InDesign: Pictures & Text - Teacher Script

Warm-Up & Introduction (5 minutes)

"Good morning, class! To kick things off, I want you to think for a moment. What kind of documents or creations have you seen out in the world that combine both pictures and text in a really engaging way? Think about magazines, posters, flyers, maybe even books."

(Allow a few moments for responses, acknowledge student examples.)

"Exactly! We see these everywhere, and they're designed to catch our eye and deliver information effectively. Today, we're going to dive into one of the most powerful tools for creating these kinds of professional layouts: Adobe InDesign." (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 1)

"InDesign is what graphic designers and publishers use to make those magazines, brochures, and posters look fantastic. It's all about arranging text and images in a way that's visually appealing and easy to read." (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 2)

"Our goal for today is simple but super important. By the end of this 30-minute session, you will be able to confidently import images and place text into your own InDesign projects. These are the fundamental building blocks for any layout design." (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 3)

Demonstration: Importing Images (10 minutes)

"Let's start with images. Imagine you have a fantastic photograph you want to include in your design. How do you get it into InDesign? It's called 'placing' an image. I'm going to demonstrate this on the main screen, and I encourage you to follow along on your own computers if you have InDesign open."

"First, if you don't have a document open, go to File > New > Document to create a new one. Once you're ready, to import an image, you go to the top menu bar, click on File, and then select Place..." (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 4)

"A window will pop up asking you to find your image. I've prepared a folder of sample images for everyone to use today. Navigate to that folder, select an image, and click 'Open'."

"Now, watch my cursor. It's loaded with a thumbnail of the image. To place it, you simply click and drag to draw out a frame where you want your picture to go. The image will appear inside that frame."

"Here's a crucial tip for InDesign: there's a difference between the frame (the box you drew) and the image itself inside the frame. If you use the Selection Tool (that's the black arrow icon), you're moving and resizing the frame. But if you select the Direct Selection Tool (that's the white arrow icon), you can grab and move or resize the image within the frame without changing the frame's size. Try moving your image around and resizing both the frame and the image inside it."

(Pause, allow students to practice, circulate and assist as needed.)

Demonstration: Placing Text (10 minutes)

"Great job with images! Now let's get some words onto our page. Text is just as important, if not more, for communicating your message. To add text, we'll use the Type Tool. It looks like a capital 'T' in your toolbar." (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 5)

"Select the Type Tool (T). Just like with images, you'll click and drag to draw a text frame. This is where your words will live."

"Once you've drawn your text frame, you can do two things: you can either start typing directly into it, or, for longer bodies of text, you can 'place' text just like we did with images. Go to File > Place..., but this time, select a text file, like a Word document or a plain text file. InDesign will flow that text right into your frame."

"After your text is in, you can easily change its look. With the text frame selected (using the Selection Tool) or with the Type Tool active inside the frame, look at the Control panel at the top of your screen or the Properties panel on the right. Here you can change the font, the size of the text, its color, and much more. Try changing the font and size of your text right now."

(Pause, allow students to practice, circulate and assist as needed.)

Guided Practice & Wrap-up (5 minutes)

"Fantastic work everyone! You've just learned the core functions of placing images and text in Adobe InDesign. Now, to solidify these skills, you're going to put them into practice with a short activity." (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 6)

"I'm going to hand out the InDesign Worksheet. Your task is to follow the instructions on the worksheet to create a simple layout using both the images and text we've discussed. Work through the prompts, experiment, and don't hesitate to ask if you run into any questions. I'll be walking around to help."

(Distribute worksheets. Allow students to work for about 3-4 minutes.)

"Alright class, bring your attention back up here for a moment. We're almost out of time, but before we finish, can anyone share one new thing they learned or found interesting about working with images and text in InDesign today?"

(Allow 1-2 student responses.)

"Excellent! Today we covered the essential first steps in Adobe InDesign: importing images and placing text. These are incredibly powerful skills that form the foundation for all sorts of amazing creative projects, from school reports to professional marketing materials. Keep practicing, and you'll be designing like pros in no time!" (Refer to InDesign Slide Deck - Slide 7)

"Please ensure you save your InDesign practice file, and you can submit your completed InDesign Worksheet before you leave. Great work today!"

InDesign Worksheet: Pictures & Text

Name: ____________________________

Instructions: Follow the steps below using Adobe InDesign. For each task, complete the action and then answer the reflection questions or confirm completion.

Part 1: Importing and Adjusting Images

Task 1: Place an Image

1. Open Adobe InDesign and create a new document.
2. Go to File > Place... and select one of the provided sample images.
3. Click and drag to draw an image frame on your page and place the image.

Confirmation: Briefly describe the steps you took to place the image.

Task 2: Adjust Image and Frame

1. Using the Selection Tool (black arrow), move the image frame to a different position on the page.
2. Resize the image frame.
3. Using the Direct Selection Tool (white arrow), move the image inside the frame.
4. Resize the image inside the frame without changing the frame size.

Reflection: What is the key difference between using the Selection Tool and the Direct Selection Tool when working with images in InDesign?

Part 2: Placing and Formatting Text

Task 3: Create and Type Text

1. Select the Type Tool (T).
2. Click and drag to draw a text frame on your page.
3. Type a short sentence or two about your favorite hobby into the text frame.

Confirmation: What did you type into your text frame?

Task 4: Place Text from a File (Optional, if text files are provided)

1. (If text files are available) Delete the text you typed in Task 3, or create a new text frame.
2. Go to File > Place... and select a provided sample text file.
3. Click on your text frame to place the text.

Confirmation: Were you able to successfully place text from a file? (Yes/No)

Task 5: Format Text

1. With your text selected or the text frame active, use the Control panel (at the top) or Properties panel (on the right) to change:
   • The font (e.g., to Arial, Times New Roman, etc.)
   • The font size (make it larger or smaller)

Reflection: What font and size did you choose for your text? How did changing them affect the look of your page?

Challenge Question (Optional):

Imagine you want your image and text to be side-by-side. Briefly describe how you would arrange your image frame and text frame to achieve this layout.

InDesign Answer Key: Pictures & Text

Instructions: This answer key provides suggested responses. Student answers may vary but should demonstrate understanding of the concepts.

Part 1: Importing and Adjusting Images

Task 1: Place an Image

Confirmation: Briefly describe the steps you took to place the image.

Suggested Answer: I opened InDesign, went to File > Place..., selected an image from the provided folder, and then clicked and dragged on the page to draw a frame and place the image inside it.

Task 2: Adjust Image and Frame

Reflection: What is the key difference between using the Selection Tool and the Direct Selection Tool when working with images in InDesign?

Suggested Answer: The Selection Tool (black arrow) allows you to move and resize the image frame itself. The Direct Selection Tool (white arrow) allows you to move and resize the image content within the frame without changing the frame's boundaries.

Part 2: Placing and Formatting Text

Task 3: Create and Type Text

Confirmation: What did you type into your text frame?

Suggested Answer: *(Student's personal answer, e.g.,