Empowerment Posters Portfolio

You will be creating posters to reflect on the importance of social status

and reputation. During this process you will brainstorm what is more
important in life than social status or reputation. Working in groups you
will expand on these items, creating messages of empowerment.
Ultimately, you will choose a target audience for your message, design a
poster, and write a proposal for a location to hang the posters in public
places outside of the classroom. We will work through the drafting process
to portray meaningful and creative ideas that speak to fulfillment beyond
social status and reputation.
The process will go as follows:
Step 1: Brainstorm things and ideas in life that are more important than social status and
reputation. Example: Individuality
Step 2: Expand: Take three of those ideas and turn them into pieces of advice.
Step 3: Find 1-2 other people who have similar ideas/advice. Form a group. (You will be with
these people for the remainder of the project, working together to create one product.) Choose
one idea to be your focus. Evaluate/judge and debate the best way to phrase this advice. Keep in
mind: How might someone twist this to condone negative behavior? How can we empower
people while maintaining a sense of responsibility as citizens of a diverse world?
Step 4: Create a sketch of a poster and an initial proposal of target audience and location. (As a
group you will decide who needs this message and where you can display your poster so that
they see it.) The poster design must include: 1. The question what could be more important that
social status and reputation? 2. Your answer to that question easily visible 3. Your advice (2-3
pieces)
Step 5: Revise your design in class as instructed details to come.
Step 6: Conference with Miss Simpson.
Step 7: Revise and polish a final copy of your poster
Step 8: Write a reflection: Reflect on what you have learned throughout this process. What did
you learn? What worked? What didnt? Evaluate the efforts/collaboration of each group member,
including yourself. Include description of intended audience and a proposal for location to
hang/distribute based on your selected audience.
Step 9: Share your project with the class. (Have portfolio items gathered together to turn in for
grading after your group shares.)

Empowerment Posters Grading Rubric

Category
Item/Idea that

Excellent
Question is

Great
Question is

Good
Question is

Limited
Question or answer is

answers question

included and is

included and is

included. Answer

missing.

what could be more

clearly and

clearly and

lacks originality.

important than social

uniquely

uniquely

status and

answered in a

answered.

reputation?

visually appealing

Expanded advice

manner.
Poster offers 2-3

Poster offers 2

Poster attempts to

Poster lacks

pieces of

ways to achieve or

offer 1-2 pieces of

appropriate advice.

thoughtful advice

value idea.

good advice. May

for achieving or

feel generic or

Use of figurative

valuing idea.
Figurative

Figurative

unauthentic.
Figurative

Figurative language

language

language is poetic

message adds to

language is

is attempted but may

and enhances the

message in a

appropriate to

not suit and/or

overall message

thoughtful way.

message.

detracts from

in a meaningful

message.

Incorporation of

way.
Pictures/visuals

Pictures/visuals

Pictures/visuals

Pictures/visuals

symbolic image

provide a strong

provide strong

are appropriate to

provide little-to-no

connection to the

support to

message.

connection to

message and are

message.

message.

visually
Well-polished final

appealing.
Final product is

Product is visually

Product is neatly

Errors in formatting

product

visually engaging

engaging and the

put together.

or lack of

with an

message is clear.

Message may lack

proofreading detracts

empowering

Few errors are

some clarity.

from overall

message. Poster is apparent.

Errors are

message.

well-proofread.

apparent.

To get an A: Score Excellent on 4 of 5 categories and have no Limited

To get a B: Score Great on 3-4 of 5 categories and have no more than 1 Limited
To get a C: Score Good on 3-4 of 5 categories and have no more than 2 Limited
To get a D: Score Limited on 3 or more categories
To get an F: Have no work done/shown for 3 or more categories.

Portfolio Requirements
1.
2.
3.
4.

Individual Brainstorming List

Individual Expanded Advice
Individual Reflection
Group Poster (only one copy per group is needed)
Empowerment
Checklist

Posters

visible display of the

question What could be more important than social status and reputation?

one idea that answers

the question (Ex. Individuality, True Love, etc.)

2-3 Pieces of Advice

figurative language
(simile, metaphor, personification, etc.)

symbolic image

well-polished
Opportunity to receive an additional Excellent rating: Incorporate a quote from
The Great Gatsby or another famous source that supports your message.
Reflection Checklist
In order to receive credit for your reflection and before your poster grade will be entered into the
gradebook, you must submit a reflection that does the following:

reflect on process
What did you learn? What were your successes? What challenges
did you face?

evaluate group
members (including self)
Must support with 2-3 specific details for each person

describe intended
audience

propose a location for poster display

Must demonstrate an understanding of the
behaviors of audience