• identify appropriate symbols that relate to their authors or characters.
  
  
• interact with classmates to give and receive feedback.
  
  
• explore how audience and purpose shape their writing.
  
  

• Copies of the example business cards for Tom Sawyer, Hermione Granger, and Gandalf; or create overhead transparencies to share with students
• Copies of the Business Card Planning Sheet
• Copies of the Rubric for Business Cards
• Computers with word processor software
• Sample business cards from various local businesses or people you've met. (Note: many businesses have business cards propped up and available for the taking near the receptionist or checkout area. If you pick up cards as you see them, you'll always have a ready collection on hand. You might also check with local printers who make business cards for samples.)
• Optional—business card blanks or heavy stock paper cut to the appropriate size; or perforated business card pages for a laser or inkjet printer (available in office supply stores).
  
• Optional—peel-and-stick magnetic sheets precut to the size of business cards. These magnetic sheets are typically available in stationery and office supply stores, and the business cards can be attached to these magnetic sheets to make refrigerator/white board magnets. This makes an impressive classroom display at the end of the project.

1. Before this lesson, students will read a book independently, in literature circles, or as a whole class.
2. Ask students to bring copies of the book that will be the focus of their business cards to class for reference.
3. Make copies or overheads of the sample business cards, the planning sheet, and the rubric.
4. Practice the steps for creating business cards with a word processor using your computers and software. You may want to provide your students with more specific instructions that are customized for your software program.
5. Find sources for clip art that are appropriate for your class. Typically a small clip art library is included with word processing programs; however, additional images may be needed. Have URLs on hand that students can use to find images for their business cards.
   
   Optional: Depending upon your goals and the resources available, students can also draw original images on their business cards with markers, create images in a program such as Paint or PhotoShop, or scan images for their cards.

1. Introduce the writing activity, sharing the planning sheet, rubric, and example business card.
   
   
   1. Generally explain that students will be making business cards that include elements from the list of options on the planning sheet that are appropriate for their character or author. The business cards can be given away or traded with other students. One copy can also go to the librarian who can share them with other students at the school.
   2. Share the example business cards with students and explain the assignment, pointing out each of the parts that are included. Discuss other elements that could be added to the cards.
   3. Lead students through discussion of the key elements for each part. Sample discussion questions can include the following:
      
      
      • What are the important characteristics of a tagline or description of a business or professional? What do the words in the tagline on the sample card tell you about the character?
      • What details make sense for the character? Is there an address? Would phone or e-mail information make sense?
      • What products and/or services can you associate with the character or author?
      • What typeface best fits the character or author? How large should it be?
      • What colors belong on the business card? How do the colors relate to the other elements of the card?
      • What kind of a logo would best represent the character or author and why?
      • How do the symbols on the business card relate to the text? What ideas might you keep in mind as you choose clip art?
        
        
2. Once you're satisfied that students understand the assignment, they can begin work with the Business Card Planning Sheet. Students can work individually or in groups on this project.
3. Encourage students to interact with one another, to share and receive feedback on their plans for business cards. Since these business cards will be shared in the class as well as in the library, hearing the feedback and comments of other students helps writers refine their work for their audience.
4. Students can continue working on the project for homework if desired.
   

1. Remind students of the goals and elements included in this project. Answer any questions students have.
2. To make business cards, have your students follow these basic steps, adapting them for the word processor that is available on your computers:
   1. Choose one of the following options, based on the resources you have available:
      • Open up the Business Card Template in Microsoft Word.
      • Open a new document and insert 2 columns and 4 rows. Space the columns and rows out to be 3.5" columns and 2" rows.
      • Open a new document using one of the business card layouts available (see your word processor documentation for additional help).
      • If you are using perforated business card forms, follow the instructions that have been included with the forms.
   2. Invite students to compose their text and add their images to one of the business card rectangles. In addition to clip art, students can use Word Art in their word processor to make fancier versions of some of the words on their cards (see the help in your word processor for details on how to use this option).
   3. Once students have the card composed as they want it, have them copy the contents of the first cell in the table, and paste it to the additional seven cells in the document. The eight cards should fit on one sheet of 8.5" by 11" paper.
   4. As students consider different options for their cards, you may suggest that they try one layout option in one cell of their table and another layout option in a different cell so that they can compare the two layouts side-by-side.
   5. Remind students to put their names on the back of the business cards.
      
      
3. While students work, again encourage them to interact with one another, to share and receive feedback on their plans for business cards.
4. After the business cards are printed out, students can decorate them with markers or other classroom supplies.
5. As students finish, ask them to turn in two business cards (one for you and one for the librarian). Encourage students to share and trade their additional business cards.

Business Card Designs by Daniel Will-Harris
http://www.will-harris.com/design/biz-cards.htm

This portfolio site is meant to show the work of graphic designer Daniel Will-Harris. If you look at the site from a different perspective, however, you have a series of cards that include information from the designer about the decisions that he's made. A great resource for showing students how an author's purpose and audience shape the work he does.

Various Business Card Design Advice Sites

The sites listed below all offer advice to business professionals designing or seeking designers for cards that they will use in their day-to-day work. Some of the information is irrelevant then—for instance, your students shouldn't be concerned about hiring a professional printer or the thickness of the paper that they use. On the other hand, these pages explore tips on such information as font size, use of product names, and even the name of the person featured on the card. You could easily divide students into groups, having each explore one of the sites and report back to the class on the relevant findings for your character and author business cards.

• What Does Your Card Say?
  http://www.doncooper.com/a_cards_7.html
  
  http://iconix.cc/business_card_tips.htm
  
  
• Anti-Formula Thinking: Double Duty Business Cards
  http://www.ideabook.com/bizcard.htm
  
  
• Rethinking Business Cards
  http://www.ideabook.com/rethink/recards.htm
  
  

Microsoft's Digital Clip Art Gallery
http://dgl.microsoft.com/

If you're working with a Microsoft Word Processor, this digital clip art collection connects neatly to your word processing document. Check the images to ensure that they are appropriate for your students.

NCTE/IRA Standards

3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

11 - Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

12 - Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).