SJJ Senior Paper Overview

History and Graduation The SJJ Senior Paper has been a graduation requirement for more than 30 years Graduation Requirement means that a “passing” version of the paper must be completed by the end of the assignment term for the student to graduate. Other graduation requirements include class completion, and Senior Project

Purpose The SJJ Senior Paper is meant to be a cumulative assessment of a student’s writing ability. The Senior Paper follows a particular research style (MLA) and is practice for college research papers. The Senior Paper has several graded components all of which accumulate into a final paper that is both a graduation requirement and a large part of a quarter grade. The paper is meant to be practice at a large scale, capstone project representing an entire quarter’s worth of work.

Assignment Specifics – English 12 and Honors Mrs. Kyle Senior English and Honors Senior English Senior English students are writing a 10-page problem-solution essay All essays will include a problem, causes, a solution, two benefits, and a countersolution or objection and refutation. Honors Senior English students are writing a 12-page essay about a poem by a British author The paper is comprised of four 3-4 page essays Topics include biographical connection, reader response, historical connection, and critical view

Assignment Specifics – English 12 and Honors The senior essay is chunked into a series of smaller assignments that contribute to the final essay Source List Honors Senior English due 9/14/18; Senior English due 9/17/18 Notecards Honors Senior English due 10/3/18; Senior English due 10/5/18 Outline Honors Senior English due 10/19/18; Senior English due 10/22/18 Draft Honors Senior English due 11/8/18; Senior English due 11/13/18 Final Honors Senior English due 11/15/18; Senior English due 11/26/18 Rewrite Honors Senior English 12/10/18; Senior English 12/12/18

Assignment Specifics – English 12 and Honors Other requirements for the final paper 10 academic sources MLA formatting and citations Proper quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing techniques; use of all 3 throughout the paper Counterargument and refutation No plagiarism Students already have the requirements/rubric for the final paper The individual assignments (ex: notecards, outline, etc.) have their own requirements/rubrics that are distributed in writing

Assignment Specifics – English 12 and Honors Support available Students will have class time to work and ask me questions They can make an appointment with me, drop by to see me, or email me I assign mid-way check-ins of assignments so that they can get feedback on their progress After an assignment is graded, sometimes I give the opportunity to correct the assignment and earn back credit. I will communicate this if/when available I will email the student, his counselor, and parents/guardians if an assignment is over a day late

Assignment Specifics – English 12 and Honors Consequences of failing work on senior essay assignments Failing work could affect the student’s quarter or semester grade Failing work could affect performance on subsequent assignments since all assignments build on previous ones Consequences of failing the final paper If a student fails the essay, he will have two chances to revise and achieve a passing paper The first revision will occur in December; students can earn back credit on the assignment The second revision will occur in January; students cannot earn back credit on the assignment because semester 1 grades are finalized

Assignment Specifics – AP Literature AP Literature students are writing a 2nd Semester 20-page essay regarding a novel the student chooses from a provided list The paper is comprised of four separate five page essays Topics include biographical connection, reader response, historical connection, and critical view Assignments in the first semester (Novel Selection, Reading, and Digital Journal) and second semester (the paper itself) are “chunked” with each assignment being worth points for the quarter with an ultimate 200 point 3rd quarter paper.

Assignment Specifics – AP Literature First Semester (November) – Novel Selection, Reading, Digital Journals Significant Dates: Friday, Jan. 4 Room 106 (source instruction) Tuesday, Jan. 15 – Working Bibliography (30 sources) Monday, Jan.28 – Notecards (100 cards) Monday, Feb. 4 – 1st draft (1st page of each section) Tuesday, Feb.19 (4 Day weekend) – Final Paper Thursday, March 7 – Optional Rewrite Due

Consequences of Missing or Failed Work Students who miss Senior paper assignment deadlines will be placed in Back on Track until the next assignment due date. Students who are ultimately unable to pass Senior Paper will be dismissed from SJJ.

A+ Support For Senior Paper Your teacher is your first resource. Please see your teacher before asking for assistance from A+ A+ Hours: M-Th 7:45-4:15, Friday 7:45-3:15

A+ Support For Senior Paper The A+ staff will assist with: Locating good sources for the paper Organization of the paper Producing an accurate Works Cited page Applying the teacher’s rubric to the paper Concerns you may have about a specific part of the paper Revision of a specific section of the paper

A+ Support For Senior Paper The A+ staff will not assist with: Any assignment on the day it is due. Minimal help is available the day before an assignment is due. Proof read an entire paper.