Elements of a Brochure: What Makes an Effective

Brochure?
Alignments:

Grade Levels

Related Academic Standards

Assessment Anchors

Eligible Content

Big Ideas

Concepts

Competencies

Objectives

In this unit, students learn the elements of a brochure. Students will:

 recognize the components of a brochure.

 examine the qualities of an effective brochure.
 evaluate published brochures based on the criteria of what makes an effective brochure.
 understand the purpose of and use text features in informational writing.
 demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage,
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

Essential Questions

 What makes clear and effective writing?

 Why do writers write? What is the purpose?
 Who is the audience? What will work best for the audience?
 How do grammar and the conventions of language influence spoken and written
communication?
 How does one best present findings?
 What does a reader look for and how can s/he find it?
Vocabulary

 Advertisement: The public announcement of something such as a product, service,

business, or event to get people interested in it.
 Audience: The intended readers of a particular piece of writing.
 Article: A special adjective: a, an, the.
 Brochure: A small booklet or pamphlet, often containing event, location, or product
information.
 Coordinating Conjunction: A conjunction that connects equal parts: and, but, or, nor,
so, yet.
 Informational Text: Text that gives factual information about any topic.
 Preposition: A word that shows position or direction: by, of, in, at, on, up, to, out, for,
off.
 Purpose: The reason or reasons that a person creates a piece of writing. The eleven
different types of purpose include to express (or voice), to describe, to explore/learn, to
entertain, to inform, to explain, to argue, to persuade, to evaluate (or judge), to problem
solve, and to mediate (or settle differences). Writers often combine purposes within a
piece of writing.
 Text Features: The parts of printed items that help the reader find and learn information
easily: print features, organizational aids, graphic aids, and pictures/illustrations.

Duration

45–90 minutes/1–2 class periods

Prerequisite Skills

Materials

 a collection of brochures for various tourist attractions around the world. A travel agency
would be a good place to find these brochures. Hotels and motels also have a large
assortment of travel brochures. You may also find brochures online.
 science or social studies text or other informational material to model text features
 scrap paper
 chart paper
 markers
 Text Features handout (LW-3-1-2_Text Features.docx), one copy per student
 The 5 Ws worksheet (LW-3-1-2_The 5 Ws.doc), two copies per student
 Six Flags® brochure found at www.themeparkbrochures.net/2008/sfft2008.html or
Knoebels Camping brochure (LW-3-1-2_CampBro2010.pdf)
Related Unit and Lesson Plans

Informational Writing
• Establishing Purpose: Why Write a Brochure?
• The Writing Process: How to Write a Brochure