Creating a Blog
Student Guide
Assignment Information
Purpose: Create a blog about a social issue in your community.
Summary: In this assignment, you will choose an issue you have read about in this
course. You will create a multimedia blog that addresses the issue and makes a
strong argument. Your blog will include a blog title, a post title, an argument, and
multimedia components that support the argument and get readers to participate.
Assignment Prompt
Choose a social issue based on the texts that you have read in this course. Create a
blog that expresses what your social issue is, why it is important to you, and why you
would like people to get involved in the issue. Use strong multimedia elements that
support your viewpoint and encourage readers to interact with the post.
Assignment Instructions
Step 1: Research a social issue.
a) Choose a social issue to research.
b) Develop your viewpoint on the issue by brainstorming what opinions or beliefs
you hold about the issue.
c) Next, create a list of questions you need answered in order to write a strong
argument in support of your viewpoint.
d) Share your viewpoint and questions with a peer or adult. Ask if he or she has
ideas for additional questions you should ask or how you might find answers
to the questions you created.
e) Begin researching to find answers to your most basic questions. Take notes
on facts and statistics related to your topic. Once you have answered the
basic questions, write a brief plan for researching your more difficult
questions. Include the order in which you will research them and which
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sources you think will be most useful.
f) Use credible (dependable and trustworthy) sources of information. Reliable
Internet sources include government sites (.gov), educational sites (.edu),
organization sites (.org), and online newspapers.
g) Be sure to keep a list of your references so that you can cite them later.
h) Ask your teacher where you should save your presentation as you work on it.
Your teacher may also have specific guidelines about the file name you
should use.
Step 2: Use the template to start creating your blog.
a) Begin by writing your name, your teacher’s name, and the date the
assignment is due in the space provided.
b) Remember to save your work as you go.
c) Write a title for your blog. Remember that the title should give readers some
sense of the topic of your blog. For example, the US Department of
Education’s blog is titled Homeroom. This title lets readers know that the topic
is going to be schools and education.
Step 3: Write a title for your blog entry.
a) Write a title and date for your first blog entry. The title should give readers
some sense of the viewpoint you are expressing in the entry.
b) One way to encourage readers to check out your blog is with thought-
provoking blog entry titles. You can ask a question that will spark a debate,
such as “Should Students Get Less Homework?” You can also state your
viewpoint on the topic in your title; for example, “It’s Time to Lighten the
Homework Load!”
Step 4: Write your blog entry.
a) Make a claim about your topic. For example, here is a claim that a blogger
might make about homework: “Too much homework can cause students to
dislike schoolwork.”
b) Use your notes or do more research to find evidence for your claim. Evidence
can include facts, research and study findings, statistics, personal stories, or
quotes from experts.
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c) Address counterclaims. Counterclaims are claims that oppose your point of
view. An example of a counterclaim about homework is “Homework reinforces
skills that students learn in class.”
d) Form a rebuttal, or response, to the counterclaim. One example of a rebuttal is
“Homework is an excellent way to reinforce skills learned in the classroom, but
homework should be limited to minutes instead of taking hours. Otherwise,
students may become burned out and unable to process the information they
are supposed to be learning.”
e) One way to conclude your blog entry is to offer solutions to the problem. For
example, a blogger might conclude an entry with this statement: “Homework
expert Harris Cooper suggests starting with ten minutes of homework in the
first grade and adding ten minutes for each subsequent grade. That means a
fourth grader would get forty minutes of homework each night (10 x 4).
Parents and teachers should follow this model!”
Step 5: Choose multimedia elements for your blog.
a) Review the purpose of your blog entry, which is what you want your blog to
accomplish: 1. Raise awareness about a social issue. 2. Gain support for a
social issue. 3. Get people to act.
b) Choose multimedia components, such as videos, images, audio, and links,
that will support your goal. For example, if you simply want to raise awareness
about a social issue, links to sites with more information may be enough.
However, if you want to gain support for a social issue, links to sites where
readers can sign a petition or send a letter to Congress may work better.
c) Evaluate the tone created by your multimedia elements. Make sure the
elements match the tone of your words and are appropriate to your topic.
d) Add clear connections in your writing and in the form of captions that link the
multimedia elements with your claim.
Step 6: Plan how you would get readers to interact.
a) Post a quick quiz, invite readers to share their thoughts on a topic, or poll your
readers on a topic. For example, you can ask readers, “How much homework
do you get each night?” Poll responses could include Too Much, Too Little,
and Just the Right Amount.
b) Add a place for readers to post comments below your entry.
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c) Remind students of online etiquette rules: “Be specific. Do not stray from the
topic. Be nice. Check writing for clarity. Think before you post.”
Step 7: Cite your sources.
a) List sources you use in your research in the works cited section of the
template.
b) A simple list of website titles and addresses (URLs) is acceptable. If you use
print sources, list the author, title, city, publisher, and publication date.
Step 8: Evaluate your blog using the checklist.
If you can check each box below, you are ready to submit your presentation.
Does your blog include your name, your teacher’s name, and the due date?
Does your blog include a title that lets readers know what your blog is about?
Does your blog entry include a title that entices readers?
Does your blog entry make a claim and support that claim with facts, statistics,
personal stories, or quotations from experts on the topic?
Does your blog entry address counterclaims?
Does your blog entry conclude with ideas about how to solve the problem
presented in your blog?
Does your blog include multimedia components that support your blog’s
goals?
Does your blog attempt to increase reader interaction through quizzes,
thought-provoking questions, a comments section, or polls?
Did you cite your research sources on your works cited page?
Step 9: Revise and submit your presentation.
a) If you were unable to check off all of the requirements on the checklist, revise
your blog and save it before submitting it.
b) When you have completed your blog, return to the Virtual Classroom and use
the “Browse for file” option to locate and submit your assignment.
Congratulations! You have created a multimedia blog.
c) Ask your teacher for further instructions about presenting your work to an
audience of your peers.
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