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07 Publishing

Page
057
from
Write for College

Publishing Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Use the following activity as a publishing warm up:

  • Ask each person in the class to write a one-sentence message in the middle of a piece of paper. Students can write about any topic and purpose that is school appropriate, but they should know the message may be shared with the class.

  • After students have finished writing, tell them they must fold their messages into paper airplanes. Then they need to take their airplanes with them to line up along the back wall of the class. Designate one end of the line (preferably the end farthest from the open door of the class) as the "start."

  • The person at the start must try to fly the airplane out the doorway. Leave the plane where it lands as the next person steps to the start and launches the next message.

  • Once all students have sent their messages, select the one that went farthest (perhaps out the door), and read it aloud to the class.

Point out that publishing is just like this airplane game: writing and packaging a message and then launching it to see how far it goes. This chapter will help students discover strategies for packaging and launching their works.

Think About It

“These airplanes we have today are no more than a perfection of a child's toy made of paper.”

—Henri Coanda

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.1112.W.2.4

LAFS.1112.W.2.5

LAFS.1112.W.2.6

LAFS.1112.W.4.10

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.38.c.9

110.39.c.9

110.38.c.9.A

110.38.c.9.C

110.38.c.9.D

110.39.c.9.A

110.39.c.9.C

110.39.c.9.D

110.38.c.9.E

110.39.c.9.E

110.38.c.10

110.39.c.10

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 058 from Write for College

Design Overview

Use this page to focus on the three basic components of strong design: typography, white space, and graphics. These and all other components of design need to serve the ideas in a piece of writing.

  • Typography must make text readable on the page or screen. Body copy should be clean and clear. Titles and headings should plainly show the organization of ideas. (Students should avoid elaborate fonts, which add "flash" at the cost of readability and make ideas seem less trustworthy.)
  • White space must chunk ideas so that they are easily accessible. Reasonable margins, breaks between paragraphs, and space between lines all facilitate understanding. (Students should avoid dense paragraphing, tight margins, and inconsistent use of space, which make reading difficult.)
  • Graphics must make ideas clear. They should show readers what the text is telling them. (Students should not include distracting or deceptive graphics, which detract from the value of the information.)

Use the example on the next two pages to demonstrate the effective use of these basic components of design. On the pages afterward, you will find a more in-depth discussion of each of these components.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 059 from Write for College

Effective Design in Action

Lead your students through the model on this page and the one that follows, discussing each side note. Ask how each design decision helps readers better grasp the ideas in the piece. The notes on this page focus on strong use of typography, though you can also comment on the effective use of white space (paragraphing, margins, and heading treatments).

If you wish, you can also provide a negative example of design by displaying a poorly designed document—perhaps a Web page or a student essay from a previous year (with all identifying marks scrubbed from it). Have students discuss how the design problems obscure or undercut the writer's ideas.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 060 from Write for College

Effective Design in Action (Cont.)

Have students read the graphic and indicate what it shows. They should come to the realization that the total amount paid for the item is doubled because of making minimum payments on credit. Ask how many students would willingly pay $600 for a television that a friend bought for $300. Point out that this graphic lets the reader see the ideas that the writer describes in the text. (See page 61 for more on graphics.)

Also point out how the bulleted list contains four equal ideas, presented in parallel fashion. Ask what kind of sentence begins each bullet (a command). Ask what those bullets do for the reader (tell just what to do to use credit wisely). Note how the simple use of bullets makes the ideas in the piece more accessible and easier to apply.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 061 from Write for College

Adding Graphics

Ask students the purpose of each type of graphic shown on this page.

  • Tables display raw data so that readers can compare and manipulate it.
  • Graphs visualize data so that readers can recognize major trends.
  • Diagrams show how parts relate to each other.

Students can create their own graphics by placing data in spreadsheet software and outputting it. They can also create graphics by hand using the instructions in the minilessons.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 062 from Write for College

Page Layout

Emphasize to students that essays should follow a conservative layout—vertical and single column. For other types of outputs, students could consider the other formats on this page. Again, layout choice must serve the ideas, making them readable and accessible.

For example, the two-column uneven format works best when the information in the two columns is not of equal importance, such as a main article and a "sidebar" that defines terminology used in the main article.

To help students design a complex document or Web page, ask them to find similar publications and analyze their layout choices, deciding which are most effective.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 063 from Write for College

Applying Color

Reinforce that most essays should not use color except in graphics or tastefully in headings (a dark blue heading rather than a black one).

For other types of publications, students can use color but should do so to make ideas clearer and more accessible. A student should be able to explain the purpose of a color choice and should apply that color choice consistently. Also, color should not impair readability, create confusion, or overwhelm the reader.

Challenge students to find effective uses of color as well as ineffective uses. Have them explain how the effective color choices enhance understanding and how ineffective ones detract from it.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 064 from Write for College

Checklist for Document Design

When students design formal documents, provide this checklist to guide their decisions. You can also use this checklist as a design rubric, assigning a score of 1 (Poor) to 6 (Excellent) for each item.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishingStrong Design

Page 065 from Write for College

Preparing a Portfolio

Use the material on this page to instruct students in keeping writing portfolios. Writing portfolios help students to . . .

  • Curate their own writing and organize it for presentation
  • Assess their work, judging the relative strength of each piece
  • Reflect on their development in writing over time
  • Take pride in their writing beyond each assignment deadline
  • View themselves as writers

When students have completed their portfolios, you can use the following Portfolio Evaluation to grade them.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishing

Page 066 from Write for College

Publishing Ideas

The word "publish" means "make public." As a result, students' publishing options include any means by which their writing is shared. As soon as the piece has an audience, even an audience of one, the writing becomes an authentic act of communication.

Share with students these many publishing options. For a given assignment, you can require a certain type of publication, or allow students to select one published form from a set of options.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishing

Page 067 from Write for College

Submitting Writing for Publication

Some students aspire to traditional forms of publication—in magazines, newspapers, and books. Use this page to guide them.

The main advice for pursuing traditional publication amounts to this:

  1. Start small.
  2. Learn from each experience and continually improve.
  3. Build a body of work and connections.
  4. Persist.

Writers who do those four things eventually succeed.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPublishing