### Lesson Plan: Digital Art for Year 9
**Lesson Title**: Introduction to Digital Art
**Subject**: Art
**Year Group**: Year 9
**Duration**: 1 hour 30 minutes
**Lesson Objectives**:
1. Understand the basic concepts and tools of digital art.
2. Familiarise students with the different types of digital artwork.
3. Develop basic skills using digital art software.
4. Create a simple piece of digital art using the principles learnt.
**Materials Needed**:
- Computers or tablets with digital art software installed (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Procreate)
- Digital drawing tablets and styluses (optional but recommended)
- Projector and screen for demonstration
- Examples of digital art
- Internet access
### Lesson Structure:
**Introduction (10 minutes)**:
1. **Welcome and Overview** (5 minutes)
- Greet students and provide a brief introduction to digital art.
- Explain the objectives and what will be covered in the lesson.
2. **Discussion on Digital Art** (5 minutes)
- Ask students what they know about digital art.
- Show a short slideshow of different types of digital art to inspire students (e.g. digital illustrations, photo manipulation, pixel art, 3D art).
**Main Teaching (30 minutes)**:
1. **Introduction to Digital Art Software** (15 minutes)
- Demonstrate the basic interface of the digital art software chosen (e.g., layers, brushes, tools).
- Explain fundamental tools and functions (e.g., brush tool, colour picker, layers, undo/redo).
2. **Basic Techniques** (15 minutes)
- Show step-by-step how to create a basic digital drawing. This could be something simple like a fruit or a basic character.
- Demonstrate how to use different brush styles and effects.
- Highlight the importance of layers for organising elements of the artwork.
**Practical Activity (40 minutes)**:
1. **Hands-on Practice** (10 minutes)
- Allow students to explore the software and try out some of the tools and techniques demonstrated.
2. **Creating a Simple Artwork** (30 minutes)
- Guide students in creating their own digital artwork using a theme (e.g., creating a simple landscape or character).
- Provide assistance and feedback as needed.
**Conclusion (10 minutes)**:
1. **Showcase and Feedback** (5 minutes)
- Allow students to share their work with the class.
- Give constructive feedback and highlight positive aspects of their creations.
2. **Recap and Homework** (5 minutes)
- Recap the main points of the lesson.
- Assign a simple homework task such as continuing their digital artwork or creating a new piece on their own.
**Assessment**:
- Monitor student participation and engagement during the lesson.
- Review the digital artwork created by students, focusing on their application of the tools and techniques taught.
- Provide verbal or written feedback on their progress.
**Differentiation**:
- **Support**: Provide additional help to any student struggling with the software. Pair them up with more confident students if appropriate.
- **Challenge**: Encourage more advanced students to experiment with additional tools or create a more complex piece of art.
**Extension Activities**:
- Suggest online tutorials or resources where students can further explore digital art.
- Encourage students to join an online community or forum for digital artists to gain more inspiration and feedback.
---
By following this lesson plan, students should gain a basic understanding of digital art and feel empowered to begin creating their own digital artworks.