Certification continues, expectations. Posted 2/27 - last day to test 4/1 - Multiple grades

For the rest of the 9 weeks you will be in certification mode. I want to make sure you understand the expectations in the coming two weeks before Spring Break.

You will work to get certified in InDesign. If you get certified, it will show up on your transcripts for college, and you should put it on your resume. They also normally give cords at graduation to seniors who have gotten certified.

Here are the steps you will take over the next class days:

1. Take Practice Test 1 in Training Mode - in training mode, you have unlimited time, and you can ask for help, which will show you the answers. Go carefully and do a good job.
2. Take Practice Test 1 in Testing Mode - in testing mode, you have limited time, and you cannot ask for help, BUT it is the same questions as Training Mode. Score at least an 80% to move on to Practice Test 2. If you don't score an 80%, go back and do Training Mode again. And then take Test 1 in Testing Mode again - get an 80%!!
3. Take Practice Test 2 in Training Mode - same as Practice Test 1, but different questions.
4. Take Practice Test 2 in Testing Mode Score at least an 80% to move on to the Certification Exam. If you don't score an 80%, go back and do Training Mode again. If you don't score an 80%, go back and do Training Mode again. And then take Test 1 in Testing Mode again - get an 80%!!
5. Take the certification exam. The Certification Test will be worth TWO MAJOR GRADES in the 4th 9 week cycle.
6. ALL 4 training and testing mode practice tests will be worth a Minor Grade. Completing those tasks will also be the final MAJOR grade of the 3rd 9 weeks. To show me you have completed those 4 tasks, you will need to take a screenshot of the final screen of the practice and testing mode tests. This should show your score, and give you a breakdown of what areas you need more support with.

I will provide more information about the actual Certification Tests after Spring Break. I will outline the days you will be able to test, what will happen if you cannot pass the certification test, and the supports that you will attempt before taking that test again. You can take the certification test multiple times, but we will be limited by how many days I can open the test up to you. I hope all of you get at least 3 tries as needed. 

Adobe InDesign Certification begins. Assigned 2/25, due TBA - MULTIPLE GRADES

Today's instructions are to help you get into the correct application to take a practice test. GMetrix has TWO practice tests, and those two practice tests had a TRAINING mode and a TESTING mode. All of you will take ONE practice test in TRAINING mode and then take the corresponding TESTING mode test. If you can get an 80 on the TRAINING mode and then get an 80 on the TESTING mode, you will be ready for the actually Certification Test which we will start taking after Thanksgiving break.

Each testing mode takes approximately 1 class period. So you will need one class for TRAINING, and one class for the TESTING. You will need to pass BOTH TRAINING and TESTING mode with an 80 before you can certify. If you fail a TESTING MODE, there is a second version of the practice test with a TRAINING and TESTING mode. You can take both of them. Once you show me a TESTING mode score of 80 or higher, you can take the actual CERTIFICATION test. Those will be available beginning Friday, Dec. 6. There will be 4 IN-CLASS days to take certification tests AND the 2 hour final exam day to get this done. All of you MUST be done with Learnkey training and have completed all 5 Domains by Friday, Dec. 6.

The first thing we need to do is make sure you have access to Adobe InDesign. Please use the Launchpad to search for the application. It looks like this:

If you DO NOT HAVE Adobe InDesign 2026, please go to here in LAUNCHPAD:

Find this application:

Open this application and locate Adobe InDesign:

Find the correct button and Install InDesign. You could get a pop-up that verifies you want to install InDesign - click INSTALL INDESIGN. This could take 5-8 minutes to install. When you get InDesign installed, make sure that it is NOT OPEN on your computer. We need to let GMetrix open the program. If it does open, make sure to CLOSE the program. You cannot do this by simply clicking the red button in the top left corner, you MUST go to your DOCK and right-click and CLOSE Illustrator.

Once you have InDesign 2026 installed, DO NOT OPEN THE PROGRAM. If you do so accidentally, please go to your dock and make sure you QUIT InDesign before you do anything else.

Please do the next step:

Go to the following website, 

https://www.gmetrix.net/GetGMetrixSMS.aspx

You should see the following:

Click on the Download SMSe for Mac

 

It will create what is called a .dmg file, and it should go into your download folder. Once it is downloaded, please DOUBLE CLICK on the .dmg file. It should look like this:

When you DOUBLE CLICK on that icon, it will ask you for an admin user name and password. Please let me know and I will come around and type in my information so you can get the program. Eventually, this program will show up on your desktop and it will look like this:

Open the application by clicking on it and then clicking on the icon inside the folder with the same look.

Now we need to set up your account. 

First, make sure you have logged into your AISD PORTAL

Second, click on your GOOGLE DRIVE, this will create a connection between you and your Google Account.

Now on this screen, you can SIGN IN WITH AN EXISTING PROVIDER:

Make sure you click this button:

Once you are logged in, find the REDEEM CODE on the pop-up box that comes up:

It looks like this:

Click this button and put in the following code:

3rd period: 01443-ReeDM326-41545

4th period: 55471-ReeDM426-65212

Click Redeem Code.

The main screen will come back up. Scroll down to this section:

Locate the InDesign icon, it looks like this - Mine looks dark because I went into DARK MODE, but it should look exactly the same except with a white background for you:

Click this button. 

This should open another pop-up box where you can find the following:

Click on the START button for the 2023-24 Practice Exam 1.

You should see the following:

In the MODE section, please change it from TESTING to TRAINING. It should look like this:

From here you can start the TRAINING MODE. This is a timed 50 minute test with 30 questions. The baseline expectation is 70/100 or 700/1000. But you must get an 80 for me.

Take a screenshot of your completed TRAINING MODE test when you are done. If you have an 80 or higher, next class you will take the TESTING mode and take an actual practice test.

In TRAINING MODE the program will provide advice on how to do each question. It takes a little practice to get used to the help it offers. There are places where you can ask for assistance. It should be pretty intuitive. 

When you first launch the TRAINING TEST, it may ask for an ADMIN login. Call me over and I will put that information in.

When the test opens, you will not see much, it will probably look like this:

You will need to load the test properly. Go to Window>Extensions>GMetrix

and it should open the exam. It looks like this:

You will need to do the following things:

Take Practice Test 1 in PRACTICE MODE - USE THE HELP TOOLS - you MUST PROVIDE A SCREEN SHOT of your score - this will be a MINOR grade in the grade book.

Take Practice Test 1 in EXAM mode - pass with at least an 80 - you MUST PROVIDE A SCREEN SHOT of your score - this will be a MINOR grade in the grade book.

Take Practice Test 2 in PRACTICE MODE - USE THE HELP TOOLS - you MUST PROVIDE A SCREEN SHOT of your score - this will be a MINOR grade in the grade book.

Take Practice Test 2 in EXAM mode - pass with at least an 80 - you MUST PROVIDE A SCREEN SHOT of your score - this will be a MINOR grade in the grade book.

TAKE The CERTIFICATION EXAM - Pass it - This will be worth TWO MAJOR grades in the grade book. If you pass = 100. 

If you take the test and fail, you MUST COMPLETE a study guide I will provide. Study Guide = MINOR grade in the grade book - 100 if you do it, 0 if you do not.

Retake the CERTIFICATION EXAM - Pass it = 100 on the 2 MAJOR grades

If you fail it, but you did the Study Guide grade = 70

If you fail it, but you did not complete the study guide = 50

You can complete a practice test or an exam each class period, which means all of you should be able to complete TWO Practice Tests and TWO Exams before Spring Break. When we return from Spring Break, we will do some review and then everyone will start the certification process. I hope to have this all done by the end of the month of March so we can move on to other things. My goal is that at least 25 of the 38 of you will be certified. I know you can do this, but it requires concentration and dedication. Now is the time to step up!!

WRKxFMLY celebration & catch-up day. Posted 2/13 - no grade assigned

 Mr. Winter will be here to celebrate today so we are going to basically have a free day. I will say that if you are behind in my class, I am still working on grades and will submit them before the end of the day. This is your last chance to turn in work if you want to avoid a progress report. I will be visiting a few of you.

WRKxFMLY Wrap-up

Link to the classes: https://education.workingassumptions.org/login

Africa and Abandoned Theme Parks. Assigned 2/18, due 2/23 - Minor

 Africa

Visit the following website. IF THIS WEBSITE DOESN't WORK PLEASE DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR NICK BRANDT AND SEE HOW MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HIM YOU CAN ANSWER!

http://www.photographyoffice.com/blog/2014/5/on-this-earth-a-shadow-falls-across-the-ravaged-land-by-nick-brandt-photography

1. On your Google Site make a new subpage called Africa and post your reactions to what you read and what you saw. How about 3-4 sentences.

2. Do a google image search for Nick Brandt, find your favorite photo and post it on your blog.

3. Describe it and tell me why its your favorite.

4. What rules of photography are evident in the photos you selected, be sure to explain the rule to me?

Do a google/wikipedia search for Nick Brandt

5. What kind of camera and lens does he use and why is this important?

6. What is his reason for taking these photos?

7. What is his hope by taking these type of photos?

8. Find something he has to say about Africa, and post the quote on your blog. 

Now go to the following website:

https://create.adobe.com/2018/6/8/opening_eyes_nick_br.html

Answer the following questions:

9. What is Brandt's newest focus with his photography?

10. What was the process he did to create these new images?

11. What effect do you think his work might have?

12. How did these new images make you feel? Describe the emotions you felt as you scrolled through them.

Abandoned Theme Parks

Open a browser and go to Google and do a Google image search for the following locations:

Prypiat Amusement Park, Pyrpiat, Ukraine

Holy Land, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA

Gulliver’s Kingdom, Japan

Six Flags, New Orleans, USA

Land Of Oz, Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA

Spreepark, Berlin, Germany

Kpo Land, Okpo City, Geoje Island South Korea

Dunaújváros Vidám Park, Dunaújváros, Hungary

Joyland, Wichita, Kansas, USA

Akakanonuma Greenland, Hobara, Japan

and

http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-21-creepiest-abandoned-amusement-parks-20140225-htmlstory.html

Make a new page on your Google Site called Abandoned Theme Parks and please complete the following:

1. Tell me which amusement park that you learned about today that you would like to visit and take your camera along and what about that park made you want to go there. Write at least a paragraph.

2. Post one photo from that park. You may use the photos from the link, or you can google an entirely new photo. I would prefer to see a photo of the park in disrepair and not a photo of it when it was still operating.

3. Think of at least FIVE other unusual places you think would be of interest to photographers. List them. For example: A cemetery

4. Use google or another search engine to research ONE of the five places you came up with and see if anyone has already started documenting that place. If you find that someone has already started - post at least one photo of their work. For example: do a Google Image search for cemetery photos and see if anyone has specialized in cemetery photography. I found this guy 

Cemetery Photographer

Here is a photo of his I liked:

5. Write a paragraph about why you think that it would be fun to document that location. Tell me what interests you about that place and what kind of photos you could expect to take there.

6. Tell me what it would take for you to go and take photos at your location. What would you need as far as equipment goes, travel plans, expenses you might encounter and what laws you would have to take into consideration to take photos at your spot.

Caption writing and questions. Assigned 2/11, due 2/13 - Minor

Choice Sheets

Reminder here: Remember if you signed up to take Newspaper/Graphic Design and Illustration, I need an application from you. This is really to help me make sure you show up on my choice sheets if you want to be in the program. I am always happy to talk to you about this if you have questions.

Now to today's assignment:

SLO Practice

Soon you will be taking an SLO test about caption and headline writing and I wanted to review the items you will need to know for this test. All of these things have been covered in the past few months, so it's just a reminder. When you have finished this task for today, please make sure you are caught up on everything else. 

First: The reasons we would cover an event in the newspaper, there are seven of them, you just need to remember these as best you can:

Timeliness - the newness of the facts. 
Proximity – the nearness of a given event to your place of publication. 
Prominence – the “newsworthiness” of an individual, organization or place
Impact – the effect or consequence of an event on the audience. 
Conflict – the meeting of two or more opposing forces. These forces can be physical, emotional or philosophical.  
Human Interest – the drama the surrounds people involved in an emotional struggle.
Novelty – the attraction people have to unusual things and events. 

Second: Captions - there are some questions about these ideas AND you will need to actually write a caption.

Remember captions are always two sentences.

The first sentence is written to explain the action happening in the photo. It is written in present tense as though the action was going on in front of you. Use strong action verbs where possible.  The first sentence should try to answer the 5 Ws and 1 H (who, what, where, when, why and how).

The second sentence is written to provide background information not available or understood by simply looking at the photo. It is written in past tense because the information is typically based on events that happened in the past.

Present tense action verbs describe the moment captured in the image as if it is happening now, is more engaging for the audience to read, and it helps the reader to understand the action in the image.

Captions should identify by name when there are three or fewer people identifiable in the photo.

Do not use words like "pictured here", "in this photo", or "here you see" as these are assumed. Start with a name, a grade, or an identification method.

Third: Headlines, these are just questions, you will not have to write a headline

Headlines are written in a similar fashion as a complete sentence and have both a subject and a verb.

Headlines do NOT include ending punctuation like a period, an exclamation point or question mark.

Avoid using "to be" verbs like is and are, was and were. These are removed because the tend to make longer headlines which are difficult because of space requirements.

Use full names if possible in headlines and do not use pronouns like he or she.

Here are some practice examples in each of the three categories. We will go over the answers together before you take the actual test. Please create a new Google Site Subpage called SLO practice and answer these questions.

1. In the following, which news value is most clearly represented in the caption below?

Caption: Courtney Suel (left) and Lesia Bridges navigate a flooded Aquarena Springs Drive in San Marcos on Tuesday. One gauge in the city recorded nearly seven inches of rain.

A. Conflict
B. Human Interest
C. Impact
D. Proximity

2. In the following, which news value is most clearly represented in the caption below?

Caption: Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday in Nogales, Ariz: "This is a new era. This is the Trump era. The lawlessness, the abdication of the duty to enforce our immigration laws....are over."

A. Prominence
B. Human Interest
C. Impact
D.Proximity

3. Which of the following is an example of a present tense action verb?

A. painted
B. gets painted
C. paints
D. getting paint

4. What is the most wrong with the following headline?

Headline: Big win

A. The date and the place
B. The background information
C. The lack of a verb
D. The lack of a subject

5. What information is missing from the first sentence of this caption:

Caption: On Wednesday, March 13 senior Sarah Smith captures the flag.

A. The date
B. The location
C. The name of the subject
D. A present tense verb

6. What information is missing from the second sentence of this caption:

Caption: On Wednesday, March 13 senior Sarah Smith captures the flag in the annual senior games event held at Bowie High School. Smith lives at 10405 Johnston St. in Austin.

A. The date of the event
B. A present tense verb
C. Background information about the senior games
D. The name of the subject

Caption Writing:

Please write a correct 2 sentence caption for the following photo - remember that you get to make up all the information, but you still need to follow the correct format as described above:

Photograph: Chris Wattie/Reuters

News Values. Assigned 2/9, due 2/11 - Minor

 We are going to begin our exploration of journalistic writing and style  by examining the reasons a publication might choose to cover an event. Some experts have come up with a variety of reasons for this and from my experience, based on those experts research, I have come up with seven solid reasons to cover a story. Today we are going to learn about those seven, and to completely understand them, I want you to be able to pick out some stories to prove to me that you understand each reason.

Here are the reasons:

1. Timeliness - - the newness of the facts

2. Proximity - - the nearness of a given event to your place of publication

3. Prominence - - the "newsworthiness" of an individual, organization, or place.

4. Impact - - the effect of consequence of an event on the audience, or readers

5. Conflict - - the meeting of two or more opposing forces. These forces can be physical, emotional, or philosophical

6. Human Interest - - the drama that surrounds people involved in an emotional struggle

7. Novelty - - the attraction people have to unusual things and events

Now here is your assignment:

Find seven stories that you believe are driven primarily by one of the news values listed above. You will need to copy and paste links to the stories in your Google Site. Follow the five steps listed below.

Title this Google Site subpage: News Values

1. Pick out a story you think meets one of the news values.
2. On your new subpage - type the name of that news value
3. Write a complete sentence or two explaining why you think the article is driven by that news value.
4. Type the headline of the article
5. Include a clickable link to the article's URL. To insert a clickable link on your Google Site, in the Insert pane, you will find the EMBED function, click that and paste the link. It will automatically create a text box with the link for me to see.

I will be going over these with you later in the period to make sure we are all on the same page. 

Here are some places you can start looking for stories. You are welcome to use other sources as well if you wish.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/

https://www.reuters.com/

Wall Street Journal

https://news.google.com/topstories?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

The above link will have "Local" stories. You can also use Google News, or search for your favorite local news organization to find stories.

I recommend:

The Austin Monitor

The Austin Chronicle

The Austin-American Statesman

Any reputable news source is fine. 

When you have completed the work above, please write CORRECT two sentence captions for the following photos. 

Remember - you MUST ID with a title, first name and last name everyone in the photo if there is less than 4 people in the image. 

First sentence = what is happening in the photo. Present tense.

Second sentence = background information you cannot get from looking at the photo. Past tense.

Don't forget to write a little kicker headline of less than five words. Spell out all words under 10, use numerals for numbers over 10.

Newspaper Design #2 Turn-in Instructions. Posted 2/4 - MAJOR

When you are done:

When you have your newspaper design done, please follow the instructions listed below to turn your projects in. FOLLOW THEM SPECIFICALLY AND EXACTLY. It may look complex and it isn't simple, but if you follow them carefully you will need no help from me.

You must have your page open in InDesign (NOT photoshop)

>File>Adobe PDF presets>Smallest File Size

>Rename your magazine cover as follows: Last name_first name_Newspaper Design 2_period #

Make sure to save it in your folder ON THE DESKTOP.

>Click export (if any messages come up about outside the clipping area or anything else like that during the .pdf creation process, click okay)

After you create a .PDF at the smallest file size put that file into your Google Drive and make sure it is share so BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL can VIEW it. Then get the link, and put it on your Google Site on a new subpage called Newspaper Design #2 using the embed function. Once you complete that, open your PDF in Photoshop and make it into a PNG by SAVING AS and converting it into a .PNG. Then put that PNG file on your Google Site on the same subpage called Newspaper Design #2. Hit PUBLISH!!!

ALSO  -  I want to post this on your Google Site. To do this you have to convert the .pdf into a .PNG file. This is 25% of your grade.

1. Open Photoshop
2. Open the .pdf of your newspaper design 2 (NOT the .indd, it won't work)
3. When the .pdf converter pop-up box appears, click okay
4. >File>Save as

5. Click - ON YOUR COMPUTER
6. Change the format into .PNG - this is located near the bottom of the pop-up box
7. Click save

8. It should default to large file size, if not change it and click OK
9. If you get any other pop-up boxes, click okay 
10. Post it on your Google Site on a new subpage called Newspaper Design #2

REFLECTION

Please take the time to look closely at your Newspaper Design #2 and complete the following reflection. On your Google Site, please make a new subpage called Newspaper Design #2 Reflection and answer the following questions there:

1. How many headlines are on your page and is there one for each story?

2. How many captions are on your page and is there one for each photo?

3. Are there any big white spaces on your page, especially ones that are "trapped" between objects and not planned white space that would be along the outsides of the page?

4. Did you include a byline for every story, photo and graphic?

5. Did you put a story stop on each story?

6. Did you view your page in Preview mode? You should and take a look at what you are actually turning in.

7. Tell me two frustrations you had while trying to complete this task?

8. Tell me two things you enjoyed about completing this task?

9. Rate your page on a scale of 1-10. Compare your page to a real Dispatch page as you rate yourself. Do you think your page compares to what current page editors have created this year?

10. Rate this assignments difficulty versus other practical applications we have done i.e. magazine covers, King Pica, etc. Was this easier or harder? Explain your answers.

For those people who are moving onto Newspaper next year and will be in Dispatch staff, please write a paragraph explaining what you thought about this process and tell me if this is something you might be interested in learning more about.

Newspaper Design #2 Checklist. Posted 2/2 - No grade assigned

 Do you have the following:

1. A headline for every story
2. A caption for every photo
3. Are there any big white spaces?
4. Have you written all the headlines? Do they fill the entire space required? If not you will have to write more - make the headline fit the ENTIRE space allocated.
5. Have you used FILL TEXT to completely fill all white spaces in text boxes where stories go?
6. Do all captions have a photo by?
7. Do all stories have a byline?
8. If you used art (any .jpeg without a caption that I wrote for it), does it have an art by?
9. Are the entire stories there? Please read the story and make sure it doesn't cut off somewhere weird.
10. Did you put a story stop into place at the end of every story?
11. Did you view your page in Preview mode? You should and take a look at what you are actually turning in.

Some of the things I saw last class that I wanted to point out to you to fix/work on today:

Make sure that every headline is written fully so that it fills the entire space. Make sure those headline boxes in InDesign are made big enough to cover the entire space required.

Make sure you use FILL text to completely fill all text boxes/blocks.

Make sure you have story stops (the little colored boxes) at the end of every story.

Look and see that you can draw a box around all elements that go with the same coverage, i.e. headline, story, photo/art, caption. You should be able to draw a box around it.

Make sure that you have NOT gone outside the pink/purple lines, but also make sure that all of your objects are touching pink/purple lines.

Newspaper Design #2. Posted 1/30, due 1/4 (end of the period) - MAJOR

Last class you did Newspaper Design 1. For that assignment, you had all the pieces with the appropriate content already in place. All you had to do was move the boxes with their content into the correct place on the page. Today, we are going to make another page, but this time, you will have to not only place the boxes where you want them, you will also have to decide what content you want to appear on your page.

Your new InDesign file has a blank page, just like the last one. On the pasteboard around that blank page are a bunch of what we call TEMPLATE OBJECTS. Those objects have all the boxes you need to make your own page from scratch. To use these template objects, instead of just grabbing them and moving them around like you did for Newspaper Design #1, this time you will have to COPY and PASTE each object that you want. In the past this has been the HARDEST step for my intro students. So I am going to repeat these instructions over and over today as you work. COPY and PASTE what you want, don't grab TEMPLATE OBJECTS and move them around. Once you make a copy, you can move the copy around.

There are additional requirements and I will share those with you below.

For now, let's get the pieces you need to complete this task. Click the link below and COPY the entire folder into your folder on the DESKTOP.

NEWSPAPER DESIGN 2

Once everyone has this downloaded, we will open the files together.

Inside the file you are going to find a number of different types of files like an .Indd file, some .docx files, and lots of .jpegs. These files are the CONTENT you will need to use to create your Newspaper Page. You will find images, art, and a pair of Word Files, that have the stories and captions you will need for your page. 

Here is the kicker - you have too much content, and as the editor of this page, you will need to decide what CONTENT you want to use on your page. You have lots of choices.

The first thing you need to do is to use your knowledge of NEWS VALUES to determine which stories you want to use on your NEWS page. Then you will decide what ART/GRAPHICS/PHOTOS you want to use with those stories. Every story on your page must have some sort of visual with it. All visuals must have a credit line and all stories must  have a byline. These items are called a PACKAGE of items.

All elements in a PACKAGE, must be placed near each other in a pleasing MODULAR DESIGN.

Once you have your stories and related visual content selected, now its time to move on to InDesign to create the page.

You are welcome to use a Dispatch newspaper as a sample for your new page. You can access every Dispatch newspapers here: https://thedispatchonline.net/11845/print/print-edition-2021-2022/

I strongly recommend that you use one of the Dispatch pages to help you create this new page.

Begin by COPY and PASTING a main HEADLINE where you want to place it.

Then COPY and PASTE a story box and put it under the headline. You will have to change the size of the story box so it fits right. Just click a white circle on the bottom and make it longer.

COPY and PASTE a photo box that is the size you want (make sure to look at the photo you chose, is it wide or tall? Make the box the approximate shape as the photo you chose - in general you should only have to adjust the height....as there are template pieces in the appropriate widths). You will have to change the size of the story box so it fits right. Just click a white circle on the bottom and make it taller or shorter

I will show you basic steps before you get started. It will take a little time to go through it, but you will have plenty of time over the next few classes to complete this assignment. On the second day, I will be circulating around class to help you with your designs so they look like your sample page. I do NOT expect perfection, but I do want you to get it as close as possible to what you are using as your inspiration. I strongly recommend you use a Page 2, a Page 3, or even Page 4-5 or a sports page. Do not pick a guide page that is page 1 or 8-9 or a photo essay.

Newspaper Design #1. Assigned 1/28, due 1/30 - Minor

 Newspaper Design Project #1

Today you will use the entire period to re-create a page from The Dispatch Issue #4.

Here is a link to the file:

NEWSPAPER DESIGN #1

Once you get it downloaded into the Download Folder, you will need to move it to either your desktop, or into your folder on the desktop. It should give you the prompt to DOWNLOAD right when you open the link.

Once you have it in the proper place, open the InDesign file (it has the letters .indd at the end). When you open it, there will be an error message about missing links, you can just click OKAY. This will not impact what you are doing today. And when you are working the graphics will have a ? near them, ignore that.

You will see, if you are in Normal view mode, that there are all the parts that were used to create Entertainment page 13 in the 3rd issue of The Dispatch. There are paper versions of the paper at your desks to help you when you recreate this page. I will show you how to get into the proper view mode for this project.

Your job is simple. Move those items into the proper place as you see on Page 12. Everything should move properly into the correct space. You should not have to adjust ANYTHING. Just use the TOP arrow tool and move items into the correct spots. DO NOT CHANGE THE DIMENSIONS OF ANYTHING ON THE PAGE. Be careful and do not grab the little white dots around the borders of the items you are moving. 

In addition, when you are moving photos or art, make sure you DO NOT click the middle of the photograph, make sure you are away from the center circle that will pop up.

HINTS: if you think you made a mistake, you can always use COMMAND-Z to go back one step.

Make sure that you use ALL of the items available and that they are in the right places. Refer to the printed page to help you. There are a number of little pieces like short lines and things like that, which should be included on your page design.

Once you are done putting the puzzle together, call me over so I can take a look.

After I approve it, create a .PDF at the smallest file size and put that file into your Google Drive and make sure it is share so BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL can VIEW it. Then get the link, and put it on your Google Site on a new subpage called Newspaper Design #1 using the embed function. Once you complete that, open your PDF in Photoshop and make it into a PNG by SAVING AS and converting it into a .PNG. Then put that PNG file on your Google Site on the same subpage called Newspaper Design #1. Hit PUBLISH!!!

Newspaper Design Concepts. Assigned 1/16, due 1/21 at the end of the period - Minor

Before we start the first Newspaper Design project, we need to know some terms and find some examples of what actually makes up a newspaper page. Many of you will be joining us in newspaper next year, and you are supposed to be focusing on the "visual" side of things. That starts with photography, but it also involves design, infographics, illustrations, podcasting and videography.

When we are talking about newspaper design, it can get extremely complex, but there are basic things you should know and understand before you can get more in-depth. For those of you moving on, these terms and understanding their uses, will really help you as you transition to the production classes. For those of you who are not, these basic terms are used in other places, like yearbook, graphic design and even into the real world. So all of you will benefit from understanding these concepts.

Below are a list of terms you should know. Your job today is to find examples of each of these concepts, take a screen shot of these ideas and share them on your Google Site in a new subpage called Newspaper Design Concepts. You will need to label each image with the correct term.

You will need to find these using the Dispatch newspaper. You can access the print edition of the newspaper here: https://thedispatchonline.net/category/print/

To access each issue, you will need to click on the link and go to Issuu.com and view them as full screen. If you are unsure how to take a screen shot, it's easy - hold down the SHIFT, COMMAND and the #4. That will create a "bullseye" cursor. Now you just click and drag over the item you want to take a screen shot of. This image will either go into the Download folder or to your desktop. Make sure to move these into your Digital Media folder on the desktop. Put them in a new folder called Newspaper Design Concepts.

This is a long list, and I have specified exactly what I am looking for in each term description. In some cases I am asking for a whole page but some screen shots will be portions of the paper, so do not take one big shot and expect me to understand what you are showing me. Find these SPECIFIC elements and take the screen shot. You are welcome to use preview editor and draw lines to what you are trying to show me, if that helps you.

As you look for these items in the Dispatch, please take the time to look at the design of each page you look at. Notice where these elements appear. Look at the way the pages are designed in terms of where headlines appear and where the photos and captions are placed. How does the copy wrap around photos. What about art? Where does the copy go on some art pieces? What about bylines and photo credit lines? There are very specific rules about the placement of all of these items. You will be using the Dispatch as your guide when you create your second newspaper page in the next project.

Above the fold: the top half of any page.

Art: photos, illustrations, line art, cartoons, graphics, charts, etc.

Attribution: assigning information to a source, e.g., he said. Any attribution will be fine.

Banner: headline that stretches across entire newspaper page. Reserved for the big news.

Box: 1- or 2-point lines, known as rules, enclosing a story alone or story and art. Used to draw attention to art and story. Also called packaging.

Byline: name of author of story. (Different from credit line, which is the name of the photographer.)

Caption: text accompanying a photograph; also called, cutline (but rarely used)

Center spread: two facing pages at the center of a magazine or newspaper.

Column: section of text that runs from top to bottom of the page. Also, regular editorial feature in a publication, usually with a byline. Please find me BOTH of these. They both appear in our newspaper.

Copy: article, story, other written material.

Credit line: name of photographer who took the accompanying picture, the artist who drew the illustration or the person who made the informational graphic. Placed immediately under the photo or art, often in 6- or 8-point type.

Deck: wording following a headline but preceding the text or body copy. Expands on the meaning of the title, explaining its significance. 

Double truck: newspaper term for spread, or the two facing pages.

Drop cap: large decorative initial capital letter that extends below the top line of a paragraph it begins.

Editorial: article of comment or opinion usually on the editorial/opinion page.

Flag: name of the newspaper across the top of page one. Sometimes called the logo or nameplate.

Folio: page numbers. Also can refer to date, price, publisher, sometimes volume and number of newspaper that usually is in relatively small type and positioned below the flag or nameplate.

Gutter: blank space between two facing pages or adjacent columns of type.

Hairline: very thin rule or line. 

Head, Headline, Hed: tells readers what the story is about. Similar to a title but includes a verb.

Information graphic: information presented largely as a picture or visual, e.g., bar and pie charts, tables, time-series lines, maps, illustrations.

Jump line: a few words that tell the reader that the story is continued on another page. Continued on... and Please turn to... are the most common jump lines. Please find the jump to AND the jumped from labels.

Lead: the first paragraph, which in hard news stories is the first sentence of the story. Tells the reader what the news is. In longer feature stories, lead can be a block of paragraphs that set the stage or put the reader in the scene.

leading: space between lines of type, usually measured from baseline to baseline. 

Masthead: information about the publication run on an inside page. Usually includes publishers, editors, directors, address, etc.

Modular Design: all elements in a package can be placed inside of a square box (this box may not be a physical box, but you can draw an invisible box around all the related content), creating "modular" boxes that can be moved around as a square package.

Mug shot: a picture of the head and shoulders of a person. Usually run relatively small. In a newspaper usually a half-column wide by 1.5 inches deep or one column wide by 3 inches deep. 

Nameline: a name that appears underneath a mugshot, identifying the person in the picture.

Op-ed page: short for opposite the editorial page. Page that features columnists' opinions often about social, political issues.

Package: A set of items that all go together to complete a group of items that tell the entire story, this includes all art, graphics, photos, story, headline, captions in a presentation. Designed in Modular fashion.

Photo essay: series of photographs that make a single point.

Pic: short for picture.

Reverse: images appear in white on a dark or colored background. Must be used only for a few words. Difficult to read.

Run-around: body copy that wraps around an inset piece of art.

Sidebar: a related story intended to run with a major story on same topic. 

Standing heads, standing sigs or standing signatures: title and/or graphic that signals a regular column (e.g., Dear Abby), regular features (Editorials), a special series of stories or a particular breaking news story topic (e.g., The Summit, Plane Crash). Usually positioned above the head or near the top of a story.

Subhead, drop head: headline that elaborates on the main head. Set in smaller type size than the main head. Positioned below the main head.

Teasers: a headline, phrase or sentence, sometimes accompanied by art, that advertises stories inside the paper. Usually positioned at the top of the cover.

Text: body copy.

Tombstone head: similar size and style headlines, side by side. Usually to be avoided.

White space: space on a page not occupied by type, pictures or other elements. Floating or trapped white space is to be avoided. 

King Pica Digital. Assigned 1/12, due 1/16 - MAJOR

 Today you will transfer your King Pica spread onto the computer and begin filling it with information. You will have two classes to complete this task. 

You can find the link to the blank document here: King Pica Size 9 Draft Sheet

When you click on that file, it should open a new window and you will have a pop-up box that will ask you to DOWNLOAD the file. Click the DOWNLOAD button, and then go find the file in your DOWNLOAD FOLDER....MOVE that file to your desktop (it will go into your Download folder, MOVE IT to your desktop or into your desktop folder).

Open that file. It should open a new document in InDesign that looks like a blank size 9 Draft Sheet.

Your job today is to make the appropriate boxes for each of the ones we made together. It is really easy to make the correct box and at the top in the sub-menus you can input the correct width and heights. Then all you have to do is drag them into the correct space. Make sure to use the columns to help you position them correctly.

Once you get your first box made, SAVE AS and rename it: last name_first name_kingpicaspread_period#    

Remember that everything needs to be exactly 1 pica apart. Also don't forget that the eyelines are not real lines, but will be a white space between objects.

When you are finished make sure that you share it with me so I can verify that you have completed the task correctly. I will make sure its all lined up and ready to be filled with photos and text.

Then you need to decide upon a theme and head to google and start finding pictures for that theme. It will really help you to pick pictures that fit the spaces, vertical photos for vertical spaces and horizontal photos for horizontal spaces. Find 7 total photos. Crop them in Photoshop for the right dimensions - remember we use picas now, not inches.

Then start placing the photos into the In Design spread. Remember how to place?
>file>place or command-d

Once you get the photos into place - you need to write a 2 sentence caption for each photo and write them in the correct places.

Then write three headlines for your story - these can be generic - you can pick the size and font, but you cannot change the size of the box.

Then in the story area, write a 3 paragraph story about your theme. This story can totally be made up, but it does have to be about your theme. You will need to adjust the font and size to fit the entire text space.

.PDF and email, .JPEG OR .PNG and your blog 

When you are done - you need to make your In Design document into a PDF file (.pdf file extension) and Share that with me. Make sure it is shared so ANYONE WITH THE LINK CAN VIEW. 

Then convert that PDF into a JPEG (.jpeg file extension) and post it on your blog.

Here is how you do that:

You must have your Yearbook Spread open in InDesign (NOT photoshop)

Converting your InDesign file to PDF Directions:

>File>Adobe PDF presets>Smallest File Size

Rename your yearbook spread as follows: Last name_first name_kingpicaspread_period #

Make sure to save it in your folder (not your H-drive, not your S-drive, NOT the desktop, your folder)

Click SAVE

When the dialog box comes up in the middle of the screen find the word Export As - PAGES
Click the word SPREADS and change it so it's a spread instead of a single page
Hit Export

This will create a two page .pdf spread. Make sure this file is put into your Google Drive and that you click the sharing button and make sure it is set to ANYONE WITH THE LINK CAN VIEW

Converting from at .pdf to a .jpeg or .png for your Google Site 

FINALLY  -  we want to post these on your Google Site. To do this you have to convert the .pdf into a jpeg file.

1. Open Photoshop
2. Open the .pdf of your yearbook spread (NOT the .indd, it won't work)
3. When the .pdf converter pop-up box appears, hit OKAY
This will open them both in Photoshop.
4. >File>Save as
5. Change the format into .jpeg or if it won't give you the .jpg option, choose a .png
6. Click save
7. Make sure you save it at the highest file size
8. If you get any other pop-up boxes, click okay
9. Post it on your blog. You will need to post both images separately. 

King Pica. Assigned 1/9, due 1/12 - Minor

Today we are going to go old school and do some design in analog with pencil and paper. While the focus of today's design project is on yearbook design, the same concepts and ideas translates directly to newspaper and magazines as well. 

Some important terms we will use today include:

Pica

Gutter

Spread

Outer Margins

Copy

White Space

Graphics/Photos

Photo box

Text Box

Captions

While we are drawing this today, next time I see you we will be transferring this to a digital file that I will provide for you. We will be using InDesign for all of the design projects we do in the coming weeks.

I will be doing this presentation on the screen and drawing with you on my on draft sheet. I am not going to give you a link to the presentation today, but I will make sure you have it next time so you can refer back to it. I want to work through this design process with you together and I don't want anyone working ahead.

Welcome Back 2026. Posted 1/7, due 1/9 - Minor

Welcome back!!

Today let's get 2026 started with a fun little assignment.

Since it's a new year I think it's appropriate that we look back at the year 2025 and reflect upon the things that happened in that year. 

First - let's make sure your Google Site is ready for the new semester.

Under Pages in the main panel on the right, create a new subpage and title it 2nd semester (you can break this down by 9 weeks if you would prefer, but at least make a new one for the second semester).

Once you have this subfolder made, move it on top of your home page. You can tell what your home page is because it has a little House next to the name.

When you are done with this, your Pages pane should look like this:

I have a 1st semester folder, but you may not, you might have a 1st 9 weeks or even a 1st and 2nd 9 weeks folder. That is fine. You can make a subfolder called 1st semester and put the ones from last semester in it if you want. Your organization system should work for you, but I also want you to make it easier for me to find your work. As a reminder - it is always so much easier for me when you title your subpages the same as the assignment, for example, today's assignment should be called Welcome back to 2026!! The better you name things, the easier it is for me to find it and give it a grade.

Once your Pages pane looks like mine, make sure you use the 3 dots to the right of 2nd Semester to make your subpages. I have it highlighted here so you can see it easier:

If your Pages pane is a mess, and you need help getting it all cleaned up, please let me know so I can help you. I want to stay organized and I want to be able to easily grade your work.

Now, let's move onto today's assignment and look at some photos and think about 2025 a little bit.

Go to the following websites and look at the photos there. On your Google Site post your THREE (3) favorites and tell me why it was your favorite photo of the year. Make sure you write about the photographic techniques you found in the photo. I have included a few websites for you to look at, spend at least 20 minutes looking at these sites. You may have to wait for the images to load AND you may need to search out the images on Google as you probably can't download the image directly. You will also probably have a slideshow to look at - please make sure you are looking at more than the first photo. You should read the stories of those photos you find compelling if there is a link to do so.

https://time.com/7336112/top-100-photos-2025/

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/year-end-2025-photos-best/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/world/year-in-pictures.html

https://apnews.com/article/associated-press-100-photos-of-2025-ap-photos-that-defined-the-year

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2025/specials/year-in-pictures/index.html

Second, lets write about some things you found interesting this year. Below I have listed 5 prompts - on your blog please find a photo that goes with each prompt and then write a paragraph (at least two sentences and preferably 3) about each. Why did you chose that as your main choice, what things attracted you to that choice and why was it the best of 2025? To help you a little I have put a link below the prompt that may or may not help you. You are free to find your own sources.

1. What was the best song of 2025?

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-2025-1235468614/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/arts/music/best-songs-2025.html

2. What was the best movie of 2025?

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-new-movies/

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls025942625/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/movies/best-movies-2025.html

3. What was the most important news story of the year 2025?

https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-stories-talking-2025/story?id=127596974

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-news-headlines-of-2025-month-by-month/

https://www.history.com/articles/2025-events

4. Who was the most important person of 2025 in your opinion?

https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2025/?filters=leaders

5. What was the biggest sports OR entertainment story OR sports/entertainment person of 2025 (you should Google what is appropriate for your choice), I leave this one to you to find a photo for.

Finally, I want to know more about your holiday break.

.
1. Tell me what is the one thing that happened on your holiday break that you will remember? 

2. What are your resolutions (things you want to do this year, your major goals) for the 2026 year?

3. What are you looking forward to in 2026?