6th Grade ELA Syllabus Redesign
The Problem
The 6th grade ELA teacher at Timbercrest Middle School sought to redesign her syllabus to make it more engaging and visually appealing for her students. She envisioned a refreshed layout with an autumnal theme that would resonate with and captivate young learners.
The Process
She utilized Canva for her design and requested that I use the same program. To gather inspiration, I explored various templates available on the platform.
Research & Inspiration
Building on her previous design, I decided to modernize the rectangular sections by incorporating rounded corners. This subtle change not only gives the layout a more contemporary feel but also adds a playful touch, aligning with my goal of making the syllabus more appealing to 6th graders.
I aimed to enhance the readability of the page by streamlining certain elements. The heading required refinement to improve clarity and visual appeal. Additionally, I revised the welcome message, which previously spanned the page excessively, making it difficult to read. This adjustment ensures a more concise and accessible layout.
Decisions & Design
While a basic grid pattern was already established, I refined it by ensuring all sections were uniformly sized. However, I adjusted one of the information boxes, which contained more content, by making it slightly larger while maintaining proportionality with the other boxes.
Additionally, I chose to align all the text flush left, rather than centered, as this creates a cleaner and more professional presentation. To further enhance clarity, I bolded key elements of the text, making the information more straightforward and easier to navigate.
For the curriculum section, I aimed to retain its table format while aligning its design with the rounded sections throughout the rest of the page. To enhance its visual appeal, I incorporated a gradient that reflects the changing colors of autumn. Additionally, I added falling leaves to reinforce the seasonal theme and create a dynamic, cascading effect
To enhance the page's appeal for young students, I thoughtfully incorporated playful autumn and school-themed graphics throughout the design. These elements were strategically placed to brighten the layout and create a more engaging and visually inviting experience.
On the next page, I revised the layout by reducing the list of novels to occupy only half of the page. This allowed me to reposition the content previously below the novels to the other side of the page, creating a more balanced design. Additionally, I recognized that the text beneath the novels lacked context, so I added a title to better organize and clarify the information.
The following content is text-heavy and would be overwhelming if split into multiple information boxes. To improve readability and organization, I opted for a larger box format, utilizing columns and rows to effectively present the information. I added subtle borders around each section heading to enhance the grid structure and better define the layout.
In the previous design, the last page featured the essential question for the first unit, and I aimed to preserve that approach. To maintain consistency, I placed the question in a similar box format. Noticing an attempt to create a flowing effect around the process, I refined this concept by designing arrow-shaped, rounded information boxes that aligns seamlessly with the overall design aesthetic, enhancing clarity and visual coherence. To make it look less graph-like and seem boring I placed color-matching graphics to outline each stage of the process.
I expanded the "Embedded Assessments" section to make it more engaging and visually appealing, allowing space for descriptive graphics that enhance the overall presentation.
For the final section, which focuses on goals, I incorporated checkboxes to encourage students to view these goals as achievable milestones. Additionally, I split the content into two columns to prevent it from appearing overwhelming. To unify the autumnal theme, I created a divider using a motif of fall leaves, adding a cohesive and decorative touch.
The Solution
Through this design process, I gained valuable insights into the significance of color, grid systems, and graphics to bring a design to life. Additionally, I recognized the importance of maintaining design and thematic consistency for a cohesive and comprehensive visual experience.