Fact Sheets Assignment
Fact Sheets vary in form and purpose. They are used widely as a quick, visually accessible means to present essential information about a topic or process (i.e., an overview of a state's natural resources or how to collect and mount butterfly specimens).
What are they and who uses them?
Fact sheets are usually limited to a specific topic, field, or discipline. Occasionally, they are a requirement for research in an organization (your boss or colleagues may want to know more about a topic). Experts put them together to give overviews of issues (see fact sheets on communicable diseases and on the three-tiered income system), to provide advice (see fact sheet on winter driving), or to persuade people to take action (see fact sheet on AIDS).
Where can I go to learn more?
For a few different views of fact sheets, visit a site prepared by the group called In Defense of Animals or one prepared by the teachers and staff at the PSSA Classroom Connection.
What do I do for this assignment?
For the purposes of this class, your fact sheet should be brief (1-2 pages). The formats may vary from a long bulleted list (see fact sheet on communicable diseases) to a detailed, paragraph style (see fact sheet on homelessness), but your fact sheet should provide some necessary background material or more details or specific evidence that will enhance or expand upon your argument (or some part of it).
Regardless of the format you choose, make sure you begin the fact sheet by providing some context (a short introduction explaining the purpose and contents). From that point, how much you include and in what form are decisions you make according to the audience and purpose you've outlined.
Where can I find some examples?
Below, I've listed a few examples that are available online.
Fact Sheet on Communicable Diseases
Fact Sheet on Composting (Cornell U)
Fact Sheet on The Three-Tiered Income System for the Elderly in Canada