For these assignments, you will create a poster that represents your topic for Essay 3 (argument essay) and the specific position you argue there. You should use both visual and written information to give the class (your audience) a clear idea of the topic you are dealing with and the specific point you are making about it.
Unit 3b: Poster
Format
Use a 3-part poster, one that has a center panel and folded “wings” on each side of it. These are available in the campus bookstore in the union at a reasonable price. You can use these panels any way you want to get your point across.
A very effective example of this type of poster created by a local high school student was on display at one of the public libraries in Des Moines this summer. The topic was the Japanese internment in detention camps in the U.S. during WW II. The left panel provided background on what led up to the internment, including news headlines, racist cartoons, and photos from the period. The center section focused on the actual internment with details of how it came about, what conditions existed in the camps, etc. The third panel (on the right hand side) highlighted the Japanese Americans’ release and people’s responses then and later on. While this information was excellent and the presentation of it was clear, the creator of the poster went a step further: s/he put a piece of barbed wire between the left and right wings, so it covered the whole 3-part poster to visually communicate the imprisonment Japanese Americans experienced. A photo of a small boy behind barbed wire in one of the camps appeared in the center panel to emphasize this reality.
Be creative!
Designing the poster
Think about the following guidelines along with those in your handbook as you design your poster:
- Have an easily identifiable point to your poster.
- For the text, select fonts and visual that are large enough for viewers to read from about 5 feet away.
- Think about the colors you use in the text you create as well as those that appear in photos, newsprint, etc. Be sure they draw the viewers’ attention to your message rather than distract from it.
- Balance the visual and verbal information. Does the text explain the visuals? Do the visuals add to the written text?
Evaluation criteria
- Clarity of context and purpose for all parts of the poster.
- Clarity and thoroughness of your central thesis (the same as the position you argue in Essay 3).
- Effectiveness of design decisions such as how the eye moves through the poster, the color selection, fonts that reveal different levels of importance for textual information, size of fonts and images, balance of visual and written texts.
Unit 3c: Oral Presentation of Poster
In a 5-7 minute presentation, you will discuss the primary ideas that your poster attempts to reveal and the rationale for the design decisions you made. You will use the poster as a prop during your presentation, so bring a pointer, if necessary.
Evaluation criteria: oral presentation
- Evidence of a clear introduction, body and conclusion.
- Use of transitions to help you clearly and effectively move between points.
- Ability to engage your listeners through attention-getting ideas, adequate volume in your speaking voice, eye contact and gestures
- Use of your poster to enhance your message
Be prepared to bring a “draft” of your poster to peer review to solicit responses from your group.