Assignment #5: Informal Analytical Report
Write an informal analytical report based on one of the attached situations. Your report should be a full 3 pages long (not counting your works cited page) and should show clear and logical organization, with appropriate, informative headings and relevant, up-to-date information. To prepare your report, you will need to consult “Chapter 7: Informal Reports” very carefully.
Please note that although you are welcome to use information provided on websites, you cannot simply cut and paste material into your assignment. Instead, you can quote the information, paraphrase it, or summarize it, and cite your sources using MLA formatting for your in-text citations and your works cited page. For more info on this, see the Documentation Formats Appendix at the end of the textbook (In my version, MLA is covered from pages 307-312). Plagiarism is a serious offence. Be sure you understand your responsibilities. If you do not include in-text citations, you will receive a ZERO on the assignment.
Use 12pt Time New Roman font and 1” margins when writing your report. Single-space all writing. I will be grading you partly based on your ability to create an accessible, easy-to-read document, so other layout details are up to you (ex. headings, lists, etc.). The report should be 3 full (or mostly full) pages of writing.
Use the following format to name your document: your_full_name_report (Jane_Doe_report). Do not use any spaces in your file name.
Star Wars
You work for Coruscant Career Counselling, a career-supportfirm based on Coruscant, where your main function is to help clients make career choices. Today, a Gungan entrepreneur named Loosha Crees came to your office and asked for help in making a decision for her new business plan. She is interested in starting a tourism business that provides multiple types of tours on a single planet. The problem is that she can’t decide on the planet upon which she should base her business. She’s narrowed it down to six options: Bespin, the Forest Moon of Endor, Hoth, Kashyyyk, Dagobah, or Tatooine.
She understands that you don’t have the time to provide her with information on all six planets, so you have agreed to write an informal analytical report that compares two of the options and offers a recommendation. Your report should compare at least three or four elements of the tourism potential of the planets (you should be able to find most of your information here: starwars.wikia.com). Make sure you consider the needs of your client. What kind of potential does each planet offer in terms of tourist sites and attractions? What are the local cultures like, and how might the native populations affect the tourism industry? In addition to your research on the different planets, you may also want to include some research on the different types of tours that exist and that might be relevant.
The Lord of the Rings
You are Samwise Gamgee. You, Frodo, and Gollum have just arrived at the Black Gate of Mordor. The last you saw Gandalf was when he fell to his death in the Mines of Moria with the Balrog, but early on in the journey Gandalf wanted you to write him a feasibility report upon your arrival at the gates, and you’re not one to disobey a direct order from Gandalf, even if he might be dead.
Your report should include a brief summary of your progress since you left the Mines of Moria, along with an analysis of the road ahead, and ultimately a recommendation of whether you should continue into Mordor. What is the likelihood of your success? What barriers and challenges might you face along the way? Is Gollum to be trusted? Is it probable that you will reach Mount Doom? Is Frodo likely to destroy the ring when you get there?
*note: for the purpose of this assignment, you can assume that Sam knows more about the path to come (ex. Shelob’s lair, etc.) than he does in the movie, in that he can do some research using sites such as lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
Avengers: Endgame
You are a recruiting officer for S.H.I.E.L.D. Iron Man and Black Widow are dead, the Hulk’s arm is out of commission, and Captain America is now an elderly man, so Nick Fury has made the decision to expand the core lineup of the Avengers. He wantsto add only one new member, though, so careful selection of the new candidate is very important. Before you set out to actually recruit a new member, Fury has asked you to research superheroes that might be a good fit for the pre-existing team. He wants you to profile two potential candidates and make a recommendation based on your research.
Your report should compare at least three or four major aspects of the two superheroes, such as their superpowers and their reputations. Make sure you consider the needs of Nick Fury and the rest of the Avengers. Will these candidates’ personalities mesh with the current members of the team? How will these new candidates build off the strengths or make up for the weaknesses of the current Avengers lineup? Are these candidates likely to join the Avengers if asked?
*note: restrict your research to superheroes within the Marvel Comics or Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Incredibles
You are the assistant to Winston Deavor, the CEO of Devtech. Mr. Deavor is an enormous superhero fan, and he believes that the government made a mistake when it outlawed superheroes. He has devised a plan to use telecommunications and marketing to sway public opinion and bring superheroes back into good standing. He plans to send superheroes on secret missions, record them, and publicize the hero’s exploits to prove that they do good in the world and regain public trust. However, he has decided to begin by promoting one superhero that will convince people that superheroes are beneficial to society.
Mr. Deavor has narrowed his choices down to four options: Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Frozone, and the teenage Violet Parr (he calls her Invisigirl). He understands that you don’t have the time to provide him with information on all four candidates, so you have agreed to write an informal analytical report that compares two of the options and offers a recommendation.
Your report should compare at least three or four major aspects of the two superheroes, such as their superpowers, their weaknesses, and their reputations (You should be able to find most of your information here: https://the-incredibles.fandom.com). Make sure you consider the needs of Winston Deavor. Will these candidates’ powers and abilities excite the public? Are they likeable enough to sway public opinion? Will they be successful in stopping villains without destroying the city in the process? Although Incredibles 2 chose to go with Elastigirl, feel free to make the case for any of the other options.
Money Heist (La Casa de Papel)
You are employed by the London branch of Sotheby’s International, a real estate agency, where your main function is to help clients find international real estate. Today a client interrupted you watching the news coverage about the successful heist at the Royal Mint of Spain. The client, only referring to himself as “Denver,” came to your office and asked for help deciding on a low-profile place to live for a family of three. He has offered to pay entirely in cash and has millions to spend ($160 million USD). Although he hasn’t clearly identified himself, you suspect that he might have been one of the robbers of the mint. You were already somewhat sympathetic to the robbers’ cause, but as you speak with Denver and he speaks fondly of how much he loves his family, you become more deeply empathetic to him and decide to help him.
Research two locations that might be good options for Denver to live in and prepare a report that he can study. Consult Sotheby’s International website (https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng) for available listings around the world. You may use Wikipedia for information about the city, government, and culture.
Through your comparison, make a recommendation for the location that you think would be his best choice. Your report should compare at least four major areas, such as environment, square footage, number of rooms/bathrooms, police presence, and suitability for a family. Make sure you consider the client’s needs. You can make assumptions about his preferences based upon what you know about him. For example, he probably wants to avoid living in Europe because he would risk being extradited to Spain. For other preferences, feel free to fill in the blanks based upon your sense of Denver from the show. Is he interested in a life of adventure or settling into a quiet life with his family? Does he want an extravagant house or an apartment? Do they want to live in a big city or in a small town? By comparing the client’s preferences with the research materialyou collect, you will have a basis for concluding which of the two locations is better.
Game of Thrones
You are a handmaiden and advisor for Cersei Lannister, Queen Reagent of Westeros and mother of the newly crowned King, Tommen Baratheon. She is determined to keep her son on the Iron Throne and maintain the power of the Baratheon House, and has determined that one of the best ways to do this is by aligning the Crown with the Faith—only, she hasn’t quite decided which religion would best suit her interests. As such, she has instructed you to write an informal analytical report that compares some of the different religions of Westeros, Essos, and Sothoryos.
Research three of the major religions of the known world (you should be able to find most of your information here: http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Religion). Your report should compare at least three or four major aspects of the religions and their core belief systems, such as common practices, gods and church leadership structures, and sacred laws. Make sure you consider Cersei’s purposes. What benefits do the specific gods offer? How might the religions’ beliefs mesh with the existing culture of King’s Landing? What type of followers does each religion attract? Write a report that provides a thorough breakdown of the different religions, and offer Cersei a recommendation as to which faith she should align the Crown with.
Stranger Things
You are Jonathan Byers or Nancy Wheeler. You have been working with Murray Bauman to help expose Hawkins National Laboratory for their role in the disappearance and death of your friend Barb Holland. Bauman’s connection to the Chicago Sun-Times means that there is a good chance that you will be able to successfully point the finger of blame at the lab, but the problem is that the real story is too unbelievable. Bauman has suggested that you alter the story a bit and cut out the details about monsters from another dimension, instead citing a chemical leak as the cause of Barb’s death. In order to spin the story, though, he needs you to do some research about dangerous chemical spills/leaks. He has asked you to write an informal analytical report comparing the different types of chemical leaks, so that he can decide on the best option for his exposé.
Research two or three types of chemical or biohazard leaks, including past examples of spills. Your report should compare at least three or four aspects of each spill, such as long-term effects, short-term effects, contamination radius, etc. Make a recommendation based on your findings as to which type of leak would be the most believable option for your story about Hawkin’s National Laboratory.