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IB MYP Personal Project Guide for Students

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Parent Letter(s) p. 3-4

Overview of Personal Project p. 5-10

Phase One p. 9-10

Phase Two p. 11

Phase Three p. 12

Phase Four p. 13

Assessment Criteria p. 16-22

Reflection Questions p. 23-24

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s) of IB MYP tenth grader,

As part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program your child is required to complete a Personal Project. Your child has been given written information that explains this task in detail. If you have not seen this document, please ask your child to share it with you. Please read it carefully and if you or your child has any questions please feel free to contact the IB MYP Coordinator at 209-933-7435 ext. 8268 for further explanation.

Your child will be supported in this process in the following ways:

• Meetings with the IB MYP Coordinator

• Meetings with his/her Personal Project Teacher-Supervisor

• Directed instruction from his/her Language A teacher

• In-school time allotted for peer discussion

• Reminder letters sent to the home

At the same time that we are offering these support services, it is imperative that the parent(s)/guardian(s) support the child by:

• Engaging in conversation about the Personal Project

• Occasionally checking the work to date

• Notifying the school of a change in address and/or telephone number

We are asking that your child include his/her thesis statement (brief explanation of the intended Personal Project) in the space provided below. This page will be photocopied by your child's teacher-supervisor and kept for future reference.

Thesis statement: (Use reverse side of letter if additional space is needed.)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student's signature____________________________________________

I acknowledge that I have read all of the above information and that my child has shared the Personal Project Guidelines document with me. I will take the necessary steps to remain current with my child's progress up to and including the date that the Personal Project is submitted.

Parent's/guardian's signature__________________________________ Date_________________________________________

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s) of IB MYP tenth grader,

As part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program your child is required to complete a Personal Project. Your child has been given written information that explains this task in detail. If you have not seen this document, please ask your child to share it with you. Please read it carefully and if you or your child has any questions please feel free to contact the IB MYP Coordinator at 209-933-7435 ext. 8268 for further explanation.

Your child will be supported in this process in the following ways:

• Meetings with the IB MYP Coordinator

• Meetings with his/her Personal Project Teacher-Supervisor

• Directed instruction from his/her Language A teacher

• In-school time allotted for peer discussion

• Reminder letters sent to the home

At the same time that we are offering these support services, it is imperative that the parent(s)/guardian(s) support the child by:

• Engaging in conversation about the Personal Project

• Occasionally checking the work to date

• Notifying the school of a change in address and/or telephone number

We are asking that your child include his/her thesis statement (brief explanation of the intended Personal Project) in the space provided below. This page will be photocopied by your child's teacher-supervisor and kept for future reference.

Thesis statement: (Use reverse side of letter if additional space is needed.)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student's signature____________________________________________

I acknowledge that I have read all of the above information and that my child has shared the Personal Project Guidelines document with me. I will take the necessary steps to remain current with my child's progress up to and including the date that the Personal Project is submitted.

Parent's/guardian's signature___________________________________

Date_________________________________________

Guidelines for Students

What is a Personal Project?

Have you ever wanted to build a musical instrument? Do you have a secret passion to write a play? Now is your chance! The personal project is your project to do what you want to do, to show the skills you have developed over the years in your subjects and through approaches to learning (ATL), and to apply them to the chosen goal that focuses on dimensions of the area(s) of interaction. The personal project holds a place of special importance in the MYP, and so it should be clearly focused on an issue or theme closely related to the areas of interaction.

Remember, you will be working on this project for an extended period of time, so it needs to be something you really want to do.

Whatever type of personal project you decide on, you should:

have a clear and achievable goal

be focused on at least one area of interaction

allow you to express a truly personal message

be the result of your initiative, creativity and ability to organize and plan

reflect your special interests, hobbies, special abilities, or concerns about particular issues

deal with a topic or area to which you are committed

be entirely your own work—authenticity is very important and you may be required to sign a document stating that the personal project is your own work.

Your project must not:

be part of any assessed course work

take over your whole personal and social life, nor interfere with your studies, even though it will involve many hours of work

be too closely linked to any specific subject.

Why Do a Personal Project?

The personal project is a culminating event in your time in the MYP. During this time you will have developed in many ways and learned about the areas of interaction. If you choose the right personal project, it will give you the opportunity to share with others something that is of great interest to you as an individual but that also shows some of what you have learned as a result of being in the MYP.

What Type of Personal Project Can I Do?

Depending on your goal, you might choose one of the following types of projects: • an original work of art (for example, visual, dramatic or performance)

• a written piece of work on a special topic (for example, literary, social, psychological or anthropological)

• a piece of literary fiction (for example, creative writing)

• an original science experiment

• an invention or specially designed object or system

• the presentation of a developed business, management, or organizational plan, that is, for an entrepreneurial business or project, a special event, or the development of a new student or community organization.

Here are some options that you may want to explore:

> Writing and producing a skit

> creating a genealogical photo album of your family

> Planning and implementing an exercise and nutrition plan

> Planning and implementing a beautification project for the school

> Designing and executing an original computer game

> Writing and illustrating a children's book

> choreographing and staging a dance presentation

> Planning and implementing an event to benefit senior citizens

> Planning and implementing gardening to beautify your school grounds

> Choosing, a safe Guinness Record to break (example: toppling dominoes)

> Making toys out of recycled items

> Planning and painting a mural for the school

> Planning and teaching a needed skill to teachers

> Creating a narrated video to underline the highlights of the city of Stockton

> Learning a skill like sewing, knitting or crocheting and staging a fashion show or an exhibit of the clothing you’ve created

> Making and marketing a product like personalized stationary

> Planning and implementing a hair show

> Doing a restaurant tour of the city and writing a culinary critique of your favorite local restaurants

> Planning and implementing a plan to get your peers to rally around one of your most passionate political issues

>Planning and creating a monument or piece of sculpture to commemorate a significant historical event

All personal projects must include a structured piece of writing (project paper) that explains your overall plan from inception to delivery. This piece of writing must follow this structure:

a title page

a table of contents

an introduction, defining the goal of your personal project, describing an explicit focus on chosen area(s) of interaction, and providing an outline of how you intend to achieve the goal

a description of the process, including production steps, the characteristics, aspects or components of the work

an analysis of the inspiration, research and influences guiding the work, the findings and decisions made, the resulting product and the process in terms of the goal and its focus on the area(s) of interaction chosen (if you have chosen to write an essay about a specific issue, the essay itself will form the main part of this analysis)

a conclusion where you will reflect on the impact of your project, and on new perspectives that could be considered

a bibliography

appendices, if appropriate.

Your Language A teachers will provide you with support for writing your project paper.

How Do I Start?

The IB MYP Coordinator/Personal Project Coordinator will explain the basic process to you, and your mentor will advise you throughout the project, meet with you on a regular basis and make sure you complete the various stages of the project according to the deadlines set by your school. Your supervisor need not necessarily be an expert in what you want to do, but will be able to guide and help you as needed. You may decide with your school supervisor to have another person from outside who can give you more expert help. You should also receive, read and discuss the assessment criteria for the project. These will be useful as a basis for discussion at different stages of development of the project (this is known as "formative assessment") and will state clearly what is expected of you in the final assessment of the project.

What Steps Should I Follow?

Your study of ATL's has prepared you for your personal project. The stages in the development of your personal project will include the following:

• exploring and choosing themes and topics with a clear focus on the dimensions of at least one area of interaction

• planning the project

• gathering the necessary material

• working on the project

• using a process journal or log book effectively

• presenting the outcome (the product and the structured writing).

Investigating and Choosing the Goal and Topic

Any project will involve an important phase of investigation or research. When you are choosing your topic or theme, and the goal of your project and your approach, you must remember that the personal project is your way of demonstrating your understanding of the areas of interaction. You must therefore choose a goal and focus on one or more areas of interaction that will allow you to do this.

You should discuss ideas with different people, both inside and outside the school to help you to focus on precisely what you are going to do. It is also important that you have a discussion with your supervisor about your choice to see whether or not your intentions are realistic.

This may be the first time you have been asked to do a significant independent investigation. You should realize that your supervisor is not looking for work of university standard. Instead, this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate such things as the approach you are taking, the methods you are using, and your ability to describe and justify a focus on your chosen area(s) of interaction.

Your topic or theme should not be too general, nor must it be one that would lead you to paraphrase or summarize what you have read in a book, in an encyclopedia, or on the Internet. It should be a topic or theme that you really want to explore, and that will allow you to reflect on and analyze ideas to express a personal point of view.

It is important that you keep the goal of your personal project in mind continuously.

Planning the Project

The next part of the process is to plan the steps towards completing your personal project. You should write an outline of your main ideas, guided by a statement of your goal, as discussed with your mentor. The purpose of the outline is to:

• define the investigation

• help in the choice of appropriate sources and material.

Ask yourself the following questions, which are neither definitive nor exhaustive.

• Where do I find the necessary material?

• Who has information about my topic?

• Do I have to carry out my own experiments?

• Do I need to prepare, circulate and analyze a questionnaire or survey?

• Do I need to go to libraries other than the school library?

• Do I need to visit museums?

• Do I need to interview individuals?

You should write down these questions, and others, along with the answers, as a way of reminding yourself of the variety of potential sources. It is only by looking at a variety of sources that you can make a judgment about their relative usefulness. After checking with your supervisor that you have investigated all the options, you should make a list of tasks so that you can collect the necessary material. You will need to consider the order of the tasks. Once your list of sources is complete, start gathering the material. Completing any type of project is not usually a simple process; it may be messy and involve changes in your plans, especially in the developmental stages.

Collecting the Necessary Material

When you have found a source of information or inspiration, you will need to decide how useful it is. The list of sources in your report should only include those you have actually used. Remember to keep the goal of your project in mind. This will help you to select what is useful and relevant. Always write down the source of your material. This information will vary according to the type of source consulted.

• A book: record the author(s), title, edition, series, bibliographical address (city, editor and date of publication).

• An interview: record, for example, the name, address and function of the person.

• An experiment: record, for example, the apparatus and the circumstances.

• A work of art: record, for example, the name, artist or other reference (such as the location of a gallery or museum)

• An Internet site: record the address, the name of author and the date of publication.

Other sources can also help you: a book might have a bibliography, mentioning other useful books; the person you interview might have a suggestion to investigate something else; an experiment might lead to other investigations.

Working on the Project

Depending on the nature of your project, you will need to reflect on, analyze, criticize, and synthesize the material in a constructive way. You may also have to change your original plans in the light of circumstances or new information. Consult your mentor regularly.

You must keep a process journal or log book containing all your thoughts, decisions and actions. This is a document that allows you to record your progress as you work on the project. It need not be neat or well presented, but should be completed honestly and regularly to show you how your project is developing. It can be used to show your mentor the rate and direction of progress being made. It will also guide you as you write your project paper.

Presenting the Outcome

Towards the end of the personal project you will need to think carefully about how you should present it. You must always consider your presentation from other people's perspectives: perhaps you and your school will want to exhibit the outcome. The nature of the presentation will vary depending on the type of personal project. However, all personal projects must include a structured piece of writing. Please refer to the structure described previously to guide you in the organization of your content.

Remember that your personal project may take the form of (1.) a product or an event OR (2.) a piece of writing (an essay, a play, a poetry collection, etc.). Whether you select option one or two, you must submit a project paper along with your personal project. If you choose a product or event, your paper should range between 1500-2000 words. If you choose the second option, your project paper should range from 300-500 words and the personal project writing piece should not exceed 4, 000 words.

Useful Ideas

• Always assume that the people who will look at your personal project know little or nothing about the topic.

• Use drawings and pictures only when necessary, for example, if they add to the clarity of the personal project.

• Access to a computer at different stages of the development of the project would be very helpful as you write your personal project, making it easier to edit a draft version and produce a neat, easy-to-read product. In any case, your final structured writing should be typewritten or word-processed, where possible.

• Have a look at the examples of personal projects that other students have done and see how they have presented their ideas. Discuss the final structure you propose to use with your mentor before you start work on it. You could also perhaps ask other students for their opinions. Remember, however, that your personal project is your piece of work.

Phase One

Have you chosen a topic for your Personal Project? Have you made your parent(s)/guardian(s) aware that you have a Personal Project to complete? Have they signed your commitment letter? Have you identified a mentor that is knowledgeable about your topic? Do you know who your mentor is?

_______I have decided to create a product or to do an event. I understand that I must journal my work and use the information from my journal to write my 1500-2000 word project paper.

_______I have decided to do a writing piece (essay, short story, poetry collection, etc.). I understand that I must journal my work and use the information from my journal to write my 300-500 word project paper.

Do you have your process journal? This is a blank book or notebook in which you will keep detailed notes of all of the work that you are doing in order to gather and process information for your Personal Project. If this is done well, your project paper will practically write itself. Each entry in your journal should include the following information:

• Date of each entry

• Tasks accomplished to date

• The amount of time that you have devoted to accomplishing the above tasks as well as the amount of time spent writing entries in the journal.

Your journal is your "think out loud" reflection document. It does not have to be neat nor will it be submitted to anyone. You will, however, have to review it with your teacher-supervisor from time to time to make sure that you are on task and moving forward with your work.

It is now time to write your thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence that presents your personal project to the reader. In this statement you will indicate what you intend to do and what outcome(s) you hope to achieve. Through which Area of Interaction will you focus your Personal project? You should read your thesis statement over and over again as you proceed with your project to make sure that you are on course.

The next step for you to take is to write an outline of what needs to be done to bring your project to completion. It will be useful for you to include projected dates in your outline. Your outline is also a "think out loud' document that you may choose to revise from time to time as your plans and/or direction of your project change.

You should have both your thesis statement and your outline written in your journal. It is of utmost importance that you keep a 'back up" copy of both your thesis statement and your outline. Keep in mind the risks of just keeping items stored on your computer. What happens if your computer crashes or is infected with a virus?

Phase Two

Once you have completed the thesis statement and your outline, you are ready to proceed with the research for your Personal Project. Your research will not necessarily mean just going to the library and copying information from books or downloading information from the internet. If your project will culminate in a project or event, one of your research techniques may take the form of interviews with people that are knowledgeable in event planning. If your project will be a piece of creative writing, one of your research techniques may be to join a creative writing club. In either case, your research should be varied enough to provide you with the necessary information to successfully complete your personal project.

Do you have all of the research supplies that you need?

• Note cards

• Pencils, pens, erasers

• Liquid paper (white-out)

• Stapler, paper clips, rubber bands, glue sticks, etc.

• Portfolio binder or extra large zip-lock storage bag in which to store your materials

You will have to manage your time between work for your scheduled classes and work on your Personal Project. It is not intended for the Personal Project to consume all of your free time nor for you to neglect your other academic responsibilities. It is of utmost importance that you plan time for relaxation and fun so that you are balanced both socially and academically.

While the IB MYP/Personal Project Coordinator will schedule specific dates for you to meet with your teacher-supervisor and your Language A teacher will issue you reminders, it is your responsibility to schedule supplementary appointments with any of these people should you have the need.

Phase Three

You have chosen your topic, written your thesis statement, created an outline, completed most of your research and maintained a process journal detailing your work. It is now time to pull the pieces together by:

• Reviewing the Assessment Rubrics for the personal project to make sure that your project is aligned with the requirements

• Transforming the research into the product, event or writing piece

• If you are developing a product or an event all of your plans should be in place and you should be in the process of adding the finishing touches.

• If you are doing a writing piece you should have your rough draft

completed and be in the process of editing and revising.

• All students should make sure that the personal project is aligned

with the thesis statement.

• Transforming your journal information into a rough draft of your project paper

• If you are developing a product or an event, remember that your project paper must be at least 1500 words in length.

• If you are creating a writing piece, remember that your project paper must be at least 300 words in length.

• All students must include the following in the project paper:

o A Table of Contents page

o An Introduction that includes your thesis statement and an explanation of the Area of Interaction through which you approached your project

o The Body that explains your experience from start to finish

o The Conclusion that shares your reflections and brings the reader back to the thesis statement

o Bibliography and Appendices

• Transforming your rough draft into the first copy of your project paper and reviewing it with your mentor

Phase Four

All of your work has been completed and now you must do your "clean up" work, add the finishing touches and prepare for the presentation of your personal project. During phase four you should:

• Make sure all of the elements of your personal project have been completed and are in place. If you are doing an event, have you secured a venue and notified your attendees of the date and time?

• Read through the Assessment Rubrics one more time and make any necessary revisions.

• Use the feedback from your mentor and your teachers to edit, revise and type the final copy of your personal project paper. All personal project papers must be typed and submitted in a see through plastic cover, and pages must be numbered.

• Meet with your mentor and schedule a date and time for your

presentation.

Criterion A: Use the process journal

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student demonstrates minimal: |

| |organizational skills through time and self-management |

| |communication and collaboration with the supervisor |

| |information literacy, thinking and reflection. |

|2 |The student demonstrates some: |

| |organizational skills through time and self-management |

| |communication and collaboration with the supervisor |

| |information literacy, thinking and reflection. |

|3 |The student demonstrates satisfactory: |

| |organizational skills through time and self-management |

| |communication and collaboration with the supervisor |

| |information literacy, thinking and reflection. |

|4 |The student demonstrates well-developed: |

| |organizational skills through time and self-management |

| |communication and collaboration with the supervisor |

| |information literacy, thinking and reflection. |

Criterion B: Define the goal

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

| |Evidence |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student: |

| |identifies the topic of interest, a focus area of interaction and a limited goal |

| |creates minimal specifications to evaluate the project’s outcome/product or none at all. |

|2 |The student: |

| |outlines superficially the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable goal |

| |creates specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product, however they lack definition. |

|3 |The student: |

| |describes clearly the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable and appropriately |

| |challenging goal |

| |creates satisfactory specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product. |

|4 |The student: |

| |justifies effectively the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable and |

| |appropriately challenging goal |

| |creates appropriately rigorous specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product. |

 

Criterion C: Select sources

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student: |

| |selects very few relevant sources to achieve the goal |

| |demonstrates minimal evaluation of sources. |

|2 |The student: |

| |selects some relevant sources to achieve the goal |

| |demonstrates some evaluation of sources. |

|3 |The student: |

| |selects a satisfactory variety of relevant sources to achieve the goal |

| |demonstrates satisfactory evaluation of sources. |

|4 |The student: |

| |selects a wide variety of relevant sources to achieve the goal |

| |demonstrates well-developed evaluation of sources. |

 

Criterion D: Apply information 

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student demonstrates minimal: |

| |transfer and application of information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in |

| |connection with the project’s goal. |

|2 |The student demonstrates some: |

| |transfer and application of information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in |

| |connection with the project’s goal. |

|3 |The student demonstrates satisfactory: |

| |transfer and application of information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in |

| |connection with the project’s goal. |

|4 |The student demonstrates well-developed: |

| |transfer and application of information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in |

| |connection with the project’s goal. |

 

Criterion E: Achieve the goal

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student evaluates the quality of the outcome/product. |

| |The outcome/product is of very limited quality and meets few of the specifications. |

|2 |The student evaluates the quality of the outcome/product. |

| |The outcome/product is of limited quality and meets some of the specifications. |

|3 |The student evaluates the quality of the outcome/product. |

| |The outcome/product is of satisfactory quality and meets many of the specifications. |

|4 |The student evaluates the quality of the outcome/product. |

| |The outcome/product is of high quality and meets most or all of the specifications. |

 

Criterion F: Reflect on learning

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student demonstrates minimal: |

| |reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the topic and|

| |focus area of interaction |

| |reflection on how he or she has developed as a learner by completing the project. |

|2 |The student demonstrates some: |

| |reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the topic and|

| |focus area of interaction |

| |reflection on how he or she has developed as a learner by completing the project. |

|3 |The student demonstrates satisfactory: |

| |reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the topic and|

| |focus area of interaction |

| |reflection on how he or she has developed as a learner by completing the project. |

|4 |The student demonstrates well-developed: |

| |reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the topic and|

| |focus area of interaction |

| |reflection on how he or she has developed as a learner by completing the project. |

 

Criterion G: Report the project

|Level of Achievement |Descriptor |

|0 |The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. |

|1 |The student demonstrates: |

| |minimal organization of the project report according to the required structure |

| |communication, which is rarely clear, coherent and concise and may not meet required limits |

| |inaccurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources or no acknowledgement of sources. |

|2 |The student demonstrates: |

| |some organization of the project report according to the required structure |

| |communication, which is sometimes clear, coherent and concise and is within required limits |

| |some accurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources. |

|3 |The student demonstrates: |

| |satisfactory organization of the project report according to the required structure |

| |communication, which is generally clear, coherent and concise and is within required limits |

| |generally accurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources. |

|4 |The student demonstrates: |

| |consistent organization of the project report according to the required structure |

| |communication, which is clear, coherent and concise and is within required limits |

| |accurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources, possibly with minor errors. |

 

Reflection Questions

Congratulations on the successful completion of your Personal Project!

Please relax and answer the following questions as a reflection of your experience with the Personal Project.

1. Has your passion for your topic increased or decreased? Explain.

2. What did you do to help you maintain your momentum with the project over the course of the year?

3. What challenges or difficulties frustrated you the most?

4. What strategies did you develop to help move you past your challenges and difficulties?

5. What advice do you have for the current 9t1i grade students?

6. Do you now feel better prepared for the academic rigor of the Diploma Program? Explain.

7. What skills would you not have acquired had you chosen not to do the Personal Project?

8. Is there anything else that you would like to express at this time?

Added suggestions:

• Did you write a thank you note to your mentor for his/her help?

• Did you thank anyone else that volunteered his/her time to help you complete your project?

PERSONAL PROJECT RESOURCE GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Important Calendar Dates p. 27

Sign-Off Sheet p. 28

Feedback Notes p. 29

Student Checklist p. 30

Essay Writing Guide p. 31-35

Bibliography Guide p. 36-38

Important Calendar Dates

(All items due to mentor and Personal Project Coordinator unless noted otherwise)

| |Letter of commitment with thesis statement due |

|September____ | |

|October____ |Outline due |

|November ____ |Note cards and information acquired from primary and secondary resources due |

|December____ |Rough draft of introductory paragraph of your "short essay" due |

|January____ |Rough draft of the information to-date to be included in the body of your |

| |project paper due |

|February____ |Rough draft of the bibliography page(s) to accompany your project paper due |

|March____ |Rough draft of your entire project paper due |

|April ____ |Typed revision of your project paper due |

|May____ |Personal Project and final typed copy of project paper due by the end of the |

| |day. |

Sign-off Sheet

Each time that you meet with an adult that is assisting you with the completion or your Personal Project, it is imperative that you ask him/her to sign the chart below.

| |Teacher/Adult |Mentor |

|September | | |

|October | | |

|November | | |

|December | | |

|January | | |

|February | | |

|March | | |

|April | | |

|May | | |

| |

Feedback Notes

It is also important that you take notes on the feedback given to you by the adults that are assisting you with your Personal Project. Listen carefully to what they tell you and record that information on the chart below.

| |Feedback(+/-) |My next steps |

|September | | |

|October | | |

|November | | |

|December | | |

|January | | |

|February | | |

|March | | |

|April | | |

|May | | |

Student Stage of Development

Checklist

Please use the chart below to record your stages of development. Remember that this checklist is provided for your benefit and will help you stay on task with your project.

|Topic has been chosen and thesis statement has been submitted/I am journaling my work | |

|Outline of action plan has been developed and reviewed with teacher-supervisor/I am journaling my work/I have read the | |

|Assessment Criteria Rubrics | |

|Mentor has been identified and contacted/I am journaling my work | |

|Research has been completed and information recorded on note cards, in process journal, etc. I am journaling my work | |

|Product/event/writing piece is in the development stage/I am journaling my work | |

|Revisions have been made based upon personal reflection from feedback notes/I am journaling my work /I have started to | |

|write my "project paper" | |

|Product/event/writing piece has been completed/I am journaling my work/I am continuing to write my "project paper" | |

|I have completed the rough draft of my "project paper" (300-500 words for students submitting a writing | |

|project/500-2000 words for non-writing projects) | |

|Rough draft of the essay has been and checked off by mentor/I have reviewed the Assessment Criteria Rubrics to make | |

|sure that my work is aligned with them | |

|Rough draft of the "project paper" has been revised, typed and I have reviewed it with my mentor | |

|I have again reviewed the Assessment Criteria for the Personal Project and made the necessary revisions to comply with | |

|the PP requirements | |

|Final copy of the "project paper" has been typed and is ready for submission to mentor | |

|Product/event/writing piece and "project paper" are ready for the presentation and/or submission | |

Guide to Writing a Basic Essay (your project paper)

An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter what. You may be writing an essay to argue for a particular point of view or to explain the steps necessary to complete a task. Either way, your essay will have the same basic format. If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay almost writes itself. You will be responsible only for supplying ideas, which are the important part of the essay anyway. Don't let the thought of putting pen to paper daunt you. Get started! These simple steps will guide you through the essay writing process:

• Decide on your topic.

• Prepare an outline of your ideas.

• Write your thesis statement.

• Write the introduction.

• Write the body.

o Write the main points.

o Write the sub points.

o Elaborate on the sub points.

• Write the conclusion.

• Add the finishing touches which include appropriate transitional words or phrases.

Choose a Topic for Your Essay

You are free to choose a topic of interest to you, which will often make your essay a stronger one.

Define Your Purpose

The first thing you must do is think about the purpose of the essay you must write. Is your purpose to persuade people to believe as you do, to explain to people how to complete a particular task, to educate people about some person, place, thing or idea, or something else entirely? Whatever topic you choose must fit that purpose.

Brainstorm Subjects of Interest

Once you have determined the purpose of your essay, write down some subjects that interest you. No matter what the purpose of your essay is., an endless number of topics will be suitable. If you have trouble thinking of subjects, start by looking around you. Is there anything in your surroundings that interests you? Think about your life. What occupies most of your time? That might make for a good topic. Don't evaluate the subjects yet; just write down anything that springs to mind.

Evaluate Each Potential Topic

If you can think of at least a few topics that would be appropriate, you must simply consider each one individually. Think about how you feel about that topic. If you must educate, be sure it is a subject about which you are particularly well-informed. If you must persuade, be sure it is a subject about which you are at least moderately passionate. Of course, the most important factor in choosing a topic is the number of ideas you have about that topic. Even if none of the subjects you thought of seem particularly appealing, try just choosing one to work with. It may turn out to be a better topic than you at first thought. Before you are ready to move on in the essay-writing process, look one more time at the topic you have selected. Think about the type of paper you are expected to produce. Should it be a general overview, or a specific analysis of the topic? If it should be an overview, then you are probably ready to move to the next step. If it should be a specific analysis, make sure your topic is fairly specific. If it is too general, you must choose a narrower subtopic to discuss. For example, the topic "KENYA" is a general one. If your objective is to write an overview, this topic is suitable. If your objective is to write a specific analysis, this topic is too general. You must narrow it to something like "Politics in Kenya" or "Kenya's Culture." Once you have determined that your topic will be suitable, you can move on.

Compose a Thesis Statement

Now that you have decided, at least tentatively, what information you plan to present in your essay, you are ready to write your thesis statement. The thesis statement tells the reader what the essay will be about, and what point you, the author, will he making. You know what the essay will be about. That was your topic. Now you must look at your outline and decide what point you will he making. What do the main ideas and supporting ideas that you listed say about your topic?

Your thesis statement will have two parts.

The first part states the topic.

• Kenya's Culture

• Building a Model Train Set

• Public Transportation

The second part states the point of the essay.

o has a rich and varied history

o takes time and patience

o can solve some of our city's most persistent and pressing problems

Once you have formulated a thesis statement that fits this pattern and with which you are comfortable, you are ready to continue.

Organize Your Ideas

The purpose of an outline or diagram is to put your ideas about the topic on paper, in a moderately organized format. The structure you create here may still change before the essay is complete, so don't agonize over this. Decide whether you prefer the cut-and-dried structure of an outline or a more flowing structure. If you start one or the other and decide it isn't working for you, you can always switch later.

Outline

1. Begin your outline by writing your topic at the top of the page.

2. Next, write the Roman numerals I, II, and III, spread apart down the left side of the page.

3. Next to each Roman numeral, write the main ideas that you have about your topic, or the main points that you want to make.

▪ If you are trying to persuade, you want to write your best arguments.

▪ If you are trying to explain a process, you want to write the steps that should be followed. You will probably need to group these into categories. If you have trouble grouping the steps into categories, try using Beginning, Middle, and End.

▪ If you are trying to inform, you want to write the major categories into which your information can be divided.

4. Under each Roman numeral, write A, B, and C down the left side of the page.

Next to each letter, write the facts or information that support that main idea.

Write the Introduction

This paragraph will give the reader a point of entry to your essay. The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give him/her an idea of the essay's focus. Begin with an attention grabber.

The attention grabber you use is up to you, but here are some ideas:

• Startling information

This information must be true and verifiable, and it doesn't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make. If you use a piece of startling information, follow it with a sentence or two of elaboration.

• Anecdote

An anecdote is a story that illustrates a point. Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point, and relevant to your topic. This can be a very effective opener for your essay, but use it carefully.

• Dialogue

An appropriate dialogue does not have to identify the speakers, but the reader must understand the point you are trying to convey. Use only two or three exchanges between speakers to make your point. Follow dialogue with a sentence or two of elaboration.

• Summary Information

A few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can lead the reader gently to your thesis. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.

If the attention grabber was only a sentence or two, add one or two more sentences that will lead the reader from your opening to your thesis statement. Finish the paragraph with your thesis statement.

Write the Body Paragraphs

In the body of the essay, all the preparation up to this point comes to fruition. The topic you have chosen must now be explained, described, or argued. Each main idea that you wrote down in your diagram or outline will become one of the body paragraphs. If you had three or four main ideas, you will have three or four body paragraphs.

Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure.

1. Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form. If your main idea is "reduces freeway congestion," you might say this: Public transportation reduces freeway congestion.

2. Next, write down each of your supporting points for that main idea, but leave four or five lines in between each point.

3. In the space under each point, write down some elaboration for that point. Elaboration can be further description or explanation or discussion.

Supporting Point

Commuters appreciate the cost savings of taking public transportation rather than driving.

Elaboration

Less driving time means less maintenance expense, such as oil changes. Of course, less driving time means savings on gasoline as well. In many cases, these savings amount to more than the cost of riding public transportation.

4.If you wish, include a summary sentence for each paragraph.

This is not generally needed, however, and such sentences have a tendency to sound stilted, so be cautious about using them. Once you have fleshed out each of your body paragraphs, one for each main point, you are ready to continue.

Write the Conclusion

This paragraph will give the reader a point of exit from your essay.

Conclusion

The conclusion brings closure to the reader, summing up your points or providing a final perspective on your topic. All the conclusion needs is three or four strong sentences which do not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the main points (being careful not to restate them exactly) or briefly describe your feelings about the topic. Even an anecdote can end your essay in a useful way.

Don't stop just yet! Two more step remains before your essay is truly finished!

Add the Finishing Touches

You have now completed all of the paragraphs of your essay. Before you can consider this a finished product, however, you must give some thought to the formatting of your paper.

Check the order of your paragraphs.

Look at your paragraphs. Which one is the strongest? You might want to start with the strongest paragraph, end with the second strongest, and put the weakest in the middle. Whatever order you decide on, be sure it makes sense. If your paper is describing a process, you will probably need to stick to the order in which the steps must be completed. Please include appropriate transitional words or phrases.

Check the instructions for the assignment.

When you prepare a final draft, you must be sure to follow all of the instructions you have been given.

• Are your margins correct?

• Have you titled it as directed?

• What other information (name, date, etc.) must you include?

• Did you double-space your lines?

Check your writing.

Nothing can substitute for revision of your work. By reviewing what you have done, you can improve weak points that otherwise would be missed. Read and reread your paper.

o Does it make logical sense? Leave it for a few hours and then read it again.

Does it still make logical sense?

o Do the sentences flow smoothly from one another? If not, try to add some words and phrases to help connect them. Transition words, such as "therefore" or "however," sometimes help. Also, you might refer in one sentence to a thought in the previous sentence. This is especially useful when you move from one paragraph to another.

Basic Guide to Essay Writing

Created by Kathy Livingston (lkIivingston@). All rights reserved.

You have finished the paper itself and now it is time for you add the bibliography page. To do this you must gather your note cards, your journal and all other sources where you have recorded the necessary information.

The Bibliography Page

While you have actually completed the task of transforming the notes from your journal into your project paper, you must give credit to your various resources. This is done primarily through what is called a bibliography.

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How to Write a Research Paper

A bibliography is a list of the sources you used to get information for your report. It is included at the end of your report, on the last page (or last few pages).

You will find it easier to prepare your final bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes. Start a preliminary, or draft, bibliography by listing on a separate sheet of paper all your sources. Note down the full title, author, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication for each source.

Also, every time a fact gets recorded on a note card, its source should be noted in the top right corner. (Notice that in the sample note card, The World Book, Volume 2, page 21, has been shortened to: WB, 2, p.133.) When you are finished writing your paper, you can use the information on your note cards to double-check your bibliography.

When assembling a final bibliography, list your sources (texts, articles, interviews, and so on) in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources that don't have authors (encyclopedias, movies) should be alphabetized by title. There are different formats for bibliographies, so be sure to use the one your teacher prefers.

General Guide to Formatting a Bibliography

For a book:

Author (last name first). Title of the book. City: Publisher, Date of publication.

EXAMPLE: Dahl, Roald. The BFG. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1982.

For an encyclopedia:

Encyclopedia Title, Edition Date. Volume Number, "Article Title," page numbers.

EXAMPLE: The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1997. Volume 7, "Gorillas," pp. 50-51.

For a magazine:

Author (last name first), "Article Title" Name of magazine. Volume number, (Date): page numbers.

EXAMPLE: Jordan, Jennifer, "Filming at the Top of the World." Museum of Science Magazine. Volume 47, No. 1, (Winter 1998): p. 11.

For a newspaper:

Author (last name first), "Article Title." Name of newspaper, city, state of publication. (date): edition if available, section, page number(s).

EXAMPLE: Powers, Ann, "New Tune for the Material Girl." The New York Times, New York, NY. (3/1/98): Atlantic Region, Section 2, p. 34.

For a person:

Full name (last name first). Occupation. Date of interview.

EXAMPLE: Smeckleburg, Sweets. Bus driver. April 1, 1996.

For a film:

Title, Director, Distributor, Year.

EXAMPLE: Braveheart, Dir. Mel Gibson, Icon Productions, 1995

CD-ROM:

Disc title: Version, Date. "Article title," pages if given. Publisher.

EXAMPLE: Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia: Macintosh version, 1995. "Civil rights movement," p.3. Compton's Newsmedia.

Magazine article:

Author (last name first). "Article title." Name of magazine (type of medium). Volume number, (Date): page numbers. If available: publisher of medium, version, date of issue.

EXAMPLE: Rollins, Fred. "Snowboard Madness." Sports Stuff (CD-ROM). Number 15, (February 1997): pp. 15-19. SIRS, Mac version, Winter 1997.

Newspaper article:

Author (last name first). "Article title." Name of newspaper (Type of medium), city and state of publication. (Date): If available: Edition, section and page number(s). If available: publisher of medium, version, date of issue.

EXAMPLE: Stevenson, Rhoda. "Nerve Sells." Community News (CD-ROM), Nassau, NY. (Feb 1996): pp. A45. SIRS, Mac. version, Spring 1996.

Online Resources Internet:

Author of message, (Date). Subject of message. Electronic conference or bulletin board (Online). Available e-mail: LISTSERV© e-mail address

EXAMPLE: Ellen Block, (September 15, 1995). New Winners. Teen Booklist (Online). Helen Smith@

World Wide Web:

URL (Uniform Resource Locator or WWW address). author (or item's name, if mentioned), date. EXAMPLE: (Boston Globe's www address). Today's News, August 1, 1996.

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