1. Louisville Male High School Backpack
senior defense
Louisville Male High School Backpack

2. What is the senior defense?
A compilation of your best authentic works located in your Google Classroom folders
In a nutshell: an electronic portfolio that defines your academic journey as a student at Louisville Male through the lens of the 5 success skills and 1 signature skill:
Prepared and Resilient Learner
Globally and Culturally Competent Citizen
Emerging Innovator
Effective Communicator
Productive Collaborator
Signature Item: Character

3. What does this mean for seniors?
You will “defend” your backpack by telling your story while justifying why you included the evidence you did.
The goal of the senior defense is to demonstrate that you have a plan, you are ready to transition from high school, and you will be successful.
Can you prove you are ready to leave Male?? How can you prove that? How did Male prepare you?
Panelists will ask questions about your work - can you effectively answer them?
The most important piece is your rationale DURING YOUR DEFENSE for WHY an artifact was chosen and HOW it demonstrates to the success skill.

4. It’s really 2 parts The Digital Backpack The Presentation
Your Google Drive folders and their contents
PLEASE put a title so they are easy to find!
The Digital Backpack
Introduce yourself and the JCPS Backpack
Present ACT scores and growth
Present your post secondary plan
Present Literacy and Numeracy artifact (why did you choose these and why do they represent you have mastered these areas)
Present an artifact of your choosing
This should be something that means the most to YOU – how did this prepare you to be successful after high school?
How did Male prepare you?
The Presentation

5. In your digital backpack you need:
ACT/SAT scores for Reading and Math
Goals and a reflection specific to improving your ACT/SAT scores
A minimum of 1 artifact for Math and 1 artifact for English
Evidence in ALL folders
Evidence of a post-secondary plan
Evidence of meeting CCR benchmarks and graduation requirements (transcript)
College, military, specialized training or job application
Scholarship application and/or awards letter(s)
Specialized certification
Internships or apprenticeships
In your digital backpack you need:

6. Do the items in your backpack…
Matter
Matter to you
Display
Display an attention to detail and accuracy
Demonstrate
Demonstrate original and creative thinking including authentic ideas (not a step by step)
Use
Use formats from the real world, not a school format (book review for teens vs book report for a teacher)
Demonstrate that it has been created for an audience BEYOND the classroom
Challenge
Challenge others to create ideas and discussion instead of handing it to them
Illustrate
Illustrate how you have demonstrated competency in the success skill
Do the items in your backpack…

7. What does your presentation need?
Introduction and ACT scores/growth:
Introduce yourself, tell the panel about yourself
Describe the JCPS Backpack (ex. Folders, work you are proud of)
Your latest ACT scores, specifically English and Math
Did you grow? Why or why not?

8. What does your presentation need?
Post high school plan:
Literally, what are you doing after high school??
How do you know you are ready?

9. What does your presentation need?
Literacy and Numeracy:
Evidence from a class that shows you have MASTERED Literacy (ex. A passage of a paper you wrote)
Evidence from a class that shows you have MASTERED Numeracy (ex. Math portfolio, science experiment with numbers)

10. What does your presentation need?
One Artifact of your choosing:
Include the folder name (Globally and Culturally Competent Citizen, Character)
This should be something you are proud of (ex. Special Friends, music, art, sport)
What did this important artifact teach you? Did this experience change you?

11. What does your presentation need?
The most important thing:
Include pictures, art, music, etc.
Please have fun!
Make this YOU! Your panel cannot wait to hear about you!

12. Who is evaluating you and when?
Seniors will present to a panel composed of administrators, teachers, and community members 1
Seniors will present their evidence to the panel and prepare to answer questions 2
Defenses will run from last week in February through Spring Break. Seniors will sign up for date and time 3
This will take place in various places – one Gold Day and one Purple Day each week – ALL day 4
Each senior will have approximately 20 minutes to defend their Backpack 5

13. Just a suggestion… Meet with us in the library!
A Table of Contents for each folder to include:
Title of piece
Class
Date

14. So, really… what does this look like?