This document outlines the final assignment for an English course which requires students to create two pieces of persuasive communication related to a scientific issue in their community, as well as a one-page justification memo. The communication pieces can be in genres such as fact sheets, petitions, advertisements, or videos, and must each target a specific audience and have a clear message. One piece must be non-print. The justification memo should explain the choices made in developing the communication pieces, including the targeted audiences and appeals, and reflect on what was learned through the project. Students will be graded on how well each communication piece appeals to its audience, the quality of execution for the chosen genres, and the thoughtfulness of the justification memo.

1. Project 4, Scientific Issues in
Communities
[Detailed Assignment Sheet: Two Pieces of
Persuasive Communication and Justification Memo]
For your final assignment in ENGL 318, you’ll be producing two actual pieces
of communication from your communication action plan, along with a one-
page memo justifying your rhetorical choices.
Possible genres for this assignment include (but are not limited to) fact
sheets, petitions, op-ed pieces, press releases, posters, brochures,
infographics, print advertisements, websites, social media campaigns (you’d
need to have at least 10 posts and a description of the overall strategy), 30-
60-second video or radio public service announcements.
The two pieces should be clearly focused on a specific audience, should have
a clear central message, and should take full advantage of the genres and
mediums you chose for the project. Before you start developing each piece
of communication, you’ll want to think about the following questions:
• Who is the target audience? (be specific: e.g. teen girls, people who
live in the Medicine Lodge Creek watershed, Somali refugees in
Minnesota, etc. etc.)
• What current behaviors, thoughts, or feelings of this audience need to
be changed?
• What is the objective and central message?
• What types of materials would best reach this particular audience?
Note two constraints for the assignment:
 You can’t do two of the same thing (e.g. two public advocacy ads or
two radio PSAs).
 One of your pieces must be non-print based (i.e., it should be more of
a visual or multimodal format).
Justification
The justification can take the form of a one-page, single-spaced memo (see
the Purdue OWL for memo format), and should answer the following
questions:
 Why did you choose this particular audience and message?

2.  Why did you attempt to appeal to the audience in the way you did?
(note: you should draw on the concepts of cultural cognition and
rhetorical appeals that we learned about during Unit 4).
 What was most challenging?
 What sorts of things did you learn from doing Project 4 (from the topic
proposal to this memo)?
 Would you change anything if you were to do it again?
 And finally – is there anything you wish we could have done (or done
more or less of) in ENGL 318? What would you recommend for next
time?
Grading Chart
Substance of content
and attention to
audience.
Each piece of communication
makes a clear and reasoned
attempt to appeal to the
audience. The content is well-
thought-out and substantive.
50 (for each
piece of
communication)
Quality of execution. Each piece of communication
attends to the conventions of
the genre and the principles
of design native to that
genre. It is well-polished and
professional looking, and uses
the medium to its capacity.
25 (for each
piece of
communication)
Thoughtfulness of
justification memo.
The memo uses concepts that
we discussed in class (even if
to disagree) to explain the
rhetorical strategy of the
communication. It articulates
the rhetorical choices made in
each piece clearly and
convincingly.
50
TOTAL 200 points