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SENIOR VENTURE IDEA LIST (CLICK HERE) FORMS MENTOR PAPERS & GUIDES PORTFOLIO RUBRICS
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Senior Project Timeline 2014-2015
SENIOR
PROJECT
Each
senior will complete a Senior Project as a requirement for graduation as a
way to exhibit the knowledge and maturity he/she acquired while attending
INTRODUCTION
TO SENIOR PROJECT
A
brief overview…
What
is Senior Project?
Senior
Project is designed to provide you with the opportunity to apply all that
you have learned in twelve years of school to a project which will
challenge all of your abilities, stretch your limitations, and reward you
immensely!
Senior
Project consists of four major components: the project, the paper, the
portfolio and
the presentation.
1) Research Paper –using
MLA format following. *The paper is also a requirement of the
senior level English class.
The
Paper
After
you’ve decided upon a project, you will need to know more about how to
complete
it.
That’s where the research paper comes in! With the approval of your SLC,
you will
select
a research paper topic which will help you to learn more about whatever it
is
you’ve
decided to do.
For
Example… If you plan to design that advertising campaign, wouldn’t it be
helpful to
know
about the problem and what makes for effective advertising? You might want
to
write
a research paper entitled The Art of Advertising:
What goes into an effective
advertising
campaign.
2) Project/Product –
Created by the student that is an extension of the research paper. It can
be oriented around a performance of a skill, the development of some
physical product, or the study of a profession. It should demonstrate the
application of acquired knowledge from the research, and show evidence of
creativity and attention to detail in its design.
The Project
The
project is the core of the Senior Project experience. You will choose a
project that
extends
your learning, stretches your potential, and challenges your abilities.
What that
may
be is up to you. The goal is to choose a problem and act on it by finding
or
discovering
something that you’ve never done or known before, but always wanted to
do
or
know. Another option is to take something you know or can do, but want to
take it to a
new
and challenging level.
For
Example… A possible project for someone who might be interested in a
career in
advertising
would be to design an effective sustained advertising campaign around a
societal
problem such as teenage smoking—MORE than just a single poster or
recording.
3) Portfolio - Collection of documents to demonstrate what has been accomplished including: journal logs, mentor contacts, sample works (rough draft, photographs, sketches, etc…), timelines, final paper, and presentation (PowerPoint, video, note cards, etc..)
The
Portfolio
Since
much of the work on your Senior Project will be done outside of class, you
will
keep
accurate records of the time you devoted, how much money you spent, where
you
went,
who you talked to, what you learned, and so on. The portfolio is simply a
place to
keep
all of that. Eventually, your portfolio will be examined by your Senior
Board judges
and
graded for completeness and attention to detail.
4) Oral Presentation –
10-15 minute explanation of the purpose, content, and experience of the
senior project in front of an evaluation panel.
The
Presentation
Finally,
you will present your project at Senior Boards, a time of frazzled nerves,
sweaty
palms,
and praise. You will make a formal presentation to a panel of judges that
might
include
parents, your fellow students, and other community members. You will
share
with them all about your project and paper, the process you followed, what
you
learned
along the way, and your personal growth as a result of your ambitious
project. If
you
chose a project that really excites you and captures your interest, your
enthusiasm
will
shine through to your Board.
Beginning
with the class of 2009, Senior Project is a graduation requirement.
Students who do not complete a project will not graduate.
The
Project Phase
What
to do and how to do it…
How
do I pick a project?
Because
Senior Project is one of the most important assignments of your high
school career, not to mention the fact that it will take up much of your
time in the coming months, you need to consider your choice of project
very carefully.
Pre-planning
Think
about all of the things you are interested in—things you would like to
fix, do, learn, understand, see, improve, create, experience, or own.
Brainstorm your ideas as they come to you; don’t edit yourself at this
point. If you’re into sailing and want to sail solo to
Minimum Requirements of the Project
Your project must…
• be a personal stretch and challenge,
• take a minimum of fifteen hours outside of class time to
complete,
• be approved by your advisors, Mr. Preheim, Mr. Glanzer and by
your parents,
• be individual—no group or collaboration projects,
• and, last but not least, be legal!
NOTE:
If your Advisor is in any way uncertain about your project, they may ask
you to revise and/or elaborate on your project description prior to
approving your project. Once your project is approved, however, feel free
to congratulate yourself; you’ve just taken the first step towards
completing your Senior Project requirement.
Do
I need my parents’ permission?
Yes,
regardless of your age, you must have parental permission for your Senior
Project selection.
It’s not only important, but it’s
required that your parents know about Senior Project,
what you’re planning to do, and how
important it is to your graduation. There should be
no surprises when the end of the year rolls
around.
But
I’ve never done this before; I’m going to need help! Right?
Right.
That’s where your advisor and your mentor come in.
Project Advisors
Your SLC teachers will serve as your
on-campus project advisors. As outlined above, they will discuss with you
the practicality of your project and verify your progress and your project
completion. These teachers will guide you through each step of your Senior
Project process—they are your on-campus resource for basic questions,
general guidance, and project verification. If your project has not been
completed and verified prior to Senior Boards, you will not be allowed to
present it to your Senior Board panel, and you may not be allowed to
participate in end-of-the-year senior activities.
The Outside
Your Outside Mentor will be someone from
the community who will assist you with the completion of your project.
Your Outside Mentor should be someone you seek out because of his or her
expertise in the field of study around your Senior Project. You are
encouraged to involve that person in the excitement of your project. An
Outside Mentor is someone who can give you advice, answer specific
questions, and verify the hours you commit to working on your project;
however, your Outside Mentor does NOT have to be present whenever you work
on your project. Think of him/her as a reference, a troubleshooter,
a guide. Make sure you pick someone dependable who you can count on to be
there when you need help.
How
Do I Prove That I Did All the Work?
The Project Log
As you are working on your project, you
will be expected to keep a project log. You should have a log entry for
each time you do any project-related work. The log will help your Senior
Board Panel to better evaluate your project. Your log will ultimately be
included in your portfolio.
Ok…
NOW you can begin!
Once
you’ve made it this far, your project is approved (HOORAY!), but keep in
mind, you’re now committed to the project. You will not be allowed to
change your project after the approval process is completed, so don’t
pick something that you have no intention of completing. You’ve got to
make it work—that’s part of the learning experience.
The Research Paper
I don’t know what to
write about!
Deciding what to write about may not be as
easy as it might seem, so you’ll be getting some help from your advisor
and English teacher.
Writing a research paper should be nothing
new to you. You’ll use the same MLA format for all four years at Armour.
If you should forget how to use the MLA format, fear not, your SLC will
help you with this.
Minimum Requirements of the Paper
Your paper must…
• be typed or word processed
• use the number of resources your teacher specifies
• use no more than two online resources (unless “full text”,
meaning source appears
elsewhere in print). Articles found on the
World Wide Web with no clearly
identified author or place of publication
will count as one on-line source and must
be documented as such.
• be properly formatted with one-inch margins, double spacing and
twelve-point
standard font
• use accurate MLA parenthetical references
• have a cover page which identifies the student, date, class, and
SLC
• use charts and graphs when appropriate, but not clip-art and
drawings merely for
the sake of decoration.
The
Portfolio
What’s
this! I have to do a portfolio too?
Your
Senior Project Portfolio is simply a collection of all forms,
documentation, and evidence you have collected, neatly packaged in a
simple binder not to exceed 1/2 inch in thickness. Your Senior Project
Portfolio documents the entire Senior Project process. How to complete
your portfolio and when to turn in all the various components of the
portfolio will be thoroughly explained by your SLC teachers.
Your portfolio must include…
䀂? Cover Page, typed
䀂? Letters of Introduction to Judges
䀂? Table of Contents
䀂? Senior Project Approval Form
䀂? Parent Permission Form
䀂? Outside
䀂? Outside
䀂? Letter of Intent
䀂? Letters and other communications relevant to the Senior Project
䀂? Community Survey, if applicable
䀂? Research Notes
䀂? Clean Copy of Research Paper
䀂? Project log (15 hr. minimum)
䀂? Reflection Paper
The
Presentation
The final step…
Public speaking! I
don’t think so!
If you have finished your project, prepared
your portfolio, and completed the research
paper, you shouldn’t be nervous about
your presentation. You should be proud of the
work you have done. Senior Boards is your
opportunity to shine—to showcase what you
have accomplished.
The Presentation
The culminating activity for your Senior
Project will be your Senior Boards. Your Board
will consist of parents, community members,
and others. Your speech will be eight to
ten minutes in length with a five minute
question and answer period. You should plan to
be rehearsed and professional in your
manner, dress, and appearance. This is your last big
performance of your high school career. Do
not worry, you will have multiple
opportunities to practice your presentation
and refine your presentation skills.
Minimum Requirements of the Presentation
Your presentation must…
• be eight to ten minutes in length, with a five minute question
and answer period
• include a visual and/or audio aid to provide physical evidence of
your
accomplishments
• address not only the project and the research, but challenge/s
the project required of
your personal and academic growth.
The following elements should be explained
in the presentation:
Goal of the project
• The student should explain the project, prove the thesis, or
demonstrate the new skill
• Reason for the selection of the project
Steps to achieve goal
• How the project was accomplished, including important resources
used
• The problems encountered and how the problems were solved
Self Reflection
• What did you learn about yourself by doing this project?
• What did you learn about others?
• Would you recommend your project to other students?
Questions
• Student will answer questions from the panel
Congratulations!
You made it. If all went well, Senior Project should be a memorable
experience, partly because you designed the project from start to finish.
And don’t forget all the many years of hard work you spent honing the
skills you put to good use in your senior year.
We are proud to send you off into the world as a High School Senior Project graduate!
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