What makes a good fact sheet

According to the U. Department of Justice, the average age at which a federal prisoner first fired a gun is 13 years old. Some facts speak clearly for themselves. However, if you have a fact that you want to include that isn't completely clear, be sure to take a sentence or two to explain what it means and how it applies to your issue. For example, the fact used in the above example speaks for itself. However, if your fact was, for example, "Two out of three Pinkerton Valley High School students has tried marijuana," you could follow it up with an additional fact to further drive your point home -- such as, "Only one in three are involved in school sports activities.

That means there are more kids who have tried pot than are on our school's football, basketball, volleyball, and softball teams! Fact sheets can be an easy, important way of getting information out to the public quickly and efficiently. There's no one way to make a fact sheet. Look at the different examples provided below and decide what format might work best for what you're doing. Try not to spend too much time getting bogged down in the details, and have fun!

Brigham, N. How to do leaflets, newsletters, and newspapers. Skip to main content. Toggle navigation Navigation. Communications to Promote Interest » Section Chapter 6. Chapter 6 Sections Section 1. Developing a Plan for Communication Section 2.

Using Principles of Persuasion Section 3. Preparing Press Releases Section 4. Arranging News and Feature Stories Section 6. Preparing Guest Columns and Editorials Section 7.

Preparing Public Service Announcements Section 8. Arranging a Press Conference Section 9. Using Paid Advertising Section Creating Newsletters Section Creating Posters and Flyers Section Developing Creative Promotions Section Creating Brochures Section Creating a Website Section Using Email Lists Section Using Direct Mail Section Handling Crises in Communication. The Tool Box needs your help to remain available. Toggle navigation Chapter Sections. Section 1.

Learn how to create reliable fact sheets to get information out to the public quickly and efficiently. What is a fact sheet? Why would you make a fact sheet? Who can be targeted with fact sheets?

How do you make a fact sheet? Here are some things to keep in mind: Content Write in lay terms, using words that the average person someone without professional training in the subject area can understand.

Find ways to simplify complex ideas. Search for comparisons and everyday analogies that will express complicated processes. Transform jargon into English. Use bullets when you can Leave a lot of white space Use bolding, text boxes, and graphics to emphasize important points Simple graphs and charts can give the reader the information with just a glance. Pie charts are the easiest to understand Give references for more information - in electronic communications you can offer links Typical writing errors Identify all acronyms at first use, then use only the acronym for the rest of the document Example: The Center for Rural Health CRH was established in Avoid use of decimals when using percents.

Example: The population of North Dakota has increased just over one percent in the past year. Provide students with a template. This allows the instructor to set specific section headings in the fact sheet, highlighting areas students should address. Pre-selecting a format that best fits the assignment is recommended, otherwise, students may become lost or confused by the plethora of results of a simple Google search on fact sheet templates.

Introduction— A brief summary typically sentences describing the goal or main point of the fact sheet, followed by a bulleted list or outline of the key concepts or issues that will be addressed in the fact sheet. Body— Divide the fact sheet into distinct sections. Present each section with a clear, informative heading followed by the most important facts about the topic. Remember that facts must be verified and relevant to the topic. Be as concise as possible.

If the fact sheet is longer than 2 pages, consider breaking up the information into two separate fact sheets. Suggestions for presenting content in a fact sheet: Keep text brief Write in active voice Define key words or concepts Simplify complex ideas Give examples to clarify a concept Create graphics to reinforce information Provide easy-to-follow steps to describe a process Keep graphics simple and easy-to-understand Search for comparisons and everyday analogies to explain complicated processes Use bulleted lists, tables, and charts instead of narrative text Weiler is a general resource for more widely distributed fact sheets and provides specific steps for creating fact sheets.

Frequently Asked Questions Where can I find fact sheet templates? An example template used for online chemistry videos is provided at the end of this document. How can I use fact sheets in my classroom? Students can create fact sheets to summarize material presented in online videos or textbook readings. Based on the content in the fact sheet, instructors can gauge whether the student did the readings or watched the video.

What are the benefits of using fact sheets in my classroom? For the instructor, fact sheets show how well students understand topics and connect concepts.

For students, fact sheets are excellent study guides and a unique way to take notes for reading and video assignments. Fact sheets are also valuable resources during in-class active learning sessions.

Moreover, students can share their fact sheets with other classmates to broaden and update knowledge about a topic. Yes, but it would be less useful to students. The most important step is the creation of the fact sheet. When students create the fact sheet, they have to determine what the key concepts are and what is important to know about those key concepts. This also allows the instructor to gain valuable information on how students perceive the presented material.

What is the difference between a fact sheet and a study guide? Typically, study guides are either created by students with little instructor guidance before a test or they are created solely by the instructor and distributed before a test. In the former, students do not update the study guide regularly, which may cause them to overlook potential gaps and deficiencies in the study guide and in the latter, the instructor is the one who is benefiting most because they have to synthesize what is important, give definitions, and show examples.

Fact sheets attempt to address both of these issues. Students should create fact sheets as the material is covered in class, use their fact sheets for in-class activities, and revise their fact sheets when there is a knowledge gap. This iterative process makes the fact sheet an integral part of learning.