Graphic Design students will use photos, sketches, and creative writing entries from a "Rivers Project" field trip to produce original artwork, CD covers, and brochures for the "Rivers Project" public presentation. They will choose what "theme" they wish to communicate from options such as historical, economic, environmental, or aesthetic. Various technological applications will be employed such as desktop publishing, computer graphics, scanners, and digital cameras, as well as traditional art media.
 
 

Since time began, people have effectively used combinations of word and images to communicate a message. What strategies are most effective? How can these principles of graphic design be applied to a specific topic such as a local river? What is important to communicate about the river and how can a display be organized to showcase student work?
 
 

Visual Arts Standard 3: Responding to and analyzing works of art. Using the language of art criticism, describe the visual and functional characteristics of works of art and interpret the relationships of works of art to one another, to describe the impact of the work on the viewer. Students will analyze products of graphic design, identify key principles and apply them to their own projects.
Visual Arts Standard 2: Knowing and using arts materials and resources. Select and use mediums and processes that comunicate intended meaning in their art works, and exhibit competence in at least two mediums. Students will use traditional and technological art media of their choice with a level of proficiency to create visual products that also effectively communicate their chosen, river-related themes.
English Language Arts Standard 1: Language for information and understanding. Write and present on a variety of topics; use standard English skillfully. Students will using interviewing, research and writing skills to effectively communicate the selected theme of their graphic design projects.
Math/Science/Technology Standard 2: Information Systems - access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies. Information technology is used to retrieve, process and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning. Students will use the internet and email, as well as traditional library resources, to research and obtain information relating to their graphic design topics.

Day 1: Art, Music, and Science students were taken on an interdisciplinary field trip to Harpers Falls and Lampson Falls, on the Grasse River. They were grouped into teams (1 student from each subject area) that had a series of tasks to complete such as pencil sketches, photos of natural objects, recording natural sounds, and completing a water test. As a closure activity students were asked to go off some place on their own and to sit down and write about their experiences and impressions of the day using as many vocabulary words related to their subject area as possible. Their products then became the resources to be used for the rest of the classroom projects. The Art, Music and Science teachers used these resources independently in their own classrooms.

Note: This unit is directly related to a multi-school, interdisciplinary project in which local rivers were a unifying theme. Any topic could be used, or the unit could focus on creating brochures and displays about school districts, individual schools, or even individual classes and their accomplishments.

Acquisition Experiences
Day 2: Distribute sample brochures; have students pass them around and examine them; work in pairs to make a list of what are the essential components of a successful brochure (title, images, text, composition, background, etc.) and the unique way they have been assembled in the various brocures. Ask pairs to identify the theme of their brochure: sales, education, history, environment, promotional, etc. Analyze the compositions of the brochures and the role of text and images or artwork. Provide a graphic organizer to help students record key terms.
Examine inspirational type posters that combine words and images and identify the elements of design that apply.
Look at selected examples of CD covers and discuss theme and design, making sure some consist of artwork while others might be photographs.
Briefly introduce unit projects so students will understand the purpose of the analysis.

Day 3: Review graphics software, digital camera and scanner; go over computer lab rules. One on one instruction may be necessary as projects diversify and proceed. (If students have no computer graphics background, additional days would be required for training).

Extending & Refining Experiences
Days 4 - 13: Establish the "Art Room Advertising Agency". In order to make this a more realistic learning activity, the class was set up like a business. The teacher was the "director" and the students the "graphic designers". It was explained that a "customer" had asked for a series of brochures to be created about the new classrooms and renovations that were part of a school capital project. To practice for the "Rivers Project" tasks, the "graphic designers" were to work in teams to create preliminary designs for a brochure introducing the public to one of the newly constructed areas at the school. Each team selected a different part of the school. Discuss possible "themes". Analyze (compare and contrast) and discuss the preliminary paper and pencil plans students produce. During class time, teams will go out with the digital camera to record several pictures of new additions to the school, and to obtain information about them by interviewing teachers, students, administrators, and the clerk of the works.  When they were ready, a demonstration on how to download or print the images and how to set up a 3 fold brochure using the computer graphics software was conducted. The teams will continue to work and actually produce a brochure including text, images, and a heading that focuses on a specific "theme".  One day each week schedule a "staff meeting" where the "graphic designers" share what they have accomplished with their colleagues and the "director". Analyze and critique work in progress as well as completed brochures as to effectiveness, composition, and "theme". Finished brochures will be printed in limited editions and could be used at an "open house", school board meeting, or given to visitors to the school. (NOTE: Practice brochures could be made for any number of school activities, such as sporting events, honor society initiations, concerts, etc., if there were not new rooms or buildings to focus on.)

Day 14: With a continuation of the "Advertising Agenc concept, hold a "staff meeting" and introduce the options for the "Rivers Project": a CD cover for the natural sounds recording; a brochure about the Grasse River; a program for the "Rivers Project" mall presentations and display; a T-shirt design about the Grasse River, or an inspirational poster about the Grasse River made by combining original artwork and a related quotation. Unique, original ideas will also be considered and if the Music and Science classses have created their own "Rivers" projects (i.e., original music compositions, or water analysis information, etc.), they might also be used as topics for Art projects. "Graphic designers" will work indepentally on individual projects. All will require students to select the "theme" they wish to communicate: historical, environmental, recreational, informational, or aesthetic. They may make use of the collection of reference photos from the initiating activity field trip, work in the Graphic Design computer lab, with traditional art media, or both.  Preliminary sketches are to be created first and then shared at a "Staff Meeting" and critiqued, before continuing with the projects. STUDENT HANDOUT

Days 15-30: Independent work with "Staff Meetings" whenever the "Director" deems necessary, especially to share the rubrics. Upon completion, projects will be displayed within the school and used at the St. Lawrence Mall "Rivers Project" presentation on May 19 and 20. Students will be responsible for setting up the display, duplicating materials and creating identifying labels and signs.
 

Rubric:
Student products will be evaluated according to:

While the projects could be created by students of many different ages, the level of quality desired for use in a public presentation would be more likely achieved by students participating in an advanced art elective. They need knowledge of various basic art media, visual elements and principles of design, and an understanding of computer graphics applications.

Many of the initial activities are done with a partner, which can be especially helpful for students with special needs. The final project is to be done independently, but assistance can be provided by the teacher or a student asked to be a helping partner.
 
 

Day 1: The launch activity can be done at any time, but should be enough in advance that there is time to process photographs, etc., prior to beginning remaining activities. (We did our field trip in October but did not start work on projects until January.)
Day 2: Analysis of sample brochures by students working in pairs. Review CD covers & posters. Explain unit.
Day 3: Demonstrations and review of computer graphics software and hardware available.
Days 4-14: Students work in pairs to design a sample brochure on newly built additions to the school.
Day 15: Introduction and discussion of culminating project. Students choose product and theme, review resource pictures, etc. and plan what they are going to work on.
Days 16-30: Independent work on projects, using traditional art media, the computer graphics lab, or a combination of media.
Days 31-32: Organization and set-up of display (our projects will be part of a mall display and later put up at the school).

During launch activity, video cameras, digital and film cameras, and audio recording devices were used. Photographs (35mm) were processed and put on disk so students could access images in computer applications. A fully equipped Computer Graphics lab with internet access, printers, and a scanner were also available for student use. The internet was suggested as a research tool, but was not required.