Yearbook

Course Overview

Yearbook gives students the opportunity to learn and build upon fundamental aspects of journalistic writing, photography, and graphic design. Students work in a project-based learning environment combined with direct, small group, and individualized instruction that allows them to apply communication skills, both written and visual, and use advanced technology to create and market a publication with historical value. Being a member of a publication staff is a privilege that requires a great deal of responsibility. Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic components of yearbook production, effectively prioritize tasks and schedules in order to meet yearbook deadlines, and work as a productive team member on the yearbook staff.

Course Content

Photography

Pictures are arguably the most important, and memorable, elements in a yearbook. Students will learn camera basics and composition techniques, and utilize these skills when taking photos for their yearbook spreads. Students will employ tools such as Photoshop, for photo editing.

Yearbook Copy

Students will be introduced to journalistic writing, and learn how to create headlines, captions, articles and other forms of storytelling including infographics, fact boxes, and quotations. Students will practice and conduct interviews to gather content for their writing.

Page Layout and Design

This yearbook course will cover the fundamentals of design. Topics will include page composition, proximity, white space, alignment, contrast, dominant elements, eye lines, and repetition. Students will also explore typography and color in design.

Production

Students are responsible for creating several yearbook spreads and over the course of the school year. Students are expected to gather and generate all of the content for each of their assigned yearbook spreads, including taking and editing photos, conducting interviews, writing headlines, captions, and stories associated with the topic, and creatively designing the layout. There are three major production deadlines for yearbook. Work for each deadline will occur in cycles with mini-deadlines set throughout each cycle.

Editing

Editing is an essential step in yearbook production. Students are expected to review and edit their pages with great attention to detail, as well as provide constructive feedback to others, paying careful attention to the style guide, grammar, punctuation, photo choice and placement, spacing.