Jumpstart Lab Curriculum

HTML & CSS

Borrow or purchase HTML & CSS by Jon Duckett.

Reading Group 1

Preparation

Before RG1, you need to:

  • Read Chapters 1 through 7

Group Session

In our small-group sessions:

  • Gather in your four-person groups
  • 25 Minutes: Discuss the questions below
  • 35 Minutes: Write a reflection on your blog as outlined below

Discussion

Have a discussion in your small group reflecting on any of the following questions:

  • What was something new to you about HTML from the first chapters?
  • Was there a concept or idea that didn’t make any sense? Or what was most confusing?
  • Did you put any of the techniques into practice yet? What were the results?
  • If you’ve written HTML in the past, did you notice anything new about HTML5?

Writing

Write a short article on your class blog based on the concept or technique that was most confusing or difficult for you. Your article should:

  • Set the context of why you were learning about the technique
  • Explain it to the best of your ability
  • Use code samples
  • Put it into practice within the article itself

Ideally push the article up by the end of the session, but if you need more time feel free to finish it that evening.

Reading Group 2

Preparation

Before RG2, you need to:

  • Read Chapters 8 through 14
  • Complete "Putting It Into Practice" below

Putting It Into Practice

Now that you have an array of both HTML and CSS tools, select two that interest you and put them to work on your blog. Then write an article explaining the process and techniques. It should:

  • Explain the motivations of why you used the technique(s)
  • Include before and after code samples to demonstrate the changes
  • Use cropped screen shots to demonstrate the before-and-after effects
  • Explore at least two techniques from the book so far

Consider using Skitch or MonoSnap for taking, editing, and augmenting screen shots.

Group Session

In our small-group sessions:

  • Gather in your four-person groups
  • 40 Minutes: Complete the "Putting It Into Practice" work you were supposed to have done by today
  • 20 Minutes: Read and comment on your peers’ articles

Recall that links to all the blogs are here: https://github.com/gSchool/submissions/blob/master/writing/index.markdown

Reading Group 3

Preparation

Before RG3, you need to:

  • Read Chapters 14-19
  • Create an HTML-based resume, detailed below

Writing

Create a way to serve static pages in your class blog, then create a resume page. Use the techniques you learned from the HTML & CSS book to build a beautiful, communicative design.

Suggestion: Draw it out on paper or in an art program first before trying to write the HTML & CSS. That way you’re less likely to be constrained by what you know how to do, and instead think more freely.

Group Session

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