School Memories

At risk students often feel they do not have the skills to attempt a relevant project, nor have the resources to accomplish it. We are a school for at risk students that encourages them to dream beyond their limitations and that their dreams can become a reality.
Our project will be a digital story of our at-risk students and their journey through a year of their lives. Students will photograph activities they are involved in, write descriptive short articles, design layouts, use Photoshop to enhance the layouts and pictures, show off their accomplishments visually, and print and bind the book in house.

Objectives:
1. Generate a topic of personal interest and develop a plan for gathering information
2. Use a variety of communication skills to present the information
3. To create a sense of ownership of their project as well of as their lives.
4. Students will be grouped according to their interest and skill levels.
5. Achievements will be individualized according to their personal accomplishments in mastering Photoshop and design.

Equipment Needed:
digital cameras
computers
adobe photoshop
LCD projector
Photo paper
Binding materials
Clear and colored binding covers
Ink for printers
thumb drives

Students will learn how to use the various buttons in Adobe Photoshop.
Students will learn how to take their knowledge of the program and create their own Photoshop projects.
Students will learn how to take their knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and create layouts, manipulate pictures and design pages for their memory book.
Students will learn how to organize a memory book to show off their year's accomplishments
Students will learn how to print, collate, bind and distribute the memory book they created.

1st nine weeks
Students learn about the program, Adobe Photoshop. They learn the function of the many buttons and how to create certain effects. They also learn how to correct flaws, enhance and manipulate pictures. They use the pictures they are taking of themselves, others and of the many activities in their school.

2nd nine weeks
Students learn how to create different styles and fonts for furthering enhancing their project. They also continue to enhance their skills in photography and learn photo layouts.

3rd nine weeks
Students begin to organize their pictures and further enhance their skills in photography and Photoshop. They also begin to print any finished pages.

4th nine weeks
Students begin to take the knowledge they have learned about Photoshop and create their own projects. They also finalize all layouts and begin to finish printing the memory book. Binding, collating and distribution will take place during the final month of class.