Capstone Projects and Project-Based Learning

Multimedia & Webpage Design
Capstone Projects
and
Project-Based
Learning
Timberley Adams - Watauga High School
• Incorporate real life
applications.
• Demonstrate the way multiple
programs and objectives work
together.
• Allow for varied student
interests and diversity.
• Produce a major project and
presentation for assessment
of student learning.
Creative capstone business projects
combine elements of all 4 MaWD
curriculum units into a promotional
packet which can be done
–as individual projects
• by spreading components out over the
semester as you finish corresponding units.
–as a 1 week group project
• at the end of course by dividing up the
components between group members.
Curriculum Units
A GRAPHICS AND DESKTOP PUBLISHIING
1.00 Understand desktop publishing.
1.01 Investigate typefaces and fonts.
1.02 Investigate design principles and elements.
1.03 Demonstrate desktop publishing.
2.00 Understand graphic image design and computer animation
2.01 Investigate graphic image design.
2.02 Develop computer animations.
B MULTIMEDIA AND WEBPAGE DESIGN
3.00 Understand multimedia production.
3.01 Explore multimedia systems and elements.
3.02 Develop multimedia presentations.
4.00 Understand webpage design.
4.01 Examine webpage development and design.
4.02 Develop webpages using various layouts and
technologies.
Capstone projects offer MaWD
students the freedom to
imagine and create
instead of copying and
reproducing designs and ideas.
Students present their finished
plans to classmates for evaluation
and discussion of
–overall design and ideas
–desktop publishing products
–graphic and multimedia
components
–websites
This capstone project uses the
following software
• Adobe Creative Suite
–PhotoShop
–InDesign
–Illustrator
–Flash
–Dreamweaver
• Google SketchUp
• Microsoft PowerPoint & Word
• HTML (Some knowledge may be required to fix
various issues. Pages could also be created in HTML. )
• Audacity
• MovieMaker
• Other software can be used if Adobe or
Audacity is unavailable.
–Gimp, Word, Publisher, Open Office, or
even HTML with Notepad.
Imagine: your school decides
to start a student-run coffee /
ice cream shop after school
hours to provide students with
entrepreneurial skills and
entertainment options.
• Located in the school cafeteria/lobby area
– Hours after school, after ball games, etc…
• Serving a variety of
– coffees, teas and other drinks
– Ice cream, frozen yogurt, and other munchies
• Featuring Open Mic style entertainment
Why Cool Beans?
It’s called Cool Beans
because coffee and ice
cream use beans
(coffee beans and
vanilla beans.)
…and because
It isn’t like
McDonalds.
There is no Cool Beans Coffee and Ice
Cream Shop with a large well-known
media presence or image. This leaves
students free to imagine their own
designs and logos.
Desktop Publishing (InDesign)
• Menu
–any basic menu design
• 4X6 Advertisement
–for school newspaper or sports program.
• Point of Purchase Tabletop Trifold
–with seasonal or weekly specials
• Band Application to appear at Open Mic
–done in Word or InDesign, saved as PDF for
insertion in website
Graphics & Design
• Business Logo (PhotoShop)
–to be used throughout project
• Color Scheme
–to be used throughout project
• Floor Plan (Google SketchUp)
–3D showing wall/floor colors,
furnishings and decorative elements
• Vector “Button” images (Illustrator)
–2 per link to create rollover buttons
Multimedia
• Presentations (PowerPoint)
–Explaining and presenting all their ideas
and choices for designs, floor plans,
furnishings, menus and websites
• Simple Animations (Flash)
–1 for each page in the website
• Edited Sound Clips (Audacity)
–For featured entertainment
Webpage Design
• 4 Page (Minimum) Website
–Splash Restaurant Home Page, Coffee
Page, Ice Cream Page and an
Entertainment Page
• Features: rollover navigation buttons,
flash animation, short sound files of
featured bands, links to PDF files of their
menu and an application for bands to
perform at Open Mic.
• Students present their work as if they were
approaching the school board with this idea.
• Fellow classmates will watch and be given a
chance to ask questions about choices made.
– No questions about financing (we assume that part
is acceptable, and that anything goes as far as the
need to repaint, carpet or purchase furniture.)
• Fellow classmates are given rating sheets to
evaluate both the ideas and professionalism
of the presenter.
This idea works well for MaWD!
It also fits in with the Personal Finance unit on
consumer behavior / marketing.
• Students must decide their shoe’s
purpose and target market. This will
determine how they create the
following:
–Shoe design, color schemes & price range
–Shoe Logo & Name
–Print Advertising design & placement
–Celebrity for endorsements
–Broadcast Media scripts & placement
• Shoe Design from an online
site with an added Logo for
the student’s brand name
–Remove other logos to add
student logo or trademark
• Celebrity endorsement
photos
–With shoe if possible
(Or PhotoShop or Publisher or Word)
• Full page magazine advertisement
• 30-60 second radio commercial
• Writen script- shows what is being
said, what is being seen, AND what
is being heard in the background.
Formal presentation of
ideas & promotional plans
• Shoe design and Logo / Name
• Benefits of their shoe
• Celebrity chosen for
endorsement
• Magazine Ad
– and list of magazines it will run in
• TV Script or recorded Radio
commercial
– and list of stations and time
frames it will run.
Project Idea #3
• NASCAR DRIVER SPONSORSHIP
and PROMOTIONAL PLAN
NOT YOUR ORDINARY
NASCAR DRIVERS!
Students will incorporate a
more diverse idea of NASCAR
by designing a promotional
website for a new
The more
sponsors pay
the better
position, and
bigger their
name appears
on the driver’s
uniform and on
the car. Notice
the size and
placement of
GoDaddy.com
Sponsor
notes
Congratulations Thunder Valley Racing
has hired you to work for one its newest female
drivers. You may choose one driver from
Thunder Valley’s list. See thundervalleyracing.com
TVR
• You need to decide on your target market
and possible products for a female driver.
Come up with a list of sponsors, and logos
that are appropriate for your new driver.
• Find photos of the driver, preferably one
with a uniform on. (Use PhotoShop adjust colors
with the magic wand and hue and add appropriate logos
to the uniform and if needed find a separate photo of a
uniform and add her head.)
• Do the same with a car photo. Use PhotoShop
to change color scheme and add appropriate logos to
the front/rear and sides . Use liquify and warp to shape
the logo to the car’s curves.
Create a website with pages for:
1. Driver’s Biography & pictures (1 w/uniform)
2. Sponsors page & schedule. (Car photo goes
here. Include links to sponsor sites)
3. Thunder Valley Racing Info (w/ link to the site)
4. Incorporate sounds and special effects like
rollovers, flash animation, special theme
song, and slideshow.
Possible Social Media Connection - research and
design a possible Facebook or Blog site – don’t
upload it just show an example or sketch up a
design.
Programs you will use:
1-PhotoShop for graphic images
2-Dreamweaver for webpage creation
3-HTML Code for adjusting page setup
4- Internet Explorer for research and artwork
5- Flash for animation.
6-Audacity to edit theme song.
7-PowerPoint for slideshow
**Use frames and tables, for your site. Your
driver’s name should be at the top with a
consistent color scheme and your
navigation links show up on the left side.
Use a welcome (splash) page.
Project Idea #4 Promote A Band!
Intensity Records
Radio Station Promotion Pack
Create Public Relations Media Packets for
their new “up and coming” band with
students creating the logos and
promotional materials.
Radio Station Promotion Pack
Prepare a promotion “kit” for your local radio
station for your band. The media kit should
contain the following:
Letter of introduction/explanation on your
record company’s stationary.
Include a letter that features the company
logo at the top of the stationary with the letter
typed underneath.
1.Tell who/what your music company is.
2.Tell who your group is and what they play.
Include a group promotional photo with
band logo.
3. Tell them about the show at Legends.
(Or your own local music venue.)
Include the flyer for their Legends show.
4. Offer a live interview opportunity for the
station when the band is in town.
5. Tell about the group’s new CD and include
a CD for the station to play.
Include your “CD” Cover Design
6. Tell them that the group also has lots of
merchandise to sell at their performances
Include merchandise sheet(s.)
7. Tell the station that you have included 2
backstage passes the station to use and 2
additional passes for them to give away as
contest prizes.
Include a backstage pass
For the band’s appearance
with band logo and/or
picture, date of show, etc…
(print one copy of it.)
Eligible group names:
Hysteria *
Krud * Sludge * Slacker
Doll Face * Silk *
Barbie Killers * Good Ol’ Boys
Cowgirl Up * PFC * Geezer
Hyper * OxyGen * O-zone
Teachers want to use group names
that don’t exist so that they can’t
reproduce ideas that you may not be
familiar with. (Look online to be sure.)
Public Relations Media Packet
Things Your Bands Need:
(You need to put the following in a packet with your business letter)
• Band logo and band “photo” PHOTOSHOP
• Flyer for appearance at Legends (8.5X11) INDESIGN
• Backstage Pass for the show. (4X6) INDESIGN
• CD cover (front cover only) must show band logo and record
company logo. INDESIGN
• Band merchandise catalog page with pictures and prices offering
at least 2 tee shirt styles, 1 cap, and at least 1 other object.
(Merchandise pictures should be showing the bands’ logos and /
or photo on the items). PHOTOSHOP
Tee shirt design picture size (4X6) PHOTOSHOP
Catalog page size (8.5X11) PHOTOSHOP AND/OR INDESIGN
• ONE STEP FARTHER: Possible Band Music Video or promotional
spot and /or Webpage (Add “the band’s URL” to the letter if
you add this project)
Programs you will use:
• PhotoShop for graphic images
• Internet Explorer for research and artwork
• InDesign for desktop publishing documents.
• Possibly Dreamweaver for webpage creation
• Possibly Moviemaker
to edit your band’s new
promotional video.
• Powerpoint to show all
of their ideas to the class
if you add the additional
Project components
Conclusion: Capstone Projects and
Project- Based Learning Works!
By incorporating major projects into our
courses teachers allow students to:
• Show off and demonstrate what they
learned
– Validate course grades, regardless of
their standardized test scores.
• Use their creativity and talents
• Express their diversity and individuality