Civic Engagement & Education
Contact Us
Owen County Purdue Extension Office
180 S Washington St
Spencer, IN 47460
(812) 829 - 5020
Citizenship
Not Eligible for State Fair
EXHIBIT OPTION FOR ALL DIVISIONS: Do your own thing by creating a poster, PowerPoint presentation or notebook about a citizenship project, activity or subject of your choice. This option lets you explore citizenship the way you want to explore it.
Map of Owen County - free for div. 1
Map of Indiana counties - free for div. 2
Project Guidelines by Division
Division I: Poster following special poster rules:
With a student-colored map of Owen County townships.
Locate 5 communities on the map.
Place a list of townships beside the map.
Division II: Poster following special poster rules:
With a student-colored map of Indiana counties.
Locate 6 cities on the map.
And a list of counties beside the map.
Division III: Poster following special poster rules:
Show the Owen County government structure showing all county offices.
List the members of the County Council and the Commissioners.
List all of the elected officials and any other helpful information.
Division IV: Poster following special poster rules:
Do a poster concerning state government.
List the governor, state offices and the elected official.
List our state representatives and senators and any other helpful information.
Division V: Poster following special poster rules:
Do a poster concerning national government.
List the President and Vice President.
List our state representatives and senators in Washington.
Division VI: Poster following special poster rules:
Do a poster concerning paying for government through taxes.
Add any other helpful information.
Division VII: Poster following special poster rules:
Do a poster concerning our national judicial system and your view concerning national landmark cases in history, how case law is “interpreted” or the trend over the last 30 years toward liberal rulings that have changed our society.
Can (optional) also include information on the judicial branch of national & state government and any other helpful information.
Add any other helpful information.
Division VIII: Poster following special poster rules:
Do a poster concerning the EPA, OSHA, Homeland Security, CIA, FBI, or other National Agencies and how they affect you or the nation.
Add any other helpful information.
Advanced Division: Member is to do a poster about a different topic each year. Topic is limited to citizenship type exhibits such as these examples:
election process
more on federal government
more on county government structure
your pick for election and why
more on taxes
the United States Constitution
state politics
your alternatives to solve governmental issues
the media’s role in politics
A biography of an elected figure that has impacted history
Poster Preparation Guidelines
Poster Guidelines
• All posters, notebooks, and display boards must include a reference list indicating where information was obtained, giving credit to the original author, to complete the 4-H member’s exhibit. This reference list includes web site links, people and professionals interviewed, books, magazines, etc. It is recommended this reference list be attached to the back of a poster or display board, be the last page of a notebook, or included as part of the display visible to the public. A judge is not to discredit an exhibit for the manner in which references are listed.
• ALL posters must be 22x28 inches and displayed HORIZONTALLY 28” across. (Vertical posters will be dropped one place) All 4-H posters should use foam core board. This material can be used as the poster or can have a poster board attached to it.
• Foam core board may be purchased from the Extension Office. Be sure to purchase the correct size foam core board from other sources. It is not advisable to use plywood, or Masonite or similar materials for poster backing.
• Poster sleeves and salon print sleeves are available for purchase from the Extension Office and recommended. You may cover your poster with other clear plastic that is heavy enough not to wrinkle. DO NOT USE SARAN WRAP!!
• Project labels from the Extension Office must be attached to the lower right-hand corner of the poster on the outside of the plastic covering. Please allow room for this label when organizing your poster.
• Notebook exhibits must be displayed in a standard three ring binder.
Poster should "tell a story" or be informative to the audience. Will the viewer of your poster learn something from the exhibit?
• When designing your poster, consider: lines, shapes, textures, colors and placement of items.
• Pictures, graphics and artwork are encouraged.
• Make sure the poster accurately meets the guidelines and objectives of the activities in the manual.
• Information printed directly off the web will not be accepted.
• Materials included in the poster need to be educational, for the audience, and should demonstrate that the 4-Her was able to take what they learned from their research to create the poster.
Secrets of a Successful Poster
A successful poster will:
· Catch the eye of the passerby
· Be simple and clear
· Impress an idea or a fact upon the viewer
· Stimulate the viewer to support your idea, get more information, or take appropriate action.
· Have space left over—Posters that are uncluttered are easier to read.
An effective poster: attracts attention, focuses on a main interest or idea, and motivates you.
Planning A Poster
A poster should have one main idea. Have the reason clearly in mind before you start.
· Consider who your viewer will be
· Decide what you want them to know
· Decide what you want them to do
· Think of a clever theme or slogan
· Limit your effort to one main idea
· Make a small rough sketch
· Visual communication is an aid to what you are trying to teach with your project.
Choosing Colors
Color combinations affect how easily the message is read and the overall appearance of the poster.
· Consider the Contrast: This means you use dark letters on a light background, and light letters on a dark background.
· Let the most important items be the most important color.
· Colors that are close to the background shade will not show up well and cannot be read at a distance.
· Avoid using too many different colors. Two or three should be sufficient. You don’t want to overwhelm your main point!
· Avoid putting red and green next to each other—this is hard to focus on if a person is colorblind.
· Avoid bright neon colors—they may catch the eye, but they are hard to focus on.
Lettering
· Lower case letters are easier to read than all CAPITALS. Use capitals only for emphasizing an important phrase or word to give variety.
· Save fancy or script lettering for catching the attention of the viewer.
· When hand lettering, always use guidelines. Using a ruler, lightly pencil in straight lines that can be erased when your poster is complete.
· Letters may be cutout and glued on, or precut letters may be purchased.
· Keep written material to a minimum. Use only headings, captions and signs necessary to tell the story. Use different size lettering for items of varying importance.
· Allow margins to keep things from running together and looking too cluttered.
· Below is a table of letter sizes and their effectiveness:
*Ask your parents, 4-H Leader, or older 4-H member to look at your poster and tell you what they think.
Revise-Re-Do-Rearrange
1. Cut out all your letters, pictures and graphics.
2. Draw guidelines and place or draw in letters.
3. Lay all your pieces of your poster out on the poster board.
4. Ask yourself, “How does it look?”
5. Revise and rearrange as needed. Re-Do anything that should be a different size or color.
6. Move things around until you are happy with the overall effect and message of your poster.
7. Glue everything in place.
9. Remember—NEATNESS COUNTS!
Map of Owen County
Here the map of the Owen County townships that 4-Hers will need for division 1 of this project.
Blank Owen County township mapMap of Indiana Counties
Here is a blank map that division 2 Civic Engagement 4-Hers can use for their project.
Blank Indiana Counties Map