Divorce Volunteering for Mrs. Baker’s 8 th grade class Michael Blackley Mentor: Harriet Baker Advisor: Pam Peedin Teacher: Nan Danehower

Why I chose my topic and product  I chose this topic because I was affected by divorce at a early age and wanted to learn more.  The reason I choose to volunteer at the middle school was to get a child’s perspective on the topic.

Does divorce cause long term effects on a family?  Many recently divorced parents have financial issues after they separate.  Children who move from house to house have difficulties making friends.  Divorce usually causes a huge distraction from school work.

Facts  Children affected by divorce are more likely to repeat a grade and have a higher drop-out rate.  Abuse is higher in step-children than among children of intact families.  Studies show that divorce reduces parent-child affection.

Research Obstacles  Had difficulty finding enough articles about divorce to use as quotes.  Finding credible information.  Figuring out how to make a graph.

Research Successes  Learned how to correctly type a research paper and make a works cited page.  Proper format for making note cards.

Volunteering - My Trifold  Through my research I have found that students who have experienced divorce have a lower academic performance.  For my product I held a debate on several different separation issues in hopes of giving a better understanding of how to deal with them.

Step One  Brainstorming and organizing ideas for the debate. Research middle school lesson plans.

Step Two  Go to Riverwood Middle and discuss student planning with Mrs. Baker. Scheduling a day that Mrs. Baker and I were free. Driving out to Riverwood several days after school.

Step Three  Observe the students. Determine which class had the most cooperative students.

Step Four  Prepare for the debate! Make worksheet copies. Organize time frame. Get prize candy.

Step Five  Debate with Mrs. Baker’s class. Getting the middle school library to let the class use the laptops. Judging which students had more valid answers.

Mentor  Assistance: Helped me prepare the lesson plan. Gave me ideas on what to do with her class. Contributed to the debate topic ideas. Gave me a middle school debate book with worksheets. Assisted me with the class on the day of my product.

Learning Stretch  This experience helped me open up to volunteering.  Also helped me learn more about divorce from a different perspective.

Product Obstacles  Finding free time in between me and Mrs. Baker.  Scheduling a day to do my product.  Coming up with debate topics that did not directly deal with separation.

Product Successes  Helped students further understand separation from several different perspectives.  Learned how to properly hold a middle school debate.

Self reflection  Through the graduation project I somewhat overcame my fear of presenting.  Provided me with a learning stretch which will ultimately further prepare me for college.

Thank you for you time! Are there any questions?