​SHAWSHANK prison reform project

Proposal guidelines

(Photo credit: Sean Munson via Foter.com / CC BY-SA)

PURPOSE OF the pROPOSAL

• To establish the group's credibility & expertise on the subject(s) (ethos). 

 

• To educate the Committee more fully about the issue(s) or problem(s).

 

• To present well-organized & research-based solution(s) in the most persuasive way (logos), avoiding fallacies (see this!) & plagiarism.

 

• To engage the Committee & the audience (consisting of the press & concerned members of the public) & answer their questions.

Major components

• The Proposal will consist of an oral presentation, given by both partners, lasting approximately 30 minutes, total.​ ​
  • Using Slides.com as an organizational tool, the proposal will include several components:
    • ​Persuasive speeches,
    • Testimony (of no more than 5-6 minutes) from at least 1 witness (a person from another group),
    • Video & audio clips (no more than 3-4 minutes, total),
    • Various images & links, &
    • At least 1 infographic. 

 

Find at least 15 reputable sources:

• Use good Google Search strategies to find reputable sources.
• Use the online databases available through elm4you.
• Keep track of sources & notes with NoodleTools.

​

Read your sources & make sure you understand them!​

Organize your thoughts in a rhetorically-effective way: 

• The Purdue owl is your friend!
• Use the TheySay/I Say templates, including these.
• Anticipate & address counter-arguments!

 

​Submit your text (script & on-slide) to Turnitin.com to check for plagiarism (see Schoology for due dates). 

RESEARCH

• Use images from Foter.com or Photopin.com with the provided credit line, including live links (but no visible html code).
  • You may also use photos you take yourselves. 
  • If you use public domain images, you must provide proof they lack copyright restrictions.​
• Make & include 1 infographic, using Canva.com or any other similar tool, & embed it in a slide, stacked below the relevant text slide, as I have done with mine. ​
  • Get data for the graphic from your research & organize it to support your argument.
    • I made an extremely simple one; you can see it here. 

 

 

images & infographics

VIDEO/AUDIO

• You must include a total of 3-4 minutes of audio &/or video.
  • This is a way to include even more expert/witness testimony in your presentation.
  • Find reputable sources (StoryCorps.org is one such source).
  • You may also make audio/video files yourselves, playing the role(s) of characters from the novella.
• Embed your video/audio files in slides, & stack them beneath the relevant text slides of your presentation.

COLLABORATION

• It should be crystal clear throughout the project who created or collaborated on what.

• Each group member MUST  

  • speak,

  • act,

  • research,

  • write,

  • curate, 

  • create, &

  • read/use all linked material in this slideshow.

• NoodleTools, EasyBib, CiteThisForMe & the Purdue Owl will help you prepare your “Works Cited" lists.

• Use a divided "Works Cited" list for all your sources.
  • Put the list on your last slide(s).  
    • Use 3 headings in this order:
      • "Works Cited on Slides"
      • "Works Cited Orally"  (in your script)
      • "Media" (for video & audio files) 
        • Expect some overlap with the first 2 categories.
    • In all 3 sections, alphabetize & reverse-indent your entries.

Works cited