Activity / Assessment/
Resources / Standard / Vocab
Introduction
  1. Begin by explaining concept to students.
  1. Have students retrieve their I can statements checklist; use to explain project and on what they will be graded.
  1. Give everyone a copy of:
  2. project requirements
  3. rubric for assessment(s)
  4. calendar of dates and deadlines
  1. Have students retrieve journals; in journals, students are to complete a new entry:
  2. Journal Entry: Senior Projects Brainstorm at least two ideas for each of the allowed presentation topic categories:
  3. Your personal hobby,
  4. Your afterschool/part-time job,
  5. A topic of which you have personal knowledge,
  6. A topic in which you have a personal interest,
  7. Your future college/career choice
  1. Students will meet with me or my co-teacher for a brief conference. We will narrow down their list to the two best research/presentation possibilities. Students will then have one class period to choose a topic and fill out a worksheet detailing the topic, why they have chosen it, and how they will present it.
  1. Lesson on Task, Purpose and Audience: By learning about t, p, and a, students will decide the approach to their project. After discussion, students will complete a worksheet for practice with task, purpose and audience. Then, students will decide if they want to the purpose of their presentation to be to entertain, to inform, or to persuade; they will also decide how formal to make their presentation, based upon who they choose as their audience.
/ -I Can Statement tracker
-Senior Project Overview/Requirements handout
-Senior Project rubric
-Senior Project calendar of important dates and deadlines
-journal / W 4
W 10
SL 6 / Senior Project
Task
Purpose
Audience
Researching and Creating Presentation
Now that students know what their topic will be, and in what direction they are taking the project, they will go the computer lab to research the topic, write their essay, compose their bibliography, and create their multimedia presentation.
  1. First, students will complete their first self-evaluation form to mark their current progress.
  2. Then, using the knowledge they gained from the Library Media Specialist’s Kentucky Virtual Library lesson, students will begin researching their topic on the Internet. I will require at least five, reputable sources for the presentation; the citation information for each source will appear in a bibliography at the end of their multimedia presentation.
  3. The information found will be placed into a multimedia presentation. Students can choose to do a live demonstration during their presentation, but a portion of their allotted time must come from a technological component. Students can therefore choose between creating a Power Point presentation or a Prezi presentation. There is no guideline on how long the Power Point or Prezi must be, but the overall Senior Project presentation must be at least seven minutes long.
  4. When finished researching and creating their presentation, students will begin writing their transactive essay. They are to follow the 3.5 essay format.
  5. Students will complete their second self-evaluation form.
/ -Self-evaluation form
-Senior Project Presentation rubric
-Handout over 3.5 essay
-Senior Project Essay rubric
-Self-evaluation form / SL 4
SL 5
W 4
W 10 / Multimedia presentation
Transactive essay
3.5 essay
Senior Project Presentation
  1. Students will have been told to choose a classmate to evaluate them on their presentation; they will be responsible for ensuring that this person does so, and for turning the evaluation sheet into me at the end of their project.
  1. Each student will have seven minutes to present their Senior Project. The project must include: a technological component (in the form of a Power Point or Prezi); the project must entertain, inform or persuade; the Senior Project topic must be easily identifiable and understandable throughout the presentation; the student’s topic must be personally applicable, and the student must show how it applies to them. Students will also be evaluated on their ability to speak clearly, loudly, and maintain eye contact with their audience.
/ -Peer Evaluation form
-Senior Project presentation rubric / SL 4
SL 5
SL 6 / N/A
Evaluation Letter
As the final portion of their Senior Project, students will compose a letter to me. The letter must include a detailed account of what their topic was, why they chose it, how the research process went, what they liked most about their presentation, what they liked least, what they would do differently if given the chance, and what grade they would give themselves on a scale of 1-10. / -Evaluative letter rubric / W 4
W 10 / NA
This I Believe Speech
As this unit is about a personal expression of their beliefs, students will use their argument skills to write a “This I Believe” speech. Students will choose a topic that is very dear to their heart. It can be their philosophy of life, a discussion of a particular issue, a comment on values important to them, etc.
First, I will distribute a handout over the task and form of the writing. I will explain the This I Believe speech. Also, I will explain what the speech should entail. Then, we will read together a sample TIB speech.
Students will begin by retrieving their journals. In it, they will brainstorm by writing “10 Rules for Being a Teenager in 2012.” This brainstorming activity will allow them to declare their personal beliefs in ten, simple statements. This can serve as a “bouncing off” point for their speech.
After they have written down their ten rules, they will participate in a Give One-Take One activity. They are to stand up, with their pencil and journal in hand. For three minutes, they are to collect ten more rules that are different from theirs from their classmates. This will assist them in brainstorming for their speech.
Students will then compose an one-page first draft of their speech. It should follow the form of a speech. When finished, students will trade papers with another student to revise their paper. They are to check for proper form and style in the speech, as well as whether students have clearly stated their beliefs.
Students will then go to the computer lab for one day to type their speech.
When finished, students will present their speeches to the class. Each student will be evaluated by myself, as well as one peer. I will assign the order of presentations.
I will remind students to retrieve their trackers and check their “I can” statements. When finished, they will bring their trackers to me so that I can formatively assess it. / -This I Believe handout
-Speech form handout
-Speech rubric
-Sample TIB speech
-Journal
-10 Rules handout
-1st draft of student work
-Computer
-1st and final draft of student work
-Peer-evaluation sheet
-Speech rubric
-I Can statement trackers / SL 6
W 4 / This I Believe speech