Digital Media for Teens: A Full-Year CTE Course in Graphic Design, Photography, Video & AI Skills — Create, Build a Portfolio & Launch a Career (Grades 7–12)

Digital media is everywhere — and the teens who can create across all of it are in demand. This full-year course teaches students to plan, design, shoot, edit, and publish across every kind of media, and to use AI as a creative tool they direct and stay responsible for. No experience and no expensive software required.Built as a complete four-quarter curriculum, the course follows a four-person crew as they learn from working professionals, then puts students to work with real practice, projects, and a portfolio that proves what they can do.Inside you'll find:- 20 structured units across four quarters — design foundations, images and photography, graphic design and branding, audio, video, motion graphics, web, and social media- AI woven through the whole year — three dedicated AI units plus an AI Ground Rules ethics page, teaching students to direct, judge, and use AI honestly- Brand-neutral skills taught as concepts, so the book stays current as tools and AI change- An honest, data-grounded look at media careers — including where the growth actually is — so students plan smart and stay versatile- Practice pages, challenge problems, case studies, and four end-of-quarter reviews- Three capstone projects, a portfolio planner, a creator-resume builder, and a quick-reference toolkit- Built-in differentiation (Support / On-Level / Stretch) for mixed-ability classrooms- A full answer key with model solutionsPerfect for CTE classrooms, electives, alternative education, and workforce programs serving teens and opportunity youth. A separate Facilitator Edition with pacing, teaching notes, discussion prompts, and answer keys is also available.By the end of the year, every student has a portfolio — and the judgment to keep growing as the field changes. Read more