LESSON PLAN

Teacher: Joyce Cucksey, Ashley Ellis 

Grade Level: 6-8 
Lesson Plan # 2: Day 4 
Lesson Title: Voice 
Date Taught: February 22, 2020 
Date Revised: Spring, 2020 
Theme/Overarching curriculum goals: 
Our goal is for students to take away an understanding of empowerment and that their voice, thoughts 
and actions count. This is relevant as it is an important skill they can take away and use throughout 
their lives. Social issues and changes will be a constant part of life and having the skills to deal with 
and understand these issues can result in a better tomorrow. As an emerging young adult, finding a 
voice and knowing how to use it can be a powerful revelation. Exploring the world and coming into 
more knowledge and understanding about what is going on today is an impactful time of life.  
Lesson Rationale: 
In this lesson, students will develop a voice about a social or political issue that they are passionate 
about by making a book cover. Through the use of symbolism and speech on their book cover, they 
will explore how to create an eye catching piece to draw a viewer in. When it comes to spreading 
awareness about a social or political issue, students will learn how to spread awareness and the power 
of their own voice when they have to link words with art. The book cover will be made by the use of 
photoshop and traditional media. Using photoshop as a tool in today's world is a valuable skill and 
students will get a taste of working digitally creating art. The book covers will be printed out and 
mounted to be displayed.  
 
 
Lesson Objectives: Students will…  
Conceptual/Affective/Expressive Objective (creative/critical thinking processes to be developed): 
o Students will begin with mind mapping in their sketch book about their social issue of their choice 
to gather their ideas and narrow down their thoughts to make imagery for their book cover. We will 
do another review about how mind mapping works with a short warm up exercise with word 
association.   
o Students will plan their book covers by sketching out a rough draft in their sketchbooks based off 
of their mind maps.  
o Students will be able to understand vocab such as book covers, composition, symbolism, imagery, 
and fonts. 
o Students will create work that encompasses their issue as a whole and how they communicate 
symbolism through an art piece with an idea. 
Productive Objective (what students will physically learn to make/do): 
● Students will use photoshop to create visual representation about this issue that they choose. 
● Students will incorporate words and fonts into their book cover 
● Students will explore representation through use of symbolism, for example using imagery to portray a 
meaning or feeling behind it.   
● Students will make a book cover that reflects an issue that they are passionate about. 
● Students will produce an 8½’’ x 11’’ book cover 
● Students will have their book cover mounted and matted for display.  
Multicultural/Historical/Interdisciplinary Objective (aspects of culture/history/another subject that students will
learn about):
● Students will learn about the artists who use symbolism such as Kara Walker, Eric Almanza, Venessa 
Riveria and Ai Weiwei. 
● Students will explore topics such as activism, empowerment, climate change, gender equality, 
discrimination, and humanitarianism, etc.  
 
State Visual Arts Goals met by the lesson objectives: 
● ART.VA.I.7.5 Produce and exhibit a final product that demonstrates quality
craftsmanship and technique at an emerging level.

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● ART.VA.III.7.6 Identify personal and community experiences within works of art at an

emerging level. 
 
 
Vocabulary: 
Conceptual/Affective/Expressive: 
Activism - The action of campaigning to bring about social and political change. 
Symbolism - The use of image to represent an idea. 
Empowerment - The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially when fighting for 
one’s right. 
Expression - The process of making one’s thoughts and feelings known. 
 
Production: 
Mind Mapping - ​a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts 
Color Theory - ​a set of principles used for working with colors that involves mixing colors, considering 
the visual effects of color, and creating pleasing ​ c
​ olor combinations. 
Photoshop - To alter (a photographic image) digitally using Photoshop image-editing software. 
Font - A set of type of one particular face and size. 
Layering - Aset of type of one particular face and size. 
Appropriations - The artistic practice or technique of reworking images from well-known paintings, 
photographs, etc., in one's own work. 
Juxtaposition - The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. 
Contrasts - the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close 
association. 
Visual adjustments- 
Cropping -Cut the edges of (a photograph) in order to produce a better picture or to fit a given space.  
Dodging - expose (one area of a print) less than the rest during processing or enlarging. 
Lasso - Used for selections where there is no pre-defined shape. 
Color pop - Making a photo black & white, but keeping one object in colour 
Composition - placement or arrangement of visual elements 
Perspective - appearance to the eye of objects in relative distance and position.  
 
 
Multicultural/Historical/Interdisciplinary: 
Climate change - a change in global or regional climate patterns. 
Gender equality- the state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender. 
Discrimination - ​unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on 
the grounds of race, age, or sex.  
Humanitarian - Seeking to promote human welfare for all. 
 
Teacher Provided Materials: (__21_ students plus demos) 
Demo materials: 
o Sketchbook  
o Photoshop 
o Scanner 
For Student: 
o Sketchbooks 
o Photoshop 
o Scanner 
 
Learner Provided Materials: 
(materials students have been asked to bring in) 
● N/A 
 

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Motivation/Activities and Prompts: 
Discussion presentation/board  
o We will present on how to use photoshop with a step by step powerpoint.  
o In our presentation we will talk about how composition plays an effect on imagery and text.  
o We will talk about different symbolism that is used to portray meaning in works of art by 
showing examples in the presentation.  
o We will present again on how color, composition, and symbolism is used to create dramatic art 
in photoshop. 
 
 
Interactive demos  
o Demo of Photoshop tools  
o Demo of mind mapping  
o Demo of sketching a good composition.  
o A hand out will be given about photoshop and steps to take.  
Handouts (list)  
o Photoshop instructions   
Historical/Multicultural/Interdisciplinary exemplars  
● We will show works from Ai Weiwei, Kara Walker, Eric Almanza and photoshop artist Vanessa 
Rivera. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Classroom Layout/Physical Set-up: 

WALL POSTINGS:  
● Expectation Posters 
● Cell phone rules and guidelines. 
● Door welcome sign 
TABLE FORMATION:   
o With 21 students present in the classroom, having 5 students at three of the tables and then 
having six students at one accommodates all the students. 
o Utilizing the space outside the classroom, students can freely sit at the tables if they need more 
space 

 
 
MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION AREA:   
o Material cart (Storage) 
DEMONSTRATION AREA:  
o Front of the class 
WORK AREA:   
o At tables or utilizing the outside room and tables for space if needed.  
DISCUSSION/CRITIQUE AREA:   
o In the classroom at student tables.  
CLEAN UP AREA:  
o Tables assigned for students 
 
 
Procedures:  
SKETCHBOOK/JOURNAL: (​_15_​ minutes) 
o They will be prompted to either elaborate more on their previous sketches from their last 
weeks book cover  
o Before we depart to go to the lab, we will ask for a raise of hands to see who has done 
photoshop before, keeping this in mind, we will seat the photo experienced students with the 
novice students.  
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o At 9:10 we will head up stairs to resume our work in Photoshop 

FOCUSING EVENT: (​ 10​ minutes) 
o We will present on the book covers again and how they are impactful 
o Remind them of color, composition and symbolism. 
DEMO: (​_20_​ minutes) 
o We will present a demo and walk through using the tools in Photoshop so they can manipulate 
and render their images the way they would like. 
o We will then talk about fonts, how different fonts can create different effects and how the 
words they make up have an impact on the viewer.  
o After the demo/walk through, students will be given a hand out reinforcing the steps they need 
to take and how to do things in Photoshop 
o Before we get started we will make sure that the students are clear on how to save their files.  
o We will have flash drives to be able to save the files just in case the desktop can not save 
them.  
WORKSESSION: (​_60_​ minutes) 
o Students will start putting their images or scanned images into photoshop and warping and 
layering their images.  
o They will create a word, or a phrase in their piece that creates impact on what they are 
representing on their book cover.  
o Students should finish their book covers by the end of this session.  
CLEAN UP: (​5​ minutes) 
● Students will put away writing and art supplies in their homes 
● We will walk back down stairs and put away sketchbooks that they brought with them 
CLOSURE: (​5​ minute)  
o We will talk about what they liked most about their book covers 
o Ask them what they think is the strongest part of their book covers 
o We will scaffold into the next project  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Assessment:  
Formative: Throughout the class students will be asked how they are progressing in their research, they will be 
asked guided questions to ensure they are staying on task. We will also monitor the class and see what needs 
to be changed in regards to seating, classroom behavior, and classroom expectations. 
Special Needs Accommodations:​ ​(Describe at least 2 specific ways in which you might adapt this lesson for 
students with special needs.) 
1. ADHD: Check in with the student personally, ask them how they are doing, keep things moving 
and have minimum downtime for them so they can stay active.  
2. Down syndrome: Respectful of personal space, get to know them, sit by them so they have 
some one on one time 
3. Hearing impairment: Have the student sit up front close to the speaker, have a buddy sit next 
to them if they did not hear or have a question they can ask their friend, and also check in with 
them afterwards to make sure they fully understand what the class is doing.  
   

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Timetables: 
 
Time allotted for lesson (_120__ minutes total for class): 
Activity Minutes
Sketchbook 10 mins.
Focusing Activity 20mins.
Discussion 0mins.
Demonstrations 20mins.
Worksession 55mins.
Clean-up 10mins.
Assessment/Closure 5mins.

 
Preparation Time:  

Activity Time
Writing lesson  1 hour
Gathering materials/resources 15mins
Set-up (before classes) 1 hour
Making an example 3 hour
Making presentations/boards/handouts 1 hour
Revising lesson  30 mins

TOTAL 45 mins/ 6 hours

 
 
 
 
(ATTACH: all supplementary materials for the lesson, such as handouts, powerpoints, images of 
exemplars, etc.) 

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