UNIT 4

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DESCRIPTION/BASICS

In Unit Four you will explore the various ways that arguments are made in traditional and digital platforms. You will transform your Unit 3 argument into a new medium in order to effectively reach a specific audience chosen by you. You will also write a short essay in which you reflect on your work over the course of the semester and how the research, writing and translation process has affected your thinking about your topic in particular and the issue of improving human well-being in general.

Major Assignments: A translation of research into a new medium (10%): You will

translate all or part of your Unit Three argument into a new medium, which you will present to the class at the end of the semester.

A three-page reflection (5%): A short (at least 1000 words, 3 pages) essay in which you reflect on your work over the course of the semester, how the research, writing and translation process.

THE UNIT 4 TRANSLATION

Translate the main claim or a major sub claim of your Unit 3 paper into another medium for a specific audience in order to achieve a change in that audience’s thinking and/or behavior. The audience should be narrowly defined and have a clear stake in the topic of your Unit 3 Paper. The message must be appropriate for the audience in terms of content, language, imagery and tone. Choose a medium that makes sense for the target audience. It must be reasonable that the audience would encounter your message in the chosen medium in the real world.

MEDIUM: THE FORM OF YOUR ARGUMENT

Some examples: smart phone app, original song, music video, bumper sticker, clothing line, T-shirt design, video game, brochure, poster, flyer, magazine write-up, magazine ad, storyboard for a commercial, graffiti, comic book, billboard.

Note: Almost never will your stakeholder be forced, stumble upon, or willingly attend a boring lecture with a PowerPoint that is an overview of your argument.

PLACE: ENCOUNTERING THE ARGUMENT IN THE REAL WORLD Your chosen medium might imply place (billboard, smart

phone app, meme, bumper sticker) however, either way, it is important to consider where and when your argument is being encountered by your stakeholders.

For an intense and meaningful reaction from your audience, they should already be thinking about the topic when they encounter your argument in the real world.

MORE ON PLACE…

Original song: A hypothetical live performance some specific place and time. Are your stakeholders likely to in your chosen place? How do you think it will affect them?

Clothing line: Who will be encouraged to wear the clothes? Will the stakeholders encounter the clothes being worn, or will the stakeholders be encouraged to buy and wear the clothes?

Brochure, poster, flyer: Where will these be encountered and how/when, specifically? These are common ways to gain awareness and often written off, especially in busy cities and on university campuses. How will this be effective for your message?

Magazine write-up, magazine ad: What kind of magazine? Are your stakeholders likely to be subscribed to this magazine? Do they read it to relax or because they care about the content?

DO’S & DON’T’S…Do not default to a broad, vague message that is not a focus in your Unit 3

Paper. For example, your topic is about hybrid vehicles, but your translation is a vague pro-environment message.

Do not insult your audience by implying that they are unintelligent, uncaring, irresponsible, etc. For example, suggesting that people who buy conventionally-produced fruits and vegetables are bad parents.

Do not choose a medium that your audience is unlikely to encounter or on that is not effective for the message you have chosen. For example, a roadside billboard for a detailed, complex message. Billboards are usually glimpsed at from a distance and for only a couple seconds.

It is not enough to merely convey a message (the way a drawing might convey a basic point). You must actually convey your stance and reasons, but be creative in how you do so. Do not replicate your entire paper by copying and pasting it (or large parts of it) into your new medium. You must translate/transform/convert it to suit the new medium you select.

SOME EXAMPLES…

Topic: Drunk drivers Stakeholders: Adults who drink and drive. Content: Statistic of deaths in drunk driving accidents and an attention-catching image Place: Billboard by the highway? Bumper Sticker on a car? Brochure at the DMV? Poster in a popular bar?

Topic: Factory farming and animal cruelty Stakeholders: Meat-eaters. Content: An image of an animal inside the factory Place: A sticker on meat products in grocery stores.

Topic: Students and recreational use of ADHD medicine Stakeholders: Undergraduate students. Content: Image of pills and researched long term negative effects of recreational use of ADHD medicine. Place: Printed on a paper cup in a university food court.

Topic: Effects of video games on young adults Stakeholders: Parents of young adults who play video games. Place: At video game store checkout counters during Christmas. Content: Information about the rating system of video games.

EXERCISE• Write down your topic and a group of stakeholders to focus on. (You

can write down multiple options if you are having trouble deciding on one).

• With your topic and stakeholders in mind, write down which one you think you want to do: The main claim of your argument or a smaller part of your argument (perhaps a major sub-claim) that you think is important to focus on? If you chose the latter, write down which part of your argument you want to focus on and why. If you chose the former, explain why you think that would be stronger. Be detailed.

• Now, with your stakeholders still in mind, brainstorm some ideas for a new medium for your argument. Get into the mind of your audience and consider when/where they might be more welcoming to your argument. Write down several options.

• Brainstorm some content for one of your options. Think of your Unit 3 Paper conclusion and what you wanted your stakeholders to change about their thinking or behavior. What image and/or fact might you include that would be important/effective to get your message across to your audience?

• Now, discuss your ideas with your table. Suggest improvements or other options for your peers.