2. 4 Components  Research Paper  Product  Portfolio  Presentation  This is NOT your final exam grade for English IV.

3. Grading  1st six-weeks: Research/RD = 30% of six weeks grade  2 nd six-weeks: Final paper = 30% of six weeks grade  3 rd six-weeks: Product, paper, presentation= 30% of six weeks grade  You will now have to come to school on exam day for this class 

4. Research Paper  Length 5 pages- academic 7 pages- honors/AP  Format MLA style Typed and double spaced Must be an argumentative paper for honors/AP  Sources 5 total 2 from a print source Wikipedia is not a reliable source.

5. Research Paper, cont.  First three pages should have been completed in English III  No late papers are accepted  2 drafts will be submitted  No credit will be given for plagiarized papers.

6. Product  Tangible You can hold it or touch it…or see it (Web publishings).  Product is judged on day of presentation.  Must relate to your paper topic  Must demonstrate a deep knowledge of your paper topic (A simple poster with pictures pasted on it will not suffice)

7. Mentor  Mentor will help with paper/product and will validate project. Must be 25+ years old Must have vast knowledge in his/her field Must be approved by English IV teacher  Mentor will sign a verification form when you finish your project. The judges will read this form!

8. Portfolio  Like “evidence”  3 ring binder including: Table of Contents Letter of Intent Ethics Policy Form Proposal Form Paper Mentor Verification Form 2 reflections, and Self Evaluation

9. Presentation  8-10 Minutes in length  Additional 2-3 minutes for questions from judges  Technology component required (visual/audio and separate from product)  Graded by three judges on a rubric form

10. Due Dates  See handout

11. Letter of Intent  Must be typed in 12pt Times New Roman Font. We can tell the difference.  Follow the format of the sample letter in your packet.  Each paragraph should answer certain questions.  Do not indent.  Head your letter like the sample letter with your info.

12. Proposal Form  Print neatly in ink, or  Electronically fill out in italics  Front and back

13. Ethics Form  Plagiarism = Fail  Violation of Ethics Form = Epic Fail  Needs parent signature and student signature  Must fill in the product line

14. Tips and Tricks  Don’t get behind. Keep track of due dates. They are there to help break the project into small, bite-sized chunks.  Don’t lie, steal, cheat, plagiarize, or forge. The end result is failure and a lot more work on your end than if you did it honestly from the beginning.

15. Tips and Tricks, cont.  Have fun! If you look at this project as boring and painful, it will be boring and painful. Try to have fun with it.  Ask for help If you need help, please ask your English IV teacher! We are here to help you succeed!  Congratulations on being a Senior!

16. Letter of Intent/Project Proposal  Once you have chosen a topic, it must be approved by your teacher in the form of your Graduation Project Proposal  Before you can begin the process, you must submit a letter of intent stating your desired research topic, and your projected product.

17. Letter of Intent, cont.  Your letter must be typed in formal letter block style. You have a sample letter in your folder.  Once your letter and proposal have been approved, you may move forward into the components and begin the research process.

18. The Four Components:  Research Paper  Product  Portfolio  Presentation

19. The Research Paper  Research must be argumentative for honors students. Academic students may write about careers, if they’d like.  Must have a clear introduction and thesis, as well as conclusion

20. Research Paper Rubric You will be graded on the following aspects of your writing:  Sources  Content/Organization  Mechanics/Format  Usage/Spelling  Support  Information Literacy You can find a sample rubric in your folder

21. Use of Sources In order to receive the highest grade, your paper should:  Have researched information, appropriately documented  Minimum 5 sources present; 2 of those are print  Demonstrates use of paraphrasing, direct, and indirect quotations  Information connects to thesis  Sources in Works Cited accurately match sources cited within the text

22. Content/Organization In order to receive the highest grade, your paper should: Have an engaging introduction and clearly defined thesis Text organization flows sensibly and smoothly Transitions present Mixture of personal voice and appropriate word choice Conclusion is thoughtful, engaging, clear

23. Mechanics/Format  Your paper should have/be: correct pagination 12 point Times New Roman font 1” margins Correct paragraphing Written in 3 rd person, present tense varied sentence structure 5 pages in length/academic; 7 pages for honors MLA style

24. Usage/Spelling In order to receive the highest grade, your paper should: Demonstrate exceptional grammar and spelling skills

25. Support  Content connecting to thesis is clarifying, exploring, explaining and developing  Research offers non-biased, fair perspective from which a conclusion is drawn This means your information was carefully chosen for its relevance and reliability, and you present more than one view of your topic.

26. Information Literacy  Documentation demonstrates conscientious application of citing ethics  Evidence of sorting and selecting appropriate material  Research information goes beyond surface information  Rough draft turned in; evidence of changes made

27. Information Literacy Cont.  Effectively employ an extensive variety of primary and secondary sources, including a significant amount of current information.

28. Information Literacy Cont. This means that you give credit for ALL words, thoughts, ideas, paraphrases, summaries, etc. that come from your research; that cite EVERYTHING; that you do not plagiarize; and that you choose reliable sources that are credible. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA FOR ANYTHING.

29. The Product  Final Product must relate to your research topic  This is something that you make or do related to your topic. If you host a fundraiser or participate in an event, you will need to bring in something tangible that documents that participation (like a scrapbook or a Web page)  It must be purposeful

30. Product Rubric You will be graded on the following aspects of your product:  Time  Learning Over Time and Depth of Knowledge  Quality of Work and Effort  Ethics

31. Time In order to receive the highest grade, your product should: Demonstrate effective time management. This means that you spend quality time on your product and that you used your time wisely in completing it, not waiting until the last minute or doing fifteen minutes at a time.

32. Learning Over Time and Depth of Knowledge In order to receive the highest grade, your project should: Be challenging and represent a significant learning over time. Demonstrate a logical and relevant link to the research topic. Demonstrate critical analysis of research in producing an original product.

33. Learning Over Time and Depth of Knowledge, cont.  Demonstrate significant creative thinking, decision-making, reasoning, and/or problem-solving. This means that your product clearly indicates the learning stretch, is challenging, creative, and directly linked to your research paper topic. It must show this clearly.

34. Quality of Work and Effort In order to receive the highest grade, your project should: Exhibit creative and exceptional results using talents, abilities and varied resources. Display extensive use of detail. Show evidence of consistent self- directed actions. Display evidence of exceptional technical skills.

35. Quality of Work and Effort, cont. This means that your product exhibits your specific skills and talents, is detailed and precise, and required some technical skill, whether it is video or music editing, carpentry, computer technology, etc. It also means that your project is led entirely by you, and that your project is neat, clean, and presentation-worthy.

36. Ethics In order to receive the highest grade, your project should:  Consistently demonstrate ethical standards in product development. This means that your product is YOURS and that it was completely constructed for the purpose of the senior project.

37. The Portfolio  Must be a complete account of the entire senior project process, from research to presentation  Must be complete

38. Components of Portfolio The following components should be contained in your portfolio: ○ Table of Contents ○ Letter of Intent (signed, at least 2 copies, 1 rough/1 final) ○ Ethics Policy Form ○ Graduation Project Proposal Form ○ Research Paper (at least 2 copies—1 rough/1 unmarked final) ○ Dress for Success Form ○ Mentor Verification form (in a sealed envelope, back signed) ○ Minimum of 2 reflections (1/2 page minimum, double-spaced) ○ Student Self-Evaluation

39. The Portfolio: You will be graded on the following aspects of your portfolio:  Content/Completeness  Personal Voice  Organization  Student Growth  Neatness/Pride of Ownership

40. Content/Completeness In order to receive the highest grade, your portfolio should:  Adhere to all guidelines for portfolio content This means that your portfolio is enclosed in a binder or binding folder for the specific purpose of senior project portfolio and has all required components.

41. Personal Voice In order to receive the highest grade, your portfolio should:  Demonstrate your work and style  your personal input should be evident in the reflections

42. Organization In order to receive the highest grade, your portfolio should:  Exhibit exceptional organizational skills in compilation of portfolio. This means that the contents or your portfolio are organized according to your table of contents and is easy to navigate.

43. Student Growth In order to receive the highest grade, your portfolio should:  Demonstrate exceptional depth in academic and/or personal growth. This means that when they read your reflections, they can clearly see how you have grown academically and personally. Reflections are very important.

44. Student Reflection In order to receive the highest grade, your portfolio should:  Reveal exceptional insight into how the student anticipated changes and dealt with contingencies. This means that within your reflections, you discuss problems encountered and how you dealt with them. Again, reflections are very important.

45. Neatness/Pride of Ownership In order to receive the highest grade, your portfolio should:  Demonstrate attention to details, conscious effort This means that your reflections, etc. are typed and neat, that you have all required information, and that your information is easily read. It wouldn’t hurt to have a nice cover, or page protectors, either

46. The Presentation  Final component of senior project  Your time to SHINE!  Includes information from research paper, project hours, and final product  Presented to three judges composed of faculty members, former educators, and community members

47. The Presentation: You will be graded on the following areas:  Communication Skills  Content and Coherence  Self-Reflection  Extemporaneous

48. Communication Skills In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Consistently speak with appropriate volume, tone, and articulation.  Consistently employ appropriate eye contact and posture. This means that you don’t yell (or whisper), you speak clearly, you make eye contact with judges, and you stand up straight (don’t lean).

49. Communication Skills, cont. In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Consistently employ appropriate nonverbal communications techniques.  Consistently exhibit poise, enthusiasm, and confidence This means that you use appropriate body language, and that you carry yourself with confidence.

50. Communication Skills, cont. In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Consistently employ standard grammar. This means that you use proper subject/verb agreement, plurals, verb conjugations, etc.

51. Communication Skills, cont. In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Adhere to prescribed time guidelines.  Wear appropriate professional or authentic attire. This means that your speech is no shorter than eight minutes and no longer than ten, and that you are dressed professionally (shirt and tie for guys, skirt or slacks and a blouse for girls). We’ll go into more detail closer to time.

52. Communication Skills, cont. In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Employ creative use of visual aids that enrich or reinforce presentation. This means that you have something to show the judges, your product, a PowerPoint of photos, charts and graphs, etc. This is in addition to your product.

53. Content and Coherence In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Effectively define a main idea and clearly adhere to its purpose throughout presentation.  Employ a logical and engaging sequence which the audience can follow.  Demonstrate exceptional use of supporting details and evidence.

54. Content and Coherence, cont. This means that your presentation has a clear beginning that introduces your project and research (thesis), that your information is valid and flows logically (evidence and transitions), and that your information is pertinent to the presentation.

55. Self-Reflection In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Offer an insightful evaluation of the project process.  Reflect on successes and challenges with exceptional depth and insight.  Extensively reflect on the collaboration with the mentor.

56. Self-Reflection, cont. This means that within your presentation you discuss your work with your mentor, you discuss your successes and what you learned and your challenges and how you dealt with them. They are looking for depth and maturity!

57. Extemporaneous In order to receive the highest grade, you should:  Confidently, politely, and accurately responds to judges’ questions and comments. The judges will have 2-3 minutes to ask you questions. They are looking for confident, critical, and mature responses.

58. Presentations, cont. The key to a successful presentation:  PRACTICE! You can never practice too much for this! Practice with your family, your advisor, your mentor, anyone who will give you an audience!

59. Final Words  The key to success throughout this process is time management and self-motivation.  Without these two components, you will find yourself floundering at the end and turning in less than promising work.  In all you do, do it to be proud of it. Your name will be attached to every aspect of this. Make sure you prove your worthiness!