Process
Part I
In order to get started, your group is going to consider three key concepts necessary to creating a respectable publication-- for people to desire to read something, it must be "quality," "compelling," and "aesthetically-pleasing." Since there are three people in your group, each of you will take one of the terms, research its meaning, and write a paragraph to give your group a basic understanding of the concepts importance in the publishing world.
Here is what you need to do:
1. Assign each person within the group one of the terms.
2. Using the following links, research your term, taking notes to help develop your understanding of the word:
3. Once you've finished researching and feel you have a solid understanding of the term, write a paragraph (150 word minimum) that defines your term and describes what a magazine would have to do to embody (stand for, typify, exemplify) your concept.
4. Get your paragraph checked off by your teacher, then have your group do a read-around so everyone has the background on these three concepts. These concepts will be the basis of what you're going to develop next!
Part II
Now that you've researched some of the basic concepts necessary to building a ruputable publication, it's time to think about the elements that come together on the pages of any magazine, which range from photo quality, writing style, and even the placement of these elements.
What do you need to do? As you are getting ready to judge a magazine, your group needs to identify THREE elements you will focus on as the basis of your judgement. Look through several magazines and, as a group, complete the following steps:
1. Decide on the top three elements that come together to make a great magazine. Is it photo quality? the style of type of writing? the variety of articles? the sidebars that add to an article's depth?
2. After deciding on your three elements, each person in the group needs to explain one of the choices. Write a paragraph that includes the following:
A. Identify one of the elements you will eventually be judging and define it.
B. Explain how this element ties into or strengthens the quality, compelling nature, or aesthetic quality of a publication.
C. Explain how one would know if this element is done well-- what must be present and what should be missing? Use the following links to give you some standards to make these determinations:
identifying quality photos
identifying good writing
creating a good layout
judging the parts of a magazine
Have your group's three paragraphs checked off by your instructor before moving on to the next task.
3. Now that you've determined the categories you are going to judge in the Magemmys, your group will have to create a rubric in order to decide whether the magazine you will judge deserves an award as prestigious as the Magemmy. What you will be doing is creating three different levels of achievement for each of your three categories and describing each level in detail. You can see example rubrics here, and you can use this online rubric maker to help you create your rubric. This assignment is to be turned into your instructor for a grade.
Part III
The last two assignments in this project are to 1.) use the rubric your group has created to formally evaluate a magazine given to your by your instructor or that you've chosen as a group, and 2.) write an argumentative essay justifying whether or not the panel of judges for the Magemmy Awards (a.k.a. your group) has decided to confer a Magemmy upon the magazine you have evaluated.
1. You will either be given a magazine by your instructor or be allowed to choose one of your own, as long as it is school appropriate. Using the rubric your group created, discuss and decide where the magazine ranks in each of the three categories your group developed. As you discuss, take notes as to specific items in the magazine that lead you to decide where the magazine places on the rubric for each of the three categories. Then, based on your judgement, decide whether or not your group would award the magazine a Magemmy.
2. Your group is now ready to write the argumentative essay that justifies the decision to give or deny the magazine the award. You should craft the introduction and conclusion together, but individual group members should each take a body paragraph that explains the magazine's scoring in each of the three categories the article was judged by. The following is a guideline your group can use when writing this essay:
Introduction
A. introduce the Magemmys
B. introduce the magazine and the criteria it will be judged on
C. state whether or not the magazine deserves the Magemmy and give a brief overview of reasons why
Body Paragraphs (one for each category)
A. explain rank of the magazine for the stated category
B. identify two or three examples that justify the ranking
C. explain how the example fits the ranking
Conclusion
A. reassert award or denial of the Magemmy
B. congratulate or chide the magazine and its editors, depending on award status
The essay should be peer-responded and edited within the group before submitting a final draft. Other teacher requirements and instructions may apply.