2012 SMHS Senior Project

What Is This All About? You will be spending a good chunk of this quarter on the accomplishment of a specific, measurable goal, one in which you have a genuine interest There will be steps that you will have to complete in meeting this goal This goal will be one in which you’ve had no prior experience (you will be in uncharted territory!) and should be relatively challenging You will select an approved mentor who will monitor your journey and provide guidance In the end you will: have accomplished something you hopefully will be proud of; have recorded the process of your journey; and have delivered a presentation to the class about it

Baseline Requirements Minimum 15 hours on product production Objective completed outside of class requirements Unpaid May NOT “double-dip” with any other school/club community service requirements Completed by ONE student (no joint efforts) Monitored & approved by a mentor

Is in at least ONE of the following areas: ACADEMIC- involves independent research study OR formal instruction from a professional resulting in credit, certification, or licensure or documentation of completion COMMUNITY SERVICE- is a leadership position that provides a needed a viable service to a community agency or organization CAREERS- Related to student’s career pathway and/or provides extended learning experience PERSONAL EXPLORATION- represents an exploration in an unfamiliar area of interest

Selecting A Topic Seize this opportunity and choose something that is meaningful to you Be creative! Make it memorable! Should be a task that poses a challenge for you You will be spending a lot of time and energy on this topic and you want to choose one that will keep you motivated Your end goal must be measurable Topic must be “allowed”

Topics Not Allowed All work must be appropriate for high school and be free of profanity, use of drugs, pornography, or underage activities Nothing that puts the safety of you or others in jeopardy No creation of new clubs or student groups Nothing that involves the collection or distribution of money Nothing weapons-related No air/flight activities; no water activities; no motorized racing or contests Nothing that requires participants, like running a cheer camp, or anything requiring physical activity (there are insurance/liability issues) Mrs. Johns reserves the right to veto any additional topic that might be an area of concern or or pose an issue of liability

Documented Steps Interest Survey Proposal Phases 1 & 2 Research Notes & Annotated Bibliography Presentation Outline Evidence & Time/Progress Logs Reflection Paper Cumulative Notebook Final Product & In-Class Presentation

Step Guidelines/Deadlines All steps are required elements to complete the project Each step will be collected/graded on its deadline day Each step must be completed before moving on to the next one All steps, evidence, and written components will be compiled into a final notebook If your product does not meet standards, you must do additional work until it meets standards

Time Requirement 15 hours required minimum (but in reality, will probably be more) Keep your time logs updated Gather evidence of your work throughout the process Time given in class must be spent working on project Every Monday is yours to work on your project; must bring any needed materials (If you choose not to work on your project, I will give you an in-class essay to complete for credit.)

Role of Your Mentor Utilize someone who has knowledge and experience in your topic who can provide support & guidance Your mentor should be able to answer questions, provide guidance, provide encouragement and motivation, and just provide general support. Your mentor can also provide a lot of “how to” information for your project. Should be an adult, 21 years or older, who has a at least 3 years expertise and experience in your topic area. Be sure this person is available to meet when you are available and will be able to fill out the mentor time log

Collecting Evidence Journals are a great form of evidence Date, what you did, how did it go, what will you do next Keep journal entries together! Take pictures Film it or record it (audio) Before/After examples Logs Other??

Written Components (Separate of Logs & Forms) Annotated bibliography of research you completed for your topic area in MLA format; separate research notes Formal outline in MLA format of your presentation Final reflection essay

Plagiarism Please be honest! Give credit where it is due (use your research rules) Cheating/Copying/Falsifying- do not do it or you will face a zero on your project and possible failure of the class

Presentation Dates: May 21st through May 31st Dress: You are expected to dress professionally for this presentation. Wear something that you would wear to a job interview. Requirements: visual aid, presentation outline, in-class presentation Visual Aid- to assist in demonstration, explanation, and presentation of your project Visual Aid can include: objects, display boards, document camera, movie/video, keynote/power point

A Final Note You will get out of this what you put into it This project can waste your time or change your life- it is entirely up to you! Use this opportunity to grow into who you want to be My goal in assigning this to you is so you can explore your interests and get to know yourself better. Do something new!

Sample Ideas Learn to play the guitar; perform a song Design and build a cabinet/doghouse/etc. Learn to knit; knit a hat Compose a song; write accompanying lyrics Learn to tap dance; dance an entire song Explore cooking (e.g. traditional, cultural dishes); prepare an entire meal Learn the elements of a drama; write a 3- act play