Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Yearbook Fundamentals

This is a sequence designed for students who will be staffers or editors next fall who have minimal or no experience with yearbook production. They will review and expand knowledge of the basics so they will be able to write copy, captions and headlines; take quality pictures; and design spreads. They will review all yearbook-specific terminology; will learn how to use the theme/concept to generate story ideas, and to implement coverage expansion throughout the book. This course will involve several hands-on activities so that participants can complete assignments and receive timely feedback. This course is ideal to prepare you for all positions on staff next year, and be reassured that there is FUN in FUNdamentals!

Sequence Assignments:

• The Intensive Interview – students learn ways to ask questions that get valuable information for their stories. They will interview a class partner from another school, and will write solid interview questions that require much more than one word answers
  
• Fabulous Feature Writing – using questions garnered from interviews, students will write a feature story or personal profile.
  
• Magazine Magic – Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Students will use ideas from trendy magazines to design elements for headline packages, modular units, and complete spreads.
  
• Headline Caption Challenge – students will write headlines and captions based on sample photos.
  
• Design Duo – using layout paper, construction paper, pica rulers and pencils, students will design two different spreads by cutting and pasting pictures and copy blocks from magazines and pasting them on layout paper. 
  
• Photography refresher – by looking at a slide show of typical yearbook photos, students can review the do’s and don’ts of good photography.
  
• Generating 2009 Story Ideas – students will brainstorm ideas that are relevant to the 2009 yearbook. They will compile a list of stories that are not simply a rehash of the same old, same old stories. 
  
• Top Terms Training – students will become familiar with all of the yearbook and publishing specific terms.
  

Sequence Accomplishments:

Participants will learn:

• Strategies for successful interviewing
  
• How to recognize phrases and words that don’t belong in yearbook copy
  
• How to navigate a style manual
  
• How to recognize the difference between an OK  photo and a GREAT one
  
• How to critically examine top magazines and learn to imitate design elements for headline packages, mods, and complete spreads.
  
• How to design headline packages, spread and modular elements
  
• How to write stories and gather quotes that students will want to read
  
• Design two different spreads by cutting and pasting pictures and copy blocks from magazines and pasting them on layout paper
  
• Compile a list of story ideas for their section
  
• Review a common vocabulary by learning and using the language of yearbook journalism

Required: scissors, glue stick, at least 5 different magazines to cut up, pencil, markers, and one magazine that you think reflects great design.

Sequence instructor

Mary Kay Downes has advised the award-winning Odyssey yearbook for the past 18 years at Chantilly (VA) High School where she serves as English department chair. Odyssey has routinely received NSPA Pacemaker and CSPA Crown Awards. A recipient of the CSPA Gold Key, the NSPA Pioneer Award and the VAJTA Douglas Freeman and Thomas Jefferson Awards, Downes was also named as 2007 JEA Yearbook Adviser of the Year. She has had articles published in the SPR Student Press Review, Quill and Scroll, Journalism Today and C-Jet. She currently serves as the president of the Columbia Scholastic Press Advisers Association.

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