Unit Four

In this unit you will study chapter nine of the textbook and construct your own visual argument, an advocacy ad.

Begin now!

1. Visual Argument (100 points) Due date In this assignment you will create a one-page visual argument. Your visual argument should look like the arguments you see in magazines or in Figures 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.6, 9.14, 9.16, or 15.1. Other examples of this type of ad can be found throughout our textbook—on page 321, for instance.

Please pay close attention to the design principles discussed in chapter nine. That chapter offers some very good advice for designing an ad of this type. Ultimately, the argument in your ad is entirely up to you--just remember, it must be an advocacy ad. You can incorporate images and words in whatever way you choose to effectively present your message.

If you're inexperienced at creating graphics on your computer, cheer up. An ad like this can be created fairly quickly using Powerpoint or even Microsoft Word. Images can be imported from a variety of sources, including the Internet, and background colors applied within a few seconds. In this assignment, the biggest challenge is deciding on a message to send and then the appropriate text and image(s) to convey it effectively. Students who have done the assignment in the past (and done well on it) have told me it took them a total of two or three hours to figure out how to use a program (usually Powerpoint), decide on a message, lay out the ad, and edit it to their satisfaction.

I receive many fine responses to this assignment. One example is Heather Liddle's "Have you talked to your teen about sex?" Notice in particular Heather's attention to the design principles discussed in chapter nine of the textbook. She juxtaposes visual and verbal text extremely effectively to focus the reader's attention and impart the ad's message. Ads are typically most effective when they draw the reader's eye to a central image and complement that image with concise, well-placed verbal text. Heather took the photograph used in this ad herself. You may not have her skills as a photographer, but you can certainly follow similar principles in designing your own advocacy ad.

Whatever program you use to create your Visual Argument, to submit the assignment, you should attach your ad to an email message to me, the same way you’ve submitted your essays for the course.

Sample Visual Argument (Heather)

Sample Visual Argument (Lisa)

Sample Visual Argument (Elizabeth)

Sample Visual Argument (Karen)

Sample Visual Argument (Mickale)

Sample Visual Argument (Karen)

Sample Visual Argument (Melinda)

Sample Visual Argument (Phaedra).pdf

Sample Visual Argument (Stephanie)

Sample Visual Argument (Max)

Sample Visual Argument (Luke)

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