Public Essay

Unit%4:%Public'Document'.'Explanatory'Essay''''Length:%1000'words R %Audience:%Outside'discourse'community Description:%''For'this'assignment,'you'will'be'creating'a'document'for'an'audience'outside'of'your'discourse'community.'This'generally'means'that'the'audience'is'broader'and'less'specialized.'''Your'document’s'primary'task'is'to'make'esoteric'knowledge'(somewhat)'exoteric.'The'“somewhat”'means'that'your'document'doesn’t'necessarily'need'to'be'comprehensible'to'everyone'(as'if'this'were'possible).'It'means'that'you’ll'be'introducing'new'ideas/concepts/processes/etc.'to'an'audience'not'as'familiar'with'those'ideas/concepts/processes/etc.'as'you.'''Your'choice'of'language'will'be'of'the'utmost'importance.'The'design'of'your'document'will'also'be'incredibly'significant.'These'types'of'documents'sometimes'rely'on'charts,'graphs,'and'other'types'of'visual'representation'to'get'your'point'across.'And,'your'document'may'need'to'be'visually'interesting'in'order'to'attract'the'attention'of'your'intended'audience.'''The'explanatory'essay'may'be'unfamiliar'to'you.'This'genre'is'common'in'science'writing,'but'there'are'explanatory'essays'on'virtually'every'topic.'Essentially,'the'explanatory'essay'is'just'what'it'sounds'like:'an'essay'that'explains.'If,'for'example,'there'is'an'outbreak'of'tuberculosis'in'a'region,'an'explanatory'essay'would'explain'what'TB'is,'how'it’s'spread,'treatment,'etc.'Oftentimes'these'essays'seek'to'translate'a'recent'research'development'from'the'language'of'academia'to'language'that'a'layperson'can'understand.'These'essays'often'focus'on'interesting,'controversial,'or'novel'developments,'but'they'may'also'address'a'shift'in'research'around'a'common,'well.known'topic'(the'treatment'of'cancer,'for'example).'You'might'also'consider'concepts'or'ideas'in'your'discipline'that'would'be'beneficial'for'someone'outside'your'discipline'to'understand.'''Explanatory'essays'might'have'a'very'narrow'focus'that'allows'them'to'go'into'a'lot'of'detail'about'one'specific'topic.'They'might'also'take'a'global'approach,'and'attempt'to'explain'an'entire'concept'or'development'in'broad'terms.'''While'these'documents'may'be'subtly'pushing'their'audiences'to'take'a'certain'course'of'action'upon'reading,'the'primary'purpose'of'this'kind'of'writing'is'to'INFORM.''%Unit%4%Goals:%%'•!Demonstrate'an'ability'to'synthesize,'organize,'and'prioritize'specialized'knowledge'for'a'less.specialized'audience.' R' •!Understand'the'vital'importance'of'visual'design'and'organization'for'these'types'of'documents.' R'•!Understand'the'knowledge'level,'expectations,'attention'span,'and'needs'of'a'specific'audience'and'meet'those'needs.' R'•!Create'a'document'that'is'intended,'primarily,'to'inform,'and'demonstrate'an'understanding'of'how'this'purpose'impacts'form,'tone,'design,'etc.'''