Unit Plan & Lesson Series: Digital Art

UNIT PLAN

Course: Visual Fundamentals

Instructor: Scott Masson

Grades: 9-12

Unit Title: “Digital Voices: Art, Identity, and Design in the 21st Century”

Unit Summary and Rationale:

This unit will introduce my high school students to the fundamentals and possibilities of digital art during a three-week portion of our semester. Students will have the opportunity to explore visual storytelling, develop multiple literacies, consider issues of identity and culture, contemplate notions of advocacy through artmaking, and generate social commentary using cutting-edge digital-imaging tools like Photoshop, Procreate, Canva, Illustrator, InDesign, and elements of photography. Through hands-on individual and collaborative projects, visual examples, guided demonstrations, and peer feedback, students will examine foundational design principles, digital drawing, photo editing, vector manipulation, and basic animation or motion graphics. Most importantly, my students will learn to think critically about the media they consume and create through empowering conversations and clearly written analysis.

Digital art is an accessible realm for students at all skill levels. Not only is digital imagery deeply connected to youth culture, identity expression, and civic engagement, it also serves as the primary tool for contemporary art and design creation in the 21st Century. This unit supports student literacy by allowing young learners to become digitally fluent, visually literate, culturally aware, and socially conscious image-makers. Differentiation in my “Visual Fundamentals” course is continuously embedded through scaffolded tech instruction, open-ended project themes, available guides and tools, as well as student choice. The unit culminates in a self-directed digital artwork, along with an accompanying artist’s statement and hallway exhibition.

Unit Standards:

• VA: Cr1.2.HS1 (proficient): Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of art or design.

• VA: Cr2.3.HS1 (advanced): Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices, following or breaking established conventions, to plan the making of multiple works of art and design based on a theme, idea, or concept.

• VA: Cr2.3.HS1 (proficient): Collaboratively develop a proposal for an installation, artwork, or space design that transforms the perception and experience of a particular place.

• VA: Cr2.3.HS1 (advanced): Demonstrate in works of art or design how visual and material culture defines, shapes, enhances, inhibits, and/or empowers people’s lives.

• VA: Re7.2.HS1 (proficient): Analyze how one’s understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery.

• VA: Cn10.1.HS1 (advanced): Synthesize knowledge of social, cultural, historical context to inform a personal response to art.

• VA: Cn10.1.HS1 (proficient): Document the process of developing ideas from early stages to fully elaborate ideas.

• ISTE Standard 6: Creative Communicator*. Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using digital tools.

*From ISTE website: “The ISTE Standards are a framework that guides educators, leaders and coaches in using technology to create high-impact, sustainable, scalable and equitable learning experiences. They have been adopted by all U.S. states and many countries worldwide.”

Unit Connection College and Career Ready Descriptions:

☑ Students will demonstrate independence.

☑ Students will build strong content knowledge.

☑ Students will critique as well as comprehend.

☑ Students will use technology and digital media strategically and capably.

☑ Students will develop an understanding of other perspectives and cultures.

Essential Questions:

• How can digital art reflect and challenge our cultural narratives?

• What does it mean to be a responsible digital image-maker in the 21st Century?

• How do artists use cutting-edge digital tools to express identity, life experience, and their point of view?

• How does digital art and design shape the way we experience information, advocacy, aesthetics, ideas, and emotions?

Big Ideas:

• Digital art is not just about using technology to make “pretty pictures”, it’s about communication, culture, consciousness, and creativity. (Or, as I like to say during conversations: “The Four Cs of art.”)

• Artists use design to shape how humans see, feel, think, and interact with the world.

• Digital tools are simply newer extensions of our voices and identities, and are just as essential to artmaking as traditional methods like painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, etc.

• Understanding media is just as important as the process of creating it.

Skills:

• Students will learn how to compose digital images using the latest software (Photoshop, Procreate, Illustrator, etc.)

• Students will apply basic principles of design (i.e.. balance, contrast, unity, hierarchy, etc.)

• Students will learn the basics of editing, manipulating, and layering photographic and drawn content on contemporary “industry standard” software.

• Students will interpret and critique digital images, artwork, and advertisements.

• Students will compose artistic statements, analyze each other’s artwork, conceptualize, and explain artistic choices through writing.

• Students will research and analyze digital artists, artworks, and design trends of the 21st Century.

Key Terms/Vocabulary:

Rasterize / raster, vector, resolution, layers, composition, focal point, typography, contrast, hierarchy, symbolism, saturation, hue, digital collage, GIF, meme, “Reel”, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, pixelation, RGB vs. CMYK, remix culture, branding / brand, rendering, filtering, image compression, media fluency, identity construction, social advocacy, “creative commons”, AI, VR, digital multimedia, cultural appropriation, and a further examination of artistic elements: line, shape, form, value, and texture.

Assessments:

• Digital design skill-building tasks (formative assessment) during instruction, warm-ups, exercises, and projects.

• Reflective journaling (paper sketchbook and online), visual journal online (Canva or Photoshop rough drafts posted online), PowerPoint Presentations, and Google Slide process log.

• Identity-based digital collage (Photoshop or Canva).

• Advocacy-based digital poster (Illustrator, InDesign, etc.).

• Final personal project (choice of theme, subject, and digital tools: advocacy, identity, culture, environment, etc.).

• Written artist statements and collected bellringer / reflective journals with successful vocabulary integration (summative).

• Peer critiques, teacher-feedback sessions, and self-assessment rubric.

• Exhibition of final project in school hallway, as well as an online digital gallery posted on school’s social media accounts (summative).

Resources/Text Selections:

• Artist spotlights: Shepard Fairey (designer, activist, illustrator), David Hockney (iPad), Marina Abramovic (virtual reality), Jenni Pasanen (AI and digital painting), Alexis Franklin (digital portraits), etc.

• Readings: various articles from Hyperallergic, Design Observer, The Atlantic, Visual Culture, Teen Vogue: Media Literacy, Digital Art Live Magazine, ARTNews, Frieze Magazine, Artforum, Artsper Magazine, etc.

• Instructional software tutorials (teacher-created or sourced from Adobe’s website, YouTube, etc.).

• Student-created imagery on Smart Board slide shows (screenshots, memes, collages, selfies, final projects from previous semesters, etc.).

• Podcasts available on Canvas or Blackboard (i.e. Design Matters, 99% Invisible, etc.).

• Teacher-developed digital resource library via Google Classroom or Padlet (available on Canvas or Blackboard).

• General platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.

• Online communities: DeviantArt, ArtStation, Reddit, Photobucket, Google Images, etc.

Additional Notes:

Differentiation Strategies for Lesson-Planning:

• ELLs: Incorporation of visuals, vocab maps and lists, visual tool guides for software, and links to language translation apps to help introduce English language learners to new concepts and words. Also include bilingual captions, tech glossary with icons, etc. during any videos in class.

• Special Needs: offer option for audio recordings or PowerPoint Presentations of artist statements, paired/group projects, simplified tutorials, and smaller scale project options. More time during lunch and at home to meet deadlines. Reflective journal entries can be more visual or oral during assessments and teacher-student feedback sessions.

• Advanced Learners: option for an independent study in digital painting, 2D animation, or branding projects. Use of more software tools and programs not covered during the unit.

• Scaffolded instruction for software with both analog sketching, online reference guides, and tech support during class, lunch, or before / after school in the computer lab.

• Peer tutoring and collaboration activities for technical challenges during instruction.

Multiple Literacies Developed During Digital Art Unit:

• Digital Literacy: students will be using computers, Smart Board, iPad, scanners, tools in various programs, developing software fluency, troubleshooting, online research, phones, online image journals, YouTube, etc.

• Media Literacy: students will learn about image deconstruction, meme culture analysis, AI vs. human-created imagery, and social media as a form of communication and advocacy. 

• Civic Literacy: students will learn how digital art can be used as social commentary and political activism.

• Multicultural Literacy: students will be able to incorporate global and cultural perspectives in artmaking, and witness how established artists use their heritage and experiences as a vehicle for creativity.

• Foundational Literacy: students will be writing artist statements, learning relevant vocabulary, conducting peer critiques, giving oral feedback during review sessions with instructor, and composing reflection journal entries.

UNIT PLAN: LESSON SERIES

Course: Visual Fundamentals

Instructor: Scott Masson

Grades: 9-12

Unit Title: “Digital Voices: Art, Identity, and Design in the 21st Century”

Lesson One:

Intro to Digital Art & Culture: What Is Contemporary Digital Art?

Students will have a chance to explore memes on social media, album artwork, digital activism examples, and various design aesthetics they find on the internet for the first 10 minutes. After a 20-minute introduction, lecture / classroom conversation, Smart Board slide show of examples, and a run-through of various software programs that will be incorporated into this unit, my students will then take the last half of class to brainstorm, reflect, and write in their Reflective Journals about what “digital art” can accomplish in society, and what they hope to discover and create during the unit.

Implementation:

Students will research, view, and discuss memes, album covers, influencer content, and examples of digital activism from internet. I will present a curated slide presentation featuring examples of each during my lecture. The students will then respond to some essential questions in their journals. This will allow them to brainstorm what digital art means to their lives in 2025-2026. This also sets the tone for a critical and personal approach throughout the unit.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Visual prompts, vocab lists on board, and sentence starters for ELLs.

• Choice of written or sketched responses in Reflective Journals.

• Group or individual brainstorms during “research time”.

Literacies Developed:

• Media Literacy

• Digital Literacy

• Civic Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Visual Literacy

Lesson Two:

Basic Photoshop / Canva Workshop: Layers, Composition, Mood, Edits, and Aesthetics

This will be a skill-building day through short composition exercises while I show them how basic tools and commands work in these two major photo-editing software programs.

Implementation:

Students will participate in hands-on digital workshops using Photoshop or Canva. I will provide a basic black and white photographic landscape image and demonstrate how to use the basic tools up on Smart Board. We will also be learning about layers, cropping, color correction, filtering, composition, and visual balance. Throughout the demonstrations of each tool and command, I will walk around the computer lab and guide the students as they experiment. Short, guided exercises always help teens build confidence and software fluency. They’ll save and submit process screenshots to their digital journals on Canvas or Blackboard.

Differentiation:

• Step-by-step handouts available (digitally and physical), visual tool guide, and YouTube video tutorials posted on Canvas or Blackboard.

• Advanced students can work as peer mentors for tech support.

• Option to use Canva if Photoshop is too advanced. (I’ll mostly do all my instruction for Photoshop, but Canva is a free platform that students can use at home. It also works the same.)

Literacies Developed:

• Digital Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Visual/Design Literacy

Lesson Three:

Visual Identity / Selfie / Self-Portrait Project on Photoshop: Who Am I?

Students will “remix” selfies, found photographic elements from the internet, personal aesthetics, interests, cultural aspects, and symbolism into a digital Photoshop collage exploring their unique identities.

Implementation:

After a short discussion on visual representation, digital collage, and personal symbolism, students will remix a selfie with cultural, personal, and symbolic imagery they gather or manipulate to form a beautiful digital collage that reflects their identity. Class critiques and journaling will support reflective thinking. Reflective Journal entries will allow them to explain their creative process and intentions.

Differentiation:

• Optional use of video game avatars, abstraction, or stock imagery if students are uncomfortable using selfies.

• Graphic organizer (available as a handout or digitally) for conceptual planning.

• Visual guides for symbolism.

• Option to use less tools and layers on Photoshop or Canva, or work strictly in black and white on one layer.

• Advanced students can employ GIF animation with their self-portraits.

Literacies Developed (some optional):

• Digital Literacy

• Multicultural Literacy

• Media Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Visual Literacy

• News Literacy

Lesson Four:

Media Remix: Using Found Images and Ethical Sourcing on the Internet and Social Media

In the digital world, this conversation is necessary. For this assignment, students will have the opportunity to learn about copyright, remix culture, the basic concepts of “intellectual property”, and creative commons usage of imagery.

Implementation:

Using teacher-curated examples and artist spotlights, students will examine ethical image use, remix culture, and fair use guidelines. I will have them complete an online “scavenger hunt”, where they must find Creative Commons imagery in various websites I provide. This will allow them to “check the fine print”, develop some media literacy skills, exercise their attention spans, and remix an existing image legally into an artistic expression.

Differentiation:

• Bilingual glossary, translation apps (linked on Canvas or Blackboard), and icon guide for vocab.

• Scaffolded practice and guided instruction for proper sourcing and attribution.

• Modified assignment using a pre-approved image library that I choose for struggling students.

Literacies Developed:

• Media Literacy

• Civic Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Digital Literacy

• Visual Literacy

Lesson Five:

Typography, Messaging & Visual Hierarchy: Designing an Advocacy Poster

Students will learn about basic design principles and tools on Illustrator and InDesign, and then make digital posters advocating for a social or political cause they care deeply about.

Implementation:

Students get to explore visual hierarchy, typography, fonts, vector art, shaping and wrap tools, and color theory during guided instruction, lecture, video presentation, and collaborative exercise workshops. After basic skills are acquired, the students will get to design an advocacy-based digital poster using Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, or Canva. They’ll sketch thumbnail layouts, test fonts, play with color and shapes, and create positive messages around unique social and political causes that are meaningful to them. Think of it as “design with a youthful consciousness and voice”.

Differentiation:

• Template options, visual tool guides, tutorial links on YouTube, and style guides.

• Group brainstorming for message ideation.

• Alternative layout software for accessibility.

• Scaffolded instruction as struggling students explore the tools and software.

• Advanced students have the option to print on large-scale printers and exhibit in hallways.

• Struggling students can use Canva for the entire project and have ample time to work from home.

Literacies Developed:

• Civic Literacy

• Digital Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Media Literacy

• Multicultural Literacy

• News Literacy

Lesson Six:

Artist Inspiration & Personal Project Proposals: Research, Brainstorm, Reflect and Propose

This serves as sort of a pre-cursor to the final project. Here, students will research a digital artist, develop a concept, present their findings to the class in a PowerPoint, pitch their own personal project, answer peer questions during a classroom discussion, and then meet with me for one-on-one review.

Implementation:

Each student selects a digital artist from a curated list or personal research. After studying the established artist’s techniques and themes, students will create a short slideshow and pitch a personal final project to the class. This project doesn’t have to “mimic” the artist they researched, but it should be inspired by the artist’s process or philosophy.

Differentiation:

• Option for oral, audio and video recorded presentations, or written and drawn presentations on paper.

• Research sites and scaffolded links for ELLs, online student galleries linked for examples, and modeled examples on Smart Board.

• One-on-one coaching, checklists, pencil sketchbook development, and daily check-ins for project planning with struggling students.

• Struggling students have option to work small scale, or with simple tablet tools like Procreate.

• Advanced students have option to incorporate multi-media, interactive, or animation.

Literacies Developed:

• Multicultural Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Digital Literacy

• Visual Literacy

Lesson Seven:

Personal Project: Final Digital Piece / Exhibition

My students will be able to create their final digital project for exhibition and assessment using any of the software and techniques we learned about during this unit. This piece will be achieved through ongoing critique, tech support, peer and teacher feedback, and self-paced progress.

Implementation:

This multi-day workshop allows students to create their art piece independently or in peer groups to execute their final digital projects. Studio days include scheduled feedback check-ins, further experimentation and software exploration, tech troubleshooting support from advanced students and I, journaling progress updates, and guided reflection journal prompts.

Differentiation:

• Flexible, student-centered choices with guided and scaffolded instruction, checklists, feedback, and task breakdowns.

• Quiet space options, one-on-one tech support, etc.

• Adaptive tools, simplified process, and alternate project formats.

• Options for advanced students to employ digital techniques and programs beyond what we covered during the unit (animation, virtual reality, AI inclusion, audio and video incorporation, etc.).

Literacies Developed:

• Digital Literacy

• Foundational Literacy

• Visual Literacy

• Multicultural Literacy (optional)

• Civic Literacy (optional)

Lesson Eight:

Gallery Walk, Group Critique, and Written Reflection & Analysis: Artist Statements

This is where the kids can receive final peer / teacher feedback before they post their artworks onto digital platforms (school social media accounts, online forums, etc.), and print out their pieces to display in a hallway exhibition. After a gallery walk, my students will write their final reflections in an artist statement, using all knowledge and vocabulary learned throughout the unit (summative assessment).

Implementation:

Students will mount and display final projects in the hallway or via a digital slideshow, social media, or online gallery for parents (Hopefully, everybody will want to display their art in the hallway, but I refuse to force any student who feels uncomfortable with this process). Each student will present their artist statements in a gallery walk format, participate in peer / teacher feedback sessions and reviews, and then compose a final reflection journal (artist statement). The event can also include QR codes for other students in the school to view digital projects on phones.

Differentiation:

• Option for audio-recorded artist statements or PowerPoint Presentations.

• Checklist rubric to guide peer feedback sessions.

• Reflection prompts with sentence starters.

Literacies Developed:

• Foundational Literacy

• Civic Literacy

• Media Literacy

• Digital Literacy