Yearbook Playbook

COVERAGE

Traditional Traditional yearbook coverage divides events and topics into specific sections. It is the most common approach and has been used as far back as the 1930s and 1940s. The typical sections are student life, sports, academics, people/portraits, clubs/organizations and ads. Chronological Chronological coverage organizes the book by events of the year as they happen. This structure could be by week, month, season or semester (month and season are the most common), or you could organize by event or topic in the order they occur. Similar to a newspaper, it tells the story of the year, determining the most relevant and important stories to tell as they happen. Within their allotted time frame – weekly, monthly, etc. – they decide how much space to give each story and make photo assignments. Umbrella This method organizes the stories according to specific, often theme-related “umbrella” topics, rather than traditional topics such as band, football or math class. Spreads focus on a topic like “pride” or “fun,” or you might reorganize your entire book around specific topics as your major sections. At its core, umbrella coverage is driven by word play and is most effective when it connects directly with your theme. yearbook: Traditional, Chronological and Umbrella. They are all great options and you’ll want to find what works best for you and your staff. ORGANIZING YOUR BOOK There’s typically three main ways to organize your

WHAT IS A LADDER? A ladder is a page-by-page listing of the yearbook’s contents. Yearbook staffs use the ladder to stay organized and to plan for coverage. You will want to display this in your room or have it available digitally so all can see it. You’ll want to connect with your Walsworth Rep and review previous yearbooks to determine your ultimate page count. Student enrollment should play a factor, but you want to find what is appropriate for you and your staff to tell the story of your school. Start by determining how many portrait pages you need based on enrollment and then add what is essential (think the big student life events, sports, clubs/ organizations, and academic classes) and then add anything extra that would lend to telling the story of the year. PRO TIP: There is a dry-erase version in your planning kit that really helps the yearbook staff get the full picture of what they’re working on.

PHOTO ORGANIZATION

• Make sure events are being covered and have pictures coming in as you train and organize your staff (connect with returning staffers and parents/PTA to help with the first few weeks of school). • Plan how to upload and store photos and keep them organized. Make albums that correspond to your spreads. • Store your photos on a Cloud Sharing Platform such as Google Drive, Google Photos or Dropbox.

• Determine how you will cover events and gain admission to school events/classrooms. Set NORMS.

Vocabulary Review • Coverage: Topics featured in the yearbook and how they are covered • Ladder: A planning device used to lay out number of pages and what is to be covered on each one • Signature: A single sheet of paper that, when folded and trimmed, will produce 16 consecutive pages 12