Infographic Assignment

Dr. Jodi Lane, University of Florida

Purpose

In this assignment you will be able to teach me and your fellow classmates about a topic related to juvenile justice and/or juvenile crime (not adults). Final projects will be shared with others in the class.
You will create an infographic similar to the one to the left that discusses an important topic in juvenile justice. When printed, this is a 2-sided, long skinny flyer. (The example obviously focuses on adults). Your submission should be no more than 2 pages (1 sheet/front and back). It is ok to load the two sides as 2 files into Canvas when you submit. Please DO NOT load them as a .zip file (this prevents me from seeing the rubric when I grade it).
Infographics are visually-appealing, easy and quick to read flyers that present data accurately and ethically. The goal is that you could print and hand this out!
You will be able to concisely present facts and your and the pros/cons of the particular topic you choose to share with your fellow students and anyone else you would like to show. (See topic options below).
This is 10% of your grade and will be graded out of 10 points (rubric below). The one to the left took me about a day to do (in PowerPoint). It may take you twice as long, because I know the material already.

How do I Start?

Pick a topic from the list below or ask Dr. Lane if she will approve another one you would like to work on.
You can create an infographic in different programs (see tutorials below on how to navigate these programs:
- Microsoft PowerPoint (Blank Template Here and on Canvas)
- Canva
  - You should be able to do this free through your UF Google Account. You can also get a free account through the education link (https://www.canva.com/education/) .
  - This program has a number of templates you can use. (You can resize the template that is 800 x 2000 pixels at the top ("Resize" buttons) and select "inches" to resize to the correct size--4.5 inches wide and 11 inches tall). (Note: There are about 96 pixels/inch).
  - Go to this Canva pictures page to see info on how to navigate these things
  - Canva has a lot of examples of how these infographics could look
Please use the template size that I provided regardless of the program you use. (4.5 inches wide and 11 inches tall--or half a page long wise).

Possible Topics on Juvenile Crime or Social Problems as They Relate to Juvenile Crime

If you pick one of these, your focus should be on how they relate to the problem of juvenile crime, and strategies for how we could improve the situation so to decrease delinquency.

School shootings
School dropout, suspension or expulsion
Schools and achievement
Parenting
Family problems (e.g., poverty, intimate violence, child abuse, foster care)
Drug use and addiction
Violent crime
Property crime
Prevention (generally)
Specific Prevention Program (e.g., Head Start, Literacy programs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters)
Police treatment of juveniles (e.g., generally, or by a characteristic such as age, race, or gender)
Neighborhood conditions (e.g., poverty, crime, disorder)
Witnessing crime

Possible Topics on Juvenile Justice or Other System Responses

Police Activities League (PAL)
Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT)
Juvenile Assessment Centers (JAC)
Juvenile Detention or Detention Centers
Juvenile Courts
Probation
Residential treatment or programs generally
Specific residential program or types (Cognitive Behavioral Training, Strengthening Families, Thinking for a Change, Gender Responsive Programming, Wilderness Programs, etc.)
Transfer to Adult Court
Adult prisons or probation
Life without Parole for Juveniles
Death penalty

YouTube Tutorial on PowerPoint Infographic

YouTube Tutorial on Canva Infographic

Important Guidelines for Your Project

The goal is to make this something you could hand out to people to teach them about your topic, and so should look more professional than "too busy" or "cartoonish." BUT, be creative! Follow the rubric regarding what you include, but design it the way that looks good to you!
Your final project should be 4.5 inches by 11 inches (half of a long page) and saved as a picture (e.g., .png or .jpg file NOT a .pdf).
You should cover facts derived from scholarly sources. Some websites are ok, and I will list some examples. (DO NOT use websites that are not reputable. One way to know is if there are lots of ads on the site).
Your infographic needs to:
- Address an important topic relevant to juvenile justice. Either from the list of topics I provide here (above) or another one specifically approved by Dr. Lane ahead of time
- Include these
  - Headings
  - Specific Sections Should Include:
    - Title
    - Definition and description of the topic
    - Why it is Important (Why should fellow students, the public, and/or practitioners/policymakers care about it?)
    - 5 or more key statistics (this means numbers/% not facts generally)
    - At least 2 Pros and 2 Cons of the implementation of this in juvenile justice if you choose system specific topic OR 4 practical, real-world strategies for addressing the problem if you choose at topic focused on crime/social problems related to juvenile crime.
    - Sources in APA Format (APA format Reference Examples)
      - You can use online sites (one example is bibme.org and if you allow ads you can use this one free, but there are many online options) to help create the references.
      - These sources must be scholarly. It is ok to use websites that are reputable (e.g., government websites that publish statistics or national organizations that address the topic).
      - These should be 5 sources in addition to class material/lecture, although you can also cite class material..
    - Your name and creation date (Month and Year is fine) at the bottom of back page. (Don't want anyone else taking credit for your work!).
    - Images of some type. Charts that show stats are awesome. Be sure to reference them appropriately if you do not make them yourself.
      - You can take a screen shot and select the chart and copy it OR in a .pdf, you can use the "snapshot tool) to select a chart
      - In government reports, you can snapshot the chart and copy (or save), but please be sure to reference where it came from in your references list
    - No smaller than 11 point font

Adobe Snapshot Tool

Other Examples of Reputable Sources (e.g., respected organizations)

Reputable Sources Are Important

- Books and scholarly journal articles (of course)
  - You can search Google Scholar for your topic or the databases at the UF Library
- Examples of Reputable Government Sites
  - - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
    - OJJDP Model Programs Guide
    - National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) (This is an online, searchable repository for government reports)
    - National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Crime Solutions (This is an online site that ranks programs in terms of effectiveness)
    - Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
    - Youth.gov
    - National Institute of Corrections (NIC)
  - Major "national" newspapers like the Washington Post, New York Times, USA Today, etc. are ok, but only stories backed up with research and focus on research and facts, not opinion pieces).
  - You are also encouraged to look at academic journal articles (e.g., on Google Scholar or through the UF Library)

Other Tips

Please use consistent fonts. Size and color changes are ok, but it is not a good idea to make the font types too different, because it may distract the reader from your actual content. (No smaller than 11 point font)
It is a good idea to use colors that go together well, but you can be creative about what shapes, colors, etc. you use.
Make structure of points parallel
- For example, if you start a bulleted list with a verb, start all points in the list with a verb. Or, if you use complete sentences, use them throughout the section.
Relevant pictures and graphics are great additions. You can insert real pictures that you took yourself or from sites that allow use of their pictures, like "Unsplash" or "Creative Commons" or even ClipArt.
Proofread this document so you don't lose points for sloppiness.
Use your own words, or use "quotes" if you have something really important you must repeat. But, quotations should not be a primary part of the content.

Partial Credit is Possible For Each Section

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