The Community Awareness Program: English IV

2015-2016

The Community Awareness Program or C.A.P. is designed to encourage students to take an active role in working to better the local and global society in which they live. It is designed to give the individuals at Lancaster High School a chance to experience, first hand, the positive impact they can have on the lives of those who are less fortunate than themselves

Community Awareness Project

Hours/Writing Component

Throughout your TWENTY FOUR, required community service hours, you will be required to analyze and evaluate your time spent volunteering. The writing component is a mandatory part of the CAP assignment. It will be compiled into a portfolio, at the end of the school year, and turned in as part of your fourth quarter grade. It isyour entire exam grade, which equates to more than 20% of your cumulative average. This writing component will be a thesis paper supported by academic research, utilizing either the MLA or APA guidelines for proper citation and formatting for the aforementioned research. Each quarter there will be hours and an accompanying paper due, which will be worth 100 points, for each of the first three quarters. By the end of the third quarter, each student will have submitted proof of all 24 hours of volunteer service; this proof of completed hours will allow the student to proceed and complete their final portfolio. The final portfolio will be due within the first few weeks of the fourth quarter.

Community Awareness Project: Code Of Conduct

∙You are a representative of: the Lancaster Central School District, Lancaster High School and your family. ANY insubordination, disrespectful behavior, dishonesty or immaturity, on your part, will result in immediate removal from the program and the subsequent academic penalties associated with the aforementioned.

∙ All hours completed after September 8, 2015 must be completed through approved, not for profit organizations: For example, Volunteerwny.com, established service organizations in the community (i.e. Churches, food pantry’s, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.) or service based school functions, which take place after school or on the weekends and adhere to all of the organizations’ guidelines for volunteering. This is a service based project, not one where you volunteer your time at a place that will gain, financially, through your help, assistance or volunteerism, for example, a dance studio or hair salon, etc.

PART I: Quarterly Thesis Essays: One paper is Required Each Of The First Three Quarters :

Post Volunteer Essays: Due: The 9th Week of each quarter, you will be made aware of the specific date by your English teacher. Your paper must accompany the assigned hours for each quarter; the minimum number of hours, for each quarter, is EIGHT.

This paper will be written after you have completed AT LEAST EIGHT hours of approved volunteer work. You will be required to write a thesis driven research paper, upon completion of the eight newservice hours; the due dates will be at the teacher’s discretion, but will always be the ninth week of all three quarters.

All of your papers will follow ONE of the following formats. You must choose a different thesis prompt, for each quarter. Choose your prompt, based on which overarching theme best matches your volunteer opportunity. This format helps those students, who choose to complete all of their volunteer hours with the same organization, because each of the three papers that you will write will reflect a unique perspective, based on the prompt you choose.

Each of the three essays MUST INCLUDE OR BE:

●Two pages, double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman Font and be properly formatted using either MLA or APA.

●The name of the establishment where you volunteered identified in the heading on the paper.

●Two or more, fewer than three line quotes, with proper in text citations, which reflect information that is relevant to the prompt you are responding to.

●A properly formatted works cited page.

Here are the THREE DIFFERENT prompts for you to choose from. Keep this in mind…you MUST choose a different prompt for each of the three quarters. The following thesis statements are to be used as possible templates and should be refined to best capture an academic analysis of YOUR specific volunteering experience. Remember, you may not use the words: “I”, “Me”, “You”, “Your”, etc. Make sure that you keep your papers and keep track of which prompts you’ve used in order to complete each of the three by the end of the third quarter.

Prompts:

  1. History Based:

Example: The (name of the organization you volunteered at) has provided the community with irreplaceable services for the last (number of years your organization has been in existence).

  1. Services provided and what was accomplished:

Through helping (by task(s) you participated in during your volunteering) one gains a better understanding of the necessary work needed to successfully provide (what did all of your hard work help make happen).

  1. Difficulties and obstacles experienced:

Though volunteering is a noble endeavor, it becomes complicated when one has to contend with (analyze at least three different problems you had to overcome during your volunteering experiences or that a volunteer would experience at this establishment).

The purpose of these response papers is to validate your ability to complete your responsibilities, to convey the value of time and commitment to the organization and to articulate your best thoughts, reflections and efforts in a succinct and academic format. If you utilize proper academic resources and information from them, they may help to drive the content of your Final/Research Component of the Final Portfolio, which is your Final Exam in English IV.

PART II: Final Thesis: Due the Week of April 25, 2016

This essay will be presented within a professional looking portfolio.

The Final Essay will be a researched based thesis paper regarding a: principal, theme, or unit of study, learned throughout your volunteering. For example: In assisting those less fortunate, people gain a greater understanding of themselves, which is otherwise unavailable, if not for this volunteer opportunity. This “Final Thesis” must be three – four pages typed, Times New Roman, font size 12, follow the guidelines associated with writing a proper thesis paper, and include either new or previously obtained research to support your argument: NO exceptions! You MUST use FOUR pieces of research that support your above convictions. You may utilize your quarterly research, from the other essays that you have written, for each of the previous three quarters or new research.

Failure to complete this writing component will result in failure of the CAP assignment and as a result, English IV, due to the fact that if a student receives less than a 55% on an exam he/she automatically fails the course and this component of the final exam is worth 50 percent of the final project grade. Again, if this thesis is not completed the student will automatically fail the course. While writing your Final Essay, you must include the following points:

∙ A thesis driven argument illustrating a: principal, theme, or unit of study that incorporates an overarching theme/claim which has been derived from what was learned, while completing your service hours.

Remember that you MAY NOT use words such as: “You”, “I”, “Your”, “Me”, etc. so make sure that you don’t write it as a REFLECTION piece; this is a thesis based on your volunteering experiences.

All portions of the project will be graded according to a delineated rubric. All writing will be graded based on content, fluency, punctuation and grammar, and of course, the academic honesty policy stated below.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: (Plagiarism/Cheating)

Students at Lancaster High School are expected to take responsibility for their conduct in both their social and academic actions. Academic honesty requires that students turn in work that is their own and shows their best effort. Academic dishonesty would include cheating, plagiarism, or forgery of hours. A student who is found to have broken this policy will be immediately removed from the CAP Project and will be assigned a ten page research paper to be completed, in May, for his/her final English IV Exam.

Part III: Cross Curricular Projects: Included in your final portfolio and also Due the Week of April 25, 2016.

Extension or cross curricular projects are created to connect the service learning with multiple disciplines. All participants MUST submit one element from one of the following extension projects OR discuss with your individual English teacher a “proposed” Cross Curricular Project that you have interest in completing. This proposal MUST BE approved by the English IV team, before permission will be granted to the student, to complete an alternate assignment, from the ones provided below. Therefore, DO NOT procrastinate about developing an idea or posing it to your teacher, as the entire “team” must approve it.

ARTS:

A. Photo Gallery:

Compile a collection of mounted photographs that are reflective of your experience during your project. This should be a relatively extensive selection of photos. It should speak to a multi-layered view of the organization you worked with. Your pictures/photo gallery must include your personal reflections/captions on how your time there impacted both the community, others and yourself.

B. Poster Board:

Create a collage, either on tag board/poster board or graphically, to represent your project and your experiences. Include words and images that reflect the nature of the organization that you worked with, as well as your own unique involvement. This could include personal pictures and volunteering experiences, not merely items that you printed and then glued to a piece of paper. This could or should include pamphlets or memorabilia from your volunteering experiences. Thorough consideration should be given to both the way that you were able to make an impact and how the experience impacted you. Planning should go into this so that you have original work/pictures to include.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

A. Democratic Term Reflection:

Consider how your experience relates to one of the following terms: equality, civil service, democracy or disadvantaged. Write a one-page reflection on how the term connects. Focus especially on how our American society is still a “work in progress,” and our role in bridging the gap between democratic ideals and the reality of life, in both our community and country.

B. Interview (primary source):

Arrange an interview with a director at one of your organizations. Create a list of 10 -12 questions that will allow you to get to know the program from the perspective of someone who is highly involved and knowledgeable about the cause. Consider the following in formulating your own questions:

When and why was the organization founded? How does it impact our community? Who does it serve? Is it privately or publicly funded? In what ways can members of the community be involved? Why did he or she choose to become involved?

Your interview may be submitted in written or recorded format (with permission).

MATHEMATICS/BUSINESS:

  1. Statistics:

Research local and national statistics on the social issue connected to one of the organizations that you’ve worked with. Create a presentation to display these statistics in a manner that will be revelatory to your audience and will garner support for your cause.

CAP AND “TRANSITION PROGRAM” PARTNERSHIP

Our Transition Program faculty member will be available to assist and support English IV students in completing the requirements of the Community Awareness Program. This support can be accessed by student request or teacher referral. We have a teacher on staff, who is able and willing to assist students; her name is Mrs. Machnica. Students can be provided with individualized support, only using what they need. Supports could include:

➢Securing the placement (linkage) with VolunteerWNY or other acceptable agencies

➢Assisting with transportation problems

➢Brainstorming alternatives when transportation isn’t available

➢Support for students struggling on site

➢Assistance or support when making phone calls

Point Breakdown for the Project:

1st Quarter: 100pts towards your quarterly average, includes the paper and proof of hours.

2nd Quarter: 100pts towards your quarterly average, includes the paper and proof of hours

3rd Quarter: 100pts towards your quarterly average, includes the paper and proof of hours.

4th Quarter: 200pts = 100 pts toward your fourth quarter average and the remaining 100 points will represent your final exam grade; this includes the final, professional looking portfolio and all of the required contents.

Your completed project must be submitted in a three-ring binder/ portfolio, with each entry either laminated or encased in a transparent sleeve to ensure its professional appearance. The aforementioned will also prepare participants for the desired portfolios necessary to obtain jobs in the competitive workforce environment they will soon be entering. Finally, each participant must earn an overall score of 65% or better to receive a passing grade for the English IV exam.

English IV Final Exam: “Alternative” Research Paper

In the event that you choose not to participate in any of the English IV final projects, you will be responsible for completing a ten-page research paper, at the end of the school year, with the following requirements and consequences.

  1. You will forfeit 100 points per quarter as outlined in the course description guide and this project packet.
  1. Complete a thesis driven research paper to demonstrate the student’s ability to write, research, and communicate their ideas in a manner, which will make them marketable in the current post high school climate.
  1. Individuals will be assigned a topic and assignment that will be distributed the week of May 16th, four weeks prior to the last day of classes, to develop their thesis statement and paper.
  1. Students will then properly incorporate eight different academic resources to support their position on the aforementioned argument.
  1. Students will submit their completed paper, electronically, to their assigned English IV instructor on June 13th, the last day of classes. Failure to meet the deadline will result in an automatic 0 for their final exam grade, thus making graduation, in June, impossible.
  1. Papers will follow the guidelines of proper thesis writing, as modeled throughout the year, which include but are not limited to: refraining from using the words “I” or “You”, utilize proper in text citation, uniquely formatted quotes which are longer than four lines, 12 point Times New Roman Font and the entirety of your paper must adhere to current MLA/APA format as outlined on the Purdue Online Writing Lab at .

English IV Final Evaluation Contract

I (Student’s Name Printed) ______agree to complete the: Career/Transitions Project (CEP) ______CAP project ______Special Project______Research Paper____ (you may only pick one and will be held responsible for all of the requirements of your choice) and all of its components outlined in this packet and below for my English IV final evaluation. Further, I have discussed/reviewed the aforementioned with my parent/guardian and commit to the accolades and consequences associated with my effort/actions involved with my chosen evaluation method.

Brief Synopsis Of Evaluation Requirements (A Full Description Can Be Found Within The Appropriate Packet):

Career/Transitions (CEP) Project Overview:

  1. Fourteen hours of shadowing/ mentoring a trained professional in your area of interest, after school hours, with proper documentation.
  2. Six printed and annotated articles about the area of intended shadowing or interning.
  3. A properly written/formatted letter of intent
  4. Verification of completed hours is due by the ninth week of the second quarter for 50 points. Students will also be required to submit a reading list that indicates the use of three primary and three secondary sources they plan to read and study for their project with their hour verification sheet by the ninth week of the second quarter for 50 points.
  5. Participants will be required to submit three pages of their final paper for teacher’s suggestions. The rough draft must include the use of three pieces of research, and clearly illustrate the direction of the paper and the writer’s argument. This will be due the ninth week of the third quarter for 100 points.
  6. Completion of the 6-8 page research paper, with proper citations, due the week of April 25th. All of the aforementioned will be submitted in a three ring binder the week of April 25, 2016.

CAP Project Overview :

  1. 24 approved service hours must be completed with proper documentation.
  2. 8 approved service hours by the nine-week mark of the first three academic quarters
  3. A two page thesis, with proper in text citation due at the end of the first three quarters and a three to four page overview of your entire CAP experience due toward the end of April.
  4. One cross curricular project
  5. All of the aforementioned will be submitted in a three ring binder the week of April 25, 2016

Research Project Overview: