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Sample Assignments

Need ideas for your poster presentation? View these sample assignments!

If you opt to participate in the English and Journalism Poster Symposium rather than take the final exam in this class, you will use your second paper as a start. Your second paper asked you to pick a charity you felt strongly about and to write a thoughtful, clear, reasoned argument to support your assertion that we should support this charity or we should not and why. For your poster, you will take this paper and showcase your work.

Assignment requirements

  1. Present clearly the charity you are evaluating and its mission.
  2. Include a clear articulation of your claim (we should support this charity or we should not).
  3. Include brief references to your research that support your claim (sources should be cited). This could be statistical data, unbiased outside evaluations of the charity, personal experience, interviews, class readings that speak to the issues the charity is addressing, news accounts of what the charity has achieved (or hasn’t), publicly available financial disclosures, etc. These sources may be the ones you used in your paper, or you could add additional sources.
  4. Include at least two images the charity uses to “sell” its message and your analysis of the charity’s use of visual rhetoric (be sure to credit the images).
  5. Include your final thoughts about the charity and if it is worthy in your estimation of support (here you could also include charities that are doing similar work you would direct the reader to consider).
  6. Include a works cited page.

For the poster, I’m not asking you do additional research or write a new paper. The poster symposium is simply a way to showcase your work to an outside audience (and you won’t have to write a final paper for the class!).

This is a new event at JCCC, so I will be learning with you how to create a clear, concise, visually appealing poster.

To receive credit for your submission and participation, you only need to meet the requirements and do the best you can!

Requirements (credit to Michael Humphrey for poster requirements and rubric language)

  • Create a poster that will be printed and mounted for the symposium
  • Fill the space of the poster (36”x48”)
  • Cover the requirements of the assignment

Tips for the poster

  • Keep layout clean and readable from 3-5 feet away
  • Use consistent, readable fonts (stay within a family, or two font types at most)
  • Balance text, image, and white space, avoiding clutter
  • Anticipate questions about your process and choices during the assignment
  • Be on time and prepared

Poster assignment feedback rubric

Clarity and focus
  • Does the poster have a title that includes your claim about the charity?
  • Are the requirements of the assignment met (most importantly, is your research cited accurately in the poster?)
Visual design
  • Is the layout balanced and easy to follow? Can text be read from 3–5 feet away?
Engagement
  • Does the poster invite curiosity or emotional response?
  • Do you offer some engagement with those curious about your project (you won’t give a presentation but will rather stand next to your poster and be available for questions as folks pass by).

Original assignments from the semester:

  • Week 3: Memory/Fact Assignment
  • Week 5: Cost of Living Paper
  • Week 8: Oral History of First Job
  • Week 10: Proposal for Job to be Included in 2026 Nickel & Dimed Letter
  • Week 10: “What Everybody Gets Wrong about X” paper

For this last assignment, you will be remaking the assignment of your choice into a poster/infographic. The conversion will include:

  • Selecting which of the assignments you will turn into a poster
    • Who will be the audience?
    • What will be the purpose?
  • Designing the poster
    • Organization of information
    • Writing headings, headlines, and captions
    • Selecting graphics, colors, and fonts
  • Rewriting text
    • To fit purpose and audience
    • To fit space

What will these be graded on?

  • Success in presenting a poster that conveys a clear message to an intentionally chosen audience.
  • Visual impact of materials and organization
  • Unified tone in writing and graphics
  • Effectiveness or writing choices

For this assignment, you will choose a short story of your choice from the ones that we have read this semester and create a visual academic poster that analyzes the story using 4-5 literary elements. Your poster should combine strong literary analysis with clear visual design to present your understanding of the way in which the author uses literary elements in the story.

Through this assignment, you will demonstrate your understanding of the short story while practicing critical thinking, organization, and presentation skills. You will also practice how to present ideas visually and effectively.

Additionally, for the second part of this assignment, you will present your poster at the English and Journalism Poster Symposium. The presentation will enhance your communication skills.

Step 1: Choose a short story

Select one short story from class readings. You can choose any of the short stories that we have covered in class.

Examples may include:

  • “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
  • “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe
  • “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  • “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway
  • “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
  • “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin

Step 2: Select 4-5 literary elements

Choose 4-5 literary elements from the story that you will analyze in your poster.

Possible literary elements may include:

  • Theme
  • Characterization
  • Setting
  • Symbolism
  • Conflict
  • Point of View
  • Tone
  • Irony
  • Foreshadowing
  • Imagery
  • Plot

Step 3: Create your poster

Your poster should include:

 Required Sections
  • Title: Include the title of the short story and author’s name
  • Brief summary: Write a short 3-4 sentence summary of the story
  • Literary elements analysis: For each of your 4-5 literary elements:
    • Define the element briefly
    • Explain how it appears in the story
    • Include at least one short textual example or quotation
    • Explain how it supports the overall meaning of the story
  • Visual components: Include visuals such as:
    • Symbols
    • Images representing themes
    • Setting illustrations
    • Plot diagrams
    • Quotations

Visuals should support your analysis, not just decorate the poster.

You are allowed to use pictures from the Internet for this project; however, please be aware that most pictures will be protected by copyright laws, so you must provide proper credit by citing the source/website from which you obtained pictures. Be sure to check with your professor if you have any questions/concerns.

  • Works cited
    • Include MLA citations for the short story and any images used.
Poster requirements
  • Size: 24” x 36” or digital equivalent
  • Organized and visually clear
  • Easy-to-read fonts
  • Minimal large paragraphs
  • Strong balance of text and visuals
  • Professional academic appearance
Presentation requirement

Each student will give a 5-7 sentence explanation of their poster during the poster session.

You should explain:

  • Why you chose the story
  • Why you selected those literary elements
Your overall interpretation of the text

The assignment

Take the critical analysis, creative voice, and handmade spirit of your zine and adapt it into a compelling academic poster presentation. You’ll share your unique insights with a wider audience while maintaining the depth of your original work.

The goal of the poster

Your poster should not just display your zine; it should teach your audience about the themes you explored, the literature you analyzed, and the creative choices you made.

Adaption and design

  1. Determine what theme your zine hangs on. It could be that you explored silencing or that you took your readers on a journey through your Literature by Women class, for example.
  2. Curate your content. You cannot paste your entire zine onto a poster. Select the top 3-4 pages or panels from your zine that best represent your analysis. Ideally, you will choose pages that show your use of quotations, your original artwork, and your connection to the course themes.
  3. Create your visuals. You need:
    • A catchy title
    • Clear section headings (the literature, my analysis, key take aways)
    • Photos of your zine that are cropped, clear, and easy to read
  1.  

Content requirements

Your poster must meet the same rigorous standards as your written zine, adapted for a visual medium.

  1. Literature integration:
    • Clearly reference at least 3 different authors from the course on the poster.
    • Include short, relevant and interesting quotations from the texts.
    • Required citations: Use small footnotes or a "Works Cited" section at the bottom for all quotes and images, just as you did in the zine.
  2. Analysis over summary:
    • Avoid summarizing the plot. Focus on interpretation.
    • Explain why you chose specific images or colors. How do they support your argument?
    • Connect your visual choices to the course themes (e.g., gender, identity, power).
  3. Audience awareness:
    • Remember your specific audience (peers at JCCC) and write your poster text for them.
    • Keep text concise. Use bullet points and short paragraphs. People should be able to grasp your main idea in 30 seconds.

Creation tools

You have flexibility in how you build the poster, but the content must reflect your original handmade work.

  • Option A: Digital design (recommended for clarity)
    • Use tools like PowerPoint or Google slides to layout your poster.
    • Upload high-resolution photos of your physical zine pages.
  • Option B: Physical poster
    • Print your zine pages and mount them on a large poster board.
    • Handwrite or print your explanatory text and arrange it around the zine images.

Elevator pitch

A poster is nothing without the presenter! You will be expected to stand by your poster and offer a 3-5 minute pitch.

  • The hook: Start with a question or a bold statement related to your zine's theme.
  • The journey: Walk your audience through your selected zine pages. Point out specific details (e.g., "Notice how I used red here to symbolize anger...").
  • The insight:Conclude with what you learned about the literature and the process of creating a zine.
  • Q&A: Be ready to answer questions about your choices and the literature.

Grading rubric

Analysis (10 points): Does the poster demonstrate critical thinking and a deep engagement with the literature?

Visual effectiveness (10 points): Are the images of the zine clear? Is the layout organized and easy to read? Does the design support the message?

Use of literature (10 points): Are at least 3 authors referenced? Are quotes used meaningfully and cited correctly?

Presentation (10 points): Is the “Elevator Pitch" clear, engaging, and well-rehearsed? Did you speak to your specific audience?

Objective

Create a poster about your environmental portrait project, to be displayed at the English and Journalism Poster Symposium at the end of the semester. You will display the final images, but also the story, process, and insights behind the photo shoot(s). Your poster should communicate your creative vision, technical choices, and the connection between subject, story and environment.

Requirements

  • Create a poster that will be printed and mounted for the symposium:
    • Ensure your images are 300 ppi at the size of image (e.g. 4x6=1200x1800 ppi)
    • Fill the space of the poster (36”x48”)
  • Include the following content:
    • Three distinct images from the five you submitted (high-resolution)
    • Title and your name, plus the subject’s name
    • ~50-word extended cutline about the subject of the portrait, focusing on the story angle and how the environment reflects their personality and place in the JCCC community
    • ~50-word description of your process of learning about the subject before and during the shoot. Emphasize what you learned from the interview in terms of their story and personality
    • Brief technical notes (camera, lens, lighting, editing approach)

Tips for the poster

  • Keep layout clean and readable from 3-5 feet away:
    • Consistent, readable fonts (stay within a family, or two font types at most)
    • San serif fonts usually work well for readability in large formats
    • Use a hierarchy of sizes:
      • Title: 75 to 150 pt.
      • Body: 24-30 pt.
      • Captions: 18-24 pt.
    • Use a cohesive color scheme
    • Prioritize visual flow, guiding the viewer’s eye naturally
    • Balance text, image, and white space, avoiding clutter 

Presentation day

  • Be ready to speak for 5-10 minutes with judges about your work and the poster itself
  • Anticipate questions about your process and choices during the assignment
    • We will print posters early and have a practice session

Poster assignment rubric

  1. Clarity and focus
    • Does the poster have a clear title?
  2. Content depth
    • Did you explain the subject’s connection to the environment and story?
    • Are technical choices (camera, lighting, editing) clearly noted?
  3. Visual design
    • Are the portraits prominently displayed?
    • Is the layout balanced and easy to follow?
    • Can text be read from 3-5 feet away?
  4. Presentation readiness
    • Is the final poster professional and complete?
    • Can you speak confidently about your process and choices?
  5. Engagement
    • Does the poster invite curiosity or emotional response?
    • Does it reflect thoughtful reflection on the assignment?