Oral Presentation Rubric

A reminder that Oral Presentations are to be held March 9-11.  It will be MANDATORY that students check in at the Media Center March 7 or 8 to test their technology.  Students will be added to the presentation schedule ONLY IF THEY HAVE HAD THEIR TECHNOLOGY TESTED.  The Oral Presentation Rubric 2012 Edition can be downloaded here.

Sample Papers and Rubrics

The following links are to two sample papers and to both the peer and teacher rubrics for the research papers.  NOTE – the sample papers are for ILLUSTRATION OF MLA FORMAT ONLY – the content is specific for AP Literature students.  The peer and teacher rubrics are essentially exactly the same content-wise, but just formatted differently to allow for more student comments rather than awarding points during the peer review week.

Sample Paper #1

Sample Paper #2

Peer Evaluation Paper Rubric

Paper Rubric

Letter of Intent

The next stage in solidifying a chosen topic is to complete a formal Letter of Intent.  The purpose, what to include and a full sample letter are found on the following download:  Writing a Letter of Intent.

Mentor Information

Selecting and Working with a Mentor

Your Mentor is to be at least 21 years of age and NOT be a relative.

Parents/Guardians are to approve your mentor before you begin your mentorship.  A parent/guardian signature on the Mentor Consent Form documents their approval.

Find an adult who is willing to serve as your Senior Project mentor and who has the experience, knowledge, and/or expertise to help you with your chosen topic. There are many people in the community who may be willing to help, but you need to find someone with whom you feel comfortable and can trust to support you, especially during deadlines. You are ultimately being graded–not your mentor.

If you have exhausted all of your possibilities and still cannot find a mentor, you may want to talk to your English teacher, Mr. Carlson and/or Mrs. Peterson in the CRC. They might have some suggestions. NOTE: it is not their responsibility to find a mentor for you but rather to assist you in this process.

Schedule an initial meeting with your mentor to discuss ideas and suggestions for your Product.

You are required to spend a minimum of fifteen (15) hours with your mentor. You may need to meet with your mentor for more than fifteen hours in order to complete your Product. This is only a basic guideline of minimum requirements.

Mentor contacts must be recorded on the Mentor/Student Contact Hours Log and will become part of your Portfolio.

You must have a minimum of six (6) pictures documenting the progress of your document.  These pictues need to be dated and labeled in your portfolio.

Remember:  You are a representative of the school.  It is essential that you act in a way that will reflect positively.

Topic Selection Guidelines

Topic Selection Guidelines

The following are guidelines that may assist students in the selection of a topic:

The research topic should be a student’s concern, a student’s passion, or a student’s career interest.

The research topic should be broad enough to allow the student access to enough information, yet specific enough to make the research scope reasonable.

The research topic should be one that is academically and creatively challenging to the student. The topic requires an academic and creative stretch for the student.   Be careful not to choose a topic that is limited to simple ideas or has little application or extension possibilities. Such a choice would make the Research Paper, Product, and Presentation uninteresting for the student and evaluators alike.

Students should avoid topics that might involve expenses that they are not prepared to handle.  For example, if the research or Product involves travel, long distance phone calls, or expensive materials, the student may want to make another choice. Remember, the student is not expected to spend money in order to complete the project. Going to great expense does not necessarily enhance the evaluation of a Product.

Students are to avoid choosing topics that might endanger themselves or others. For example, sky diving, use of explosives (in an experiment), or handling dangerous animals are not appropriate.

Mentorship with an expert on your topic is recommended for the Project, therefore, consideration of availability of such individuals should be considered during topic selection.

Some preliminary research may be helpful to the student. By reading about a certain topic, the student may expand his/her areas of interest, and possibilities for new areas of exploration may surface.

Students should use good judgment to be certain that the topics they choose are appropriate for presentation to a review panel and the general public. Remember, students will be required to have their Project proposal approved prior to beginning the Project.

The topic should lead to a research paper that is NOT simply a report.  For example, if the interest is “nursing”, the paper is NOT “how to become a nurse”, but possibly one exploring aspects of the job of nursing such as “how pediatric oncology nurses deal with the death of young children”, or “dealing with the stress of ER nursing”, or “skills to be in demand for nurses of the future”.

Paper Topic / Product Connection PDF TO DOWNLOAD Preliminary Research Proposal

What Are The Components?

General Components of the Senior Project

1.     Research Paper

• 6-8 pages

• MLA style

• 6 sources

• Rough draft (final form of paper, including all necessary components)

• Revised final paper (following teacher’s suggestion to be accompanied by the rough draft)

2.     Mentorship

• Mentor in field related to topic to serve as resource/guide

• At least 21 years of age

• Not be a relative

• 15 contact hours

• Mentor Consent Form completed and signed by parent

3.     Product

• Product demonstrating mastery of skill or creation related to topic

4.     Portfolio

• Resume

• Letter of Intent

• Signed Parent Consent Form

• Signed Mentor Consent Form

• Mentor Log

• Commitment Poster/Binder Cover

• Research Paper

• Journal and photos documenting work on a Product through completion

5.     Technology-aided presentation

• Oral delivery in front of a three to four member community panel

• 8-10 minutes in length

• Presentation software is used (minimum 6-8 slides)

• Technology used to enhance, not draw focus from topic

• Rehearsals with peer feedback

• Portfolio available to judges

Why Senior Projects in Pasco?

One of the major goals of the Pasco County School System is to prepare students for post-secondary education and the world of work. In an effort to better prepare students, all of the Pasco County high schools have instituted the Senior Project program as one of the components of the senior year. Within this program, students are given the opportunity to utilize a myriad of skills attained during their years in school. Students will demonstrate skills in the areas of reading, writing, public speaking, self-discipline, problem-solving, organization, time management, critical and creative thinking. A successful Senior Project program incorporates classroom instruction, parental involvement, and community partnerships. Through research, mentoring, and presenting before a Senior Project panel, students are able to explore and share a chosen area of interest.

As a district, Pasco believes Senior Projects supports:

1. the infusion of technology into the curriculum
2. the use of authentic and alternative assessments
3. the use of diverse and creative teaching strategies
4. the Learning Community model
5. the extension of the learning environment, community partnerships, and career preparation/exploration

Senior Projects also encourage inclusion of ESE and ESOL students, continuous progress, continuity of caring, rigor and relevance.

Welcome To Senior Project 2010-11

Greetings…and congratulations member of the Class of ’11 for finding this site.  It will serve as your ‘home base’ for all information regarding the Senior Project at River Ridge High School.  Along with due dates and information on how to complete each step, it will also contain forms for you to download and a way to contact Mr. Carlson for more information.  Of special note is the Due Dates page that is an essential summary of all of the components of the project and their required dates of completion.