Grammar for Writing: Level Blue — Chapter 5

The Plight of Endangered Species Siberian Tiger Imagine that you are the copywriter at a large advertising agency. Your agency has just landed the EnviroSafe account, and your creative team (you and three other students) will work on a campaign to save an endangered species. Your boss offers you the choice of highlighting the giant panda, the manatee, the Asian elephant, the American crocodile, or the Siberian tiger. Research one of the endangered species listed above, and write a three-page informational brochure that will be distributed to your community. The purpose of the brochure is to inform readers and to persuade them to take some action to help save the animal species. STEP 1: Initial Search Research information about the various species on the following Web sites: World Conservation Monitoring Centre Endangered Species Broadcast Network World Wildlife Fund Take detailed notes, and then choose one species to write about. STEP 2: Expanded Search Do a general Internet search. For example, if you chose the Asian elephant, you could track and study a herd at Smithsonian's National Zoo by accessing the following Web site: http://www.nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/AsianElephants/ElephantTrails/ STEP 3: Brainstorm With your creative team, brainstorm a list of facts to include in the brochure. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, page 10, for how to brainstorm.) Think about what information might be persuasive to your audience. Title your list "Persuasive Ideas to Include in Brochure." You could include: (1) background facts that present the urgency of the situation and current efforts to save the animals, (2) a graph that shows declining population or the effects of rescue efforts, (3) persuasive or informative quotations from scientists and researchers. STEP 4: Write an Outline Write an outline or plan of the information to be covered in each section of the brochure (see Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, pages 13, 80). Assign different parts to each group member so there is no duplication. STEP 5: Draft Your Brochure Write a first draft of your brochure. Brainstorm a list of nouns that refer to the species you are researching. Next, write a list of adjectives that describe the species. Then, list the action verbs that fit this particular animal. Use some of the words on your lists in your writing. (To read about nouns, see Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, page 89. To brush up on adjectives, see page 95. For information about action verbs, see page 93.) Details, details, details! It is the finer points, the small facts, that make professional writing so vivid. With a professional writer it is never, "The cat jumped into the tree." Rather, the writer might say, "The cheetah bounded into the safety of the leafy acacia tree." Learn the exact names of animals and plants and so on, to add clarity to your writing. STEP 6: Writing Partners Exchange drafts with members of your creative team to get feedback for revisions. During the peer review process, evaluate each word in every sentence. Ask: "Is this the right word? Would another one work better? Are verbs precise and vivid?" (See Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, "Writing Hint," page 93.) Incorporate any writing partner suggestions you think will improve your work. STEP 7: Publish Your Brochure Use a computer to design your brochure, or paste your writing, graphs, photos, and other items onto poster board that can be photocopied. You may need to cut some pieces or to rearrange your design to get everything to fit. Display brochures around the classroom. You might want to find another place to distribute the brochures, such as public libraries or environmental organizations; or perhaps send them to your local newspaper for publication. Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.