J840 Communicating Social and Environmental Initiatives

J840 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES (3 credits), 6/15/09

Professor: Simran Sethi, William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Dole #2071, Lawrence KS 66045                                                       

Contact information: simran@ku.edu, (785) 864-8021, littleindia15c (Skype).  My social networks are personal—advance apologies for not friending, facebooking or linkingin to you.

Location: 154 Regnier, KUEC

Course Dates: 6/19 and 6/20, 7/24 and 7/25 (9am-5 p.m., Edwards Campus).  This is a concentrated course, not a short course.  It adheres to the expectation of three hours of work for every in-class hour.

Office Hours: By appointment.  This course affords limited face-to-face time.  It’s your responsibility to schedule time with me if you require personalized attention outside of class.  Office hours can be held virtually via Skype or telephone or in person on the Lawrence campus.

Graduate Assistant: Cheri LeBlond, cleblond@ku.edu, (913) 558-9496

Course Description: “Communication about the environment [and sustainability] matter. . .in the naming of the conditions that we take to be problems, but it also matters in the ways we interact with our communities, our workplaces, and the natural world.”   Robert Cox

The increase in communications focusing on sustainability topics, coupled with growing questions around green marketing and the desire of various company stakeholders (such as customers) to dialog about company practices signals a larger shift: sustainability is now a critical part of many nonprofits’ and companies’ communications strategies.  The critical question is, “What defines authentic and effective sustainability communication?”

Sustainability touches every aspect of our lives, including national security, economic prosperity, conservation, civil rights, public health and personal well-being.  This service-learning course will provide tools for effective communications about social, environmental and sustainability issues.   We will study various styles of environmental and social communications and analyze the ways sustainability is currently defined and used by businesses and nonprofits.  Assignments include customized environmental communications and development materials for the Lawrence Community Shelter: http://www.lawrenceshelter.org/ .

Communicating Social and Environmental Initiatives is open to all students with a sincere interest in sustainability.  Prior knowledge of environmental science and sustainability is not required.

Course Blog: http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/ Refer to the sections on J840 and Weeks 1-6

Service Learning Organization: Lawrence Community Shelter http://www.lawrenceshelter.org/

Required Texts: Cox, Robert, Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2006.  ISBN: 978-0-761930501

Doppelt, Bob, Leading Change Toward Sustainability, Oregon: Greenleaf Publishing: 2003. ISBN: 978-1-874719-64-9  

These books are on reserve at the Edwards Campus library and for sale in the bookstore.

GENERAL INFORMATION 

This course is a collaborative experience shaped by your insights and participation and informed by local and global current events.  As such, assignments and readings are subject to change.  I’ll announce any changes via e-mail.  The most updated syllabus will always be available on the course blog.   

Participation: Your participation is an important part of this course and your grade.  You are expected to thoughtfully engage with the course materials, complete assigned reading, contribute to online discussions and actively participate in all class conversations.  

Service Learning: This class is a designated service-learning course.  Service learning fosters a better understanding of classroom material, is a catalyst for innovative leadership and social responsibility and drives positive change in the world.  By completing the service in this course, you will have fulfilled the first component of becoming certified in service learning.

Please review the criteria on the class blog and contact the Center for Service Learning at csl@ku.edu or www.servicelearning.ku.edu if you wish to complete certification.

Assignments: This class requires individual work and teamwork.  You are expected to adhere to all deadlines and/or communicate any challenges to meeting deadlines well before your assignments are due.  Feedback from your team members will factor into your grade on your final group assignment.       

If you can’t complete an assignment, make sure that you contact me via e-mail and make sure you receive return e-mail confirmation from me.  Unless you have a dire reason for delays, you will be marked off accordingly:

• Assignments that are 24 hours late will be marked off one letter grade.
• Assignments that are 48 hours late will be marked off two letter grades.
• Assignments that are 72 hours late will be given, at most, 50 percent of the points earned.  (If you received a perfect score of 100 on your assignment, you would only be eligible to receive a score of 50.)
• Assignments that are over 72 hours late will receive a 0.  Don’t bother. 

 Absences/ Cancellations: Because of the concentrated nature of this class, no absences will be accepted.  Egregiously late arrivals or early departures from class will count as absences. 

The KU Office of Student Financial Aid is required by federal law to determine whether students who receive aid are attending each class in which they are enrolled.  Students who do not attend classes may be required to repay federal and/or state aid.

 Access: The University of Kansas is committed to helping all students learn.  If you have a special need that may affect your learning, please let me know and also contact the KU Office of Disability Resources at http://www.achievement.ku.edu/disability/.

 Plagiarism:  The William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications does not tolerate plagiarism and fabrication.  If you plagiarize or fabricate material, you will get a zero on the assignment.  Per the school’s official policy, you may also fail the course and possibly be expelled from the journalism school.  Students enrolling from other units in the university will be subject to the general rules and regulations of those units.  

Plagiarism is taking someone else’s ideas, thoughts or opinions and passing them off as your own.  This includes print and electronic materials, as well as materials from the Internet.  If you cut and paste materials from the Internet, and you don’t attribute your work, you’ve committed plagiarism.  If you use secondary sources (i.e. research that someone else has already done), you must attribute those sources.  You don’t have to attribute commonly known facts (strawberries are fruit) or historical facts (Barack Obama is president).   

COURSE SCHEDULE & ASSIGNMENTS:

WEEK 1 (6/15-6/21/09)

• Review the syllabus and class blog (especially the online style guides under “course documents” on the blog).
• Join the class blog.  Please use your first name and last initial as your login name and upload a picture of yourself as an avatar.  If you prefer not to upload a picture, upload some other image in its stead.  If you don’t follow this format, you will be asked to redo this. 
• Write an “About Me” post for the blog by 5 p.m. on Monday 6/15.  Post under “Week 1.” Put your name at the end of ALL posts and comments (first name, last initial or your full name – your call).  Please contact Cheri LeBlond if you have any problems.  Responding to others’ posts is optional for this week but required in weeks 2,4 and 5.
• Complete readings in Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, Robert Cox. Intro (pp.xiv-xx), Chapter 1 (pp.7-29), Chapter 5 (pp.163-182), Chapter 7 (pp.245-265), Chapter 10 (pp.367-385).
• Attend class on 6/19 & 6/20 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Regnier 154.  Class will include lectures from Jeff McIntire-Strasberg (Editor/ Founder, Sustainablog), Dr. Mark Holter (Associate Professor, KU School of Social Welfare) and Loring Henderson (Executive Director, Lawrence Community Shelter).

WEEK 2 (6/22-6/28/09)

• Reading/Viewing: Environmental Messaging 

1) Excerpt from Walden, Henry David Thoreau, Chapter 17 (http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden17.html)

2) “Introduction to Silent Spring,” Al Gore (http://www.uneco.org/ssalgoreintro.html)

3) Excerpt from Silent Spring, Rachel Carson (http://www.ccis.edu/Faculty/dskarr/carson_spring.pdf)

4) “Living Green,” Brian Lehrer Show (audio, entire show) (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2007/04/20)

5) “Barbie Bcause,” Press Release (http://www.shareholder.com/mattel/news/20080401-302399.cfm)

6) Stephen Colbert v. Low Impact Man (video) (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/84653/april-09-2007/colin-beavan)

7) “That Buzz in Your Ear May Be Green Noise,” Alex Williams (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/fashion/15green.html?_r=2)

8 ) “The Field Trip Within,” Peter Trenouth (http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/401)

• Prepare call questions and participate in conference call on 6/24 or 6/27 from 1-2 p.m. CT.   The dial-in number is 1-877-278-8686 and PIN is 148874.  You are welcome to attend all calls but only required to participate in two of the four offered.  Attendance will be taken.  Contact Cheri if you encounter any technical difficulties.  Her phone number is at the top of the syllabus.  Our guests have been asked to lecture for 30 minutes and engage in a Q&A for 30 minutes. 

Guest Lecturers:  

• 6/24: Chrystie Heimert is the Director of Communications for Seventh Generation (http://www.seventhgeneration.com/about), one of the largest dedicated natural cleaning and personal care product companies in the world.  Please review http://www.showwhatsinside.com/ and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simran-sethi/lifting-the-body-burden-h_b_141779.html prior to the call.
• 6/27: Kelly Cox is an integrated marketing specialist who works for socially conscious brands wishing to target younger, more mainstream audiences.  Her work with NRDC National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (http://www.nrdc.org/about/) has reached millions of young eyeballs and expanded their activist circle by the thousands.  Please review www.myspace.com/itsyournature and www.itsyournature.org prior to the call.
• Review blog rubric in syllabus. 
• Write a post about your perceptions about what is and is not green based on the readings and/or lectures by 5 p.m. on Friday 6/26.  Define your parameters of environmental action and hyperlink to any readings you reference.  Put your name at the end of your posts and comments.  Post under “Week 2” and in the appropriate category.  Contact Cheri LeBlond if you have any problems. 
• Respond to a colleague’s post and at least one comment to your post.  Blog post responses and comments are due by Sunday 6/28 at 5 p.m.
• Write a 100 word overview of your environmental messaging project.  The submission format should be as follows for this and every electronic submission: Abbreviated document title-First nameLast Initial.  For this Environmental Messaging Update, the document title should read: EMU-First name Last initial (ex: EMU-SimranS.doc).  Make sure your name and the document title are listed within the document, as well.  If you don’t follow this format, you’ll be asked to resubmit your document and will be marked down at my discretion.  E-mail it to me, with the same title in the subject line, and cc: Cheri LeBlond, by 5 p.m. on Sunday 6/28.  

WEEK 3 (6/29-7/5)

• Reading/Viewing: Social and Environmental Priorities 

1) BBMG Conscious Consumer Report Highlights (http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/bbmg-helping-socially-consciou-003246.php) 

2) Roper Green Gauge Press Release (http://www.csrwire.com/News/9473.html)

3) “Psychologists Determine What it Means to Think Green” (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-08-13-green-psychology_N.htm?POE=click-refer)

4) “Economy, Jobs Trump All Other Policy Priorities In 2009” (http://people-press.org/report/485/economy-top-policy-priority)

5) “The (Un)Wise (Ab)Use of Nature: Environmentalism as Globalized Consumerism?” Timothy Luke (http://www.cddc.vt.edu/tim/tims/Tim528.htm)

6) ecoAmerica American Environmental Values Survey, pp.4-31 (http://ecoamerica.typepad.com/blog/2006/12/american_enviro.html)

7) “Homelessness: Old and New,” Kim Hopper (PDF on class blog under Week 3)

• No blog posts this week.
• Complete your 750-1000 word customized green messaging assignment that seeks to satisfy a personal or professional need for environmental messaging (and will be fleshed out with the instructor during the first day of class).  The style guide for this submission will be dictated by the content and context of your offering.  The submission format should be as follows for this and every electronic submission: Abbreviated document title-First nameLast Initial.  For this Environmental Messaging assignment, the document title should read: EM-First name Last initial (ex: EM-SimranS.doc).  Make sure your name and the document title are listed within the document, as well.  If you don’t follow this format, you’ll be asked to resubmit your document and will be marked down at my discretion.  E-mail it to me, with the same title in the subject line, and cc: Cheri LeBlond, by 5 p.m. on Sunday 7/5.

WEEK 4 (7/6-7/12)

• Reading/Viewing: Social Messaging

1) Good News, Bad News, Jeremy Iggers, pp.57-70 (http://books.google.com/books?id=P2NthIQkkPgC&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=advocacy+journalism+ethics&source=bl&ots=VwzfTZU7US&sig=3AaySWiYMjvi4ylEyhIblSXpIP8&hl=en&ei=a3gkSouBE6WaMva0kYwF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#PPA60,M1)

2) “Does ‘Caring’ Require Advocacy in Journalism?” Elecia Chrunik (http://www.journalismethics.ca/feature_articles/does_caring_require_advocay.html)

3) “What is Social Marketing?” Nedra Kline Weinreich (http://www.social-marketing.com/Whatis.html)

4) “Ghost World,” Ryan McGeeney (http://www.kansan.com/stories/2008/dec/10/ghost_world/)

5) Homeless Primer, prepared by Lauren Keith, University of Kansas (document on class blog under Week 4)

6) David Pirtle Interview (http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_559_Homeless.mp3

• Conduct fieldwork for your final assignment.  This should include in-person interaction as well as virtual encounters, i.e. by phone, e-mail or Skype.
• Write a post on your perceptions of objectivity and advocacy in journalism (strategic communications or news reporting) by 5 p.m. on Friday 7/10.  Post under “Week 4” and in the appropriate category.
• Respond to a colleague’s post and at least one comment to your post.  Blog post responses and comments due by Sunday 7/12 at 5 p.m.

WEEK 5 (7/13-7/19)

• Reading/Viewing: Sustainability Messaging

1) Leading Change Toward Sustainability, Bob Doppelt (pp. 7-90 and 173-209)

2) TED: Alex Steffan Sees a Sustainable Future (http://www.ted.com/talks/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future.html)

3) Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard (http://www.storyofstuff.com/)

4) Review five entries of your choosing from the Dictionary of Sustainable Management (http://www.sustainabilitydictionary.com/t/triple_bottom_line.php)

 5) Pamela Ronald, Pop!Tech 2008 (http://www.poptech.org/popcasts/popcasts.aspx?lang=&viewcastid=216)

6) “Green Business and the Conscience Premium,” Bryan Welch (http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/author/bryanwelch/)

 7) The Gort Cloud, Richard Seireeni.  Review Web site and read The Missing Chapters (http://thegortcloud.com/chapters.html) 

• Prepare call questions and participate in conference call on 7/15 or 7/18 from 1-2 p.m. CT.   The dial-in number is 1-877-278-8686 and PIN is 148874.  You are welcome to attend all calls but are only required to participate in two of the four offered.  Attendance will be taken.  Contact Cheri if you encounter any technical difficulties. Our guests have been asked to lecture for 30 minutes and engage in a Q&A for 30 minutes. 

Guest Lecturers:

• 7/15: Chris Doran is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Pepperdine University who teaches courses on Christianity, ecology and public policy (http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/faculty/member.htm?facid=christopher_doran).  He will discuss the intersection of public policy and personal sustainability, creating space to build bridges with persons of faith when constructing public policy and learning how to tell the “story” of sustainability in ways that will galvanize faith-based communities. Watch all chapters of “Is God Green?” (http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/green/watch.html) before the call.
• 7/18: David Clark is a sustainability consultant at Orchard Advisors (http://www.orchardadvisors.com/) specializing in helping strategic companies become more sustainable, and sustainable companies become more strategic.  He will address the inner resources needed to effectively cultivate messages on sustainability.  Review Paul Hawken’s commencement speech at the University of Portland (http://www.paulhawken.com/paulhawken_frameset.html) (on homepage) prior to the call.
• Continue fieldwork for final project.  This may include attendance at the Lawrence Coalition for Homeless Concerns meeting at 3 p.m. on 7/14 at the Lawrence Public Library (http://www.myctb.org/wst/chc/Lists/Calendar/DispForm.aspx?ID=1.0.2009-07-14T20:00:00Z&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myctb.org%2Fwst%2Fchc%2Fdefault.aspx). 
• Write a post about your personal definition of sustainability informed by all the readings and lectures by Friday 7/17 at 5 p.m.  The definition should be specific yet expansive enough to encompass a variety of initiatives.  Explain the rationale for your definition and why you think it is an effective one.  Post under “Week 5” and in the appropriate category.
• Respond to a colleague’s post and at least one comment to your post.  Blog post responses and comments are due by Sunday 7/19 at 5 p.m.

WEEK 6 (7/20-7/26)

• Prepare final service-learning project per details below.
• Prepare in-class presentation for LCS Executive Director Loring Henderson for 7/25.
• Attend class on 7/24 & 7/75 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Regnier 154.  Classes will include lectures from Bryan Welch (President, Ogden Publishing) and Richard Seireeni (Brand expert and author, The Gort Cloud).
• Write a final individual service learning post reflecting on your own learning experience with the Lawrence Community Shelter by Sunday 7/26 at 5 p.m. Post under “Week 6” and in the appropriate category.
• No responses or comments are required, but if you choose to do so please get them posted by Sunday 7/26 at 5 p.m.

WEEK  (7/27-7/31)

• Designate one team member to e-mail Final Project material to me and cc: Cheri by 7/31 at 5 p.m.  The document should include your team name and should be labeled thusly: FP-Team Number (ex: FP-Group1.doc).  If there are numerous files, make sure each one is labeled with FP- and your team number.  If you don’t follow this format, you’ll be asked to resubmit your document and will be marked down at my discretion.
• Complete Self/Team Evaluation by 7/31 at 5 p.m.  The document should include your name and should be labeled thusly: STE-First name Last initial (ex: STE-SimranS.doc).  If you don’t follow this format, you’ll be asked to resubmit your document and will be marked down at my discretion.  E-mail it to me, with the same title in the subject line, and cc: Cheri.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Overview

• Blog Posts and Responses (One post, Two responses): Due dates are listed under Weeks 1,2,4, 5 and 6.  You are required to post in Weeks 1,2,4, 5 and 6, and required to respond to one colleague’s post, and a comment to your post in Weeks 2, 4 and 5.  You are most welcome to submit a vlog or audio segment in lieu of a written post, if desired.  These posts are submitted to the blog—not e-mailed—under the weeks listed above (“Weeks 1,2,4,5 and 6”).
• Green Messaging Assignment: Due 7/5 by 5 p.m.  Submission details and information are listed under Week 2 and 3 above and will be discussed in class.
• Final Project: Due 7/31 by 5 p.m.  Submission details are listed under Week 6 above.  Please prepare to incorporate feedback from your in-class presentation on 7/25 into your final submission.  Information on the final assignment is below.
• Self/Team Evaluation: Due 7/31 by 5 p.m.  The template is on the class blog under Course Documents.

Grading Breakdown:

• Social Messaging Group Service-Learning Project with LCS         30%
• Environmental Messaging Individual Project                                    25%
• In-Class & Online Participation (4 blog posts & responses)            25%
• Guest Lecture Participation (2 out of 4 lectures offered)               10%
• Self-Evaluation & Group Evaluation                                                 10%

Style and Format

• All e-mail submissions should be in 12-point font and double-spaced. 
• Attribute all images.
• Include a short and descriptive summary of source materials with audio & video submissions.
• This is a paperless class.  Please submit all print assignments via e-mail to simran@ku.edu and cleblond@ku.edu as a backup.  Post all audio and video materials to a public site like YouTube and e-mail Cheri and me the link
• Errors in facts, grammar and spelling will impact your grade.  Proofread carefully.
• Please follow Associated Press Stylebook guidelines in your writing assignments.  Refer to the course documents link on the class blog for more information.

 

 FINAL SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT FOR LAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER

 Introduction

The Lawrence Community Shelter is the homeless shelter for Lawrence, Kansas.

The mission of the Shelter is to provide safe shelter and comprehensive support services and programs that provide a path to a positive future for people experiencing homelessness and people who are at risk of homelessness.

 Assignment

There are many messages in the public realm about the homeless and homelessness.  We will seek to emphasize fact and dispel rumors through education and outreach.  We are trying to reframe the discussion in much larger terms of systemic problems and solutions.

One thing we keep coming back to is the metaphor of “conversation.”  If the message grows out of that concept – people talking with each other in an interactive, respectful way, rather than being talked at by experts or media – then it should substantially change the tenor of the conversation.

 Your assignment is to write news stories or develop strategic communications materials that address the issue of homelessness and communicate the benefits of the Lawrence Community Shelter.

 Deliverables 

• Group 1: NEWS REPORTING/THE WHO, WHY AND HOW OF HOMELESSNESS: Group 1 will create a five-part series of blogs and images (perhaps vlog/audio posts) on the systemic causes of homelessness and personal profiles of members of the local homeless population for the local general public Web site Lawrence.com (http://www.lawrence.com/).  The posts should work together in a series as well as stand alone as single posts.  Contact: Lawrence.com Editor Phil Cauthon: phil@lawrence.com.    

             Group 1 Members: Carrie, Erin, Cindy, Dave and Jenni 

• Group 2: NEWS REPORTING/ LAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER NEWSLETTER: Group 2 will create three articles for the LCS newsletter that is e-mailed to community members with a demonstrated interest in the issue.  The group may also rework content for a brochure that is targeted at the general public.  The article and brochure content will be determined by LHS and its Board.  Contact: LCS Public Relations Chair Anne M. Bracker: (785) 550-4410. 

             Group 2 Members: Jennifer, Ian, Jason, Maggie and Pauline

• Group 3: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS/ POWERPOINT: Group 3 will create a Power Point presentation for potential LCS funders under the direction of pro bono PR firm Jones Huyett Partners.  Contact: Executive Vice-President Jake Huyett: jhuyett@jhpadv.com. 

             Group 3 Members: Trey, Christine, Monica, Beth

• Group 4: COMMUNITY OUTREACH/ CHANGE OF HEART NEWSPAPER: Group 4 will work with the Coalition of Homeless Concerns to augment and support the publication by and for the homeless.  Contact Loring Henderson, Executive Director, LHS (and Craig Sweets, Editor): (785) 832-8864. 

             Group 4 Members: Holly, Victor, Peggy, Angela

All Groups: IN-CLASS PRESENTATIONS: (Present 7/25 in-class): 30-minute presentation (20-minute presentation, 5 to 10 minute Q&A) to Loring Henderson, Executive Director of LCS and the class.  Detail the needs of your constituents, your research methodology, the messages you created and short reflections on what you learned.  This presentation is not a pitch to Loring but, rather, a showcase of the materials you created.  PowerPoint is not required but some creative rendering of your materials is—your medium is your message.  Every team member should participate in the final presentation.

 

Additional Local Resources 

• Family Promise of Lawrence (local chapter of national non-profit):

http://www.lawrencefamilypromise.org/

• Coalition for Homeless Concerns (local grassroots organization) :

http://www.myctb.org/wst/chc/default.aspx

• Community Commission on Homelessness (City Task Force): http://lawrenceks.org/advisory_boards/cch/

 

RUBRICS:

You’ll receive a numerical grade for each project you complete.

Generally speaking, your work will be evaluated thusly:

A (90 to 100) = Excellent.  The segment/post is well written, clear and concise, and published/broadcast with minimal changes.  The student’s approach shows originality and creativity.  The piece refers to concepts and ideas discussed in class and in the readings.  The piece demonstrates that the student clearly understands these concepts.  The piece is thorough; there are no unanswered questions for the reader/viewer.  The student has done an excellent job researching, reporting and writing.  Quotes and information are attributed.  Sources are credible and clearly identified.  Grammar and spelling are perfect.  The student followed AP Stylebook guidelines.

B (80 to 89) = Above average.  The student’s work shows a high level of originality and independent thought and is published/broadcast with minor changes.  The student has gone above and beyond what was expected of her/him.  The student has presented the material well, but there may be minor unanswered questions or organizational problems.  The student has done a good job researching, reporting, and writing/presenting.  However, the student may not have identified clearly all sources or may not have used the most credible sources.  There may be some minor grammar, spelling or style mistakes.  The student shows a good understanding of the ideas and concepts discussed in class or in the readings, although there may be some minor errors or unclear explanations.

C (70 to 79) = Satisfactory.  The student has done the minimal amount of work expected in the assignment.  There are significant unanswered questions for the reader.  The article/segment is not well organized.  The writing is not clear or succinct.  There are numerous grammar, spelling or style errors.  Information and quotes are not attributed.  Sources are not credible.  The student has not demonstrated a clear understanding of ideas or concepts discussed in class.  Work requires substantial revisions in order to be published/broadcast.

D (60 to 69) = Unsatisfactory.  The work is below average.  The quality of the writing/presentation and research is poor.  The student did not use credible sources or did not attribute sources. There is no indication the student put much thought or effort into the work.  Grammar and spelling errors make this story incomprehensible.  The student shows no understanding of the ideas or concepts discussed in class.  (If you are taking this class, you should not get this grade.) 

F (59 or below) = Failing.  The student did not complete the assignment on time or did not do what was expected.  (You don’t want this grade either.)

  

J840 BLOG RUBRIC – WHAT MAKES A GOOD BLOG/VLOG/AUDIO POST?

Post	A Post	B Post	C Post	D/F Post
Focuses on one topic	Makes a clear point from the beginning	Arrives at a point by the end	Has several points and none are clear	Has no real point
Is brief	250-350 words	350-450 words	450-550 words	More than 550
Links to Web resources	Has two or more links showing research and furthers the discussion beyond simply supporting the argument.	Has couple of links that at least support the argument but come from the assigned online readings.	Has a link that simply drops off a reader at a Web page and expects them to find the information by clicking around on their own.	Doesn’t have any links.
Makes a strong definite claim	Makes claim in active voice using declarative sentences.	Makes a nuanced claim in more formal language. Sounds like an English essay.	Makes a vague claim in passive voice and then wanders away from the premise.	Makes no clear statement or claim but merely spouts emotion.
Uses informal language	“The city commission needs to step up and get in front of the homeless challenge.”	“The city commission surely must see the mistake in this, if they examine the facts.”	“One would hope that the city commission might listen to community input or that at least the county commission would begin to take action.”	“As Thomas Paine so aptly said: ‘These are the times that try men’s souls.’” Or worse:  “As Thomas Jefferson said: “’These are the times…’”
Uses anecdotes and stories	Starts personal and goes global. Starts with a personal story and applies that to the topic at hand. Uses an anecdote to get to the point.	Starts personal but the story is not as clearly connected to the rest of the post as it could be.	Starts with a thesis statement, rather than an anecdote, but works in a personal story somewhere.	Does not use illustrative story or anecdote.  Lacks any personal touch.
Invites, even incites, response	Invites contradictory evidence or encourages people to chime in with their opinion/ support.	Is provocative enough to probably get somebody to comment.	Might be commented on by your friends and family.	Elicits no response.
Offers something fresh or new	Reveals something that the teacher or others in the class have not found or offers a novel approach.	Shows author has read all assigned material and has a good grasp of the conventional wisdom on the topic.	Offers predictable and easily found opinions.  Makes clear author did not do much, if any, additional research.	Is essentially a cut and paste of others’ work and shows a lack of thoughtfulness. Probably done an hour before the post is due.
Includes Visual Element	Uses original visual material, either graphics or video.  Image is arresting and helps make point.	Uses publicly available images or uses image with permission or alters or links to another’s image to make it original and visually arresting.	Rips off an interesting image and doesn’t credit source.	Doesn’t have a visual image
Uses strong headline	Creates engaging headline in active tense.	Creates descriptive headline.	Explains story content.	Has no headline or exceeds character limitation.
Features engaging tease	Draws reader in with strong 25-30 word lead.	Describes story in 25-30 word lead.	Describes story in under 20 words.	Does not clearly describe story.
Lists tags/keywords	Uses most appropriate keywords/tags for future searches on story.	Includes overly broad tags/keywords	Includes tags/keywords that are not easily searchable (too esoteric or vague).	Does not include tags/keywords.
Video Post (Vlogs):
Is timed appropriately	2-3 Minutes	3-4 Minutes	4-5 Minutes	Over 5 Minutes
Leverages visual medium – are not just a tirade you could read about	Uses images to drive the story.	Displays consideration of the visual medium and uses images to illustrate some points.	Uses images that are part of story but not central to the story.	Is a recitation of the transcript, and its visuals do not add to the story.
Audio Post:
Shows good understanding of oral format and tells story with listeners in mind	Explains information clearly and engagingly.  Paints the picture with words.	Describes the story but doesn’t fully illustrate it and/or make concepts clear.	States the facts but does not engage the listener.	Does not reach the listening audience, i.e. presents in a way better suited to vlog, blog or speech.

 

J840 WRITING RUBRIC (Adapted from Bowling Green State University)

	AExcellent	BAbove Average	CSatisfactory	DUnsatisfactory
Purpose	Creative or skillfully designed purpose.	Clear, coherent purpose.	Vague or multiple purposes.	Ill-defined or no purpose.
Focus	Establishes a clearly focused controlling idea	Maintains focus and provides transitions between ideas.	Focus comes and goes.	Unfocused, no clear audience.
Organization	Effective organization. contributes to full development of presentation.	Connects the ideas within the material and to other ideas and sources.	Evident but inconsistent development.	Inadequate organization or development.
Development	Innovatively/expertly advances argument with well-researched evidence and documentation.	Advances argument with sound evidence and references.	Does not advance an argument with adequate support.	Inappropriate or insufficient details to support ideas.
Comprehension	Demonstrates disciplinary understanding and integration. Develops new information or new ways of presenting information.	Moves beyond superficial understanding and demonstrates facility with topical and disciplinary language.	Demonstrates some understanding of the topic.	No, or superficial, grasp of topic.
Mechanics	Work enhanced by facility in language usage, range of diction and syntactic variety. Follows AP Stylebook guidelines.	Readability enhanced by facility with language and sentence conventions.	Lack of language facility, frequent errors.	Multiple errors in grammar, sentence structure, spelling, etc.

 

J840 FINAL PROJECT RUBRIC:

	AExcellent	BAbove Average	CSatisfactory	DUnsatisfactory
Purpose	Skillfully designed, consistent purpose.	Clear, coherent purpose.	Vague or multiple purposes.	Ill-defined or no purpose.
Focus	Provides clear information on constituent group and features compelling and relevant messaging.	Maintains focus and offers good information on constituencies.	Focus comes and goes.  constituent groups may or may not be motivated to act.	Unfocused, no clear reason for constituents to respond or engage with issue.
Organization	Communications have impact and are accessible.	Communications are clear and may prove useful to LCS	Communications are obvious and provide some value to LCS.	Communications are boilerplate and do not respond to specific needs of LCS.
Execution	Communications strategy is thoughtful and innovative.  It lays out the problem and offers compelling, relevant responses through well-researched evidence and documentation.	Strategy advances initiatives with sound evidence and references.	Strategy does not explain why changes are required or compel constituents to act.  Strategy lacks adequate support.	Strategy does not offer relevant or sufficient initiatives and has scant research.
Comprehension & Dissemination	Demonstrates understanding and integration of environmental concepts and ability to translate concepts to intended audiences.	Moves beyond superficial understanding. Demonstrates facility with topic and ability to translate most concepts to intended audience.	Demonstrates some understanding of the topic and shows some ability to translate information to audience.	No, or superficial, grasp of topic.
Mechanics	Work enhanced by facility in language usage, visual communications, and creative expression.	Readability enhanced by facility with language and good visuals.	Lack of language facility, frequent errors and limited visual communication.	Multiple errors in grammar, sentence structure, spelling and no visuals.
Assessment	Information inspires change among constituents and implementation by LCS.	Information is accepted by constituents and LCS.	Information is considered but not implemented in part or whole by constituent groups or LCS.	Outreach is irrelevant to LCS and constituents.