Graphic Design using GIMP Activity Plan: Bedazzle your name.

Decorate your name using GIMP

Activity Sheet: gimp activity sheet bedazzle my name.pdf

1: Stuff you need BEFORE the lesson:

1. Make sure you know how many students you are teaching and have that many computers on (you should not have more kids than computers)

2. Make sure every computer has GIMP editor installed and make sure the internet is working, so that you can use the internet to search for pictures.

Note: It is optional to allow kids to use the internet for this lesson. If you allow it, then make sure that they do not get distracted! In order to make things easier try searching for pictures for them instead.

3. Make sure you have at least 12 activity sheets (generally, you shouldn't have more than 12 kids)

4. Make sure that all the youth teachers in your group understands the lesson, and that all the teaching is divided equally.

2: Opening Concepts:

1. Explain what Graphic Design and GIMP is and how it is used and how it can be used in life beyond the tech center.

2. Explain the lesson: an open ended lesson that allows you to explore most if not all of GIMP in order to decorate your name.

3. Explain the use of the path tool and how it could be used in different forms.

4. Explain the concept of the filter tab (e.g. the blur, lens flare, lighting effects) and the different uses of it.

3: Focus of the Lesson:

The focus of this lesson is designing your name the way it best fits you and your personality. Students will explore the path tool, the eraser tool, the paint brush, the text tool, and the filter tab.

4: Teaching:

1. Have everyone type their name on GIMP using the text tool and have them choose a size and font.

2. Show them how to use the paintbrush tool to design their name.

3. Also show them the Blur, Light and Shadow, and Distort effects under the filter tab.

4. After the kids have successfully created a bedazzled name, ask them what they could also use this same method for other than their own name.

5. Wrap up:

1. Have kids who are finished with their bedazzled names, save their work onto the users folder under their name.

2. Print out their bedazzled names, so that they can show them off to friends and family.

3. Make sure everyone has cleaned up their area. 

4. Circle up: Ask various questions: What did they learn today? What else can you use this project for? What do people use Gimp for?

If you have additional time then try to get feedback during the circle up: What can be improved? What was good? What was hard and what was easy? Could you teach this lesson to someone who does not know about GIMP? etc. etc.