| Brochure Lesson Plan 2 |
Sometimes you don't need a whole book to tell you how to do something. Companies often write simple instruction sheets or brochures that outline how to assemble their product or how to use it properly.
|
These types of brochures tell how to do something or explain how something works using simple descriptions, diagrams, or lists of steps. They are intended for readers who don't need to know absolutely everything on a subject but do need the basics.
Task
Create a brochure about (fill in selected or assigned process/project) that educates, explains, or instructs. The brochure is not an indepth study of a topic but it should give enough information that the reader can perform the task or understand the process.
In addition to what your brochure says, you must decide the best format to present your information. Different formats work best for brochures with lots of text, lots of pictures, small blocks of text, lists, charts, or maps. You'll need to find the format that works best for your information.
Resources
Brochure Checklist and Resources includes specific lists for each type of brochure.
Steps
- First, write down what you need to accomplish with your brochure. What process are you explaining? What task should the reader be able to accomplish after reading this brochure?
- Look at sample brochures you or your class have collected. Identify those that have a style or format you might like to imitate or borrow. See how much detail each type of brochure includes.
- Research your topic. Use the materials provided in the classroom or from other sources to gather more details about your topic. If you are explaining a process, decide what background information the reader will need. If describing a task, will you need a list of parts or supplies? Must the steps in the project be completed in a certain order?
- Using the Brochure Checklist, list the major components of your brochure. Mark out any components you wish to omit from your brochure. Write headlines and subheads. Write the descriptive text. Make lists.
- Sketch out some rough ideas of how you want your brochure to look — including any graphics you think you want to include. (Your software may come with a collection of clip art; if you have access to a scanner you may be able to scan artwork from clip art books; if you have access to graphics software you may be able to draw your own graphics.) Try out different formats to fit your text. Edit your text to fit your layout. Experiment.
- Using the page layout software available to you, transfer your rough sketches to the computer. Your software may have templates or wizards that will provide you with even more ideas.
- Print your final design and fold as necessary.
Evaluation
Your teacher and your classmates will use the criteria listed in the Brochure Checklist accompanying this lesson to see how well you have presented your topic. You will be using the same criteria to judge the work of your classmates and providing input to your teacher. Not everyone will agree on the effectiveness of a single brochure but if you have done your job well, most readers will agree that your brochure gives them the information they want and need and is easy to follow. For how-to type brochures your teacher may have other students follow your instructions to complete your project or task. If most students can easily follow your instructions, you've probably done a good job.
Conclusion
The brochure as an educational or instructional device must present information in a clear, organized manner. It should give enough information that the reader can understand the process or reproduce the project. When explaining a process or telling how to build or assemble a project, the format of the brochure is especially important. You will probably want to present information in a chronological (1, 2, 3...) order. In explaining a complicated process you need to boil it down to its most important elements — leave lengthy explanations and detailed descriptions for the textbooks and research papers.
Note to the Teacher: This project could be assigned to individual students or to teams of 2 or more students. You may want to assign specific topics or provide the class with a list of approved or suggested topics. This type of project is good for "how-to" subjects. How to Make and Read a Sundial, How to Determine the Diameter of Any Circle, or How to Make a Rainbow with Red, Yellow, and Blue. It is also a good format for explaining how or why something works. How a Prism Works, Why the North Pole is Covered in Ice, or How the Two-Party System Developed in the United States.
In evaluating the brochures, you may want to have classmates not involved in that particular brochure project read the brochure then take a simple quiz (written or verbal) to determine how well the brochure writers/designers presented their topic. For a how-to brochure you might have some of the students try to follow the instructions and recreate the project or perform the task.
