Lesson Plan: Coast-to-Coast Book Design—Part 2: What IS Design?

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Posted by: Monique Fineman
9/29/2006 7:50:09 AM

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Title:

Coast-to-Coast Book Design—Part 2: What IS Design?

Grade Level:

Middle School

Subject Area:

Arts
Language Arts

Lesson Time:

One or two fifty-minute class periods

Introduction:

This is lesson two of a unit on book design. In this lesson, design is introduced, explained, and explored. Design is the plan, organization, or arrangement of elements in a work of art. Design encompasses many areas of life. We will be focusing on book design.

Standards:

Visual Arts

Standard 1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Standard 2. Using knowledge of structures and functions
Standard 3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
Standard 6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

Objectives:

Students will:

understand the concept of design
be able to identify items in their lives that have been designed
understand the concept of book design
be able to create and arrange their own page layout

Resources:

student art text book
Cooper-Hewitt SDI Web site
“Elements of Page Design” handout

Materials:

various magazine, newspaper and book layouts
scissors
glue
various everyday objects

Vocabulary:

design
layout

Procedures:

Part One: Exploring Design

On each set of tables, student groups should have a variety of items that were designed including items with page design (layout).
Have written on the board: "What is design? Which items on the table do you think were designed and why?"
Students will conduct discussion within their groups, writing their findings in their individual notebooks.
After short discussion within their groups, have students share their findings.
Affirm when students are able to identify in their words that design is "the plan, organization, or arrangement of elements in a work of art".
Give the students the definition of design and have them write it in their notebook.
Many items (products) that the students use daily are designed by people who are trained in art or design. (Give examples: cars, homes, telephones, cereal boxes)
Go around the room and have each student name something that has been designed.

Part Two: Book Design

Write the vocabulary words design and layout on your word wall.
Explain to students that there are many types of designers including people who design books.
The teacher should explain and show examples of the concept of page layout.
Have students study the books and magazines for visual design structure.
Have students share their findings, making sure they show the class the page in the book/magazine they are referring to.
Students will cut and paste the elements of page design from the bottom of the handout (attached) onto the mock book page.
Using the elements of design as discussed, have the students create their own page layout.

Assessment:

The teacher can assess the students' work through their ability to apply what was discussed about design and page layout when they designed their own page.

Enrichment
Extension Activities:

Xerox handout to appropriate size for motor and visually impaired students.
Homework: students will find a page layout (newspaper, magazine, book, and brochure) that they find appealing. Students will write a paragraph on why they feel the layout is interesting. Students must appropriately use the vocabulary words design and layout in their paragraph.

Teacher Reflection:

N/A.

Related
Files:

No related files are necessary.

Comments

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6/13/2007 4:42:13 PM Alberto Romero We utilized a similar lesson to lay out our newsletter for research completed by students. Other students decided to create a PowerPoint. Both set of students had similar concerns as to where to place information. We utilized sample newsletters and PowerPoint and graded them for effectiveness.
6/2/2007 4:33:23 PM Franc Leo As an avid bookworm, I find this lesson to be fantastic. I encourage my students to read (and also write) everything that may involve their personal tastes. Book designing and layout is the best way to looking into other publications that are not web-based. Not everyone has access to computers, the web and other electronic sources of reading. Books are still the source of knowledge and it should evolve by future designers so that it is not left behind. Kudos on this lesson plan!
5/30/2007 6:24:08 PM Miranda Thompson We started simply- design a page for a technology term that included the word, traditional definition, tech def and images that illustrate each usage. The ylearned how to create columns and headers in MS Word, and how to align images. Through trial and error and peer evaluation, they determined the best layouts- large term in center top, then traditional on the left with tech on the right (overall feeling). Issues htat came up were - portrait vs. landscape, how to determine best size of text, how to use color effectively (too much is too distracting). GREAT lesson.
5/30/2007 4:56:09 PM Donna Sharpe Excellent lesson dovetailing with Part 1 - "What is a book?"!! I especially liked the use of books and magazine pages that appealled to the students for use in the mock-up. Making it a hands on activity made it come alive!
4/10/2007 9:53:45 PM Tonya Adison Real world exploration is the best way to have students understand. Students in my technology class created newletters from templates in Microsoft Publisher. This may help pique student interest in creating/writing content.

6/13/2007 4:42:13 PM

Alberto Romero

We utilized a similar lesson to lay out our newsletter for research completed by students. Other students decided to create a PowerPoint. Both set of students had similar concerns as to where to place information. We utilized sample newsletters and PowerPoint and graded them for effectiveness.

6/2/2007 4:33:23 PM

Franc Leo

As an avid bookworm, I find this lesson to be fantastic. I encourage my students to read (and also write) everything that may involve their personal tastes. Book designing and layout is the best way to looking into other publications that are not web-based. Not everyone has access to computers, the web and other electronic sources of reading. Books are still the source of knowledge and it should evolve by future designers so that it is not left behind. Kudos on this lesson plan!

5/30/2007 6:24:08 PM

Miranda Thompson

We started simply- design a page for a technology term that included the word, traditional definition, tech def and images that illustrate each usage. The ylearned how to create columns and headers in MS Word, and how to align images. Through trial and error and peer evaluation, they determined the best layouts- large term in center top, then traditional on the left with tech on the right (overall feeling). Issues htat came up were - portrait vs. landscape, how to determine best size of text, how to use color effectively (too much is too distracting). GREAT lesson.

5/30/2007 4:56:09 PM

Donna Sharpe

Excellent lesson dovetailing with Part 1 - "What is a book?"!! I especially liked the use of books and magazine pages that appealled to the students for use in the mock-up. Making it a hands on activity made it come alive!

4/10/2007 9:53:45 PM

Tonya Adison

Real world exploration is the best way to have students understand. Students in my technology class created newletters from templates in Microsoft Publisher. This may help pique student interest in creating/writing content.