THE FINAL PRODUCT 
Once students have their information recorded, categorized
and synthesized, they have all the pieces they need to plan the production of their final
product. The process of tying together these segments in a creative way provides students
with the opportunity to develop and receive feedback on their planning skills.
WRITING SKILLS
Regardless of the medium chosen by students to communicate
their findings, they will be required to use their chosen topic to generate fully
developed thoughts in the form of sentences about their findings and insights. These
sentences can be utilized in a variety of formats, for example, the body of a research
essay, dialogue in a role-play, explanatory text in a HyperStudio or PowerPoint
presentation. Essential writing components include the thesis statement, topic sentences,
sentences of support, transitional sentences, concluding sentences and source information.
The writing components should be proofread and edited too.
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
PRINT
Page layout design options include aspects such as the
placement and amount of text, as well as "empty" or "white" space,
choice of font, use of color and the use and placement of graphics.
VISUAL
Principles of design such as balance, contrast, emphasis,
movement/rhythm, repetition, unity and/or variety, can be applied to create certain
effects. The elements of art that can be applied to create these effects include color,
line, shape, space and texture.
MULTIMEDIA
Technology applications such as word processing, desktop
publishing, multimedia productions, web page design, etc. will include a combination
of the print and visual design principles.
ORAL
Effective oral communication positively impacts the
delivery of information to an audience. Attention should be paid to components such as
appearance (eye-contact, gestures, posture) and the use of voice (enunciation,
intonation, tempo, volume).
TECHNOLOGY USE
In order to communicate information using technology,
students must know how to operate the technology. Teachers should collaborate with the
information technology specialist (media teacher) to choose the most suitable application
and/or program for their purpose. The media literacy skills of the students will also
influence the choice of application and/or program.
