🗓️ Before Class: Teacher Prep
- Gather/set out: Computer with Adobe Illustrator.
- If today includes physical/hands-on work: make sure the classroom cameras are charged, working, and have a cleared SD card ready for photo uploads.
- Pull up today's slide deck (see 🖥️ Slide Deck below) so it's ready to project.
🧑🏫 Substitute Teacher Guide
A scripted, step-by-step runsheet for today's class -- hand this to anyone covering the room who doesn't know the daily routine.
- Day 1: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
- Day 2: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
🎯 Essential Question
- What is Adobe Illustrator, and how is it different from Photoshop?
📈 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson (2 Days), students will be able to:
- Compare Illustrator (vector-based) to Photoshop (raster-based).
- Navigate Illustrator's basic workspace and core tools.
- Create a simple vector icon or logo using the shape and pen tools.
📐 Standards Alignment
CDOS (Career Development & Occupational Studies)
- CDOS 2 — Integrated Learning -- students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.
- CDOS 3a — Universal Foundation Skills -- basic literacy, communication, and problem-solving skills required for a career.
ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) Photoshop Exam Objectives
- ACP 4.1 — Use core tools and features to create visual elements.
🎓 Study this for the ACP exam: Domain 4: Creating and Modifying Visual Elements
📚 Key Vocabulary
- Illustrator
- Adobe's vector-based design application, used for logos, icons, and scalable artwork.
- Artboard
- The word Illustrator uses for a page or canvas.
🧰 Materials & Tools
- Computer with Adobe Illustrator
🧠 Do Now (Warm-Up)
Recall from Unit 2: what's the difference between a raster image and a vector image?
📋 Main Workshop / Lesson Sequence
This lesson spans 2 Days. Suggested pacing:
| Day | Focus | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Meeting Illustrator | Do Now (5 min, above). Mini-lesson/demo (15 min): raster vs. vector recap, then a tour of Illustrator's workspace and panels. Guided practice (20 min): follow along building basic shapes on an artboard. Save progress (5 min). |
| Day 2 | Building an Icon | Do Now (5 min). Independent build (35 min): create a simple vector icon or logo using the shape and pen tools. Share (5 min). |
✅ Assessment & Exit Ticket
Vector icon scored with a rubric: built entirely with vector tools, clean shapes, no stray anchor points.
Exit Ticket: Name one thing Illustrator can do that Photoshop can't (or does very differently).
📊 Pull up the anonymous Class Check-In for students to fill out before they go.
🧩 Differentiation & Accommodations
English Language Learners: provide translated or bilingual glossaries, visuals, and sentence frames; pair with a peer for meaningful participation. Students with IEPs: provide extended time, step-by-step checklists, and one-on-one or small-group support as specified in each student's plan. Attention-related needs: break the task into smaller steps, use visual timers, and minimize distractions. Students who finish early: extend the task by adding a second design variation, mentoring a classmate, or writing a short reflection connecting today's skill to a career pathway.