Location: Rocklin
Day & Time: Tuesday 10:45-11:55
Grade: 7th-12th
Mentor: Frizzle Frizzle
Email: inspiredbyamg@gmail.com
Yearbook: Design & Visual Storytelling
This class is a collaborative, project-based course in which students create the Love of Learning yearbook through intentional visual communication and narrative design. Students will learn how to build a cohesive story across the entire yearbook, while also crafting meaningful visual narratives within individual class and event pages. Emphasis will be placed on the principles of layout, composition, typography, color, photography, pacing, and thematic consistency. Using TreeRing publishing software, students will develop skills in digital page design, editing, publication workflow, and creative decision-making, while working as a professional-style publication team. Students will analyze how design choices communicate mood, identity, memory, and community, and will apply California Arts and Media Arts standards through authentic publication work.
Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will:
develop visual storytelling skills through photography, layout design, and thematic page development
create coherent and visually unified yearbook spreads using principles of design and composition
apply typography, color theory, spacing, and visual hierarchy to communicate meaning effectively
collaborate as editors, designers, photographers, and writers within a publication team
use TreeRing software and digital publishing tools to design, revise, and finalize pages
strengthen communication, time management, organization, and project-planning skills
analyze and evaluate design choices for clarity, audience engagement, and storytelling effectiveness
meet publication deadlines through structured workflow and collaborative problem-solving
build media literacy and responsible digital publishing practices
demonstrate creativity, leadership, and reflective decision-making through long-term project development
Activities:
Students will participate in all stages of yearbook production, from concept development to final publication. Activities include developing the annual theme and visual identity of the book; planning page narratives and story arcs; photographing school events and student life; selecting and editing images; writing captions, headlines, and feature text; designing layouts and spreads in TreeRing; critiquing and revising page designs; organizing publication schedules; and managing collaborative editorial workflows. Students will study examples of effective visual storytelling and apply principles from the California Visual Arts and Media Arts standards, including creating, presenting, responding to, and connecting with artistic work. The course also supports social-emotional learning through collaboration, student voice, leadership, and community-centered storytelling.
Materials:
Students are required to bring a laptop to each class to access TreeRing publishing software, photography tools, and collaborative design resources during class activities.
“What is memorized is easily forgotten, what is understood is never forgotten.” ~Dr. Adler
All classes are full-year classes. Students enrolled in a Fall Semester class will automatically enroll for the Spring Semester in December to ensure their place in the class. Pricing is per semester.
