CHS Senior Project
Handbook
2012-2013
Table of Contents
· Section One: Overview 5
· Section Two: Timeline & Responsibilities 9
· Section Three: Getting Started 13
o Selecting a Project 13
o Getting Started Tips 16
o Possible Senior Project Topics 17
o Project Information 18
· Section Four: Components 19
o Proposal Guidelines 20
o Research Paper Guidelines 23
§ Research Paper Assessment Checklist 25
§ Conducting the Personal Interview 27
§ Works Cited Guidelines 34
o Portfolio Guidelines 39
o PowerPoint Presentation Guidelines 45
§ Practice Session Guidelines 47
o Reflection Paper Guidelines 51
o Final Presentation Guidelines 52
· Section Five: Appendix 57
Section One:
Overview
Introduction
The senior project represents the culmination of a student’s K-12 education. Employers and universities indicate that workers and students need to be able to bring complex ideas together in order to be successful. Bringing complex ideas together might include knowing how to merge modern technologies to manage machinery, serve customers, or locate and use a wide variety of information. In-depth examination of a senior project topic requires students to make wide searches and to extend searches for more and more information. Furthermore, senior project research requires students to understand and organize information from a variety of sources, to interpret this information meaningfully, and to communicate this meaning to others. These are all important skills for future success in any endeavor.
Businesses also indicate a need for new employees to enter the work world with good time management and goal-setting skills; these are the same skills that are needed for academic success after high school. Students and workers must be able to solve problems and make good decisions. Completing a successful senior project is a long process with many steps; focusing on one area of interest will provide the student with guidance in making decisions about choices in life after high school. Successful completion of this process demonstrates that a student can manage complex, time-consuming tasks successfully, and can master a body of information about a field and communicate it to others.
There is a need for a more personalized approach to education…an approach founded in relevance and rigor. This is an opportunity for students to explore a topic that they feel passionate about, something that they may have not had the opportunity to study before, or would like to study in a more in-depth manner. By providing students the opportunity to research their own topics, we can help them to realize personal aspirations that they may not have had the chance to recognize before. Students have the chance to explore a personal passion, allowing students to see that the subjects they learn in school are personally relevant to themselves as well as have real life applications.
The Senior Project is a CHS graduation requirement beginning with the class of 2012.
The Senior Project is designed to give students a chance to demonstrate that they have the skills necessary to succeed after high school graduation by creating and completing a self-directed project of their choice. This is a real-world application of students’ learning experiences gained throughout their school years. The project will require meaningful research, the creation of a PowerPoint slide show as an outgrowth of that research, sharing the product/performance or academic issue with others, and reflection on the learning process.
Senior Project guidelines will be presented in students’ Enrichment classes. An advisory team will evaluate each project component to determine if it meets standards set forth by CHS.
Students will design their own project and carry it through to completion prior to graduation. Although part of Enrichment, the Senior Project is self-directed. Students take personal responsibility for developing/completing this project. All of the research and activity will take place outside of class time, as the ability to work independently and achieve a goal is important in the work world.
In addition to meeting CHS graduation requirements, the Senior Project also addresses many of the common core standards for content areas, the Senior Project addresses the following demonstrators for the CHS Writing Program:
Curriculum and Instruction
1. Demonstrator: The school implements a rigorous communication curriculum which provides innovative opportunities for students to develop and refine 21st century communication skills.
2. Demonstrator: Teachers implement a rigorous communication curriculum where students demonstrate disciplinary understanding and interdisciplinary connections.
3. Demonstrator: Students engage across the curriculum in a process of critical thinking and communicating.
4. Demonstrator: Students develop communication skills through collaboration and feedback.
5. Demonstrator: Schools provide differentiated learning experiences in communication skills.
Formative and Summative Assessment
1. Demonstrator: Schools systematically align writing and communication assessments to standards across all grade levels and areas.
2. Demonstrator: Teachers embed on-going formative and summative assessments in instruction for writing and other forms of communication.
3. Demonstrator: Teachers assess students’ writing and communication skills formatively and summatively to provide feedback and inform instruction across the curriculum.
4. Demonstrator: Students take ownership of their learning by analyzing and using feedback from formative and summative assessments of writing and communication skills.
The Senior Project will assess a broad range of skills in reading, writing, communication, technology, reasoning, problem solving, and research through six distinct components presented to an audience of staff and community members who will interact with, ask questions, and require the students to defend their work.
The purpose of the CHS Senior Project:
§ The Senior Project is a rigorous and relevant learning experience.
§ The Senior Project demonstrates a learning stretch during the senior year.
§ The Senior Project provides an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills acquired K-12.
Components:
COMPONENTS
The Senior Project has six components. Each component must be completed at standard and by the published deadline dates in order to meet the Campbellsville High School Senior Project graduation requirement.
Proposal
The proposal communicates to your advisor your project intent. It defines the project by stating the essential research focus. It will include the type of project you will work on: product or performance. Your project must challenge you in some substantial manner and must demonstrate a learning stretch as well as benefit others in some way.
Research
You will complete a research paper that explores an aspect of your project. The paper will be a minimum of six pages long and a maximum of eight pages long, will utilize at least six authoritative print/non-print reference, and will meet guidelines for proper MLA format. You will demonstrate the skills of organized original research. The score on this research paper will be included as part of your English IV grade.
PowerPoint
You will relate your project by presenting a PowerPoint slide show as part of your Final Presentation. This slide show will highlight what type of project you chose: a product, performance, or an academic issue investigation project. It will trace your research journey and the outcome of your final product. All projects will produce something tangible. This product may take many forms. It can be something that is built, a scientific experiment, a performance, an exhibition, an event, etc.
Portfolio
The portfolio is a collection that contains all the written components of the Senior Project and is presented to the Final Presentation Panel of judges prior to the Final Presentation. The written components that are required for inclusion are outlined in the Portfolio section of this handbook.
Reflection Papers
The reflection papers outline your growth as a learner and researcher to the final panel of judges and highlights future plans for utilizing the knowledge you gained as part of this project. The paper will be a minimum of one page and a maximum of two pages long in MLA format.
Presentation
The presentation is the final phase of the Senior Project and should be viewed as an opportunity to demonstrate that you are qualified to graduate. You will make a 5-10 minute PowerPoint presentation describing your project before a panel of judges and then answer any questions the judges may ask. You will be evaluated on the content of your speech, delivery, and ability to field questions.
Section Two:
Timeline & Responsibilities
CHS Senior Project
Student Responsibilities
1. Identify a viable project of your own choosing.
2. Complete and submit a project proposal and research paper that all MEET STANDARD.
3. Work on the senior project individually.
4. Seek advice and assistance when needed.
5. Meet all deadlines.
6. Maintain documentation of all phases of the project.
7. Produce something tangible as part of the project process: something that is built, a scientific experiment, a performance, an exhibition, an event, etc.
7. Prepare a portfolio of required documents for the final presentation panel.
8. Prepare a PowerPoint slide show for your final presentation documenting your project journey.
9. Make a final presentation to the panel that “meets standard.”
10. Successfully complete all components of the CHS Senior Project:
Proposal, Research (including interview), PowerPoint slideshow, Portfolio, Reflection Paper, and Presentation.
CHS Senior Project
Timeline
SENIOR PROJECT PART I:
May 2012:
Overview of Senior Project
Begin brainstorming, choosing your topic.
Early Proposal Submissions for Pre-Approval (Turn these in to English teacher)
Summer 2012:
Begin working on preparing for, completing part I of your Senior Project.
PART I:
August 2012:
§ Review/Overview of Senior Project
§ Choose a project topic.
§ Work on proposal.
§ Proposal reviewed by Project Advisor Teacher
§ Proposal completed and turned in to English IV Teacher (August 31, 2012).
September 2012:
Proposal revisions (if needed) completed and turned in to English IV Teacher. (September 7, 2012).
Meet with project advisor. (First meeting agenda complete and signed by September 21, 2012)
Buy and begin your project binder, create online binder as well. Begin table of contents.
Begin research to help organize the tangible portion of your project. (This will also be used later in your research paper)
Begin implementing the project and maintaining log of all activity and project portfolio. (REMINDER: Log of activity includes meeting with advisor, working on project, organizing, etc.)
TAKE PICTURES (Pictures are the best evidence you can provide for your project)
Submit Activity Log #1 with a minimum of 4 photographs and 3-4 actual hours of actual activity. This will be signed and placed in your binder. You MUST have a binder with proposal, activity log, photographs and table of contents at this point. (September 27, 2012)
Submit In Progress Reflection #1, ½ page hand written and labeled to English Teacher (September 27, 2012)
October 2012:
Conduct personal interview #1 with someone knowledgeable of the work you are doing for your project.
Complete the interview cover sheet (with the signature of the person you interviewed) as well as the interview question sheet. (You might consider videoing these interviews to use later in your research paper or your PowerPoint presentation).
Continue implementing the project. You are working towards 3-4 hours of activity as a minimum.
Meet with project advisor. (Second meeting agenda complete and signed by October 19, 2012)
Submit Activity Log #2 with a minimum of 4 photographs and an additional 3-4 actual hours of activity. This will be signed and placed in your binder. (October 31, 2012)
Submit In Progress Reflection #2 ½ page hand written and labeled (October 31, 2012)
November 2012:
Continue implementing the project.
Continue maintaining log of all activity and project portfolio.
Meet with project advisor. (Third meeting agenda complete and signed by November 30, 2012)
Submit Activity Log #3 with a minimum of 4 photographs and an additional 3-4 hours of activity. This will be signed and placed in your binder. (November 30, 2012)
Submit In Progress Reflection #3 one page minimum, typed, MLA format (November 30, 2012)
Make plans to complete all activity related directly to the completion of the project product or presentation.
REMINDER: Your PRODUCT or PRESENTATION portion of the Senior Project (Part I) must be completed by December 11, 2012.
Schedule meeting with advisor for final review of Part I. This is YOUR responsibility.
December 2012:
Final meeting with your project advisor for Part I of the Senior Project must be completed by December 12, 2012.
Submit any additional Activity in Log #4 (Optional/Only required if minimum hours are not complete at this point) (December 11, 2012)
Submit Final Reflection of Part I of the Senior Project two page minimum, typed, MLA format (December 17, 2012- to English IV Teacher)
Submit ALL EVIDENCE that demonstrates your completion of the product/presentation.
Binder and evidence for Part I of the Senior Project must be turned in by December 17, 2012. This will count as a final grade in your English IV class.
PART II:
January 2013:
Choose a topic related to Part I of your Senior Project. This will be the focus of your research paper. You must be able to show the connection/how it is relative to the previous work you have completed.
Meet with project advisor to approve your research paper topic, discuss options, etc. (Part II advisor meeting agenda #1 complete and signed by January 31, 2013)
Submit Research Proposal Paper (one page minimum, see handbook for format) (January 31, 2013)
Begin locating sources for your research paper.
English classes will be preparing you for creating your Annotated Bibliography which will be completed in February.
February 2013:
Locate a minimum of 5 required sources (books, journals, websites, etc that are considered scholarly).
Complete and submit an annotated bibliography of all sources, in correct MLA format (February 22, 2013).
Decide upon two individuals to interview regarding the research portion (Part II) of your project.
Begin interviews.
Begin composition of research paper.