![ENGL 318/JAMM 328 | pg 1
PROJECT 4 Overview
[Science Issues in Communities]
While typical notions of scientific literacy (including technology and health literacy) focus
on the knowledge level of individuals, increasingly attention has been paid to the physical
and social contexts in which individuals engage in science- and health-related activities.
Thus, as one study argues, science literacy should be broadened to “include both the
abilities of individuals and the characteristics of professionals and institutions that support
or may inhibit individual or community action” (Rudd et al 2012, p. 26).
In this series of assignments, you will deeply examine how one science or health-related
issue affects stakeholders in a particular community (whether this is a geographical,
occupational, demographic, or identification-based community). You will also produce a
communication action plan designed to foster community involvement in the issue, and
two actual pieces of material (at least one of which must involve a modality other than
print) meant to communicate something about the issue to one or more groups of
stakeholders involved.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
1. A topic proposal (max 250 words) that provides an overview of how a specific
scientific issue is impacting a given community. You should also explain your
connection to this community and why you’re interested in examining this topic.
The point of the proposal is to persuade me that this issue is real and pressing and
that you are a good person to address it. (20 points)
2. An annotated bibliography of 20 sources that explores the impact of the issue on
the community. Your bibliography should contain a mix of sources, including
scientific research articles and work that discusses how the community is being
affected. It may also include primary sources (interviews with community
members, for example). It should aim to identify and explain the science behind the
issue as well as conveying a sense of how the issue is affecting the community.
(100 points)
3. A report and a communication action plan that analyzes the impact of a specific
scientific issue on various groups of stakeholders and provides a set of
recommendations for what the community needs to address the issue. See the
supplemental assignment sheet for details! (150 points).
4. Two pieces of communication that will help to enact your communication action
plan, one of which must be a not-primarily-print-based form of communication.
These can be written (e.g. fact sheets, brochures), visual (PSAs, posters), or
multimodal (short videos, podcasts, Web pages, etc.) (75 points each).](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/project4engl318scientific-issue-community-180319183633/85/ENGL318-SP18-Project-4-Overview-1-320.jpg)
ENGL318-SP18 Project 4 Overview
- 1. ENGL 318/JAMM 328 | pg 1 PROJECT 4 Overview [Science Issues in Communities] While typical notions of scientific literacy (including technology and health literacy) focus on the knowledge level of individuals, increasingly attention has been paid to the physical and social contexts in which individuals engage in science- and health-related activities. Thus, as one study argues, science literacy should be broadened to “include both the abilities of individuals and the characteristics of professionals and institutions that support or may inhibit individual or community action” (Rudd et al 2012, p. 26). In this series of assignments, you will deeply examine how one science or health-related issue affects stakeholders in a particular community (whether this is a geographical, occupational, demographic, or identification-based community). You will also produce a communication action plan designed to foster community involvement in the issue, and two actual pieces of material (at least one of which must involve a modality other than print) meant to communicate something about the issue to one or more groups of stakeholders involved. PROJECT DELIVERABLES 1. A topic proposal (max 250 words) that provides an overview of how a specific scientific issue is impacting a given community. You should also explain your connection to this community and why you’re interested in examining this topic. The point of the proposal is to persuade me that this issue is real and pressing and that you are a good person to address it. (20 points) 2. An annotated bibliography of 20 sources that explores the impact of the issue on the community. Your bibliography should contain a mix of sources, including scientific research articles and work that discusses how the community is being affected. It may also include primary sources (interviews with community members, for example). It should aim to identify and explain the science behind the issue as well as conveying a sense of how the issue is affecting the community. (100 points) 3. A report and a communication action plan that analyzes the impact of a specific scientific issue on various groups of stakeholders and provides a set of recommendations for what the community needs to address the issue. See the supplemental assignment sheet for details! (150 points). 4. Two pieces of communication that will help to enact your communication action plan, one of which must be a not-primarily-print-based form of communication. These can be written (e.g. fact sheets, brochures), visual (PSAs, posters), or multimodal (short videos, podcasts, Web pages, etc.) (75 points each).