of an element in relation to everything else around it.
🧰 Materials & Tools
- Printed "good vs. bad" flyer examples for each principle
- 2-3 real sample flyers per student/pair for annotation
- A poorly-designed sample flyer (paper, one per student)
- Rulers
- Pencils, scissors, glue sticks
🧠 Do Now (Warm-Up)
Look at the two flyers on the board. Which one is easier to read, and why do you think that is?
📋 Main Workshop / Lesson Sequence
This lesson spans 3 Days. Suggested pacing:
| Day | Focus | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Repetition & Contrast | Do Now (5 min): which flyer on the board is easier to read, and why? Mini-lesson (12 min): define repetition and contrast with good/bad examples. Guided practice (8 min): as a class, find repetition in one sample flyer together. Independent/pair practice (15 min): find repetition AND contrast in 2 more real flyers, circling and labeling examples. Share (5 min). |
| Day 2 | Proximity, Alignment & Scale | Do Now (5 min): define repetition and contrast from memory. Mini-lesson (12 min): proximity, alignment, and scale with good/bad examples. Guided practice (10 min): as a class, annotate one sample flyer together marking all 5 principles. Independent practice (15 min): annotate a second flyer solo, marking where each of the 5 principles is used well or poorly. Share (3 min). |
| Day 3 | Redesign Workshop | Do Now (5 min): pick your weakest principle from yesterday and define it again in your own words. Redesign workshop (30 min): redesign a poorly-laid-out flyer by hand (cut, rearrange, glue, or redraw), deliberately applying at least 3 of the 5 principles. Written explanation (5 min): 2-3 sentences on your choices. Quick gallery share (5 min). |
✅ Assessment & Exit Ticket
Redesigned flyer + written explanation scored with a simple rubric checking for at least 3 principles applied correctly.
Exit Ticket: Pick your favorite of the 5 principles from today and explain, in one sentence, why it matters in a design.
📊 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.