Writing to Advocate Option 1: Photo Story Effective discourse takes many forms and uses a variety of media. The final project allows you to explore the community issue that you have spent a large part of the semester focusing on in a multimedia form. You will employ multimedia to advocate your position in your opinion piece. In addition, you will write a memo detailing your rhetorical choices in the creation of your Photo Story.
Purpose: The purpose of creating a Photo Story as your final project is to familiarize you with the process of creating a multimedia document. Specifically, you will learn how to utilize technology and non-standard media to convey a clear and straightforward message. The Project Assessment Memo, which will accompany your Photo Story, has two purposes. First, it reinforces your familiarity with writing a memo. Second, and more importantly, it encourages you to reflect on the rhetorical choices that you made in the creation of your Photo Story.
Audience: Your audience will be a general audience and, most likely, will have little familiarity with your topic.
Content/Subject: This project requires you to create a Photo Story. A Photo Story is a multimedia slideshow that employs visual, audio, and textual information and is used for either informative and/or persuasive purposes. In this case, you will design a Photo Story that introduces the problem you discussed in your opinion piece. It should also describe and either explain or advocate for your solution to that problem. If your solution is complicated or consists of multiple steps, your Photo Story should focus on explaining that solution. However, if your solution is easily understood, your Photo Story should focus on persuading your audience to put your solution into action.
After you create your Photo Story, you will write a Project Assessment Memo that reflects critically on your rhetorical practices and evaluates the Photo Story you have constructed. It should provide an explanation as to why you chose to construct it—through content, format, and design—in a particular way. When you write this memo, also address issues such as purpose, audience, strategies as well as the final document itself—the Photo Story.
Specific questions to answer include:
What problems did you encounter in organizing and writing your Photo Story? What role did discourse conventions and audience play? How did you select the issue/topic you chose? What was the most challenging part of the project for you? Why? What kind of systematic approach did you take? What is the most effective aspect of your Photo Story in terms of presentation or design? Why? How did you make your design decisions?
Constraints: Your project needs to follow the conventions of the Photo Story and the memo. You will want to follow the specific guidelines below.
Make sure that the Photo Story: Is effectively designed. Utilizes visuals. Makes a clear and concise argument. Has an argument that is logical and sound. Is quickly and easily understood. Uses correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and accessible language.
Your Project Assessment Memo should use: Proper memo format for headings. Single-spaced block format. Traditional/professional font (Times New Roman, Cambria, Georgia, etc.). 500-750 words in length. Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Provide closing statements justifying the implementation of your solution.
Assessment Rubric for the Visual Argument Project
Part One: The Project MHG Reading References CATEGORY ChapterA 17: ChoosingB a Medium,C Genre, and D F Technology for You Communication. Purpose Establishes a Establishes a There are a few It is difficult to Project has no purposeThis early chapter purpose provides early strategieson lapses infor focus, selecting butfigure a out the evident purpose on andmedium andand genremaintains for publishingthe purpose your is work,purpose of the and/or focus. maintainssome a backgroundfocus. on design,fairly and clear. informationproject. on clear focusseveral technologies including blogs and wikis. throughout. 30 pts. See especially “Technologies for Constructing Web Pages” on page 504. Design: Design is Design is mostly Design somewhat Design is not There is no design Chapterprofessional 18: Communicatingandprofessional and with professional Design andand visually and poorly Visualswell executed. well executed. somewhat well appealing and/or executed. Text wrapThis and chapter Text gives wrap greatand informationexecuted. Text on is minimally well- graphicsdocument are graphics design areand otherwrap important and graphics executed. used asconsiderations used as for needed. web pagescould including have been needed.proximity, contrast, alignment,better color, and so on. 25 pts. This information will also beimplemented. important for other assignments where you are asked to include a Ethos: Is the Projectgraphic. uses Most of the Project’s One or more of Project does not project strong project’s arguments and the project’s use any effective credible? arguments and arguments and evidence are arguments and arguments or evidence to evidence is uneven in quality, evidence is evidence. 15 pts. display strong. though overall they significantly credibility. are adequate. weak.
Pathos: Project uses Most of the Project’s appeals One or more of Project did not use Project effective project’s appeals to the readers' the project’s any effective appeals to strategies to to the readers' values and beliefs appeals to the appeals to the the reader's appeal to the values and are uneven, readers' values readers' values values and reader's values beliefs are though overall they and beliefs are and beliefs. beliefs. and beliefs. effective. are adequate. significantly inadequate. 15 pts.
Logos: Is the Project’s Most of the Project’s piece well organization project’s organization and Project has at Project does not organized? and logic are organization and logic are uneven, least one major use effective Logical? excellent. logic are though overall they problem with organization excellent. are adequate. organization and/or logic. and/or logic. 15 pts.
Rubrics are subject to minor revisions. Students will be notified of changes. Part Two: The Project Assessment Memo
CATEGORY A B C D F
Analysis Specific, Analysis is General and/or Analysis is No relevant developed generally sound undeveloped sparse and analysis and analysis and but could be analysis. lacks insight. insightful insightful more specific or observations observations. insightful in made. 15 pts. some areas.
Supporting Support Support Support An attempt has No support Details information is information has information has been made to information found related to minor major add support or irrelevant. analysis and weaknesses weaknesses information, but supportive of the relative to relative to it was unrelated topic/subject. analysis and/or analysis and/or or confusing. support of the support of the 10 pts. topic/subject. topic/subject.
Writing Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Writing fluency No writing fluency Fluency: skillful writing reasonable minimal writing is lacking n —unreadable. Clear, fluency in terms writing fluency in fluency in terms terms of clear, Concise, of clear, concise, terms of clear, of clear, concise, and Correct and professional concise, and concise, and professional writing. professional professional writing. 15 pts. writing. writing.
Design: Design is Design is mostly Design Design is not There is no professional and professional and somewhat visually design and poorly well executed. well executed. professional appealing executed. 10 pts. and somewhat and/or is well executed. minimally well- executed.