Purpose: I hope that the audience that lives in coastal, sandy areas will be able to plant a tree successfully so that the tree matures quickly and is as healthy as possible. I want the audience to feel good about planting a tree, as I will note the positive effects, such as increased shade, landscape aesthetics, creation of a more energy efficient home, and increased property value. The best possible outcome is that the homeowner plants the tree according to the instructions and perhaps plants more trees at a future time.
Audience: My audience is the homeowner who owns some plot of land on which his house sits. My audience is likely to be somewhat inexperienced in gardening/landscaping, since planting a tree is a fairly basic landscaping job. I want my audience to read the introduction paragraph about the advantages of planting a tree and to commit themselves to the task. My audience will likely be middle class, care about the environment, and have some interest in the upkeep and value of their home.
Context: Members of my audience are likely to read these instructions at least once inside and outside as well. It is important that the instructions be brief and that each step involve some part of the labor. They will probably read these instructions any time from early spring through autumn and the instructions will be completed during daylight hours and on a day on which precipitation is absent.
Strategies: My strategy in getting members of my audience to plant a tree reflects back to my purpose statement. I want the positive aspects of planting a tree to carry my participants through the task. Photos of trees and the process of planting will encourage the audience. Including statistics about planetary deforestation may be helpful, as well as the positive oxygen contributions of trees in general.
Medium: The best medium for these instructions is paper. The homeowner is going to be outside following the instructions, so paper affords the homeowner the ability to read a step and place the instructions in his pocket while he completes that step. He may do this again and again to check his progress, correct himself, or guage how many more steps he has until completion.
Arrangement: My instructions for how to plant a tree should begin with a statement of purpose and supporting reasons for planting a tree. Next, a materials/tools list is critical, so that the homeowner may estimate the cost of completion and peruse his inventory of yard tools in his garage. The instructions follow and are arranged step by step in as few words as possible, as we bear in mind the context under which the homeowner is reading them. The instruction set should conclude with positive reinforcement for the homeowner for a job well done.
Testing: I could test my instruction set by asking some of my neighbors to read it and engage in the task of planting a tree. They coudl provide feedback and note any areas in my instruction set that were not clear. Also, they could provide suggestions on my use of white space, the font, sequence, and describe what motivations or emotions they experienced by reading my instructions.
Feedback
The rhetorical element which is covered most thoroughly is the Arrangement. It seems like a good idea that the author is including a materials/tools list for the reader so they can be aware of exactly what is needed for the undertaking.
I think that "Strategies" might need more elaboration. I understand that the author is trying to motivate the reader to plant a tree by presenting them with positive benefits, but the author does not address exactly how they will go about showing the reader how to complete the actual planting of the tree.
This instruction set is similar to mine in that both sets can be functionally utilized by people with minimal experience in the given field.
It would be interesting to see how this instruction set would function as a how-to video. I think it would be cool to actually see a gardener go through the process visually, since it is a very hands on task.
Seth's Point of View
I thought your instructions were very well thought out.
The arrangement was definitly covered most throughly. I could see the design in my mind. I liked how almost every aspect of the tree planting was thoroughly thought out, from tools and materials to positive reinforcement.
The only element I could see as least covered was the medium. Where did your audience go about achieving this paper. Was it something they searched for online and printed it off or did it come with the seeds they bought at Lowes?
This instructions set connects with my instructions in that I too am explaining a step by step process to an audience that has little to no experience with the subject I am covering.
If this instruction set was maybe designed for a more experienced gardener then obviously the entire design would be effected. The arrangement particularly would maybe not include a tools and materials list. The step by step instructions would include intense soil and climate instructions and information. I heard you mention, since your right next to me, that your next audience would be in a different climate all together. This would totally change the steps and precautions taken in planting the tree. The instructions would have to adapt to an entire different scenario.