Setting Up WordPress & Basic Settings

Students will learn how to log in to WordPress, adjust site settings, and manage their media library in preparation for building their first pages.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 14:40 (HCSB) – “But everything is to be done decently and in order.”
→ Tie-in: Just like our lives and ministries benefit from order, websites need proper setup and structure from the start.

Website Structure Basics

Review from Week 2
  • Quick check-in on homework:

    • Did everyone finalize their sitemap?

    • Do they have Home and About text drafted?

    • Did they gather additional images?

Have 1–2 students share their sitemap with the group.

Logging In & Exploring WordPress
  • Demonstrate how to log in to the WordPress dashboard.

  • Walk through the main dashboard areas:

    • Dashboard overview

    • Posts vs. Pages

    • Appearance

    • Plugins

    • Settings

The difference between front-end and back-end views.

Basic WordPress Settings
  • Site Title & Tagline: Show where to set these under Settings → General.

  • Permalinks: Change to “Post name” for clean URLs.

  • Timezone & Date Format: Adjust under Settings → General.

  • Briefly explain Reading Settings (static homepage vs. latest posts).

Class Activity:
Students set their own site title, tagline, timezone, and permalinks.

Media Library Basics
  • How to upload images to WordPress.

  • File size and type recommendations (JPG, PNG, WebP).

  • Organizing images and naming files for SEO.

Class Activity:
Students upload their initial set of images gathered for their site.

Homework
  1. Upload all images you’ve collected for your site into your Media Library.

  2. Review your sitemap and ensure all needed content is planned.

Write final text for your Home and About pages (will use in Week 4’s Divi activity)