Each student will select one of four semester projects to complete during the spring semester. The semester project counts as the 2nd semester final exam and cannot be exempted (sorry!). Work to your strengths and interests.
Memory Book
The objective of this project is to give you an opportunity to reflect upon and write about your past, present, and future at this important milestone in your life.
Presentation
The final product will be presented in a bound form. You may decorate the outside covers, inside covers, and spine of your binder. If you are using a commercially produced scrapbook, you do not need to add additional decoration. The front of your binder must include your name and the title of your Senior Memory Book. If using a commercially produced scrapbook, include this information on a title page. The text of your memory book must be typed, using a plain, size 12 font and following MLA style. You may use other fonts and sizes for titles, captions, or anything other than the actual text of the book.
Your Senior Memory Book will include a Table of Contents, an Introduction, 12 chapters on a variety of topics with accompanying paper trail items, and an Epilogue. To be considered complete, each original text must be at least one typed page in length (200-250 words). Each text should have a title. Accompanying each chapter will be a “paper trail” -- pictures, relevant documents. All paper trail items must show relevance and include a caption or title. Related paper trail items may be captioned as a group (i.e. My Trip to Paris)
You may write your chapters in any order you like, but they will appear in the Senior Memory Book in their original order. You will need to enlist the help of your family and maybe your friends in gathering the information and “paper trail” materials for your memory book.
Detailed Description of Content
Table of Contents:
Create this last. Each written text in the Senior Memory Book is listed with the appropriate page number. Under each chapter include a detailed list of the paper trail items and their page numbers) Check other published texts for format samples.
Introduction:
Another part you will want to create at the end. The introduction is a reflective piece, responding to your experience creating this memory book, what you learned through the process, and what a person will learn about you from your Senior Memory Book.
Chapter 1: “Who Am I?”
Who are you? What makes you who you are? Where do you live? What are your life goals? How do you expect to reach those goals?
Chapter 2: “Before I Was, There Were . . .”
Your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins and siblings, and anybody who may not be a relative but who has helped to pave the way for you and your family
Chapter 3: “Suddenly, I Became Me”
Earliest memories: people, places, events, all those cute things that you did when you were tiny, that your parents tell you about
Chapter 4: “School Bells”
Your earliest years in school K-5, learning to read, special school programs, field trips, special teachers, and special friends
Chapter 5: “I Grew Up Here”
Describe your town, neighborhood, rural community
Chapter 6: “My Family Celebrates”
Describe your family’s traditions, celebrations, games
Chapter 7: “The Wonder Years”
Getting accustomed to middle school, teachers, friends, first crush, friends you miss, activities, successes, heartbreaks
Chapter 8: “Let’s Go to the Movies”
Favorite movies at different times in your life: childhood, early teen years, and now, at least three from each time period – could also focus on concerts or theatre
Chapter 9: “I’m Really in Love This Time, Mom” **
Your first serious romance – or another passion in your life
Chapter 10: “Let’s Take a Vacation”
Memorable trip(s) you took with family or friends
Chapter 11: “High School: the Early Years”
Your freshman, sophomore, and junior years in high school: highlights, troubles, successes,heartbreaks, friends, teachers, coaches, activities,
Chapter 12: “At Last, I’m a Senior”
Your senior year: highlights, troubles, etc. See Chapter 11 above
Epilogue: “My Letter to My Parents/Guardians”
Presentation
The final product will be presented in a bound form. You may decorate the outside covers, inside covers, and spine of your binder. If you are using a commercially produced scrapbook, you do not need to add additional decoration. The front of your binder must include your name and the title of your Senior Memory Book. If using a commercially produced scrapbook, include this information on a title page. The text of your memory book must be typed, using a plain, size 12 font and following MLA style. You may use other fonts and sizes for titles, captions, or anything other than the actual text of the book.
Your Senior Memory Book will include a Table of Contents, an Introduction, 12 chapters on a variety of topics with accompanying paper trail items, and an Epilogue. To be considered complete, each original text must be at least one typed page in length (200-250 words). Each text should have a title. Accompanying each chapter will be a “paper trail” -- pictures, relevant documents. All paper trail items must show relevance and include a caption or title. Related paper trail items may be captioned as a group (i.e. My Trip to Paris)
You may write your chapters in any order you like, but they will appear in the Senior Memory Book in their original order. You will need to enlist the help of your family and maybe your friends in gathering the information and “paper trail” materials for your memory book.
Detailed Description of Content
Table of Contents:
Create this last. Each written text in the Senior Memory Book is listed with the appropriate page number. Under each chapter include a detailed list of the paper trail items and their page numbers) Check other published texts for format samples.
Introduction:
Another part you will want to create at the end. The introduction is a reflective piece, responding to your experience creating this memory book, what you learned through the process, and what a person will learn about you from your Senior Memory Book.
Chapter 1: “Who Am I?”
Who are you? What makes you who you are? Where do you live? What are your life goals? How do you expect to reach those goals?
- Paper Trail - personal time line showing key events in your life, an historical time line showing key events in history during your lifetime, pictures, samples of your hobbies and convictions.
Chapter 2: “Before I Was, There Were . . .”
Your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins and siblings, and anybody who may not be a relative but who has helped to pave the way for you and your family
- Paper Trail - family coat of arms (actual or created by you), history of your family name, history of your family’s country(ies) of origin, family military records, family medical tree, family tree, family Who’s Who, pictures, birth records, naturalization papers
Chapter 3: “Suddenly, I Became Me”
Earliest memories: people, places, events, all those cute things that you did when you were tiny, that your parents tell you about
- Paper Trail - pictures, interviews with family members, baby book items - birth certificate, religious documents, birth announcement, social security card
Chapter 4: “School Bells”
Your earliest years in school K-5, learning to read, special school programs, field trips, special teachers, and special friends
- Paper Trail - samples of schoolwork, report cards, pictures, interviews with teachers, programs, awards
Chapter 5: “I Grew Up Here”
Describe your town, neighborhood, rural community
- Paper Trail - pictures, maps (actual or created) newspaper clippings, brochures, event calendar, neighborhood traditions
Chapter 6: “My Family Celebrates”
Describe your family’s traditions, celebrations, games
- Paper Trail - family recipes, interviews, pictures, invitations, family celebrations, family jargon/slang, family games
Chapter 7: “The Wonder Years”
Getting accustomed to middle school, teachers, friends, first crush, friends you miss, activities, successes, heartbreaks
- Paper Trail - teacher interviews, pictures, awards, programs, report cards, samples of schoolwork, newspaper clippings
Chapter 8: “Let’s Go to the Movies”
Favorite movies at different times in your life: childhood, early teen years, and now, at least three from each time period – could also focus on concerts or theatre
- Paper Trail - ticket stubs, movie reviews, pictures of male and female movie actors , video boxes, price information, recollections, favorite song/soundtrack, movie merchandise, getting in trouble at the movies, movie “firsts”
Chapter 9: “I’m Really in Love This Time, Mom” **
Your first serious romance – or another passion in your life
- Paper Trail - pictures, mementos, love notes
Chapter 10: “Let’s Take a Vacation”
Memorable trip(s) you took with family or friends
- Paper Trail - pictures, brochures, souvenirs, travel magazine articles, tickets
Chapter 11: “High School: the Early Years”
Your freshman, sophomore, and junior years in high school: highlights, troubles, successes,heartbreaks, friends, teachers, coaches, activities,
- Paper Trail - pictures, programs, awards, report cards, schoolwork, interviews with teachers, school newspaper clippings, driver’s license, employment souvenirs
Chapter 12: “At Last, I’m a Senior”
Your senior year: highlights, troubles, etc. See Chapter 11 above
- Paper Trail - see Chapter 11 above plus, college brochures, acceptance letters, letter to future child, teacher recommendation, letter to grandparents
Epilogue: “My Letter to My Parents/Guardians”
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Personal Anthology
The objective of this assignment is to encourage you to read from a wide variety of literature and to select from among the works read those that seem to have a special significance or appeal to you personally. You will be expected to compile your anthology according to these guidelines:
Contents
I. Works by living authors at least two of whom must be American
1 poem
1 work of short fiction
1 essay/article
1 work from a genre of your choice
II. Works by Indiana authors (living or dead)
1 poem
3 works from a genre of your choice
III. Works by fellow students and peers
3 works from a genre of your choice
IV. Samples from on or more published journals, diaries, or letters
3 samples
V. One work of fiction [excerpted] published within the last 50 years
VI. Poems of your choice from poets who are still living or have died within the last 50 years.
5 poems
VII. Works that fit into none of the above categories but you wish to include
3 poems
2 works from genre of your choice
Presentation
You may wish to add introductory remarks to the literary works in your anthology. These remarks will appear above the work on the printed page or webpage.
You will want to allow yourself plenty of time to collate your anthology and write your preface. Since the preface is your own input into the “why?” and “how?” of this collection, you will want to allow yourself sufficient time to look through the works after you have read and selected them in order to see any patterns, themes, common ideas, etc. that emerge.
Contents
I. Works by living authors at least two of whom must be American
1 poem
1 work of short fiction
1 essay/article
1 work from a genre of your choice
II. Works by Indiana authors (living or dead)
1 poem
3 works from a genre of your choice
III. Works by fellow students and peers
3 works from a genre of your choice
IV. Samples from on or more published journals, diaries, or letters
3 samples
V. One work of fiction [excerpted] published within the last 50 years
VI. Poems of your choice from poets who are still living or have died within the last 50 years.
5 poems
VII. Works that fit into none of the above categories but you wish to include
3 poems
2 works from genre of your choice
Presentation
- The anthology may securely and permanently bound or presented electronically using a website format
- The title page or homepage banner will include the title you created for your anthology; the subtitle: A Personal Anthology; your name, and year.
- The table of contents or tabs must be clearly organized and titled by genre, theme, or some other logical pattern. Title, author, and page number will be given for each work if included on a printed table of contents
- The preface will introduce your anthology. It reflects your thoughts, observations, and/or feelings about the works you’ve chosen and the process of choosing them; it should be 2-3 pages long. It will be presented on the homepage of a website format.
- All works will be typed. If using a print format, the works may be photocopied.
- Print pages will be numbered consecutively.
- A bibliography which lists the sources you used to compile your anthology will appear at the end of the anthology or on a separate tab. It should be prepared according to MLA guidelines and must be organized alphabetically by the authors’ last names.
- Author biographies may be presented as at the bottom of a printed page or below the text on a webpage.
- The anthology will contain all required materials as stated in the Contents section.
- Contents should strongly suggest a broad range of exploratory reading.
You may wish to add introductory remarks to the literary works in your anthology. These remarks will appear above the work on the printed page or webpage.
You will want to allow yourself plenty of time to collate your anthology and write your preface. Since the preface is your own input into the “why?” and “how?” of this collection, you will want to allow yourself sufficient time to look through the works after you have read and selected them in order to see any patterns, themes, common ideas, etc. that emerge.
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Research Portfolio
The objective of this assignment is to involve you in an in-depth examination of a single work of fiction. You will base the various portfolio assignments on a novel of your own choosing, with teacher approval. No duplicate titles are allowed within the class.
Your portfolio will contain the following:
1. Book Review. You will assume the role of a book critic. It is in this book review that you will state your reaction to the novel. You are encouraged to read professional book reviews in reputable publications, The New Yorker, Time, New York Times, etc. to “get a feel for” a reviewer’s tone and style and for the types of information and reactions typical of a professional book review. The review should be a at least one full typed, double-spaced page in length.
2. Mini Research Paper. This should be a documented, three-part thesis paper. It should cite at least three different sources of literary criticism on a theme, character, plot element, etc. that is present in the your novel. The paper should be two to three typed, double-spaced pages in length, following MLA format for researched writing.
3. Biographical Piece. From your reading and research, you should discover a person, event, idea, or philosophy that greatly influenced the author of your novel. This biographical piece should focus on how the author incorporated this influence into his/her novel. While this portion of the portfolio may take that form of an informative essay, you may choose to take an alternative approach by conveying the information through a format such as a dialogue, newspaper article, or narrative poem.
4. Imitative Piece. This section of the portfolio should be written last. You will have read and reacted to a major literary work, researched the literary criticism on the novel, and read about the author’s life and development as a writer. You are to produce your own piece of literature influenced by the novel/author that has been the focus of the portfolio. The imitative piece should be at least one full typed, double-spaced page in length.
Finally, you will devise a container for the portfolio that is reflective of and significant to the novel you have chosen. (example: a large deck of cards for Alice in Wonderland).
Your portfolio will contain the following:
1. Book Review. You will assume the role of a book critic. It is in this book review that you will state your reaction to the novel. You are encouraged to read professional book reviews in reputable publications, The New Yorker, Time, New York Times, etc. to “get a feel for” a reviewer’s tone and style and for the types of information and reactions typical of a professional book review. The review should be a at least one full typed, double-spaced page in length.
2. Mini Research Paper. This should be a documented, three-part thesis paper. It should cite at least three different sources of literary criticism on a theme, character, plot element, etc. that is present in the your novel. The paper should be two to three typed, double-spaced pages in length, following MLA format for researched writing.
3. Biographical Piece. From your reading and research, you should discover a person, event, idea, or philosophy that greatly influenced the author of your novel. This biographical piece should focus on how the author incorporated this influence into his/her novel. While this portion of the portfolio may take that form of an informative essay, you may choose to take an alternative approach by conveying the information through a format such as a dialogue, newspaper article, or narrative poem.
4. Imitative Piece. This section of the portfolio should be written last. You will have read and reacted to a major literary work, researched the literary criticism on the novel, and read about the author’s life and development as a writer. You are to produce your own piece of literature influenced by the novel/author that has been the focus of the portfolio. The imitative piece should be at least one full typed, double-spaced page in length.
Finally, you will devise a container for the portfolio that is reflective of and significant to the novel you have chosen. (example: a large deck of cards for Alice in Wonderland).
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Service Project
The objective of this project is to give you an opportunity to select a topic of great interest to you, to work with a mentor, to experience a “real world” application of your topic through volunteer and/or shadowing hours, and to share your experience with your classmates.
Product
The final product will be in the form of a portfolio (print or electronic) documenting your experience (150 points) and an oral presentation (100 points) in which you share your experience with your classmates. The components of the project are outlined below.
Selection of the Topic
Mentor
Project
Portfolio
The Portfolio contains the written and visual documentation of your experience. It should be securely bound and professional in appearance. Whenever possible, items should be word processed. The portfolio may also be presented in an electronic format such as a webpage or Mural.ly.
Presentation
The Presentation describes your project from beginning to end – deciding on a topic, selecting a mentor, completing the project hours, reflecting on your experience. The Presentation is 8-10 minutes in length and incorporates at least one visual aid.
Product
The final product will be in the form of a portfolio (print or electronic) documenting your experience (150 points) and an oral presentation (100 points) in which you share your experience with your classmates. The components of the project are outlined below.
Selection of the Topic
- The topic should be of great interest to you.
- The topic should lend itself easily to 10-hours of volunteering and/or shadowing.
Mentor
- Select a subject specialist if possible.
- Mentors can come from the community or school.
- Mentors provide guidance and expertise.
- Schedule at least three meetings with your mentor.
- Complete the Mentor Meeting Sheet and submit as part of your portfolio.
Project
- Project should be a “real world” application of your topic.
- Need to work at least 10 volunteer hours on the project.
- Shadowing hours can count as part of the project.
- Some community service is encouraged as part of the project.
- Mentor should be involved on some level in the project.
Portfolio
The Portfolio contains the written and visual documentation of your experience. It should be securely bound and professional in appearance. Whenever possible, items should be word processed. The portfolio may also be presented in an electronic format such as a webpage or Mural.ly.
- Cover – title you have created for your project, your name, and year.
- Table of Contents – lists the contents of the portfolio and pages number(s) for each component.
- Mentor Sheet – include the completed Mentor Sheet.
- Log of Hours – include a log of your hours, including dates and times in an hour-by-hour log. You should also include signatures to verify these hours, plus a detailed description of what you did during these times.
- Journal Entries – a minimum of three, dated journal entries spaced throughout your experience (ideally, beginning, middle, and end). You should note obstacles, challenges, meaningful activities, and encounters in a written discussion. Each entry should be a minimum of one page in length (250-300 words)
- Photographs – include photographs of your experiences, labeled neatly.
- Letter of Recommendation – include a letter of recommendation or signed form from your mentor or a supervisor about your activities.
- Reflective Piece – include a final reflective writing, a minimum of one page in length (250-300 words), in which you evaluate your performance and reflect on your experience and the value of your project.
Presentation
The Presentation describes your project from beginning to end – deciding on a topic, selecting a mentor, completing the project hours, reflecting on your experience. The Presentation is 8-10 minutes in length and incorporates at least one visual aid.
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