Adobe Express is a game-changer for classrooms! It’s packed with tools to help teachers and students create stunning designs, from videos to posters, all while making learning interactive, creative, and fun. This tool is 100% free for all teachers and students. To sign up for your free account, click here. Now, let’s check out some ways that students can use it in the classroom.
Please note: This blog post was hand-crafted and was not created using AI.
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Animate Characters in Adobe Express
Remember the app Chatterpix? Well, now Adobe has integrated similar technology right within their platform. Students select a character and then record their voice. Adobe uses the recording to animate the mouth of the character, making it look like the character is doing the speaking. Here’s how it works:
Log onto Adobe Express.
Click on the + button on the top right, then select Video.
Under Media, click Animate characters.
Select your character, background, and size.
Click Record to start capturing your voice (Tip: if you are in a noisy environment, try toggling the Enhance Speech feature on).
Once the video processes, you can download and share it on your preferred platform.
From Page to Stage: Animate Any Character or Figure in Adobe Express
If you enjoyed the activity above, but wish that you could use the feature on a custom figure - this idea is for you! In this lesson, students will animate a figure by adding a mouth over the top of an image. Check out our video tutorial or below to see how it all works:
Log onto Adobe Express.
Click on the + button on the top right, then select Video.
Under Media, click Animate characters.
Under the Character tab, find a mouth that you think will work best.
Next, under the Background tab, click transparent (this removes the background)
Under Size, select your preferred size.
Now, click Record to start capturing your voice (Tip: if you are in a noisy environment, try toggling the Enhance Speech feature on).
Once the video processes, it will appear in the video editor.
Upload a custom image of the character or figure you are trying to animate.
Make sure that your mouth is layered on top of the uploaded image. Your layers can be found on the top right side (the squares). If necessary, rearrange them so that the mouth is on top.
Resize the mouth to make it look as real as possible.
When you’re finished, download and save the file to share on your preferred platform.
Action Figures in Adobe Express
Action figures may seem like they are a thing of the past, but these AI generated models are sure to engage today’s learners. This activity can be used to describe characters or figures, express their strengths, or share their accomplishments. The best part of all - Adobe Express has this activity in their Guided Activities library. So, students can watch a tutorial demonstrating each step of the way. Here’s how it all works:
Log oto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
With the template open, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
Click on the original action figure image and move it to the trash.
Click on Generate image, and then choose Square for the size.
Enter the prompt of what you are trying to create. Tip, if you have an original image, upload this as the Composition. Doing so, will generate an image that uses the composition of the original image.
Generate the image and then resize and crop it as needed.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
AI Generated Hidden Story Creatures
These AI generated creatures can be used as a hidden creature in a story. The creature can can act as an invisible character who is always watching what is happening. The lessons learned from the test / story can be featured in the project. See our example below, and find this lesson in the Guided Activity library by clicking here. Let’s check out how it all works:
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
With the template open, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
With the text and colors now edited, click on the creature and then click on the Generate image icon.
Edit the prompt with the details you prefer, and then click Generate.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Solar System Selfies
This lesson is out of this world! Here, students use Adobe’s AI to generate an image of an astronaut standing on a planet or the moon. Then, the students use the Insert Object tool to add planets behind the astronaut. The planets can be labeled and used as an assessment piece. Here’s how it all works:
Log onto Adobe Express and click on the + symbol.
Click on Landscape 16:9 to launch a new project.
With the new project open, click on Media.
Now, click on Generate image and then click Widescreen 16:9.
Enter your prompt (the one we used in the example was: An astronaut standing on the moon taking a selfie), and then change the Content Type to Photo.
Click Generate, and then select your preferred image. If necessary, resize your generated image to take up the entire screen.
Click the X in the Generate image window (left side panel) to close the sidebar.
Next, click on Insert object and enter the information in the prompt (we used the planet names for ours). Use the brush to draw over the area where you would like the object to be inserted.
Click Generate to create the object, then click Keep to add it to your design. Repeat this for the other planets.
Now, click on the Text tool (located on the left hand side) and add a text box to label each planet.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Hidden Text: Finding the Theme in Adobe Express
In this project, we’re going to use Text Effects to explore the theme of a story. Students first read or create a short story, and then identify its theme – the main idea or message. Once they know what the theme is, they’ll use Adobe Express to choose an image that represents the setting of the story. Then, they can add the theme to the image using text effects. The goal is for the text to blend seamlessly into the scene, so it feels like a natural part of the setting. This will help students connect the theme with the visual elements of the story, making it easier to see how they work together! Check out the steps below:
Log onto Adobe Express and click on the + symbol.
Click on Landscape 16:9 to launch a new project.
With the new project open, click on Media.
Now, click on Generate image and then click Widescreen 16:9.
Enter a prompt that best describes the setting, then click Generate.
Select an image, then make sure that it is resized to fill the background.
Next, click on Text (on the left side panel) followed by Generate text effects (located at the bottom of that same panel).
Select one of the styles (it doesn’t matter which one you choose - we’ll change it on the next step), and then enter the prompt of what you are looking for (in our example, we used the prompt: red wood).
Now, click on the text in the text box to edit it. Resize and reposition the text box so that it blends in with the setting’s environment.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Logo Maker in Adobe Express
With Logo Maker, students can create custom branded logos for individuals, businesses, and more. In our example, our middle school students were learning about Katherine Johnson, one of many African American women who performed critical calculations for NASA in the 1960s. The students were tasked to create a logo for her using Adobe Express. Here’s how they did it and be sure to check out an example below!
Log onto Adobe Express and scroll down until you see Suggested quick actions.
Scroll to the right until you see Logo Maker. Click on Logo Maker so that it launches.
Enter the information and then click Next.
Next, select a style and click Next.
On the next screen, click a logo to customize and then add an icon. Click next to move on.
The AI will generate the logo automatically. If needed, you can always select Edit more to add on finishing touches (like in our example below).
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Character Alter Egos in Adobe Express
Creating a figure’s alter-ego is definitely a higher level thinking skill. The thought that goes into the process is naturally creative, and Adobe Express now has a way for students to show their thinking. Alter Egos can be found as a Guided Lesson in the activity library by clicking here. Let’s check out an example below.
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
With the template open, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
With the text and colors now edited, click on the main image and then click on the Generate image icon.
Edit the prompt with the details you prefer, and then click Generate.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
All About Me Projects in Adobe Express
All About Me activities don’t always need to be about a person. We’ve used this idea a bit more broadly when learning about different types of habitats. Students can list key components of a habitat including plants and animals that live there, temperatures, and how it may impact life on Earth. Check out our second grade example below! If you’d like to give it a try, this Guided Activity can be found in the Adobe Express Library by clicking here.
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
You can change out the main image by clicking on it and deleting it.
Click Media and search for an image that relates to the project.
Add your selected image to the design and resize it so that it takes up the entire background.
Now, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
AI Generated Book Covers in Adobe Express
This activity can be used as an extension of the writing process, a way to summarize a chapter, or create a potential book about a particular figure. Using the AI in Adobe Express, students can generate images and construct what looks like a book cover. This activity can be found in the Guided Activities library by clicking here, but there also plenty of templates available by searching for “Book Cover.” Here are the steps, and be sure to check out our first grade example below!
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here if you wish to use the guided activity template. For our example, we’ll start from scratch.
Search for Book Cover in the search bar at the top of the login screen.
Click on a template that you think will work best, and then click Customize template in the pop-up window.
You can edit the background by removing it and searching for a new image. Click on Media to search for a new image or generate one using AI.
If your image is blocking out your text boxes, check to make sure that it’s layered behind all of your other elements - or add the image as a background by clicking on it and then clicking on Set image as background (located on the image panel on the left side of the screen). This will make sure that all other elements are placed on top of the image.
Edit the text layers with the necessary information.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
AI Generated Animated Characters in Adobe Express
This lesson idea is perfect for describing characters, or creating characters in a narrative writing piece. Here, the students create a graphic and learn how to refine generative AI prompts using Generate image. What we love about this activity is that it teaches the importance of AI prompting. There’s even a section to share the prompt that the students use. This is valuable, as even the slightest changes and edits can generate totally different outcomes. Check out the activity in the Guided Activities library by clicking here, and see how it works below!
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
With the template open, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
With the text and colors now edited, click on the main image and then click on the Generate image icon.
Edit the prompt with the details you prefer, and then click Generate.
Select an image that you think represents your thinking.
Once you have an image picked, be sure to copy the prompt that you used. Paste the text into the bottom right corner to share what you used to generate the image.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Retro Reels: AI Vintage Videos in Adobe Express
This activity can be used to retell historical events, recall events from a story that happened in the past, or even a historical figure’s history. Students can add a vintage feel to the project, and use text boxes to do all the talking. We especially love this for our students who may be shy or reluctant to record a video of themselves or using their voice. This provides a comfortable creative outlet for them, capturing their thinking. We’ve created a free template which you can grab by clicking here, and see how it works below! (Tip: we recommend modeling how to use layers in Adobe Express before introducing this idea!)
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to open the template.
Click Remix on the top right corner.
The first two scenes of the video can be left alone and act as an introduction bumper. Click on the third scene.
Locate the layer squares on the right side of the screen. Move the image layer on top of the rectangle. With the image now on the top layer, click Generate image (alternatively, you can also find images in the Media section).
Type in what you are looking for to generate the image. Then, select an image to add to the scene (you can delete the original image from the template).
Be sure to resize the image to take up the entire size of the canvas, or set it as the background.
Next, reorganize the layers so that the image you generated is now on the bottom layer (this preserves the “vintage” effect we used in the template - it must be on the top layer to work).
Move onto the fourth scene (the first scene with a text box). Rearrange the layers so that the text layer is now on the top. This will allow you to edit and see the text box.
Add your text in the box, then rearrange the layers back so that the text layer is on the bottom.
Repeat these steps as needed. Note: the image and text layers can be duplicated, so if you have more than three images or text slides, you can easily add them.
Lastly, add your name to the final credit scene. Move the text layer to the top, edit it, and then move it back to the bottom.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Dreams to Devices: Create an Invention in Adobe Express
Students better get the creative juices flowing for this idea! Here, they have to create an invention and also think of how to prompt the AI to create the look of their invention. This involves thinking critically about the prompt being entered, and most likely revising it in order to arrive at the proper outcome. Check out the activity in the Guided Activities library by clicking here, and see how it works below!
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
With the template open, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
With the text and colors now edited, click on the main image and then click on the Generate image icon.
Edit the prompt with the details you prefer, and then click Generate.
Select an image that you think represents your thinking.
Once you have an image picked, be sure to copy the prompt that you used. Paste the text on the bottom to share what you used to generate the image.
Click Media, then click Audio.
Click Record voiceover, and record your thinking. This will add your voice as a voiceover to the work.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
AI Generated Geometry Gardens in Adobe Express
Geometry may not come naturally to younger students. But, when you have them pause and take a look at their surroundings, they notice that their environment iis surrounded by shapes. This idea takes AI generated images and creates scenes full of shapes for students to locate. These images can be shared with the rest of the class, and students can challenge each other to hunt down every shape. Check out the activity in the Guided Activities library by clicking here, and see how it works below!
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
With the template open, click on the text layers to edit them as needed. Colors can also be changed.
With the text and colors now edited, click on the main image and then click on the Generate image icon.
Edit the prompt with the details you prefer, and then click Generate.
When you’re finished, download the image and share it on your preferred platform.
Fortunes in a Fold: Where Writing Takes Shape
(Digital Fortune Tellers in Adobe Express)
Paper fortune tellers were one of those hyped trends that never really died. From time-to-time, we still see students cheerfully playing with them in the hallways. So, that got us thinking…How can we find an academic way to integrate these into the classroom? After a bit of brainstorming, we came up with this idea: Fortunes in a Fold: Where Writing Takes Shape! Students develop 4 characters, 8 adjectives (2 adjectives to describe each character), and 8 different settings or plot twists. Students can use our template to edit the text, or start with the blank version (on page 2 of our template). Iif you’re thinking to yourself…I have no ideea how to fold one of those things! Weell, we have you covered! Check out the tutorial above. You can also download our template by clicking here, and learn more about how this activity works below.
Download our template by clicking here. Students can edit the text version (Page 1), or start with a blank version to add images (Page 2).
If students are using page 1, they can edit the text with the appropriate content. If they’re using page 2, they can use images from Media, or generate their own.
After the students have created the four characters, they need to come up with two adjectives to describe each character (8 in total). These adjectives get places right underneath the character slots.
Next, students need to create 2 settings or plot twists for each character (8 in total). These will be placed directly underneath the adjective slots.
When the fortune teller is completed, they may be printed and then used in the writing process to help create a narrative piece.
Redact and React: What's the Big Idea?
This activity features an editable template where you can add an article or brief passage and redact information. For example, perhaps the main idea is redacted and the article just lists the supporting details. We have also used it with author’s purpose to have the students try and understand the relationship between purpose and structure. This template is fully editable. Just drop your own passage onto it and move / duplicate / delete the redaction marks as necessary. We’ve included the steps and template below!
Log onto Adobe Express, then click here to launch the template.
Delete / edit the text that is already on the template by pasting your own text.
Move / resize the black redation lines to fit your own passage.
Download the design by clicking on the Download button, then selecting PDF or PNG (this will flatten all the layers so that when the students gain access, they cannot move the redactions out of the way to see the answer(s).
Start a new Adobe Express project by clicking on the + sign.
Type Worksheet in the search bar, then select Worksheet.
Upload your downloaded file by dragging it into the new Worksheet design.
Share the new Worksheet design as a template by clicking on Share.
Under the Share menu, Click View only link under Posts.
Toggle on Allow others to use this. This generate a new hyperlink that can be shared with your students to access the assignment.
Paste the hyperlink on your LMS and now your students will be able to voiceover the design.
Reel Lives, Real Stories
This lesson takes a bio about a figure and transforms it into a video in Adobe Express. We highly recommend using School AI to launch the lesson, and then have your students create the video in Adobe Express with the information they have curated. There’s even a Guided Activity for this lesson in Adobe library. Click here to launch the template and check out our example below!
Websites in Adobe for Education
Creating a website sounds like a difficult task. But, with Adobe Express, even your youngest learners can get in on the fun. Whether it’s a website documenting the steps of a science experiment, recalling an era of time, or acting as a student portfolio, Adobe’s website templates can get students creating quickly. There are lots of templates to help you get started, but check out a few of our favorites below and click on them to remix them for yourself!
Timeline Tales: Charting Your Story in Style
Adobe has an awesome selection of infographics and timelines available right within their templates. We love using these for history projects, sequencing the events of a story, and detailing the lifetime of a figure or character. Check out our example below, and be sure to search for Timeline in the templates.
Book Bumper Stickers
This activity sounds easier than it actually is…Have your students consider the theme of a story and then challenge them to think about how to relay the message in just one sentence. But, the one sentence has to be catchy and maybe even a bit humorous. Check out our student example below, and if you need a bumper sticker-sized template, click here!
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