sr-project

Please read this packet carefully as there is much important information included. If you have questions, please see Mr. Leiter. Good luck as you undertake your senior project.

The senior project will demonstrate your ability to organize your time, motivate yourself, and sustain effort to achieve a goal over a long period of time. It is designed to encourage life-long learning, so it should be as fun, challenging, stimulating, fulfilling, and rewarding as possible.

The senior project is designed to:

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produce original and scholarly work

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give you the opportunity to synthesize your knowledge and develop your expertise

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allow the opportunity for creative self-expression

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provide additional practice in writing for a variety of purposes

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encourage independent problem solving, time management, and achievement skills

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directly involve you in the lives of others in the community

Important steps to completing a successful project:

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choose your topic wisely and early

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submit a formal project proposal

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complete a research assignment

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work on your project at least 68 hours throughout the year. Note: just because the project isn’t completed once you log 68 hours, does not mean that you quit on the project since you have your time in. You are expected to have the integrity to follow through on your project to its completion.

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meet on a monthly basis with the faculty advisor assigned to you

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document and reflect on your project in regular journal entries and time log

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create a product/demonstration of learning

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write a reflection on learning

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assemble and submit your portfolio

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give an exhibition

Students will be given a letter grade for this project.

Remember: This project is required for graduation. If you choose not to be involved in this project, you are choosing not to graduate from Cook Inlet Academy.

**Projects that will not work for senior projects:

--coaching any athletic teams (CIA teams, Boys/Girls club teams, etc.)

--leading a mission trip for CIA or any other organization

--leading a fund-raising activity

Senior Project Checklist

Check off the items as you complete them.

_______commitment poster

_______proposal

_______faculty advisor commitment form

_______research paper

_______journal/time log

_______reflection on learning

_______self-evaluation form

_______presentation outline/script

_______letter to judges

_______letters to senior project committee explaining why forms were late (if applicable)

_______scrapbook of the different aspects of the project

Senior Project Timeline

_____select a topic (9/16)

_____choose a faculty advisor (9/16)

_____complete a poster of commitment (9/27)

_____submit a proposal (10/7)

_____write a research paper (12/2)

_____keep a time log and journal of your hours (at least 20 journal entries as you document 68 hours of work (4/19)

_____meet monthly with your faculty mentor

_____write a reflection on learning paper (4/26)

_____self-evaluation form (4/26)

_____complete a presentation outline (5/1)

_____write a letter to the judges (4/5)

_____give the exhibition (5/8)

_____submit a collection of all written work/photos/clippings, etc. (5/11)

Senior Project Portfolio Requirements

The following is the order for your Senior Project Portfolio. It would be best to use dividers of some sort to ensure organization of your portfolio.

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commitment poster

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proposal

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faculty advisor commitment form

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research paper

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journal/time log

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reflection on learning

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self-evaluation form

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presentation outline/script

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letter to judges

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letters to Senior Project Committee explaining why journals and/or evaluation forms were late (only if applicable)

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pictures, etc. (scrapbook form) of the different aspects of the project

Poster of Commitment

Once your project has been approved, you must design a poster that represents commitment to your project. The posters will be displayed (with your senior picture) until you complete your project--after the exhibition.

Information needed on poster:

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8 ½ x 11

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The topics you will be doing

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A graphic that represents your project

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Your picture

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Your name

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The words “Senior Project Commitment” at the top of the page

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Must be printed in color

You will turn TWO copies into your mentor teacher.

Senior Project Commitment

Gary Leiter

Senior Project Proposal Requirements

In a two-page typed proposal, write a short paragraph for each of the following items. Include the following BOLD heading items as a heading at the beginning of each separate paragraph.

Project Overview

Briefly summarize your project

Prior Experience

List the relevant skills and experiences you bring to this project at the outset

Learning Targets

Identify the new knowledge and/or skills you aim to acquire by undertaking this project.

Research Focus

Identify the background information you will need to collect in order to have a meaningful experience in working on this project.

Faculty Advisor

Before beginning the project, find a teacher knowledgeable in your subject area and talk to him/her about being your advisor. Be sure to ask this person about the specifics of your project goal and what is reasonable to accomplish in 68 hours. Include their comments in this section.

Project Stages

Outline the steps you will take to complete this project. Include a monthly timeline.

Presentation

Describe your vision of your final project presentation including how you will incorporate any visual aides.

Evidence

Describe the product and materials you will submit as evidence of your work and progress on the project.

Evaluation

Explain how you and the panelists at your presentation will know that you have undertaken and completed a high quality project.

Guidelines for a Faculty Advisor

Senior Project is a graduation requirement at Cook Inlet Academy. During their senior year, students select a topic and develop a proposal for a project based on a community service opportunity they would like to be a part of. Students must spend at least 68 hours learning, developing, and implementing the topic. They will present their project before a panel of judges and share their exhibit of the project to the community in the spring at Senior Project Exhibition Night.

All students are required to work with a faculty advisor who is willing to spend the time to help a young person grow and learn in the topic area of his/her Senior Project.

The following information states guidelines required of a faculty advisor.

Skills/Knowledge

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understanding of the senior project and the student’s goals

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willing to share “adult knowledge/wisdom” with the student

Time Commitment

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meet each month and hold the student accountable to do what is necessary to be successful with the project chosen

Please include this completed commitment form in your project notebook.

____________________________________________________________________________

FACULTY ADVISOR AND COMMITMENT FORM

Student:_____________________________________________________________________

Project Title:__________________________________________________________________

Faculty Advisor:_______________________________________________________________

Faculty Advisor Phone #_________________________________________________________

Faculty Advisor Email Address:___________________________________________________

I commit to being the faculty advisor for____________________________________________. I will mentor the student by helping him/her to accomplish senior project goals.

Signature:_______________________________________________Date:_________________

Faculty Advisor Manners for Project Work

Below are a list of “Do’s and Don’t’s” to keep in mind while working with your faculty advisor.

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be polite and respectful of your mentor’s time

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have your mentor sign and fill out papers well before deadlines

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ask you mentor for suggestions throughout the entire project

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thank your mentor at the end of the project. A hand written not would be appreciated

Don’t

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don’t be demanding--they are doing you a favor

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don’t show up the day of a deadline and expect immediate results or time extensions

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don’t expect your mentor to do your work for you. They are to be your guide, not your servant

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don’t do a sloppy job on your project and expect them to accept it

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don’t forget to thank your mentor when you are done

The Research Paper

The research paper will consist of the following parts:

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title page

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abstract

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main body

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works cited page

This paper will be 6-10 pages in length and contain a minimum of 10 sources with no more than three from websites (e.g. www. etc.com)

The paper will be done in APA format and typed in Times Roman, 12 pt. font.

This paper will be assigned and completed as part of senior English and will be submitted in small increments throughout the third quarter.

The Project Journal

All students will be expected to keep a project journal (which will be included in the Senior Project Portfolio). They should have a journal entry for EACH time they work on the project. This journal should begin with the date and end with the actual time (hours, minutes) spent on the project on that occasion. As well as describing what he/she did, the student should include in journal entries their successes and failures, frustrations and victories. In other words, the journal should record not just time and work done, but also feelings, emotions, and reactions as well. A journal entry could cover as little as a short phone call to arrange an interview, or as much as a day spent at a community service center. The journal is very important when the teacher evaluates the project.

It should be evident that the journal has been an ongoing document--it should also include your faculty advisor’s signatures with date. Your final journal entry should cover the final aspects of your project. Each journal and faculty advisor’s evaluation are worth points toward your final grade. If you do not turn in your journals on time you must also submit a letter to the Senior Project Committee explaining why it was late. This must be done each time you miss a due date. The letter must also be included in your portfolio for your judges to read.

The first page of your journal should have the following information:

Name:

Date:

Project Topic:

Faculty Advisor:

Description of Project:

The actual journal:

Include what you did, when you did it, how long it took each time, and what you learned from it)

Date:

Start Time:

End Time:

Entry:

Following is a sample of a journal entry:

Project Journal Sample

Name:

Cloyce Fudderknicht

Date: October 22, 2005

Senior Project Topic: Providing fresh water by installing water pumps in villages in the Central African Republic.

Faculty Advisor: Mr. Popadopolous

Description of Project: I am planning on raising money and personally travel to Africa and help the folks drill wells for fresh water.

Log:

October 23, 2005

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I met with my mentor for the first time and we discussed my project and went over a schedule to see it happen

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I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the work that is involved, but that gives me the incentive to step up and meet the challenge. I am excited to really make a difference in the lives of people. As I research, I find that I am more and more interested in people of Africa and that I might be able to make a little bit of a difference in their lives.

Total Time: 1 hour

October 25, 2005

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Met with Mr. Waterford who had gone to Africa 3 years ago and helped with drilling wells. He showed me his pictures and gave me the literature for different companies who design and sell different well drilling options that may work.

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As I looked at the pictures, I again had a strong desire to see what God can do with me to help these people. So many die of thirst each year—or diseases from bad water. What I take for granted, they live without every day. Mr. Waterford also told me many stories about what the people are doing now that they have water. Some are using the opportunity to create jobs. One man is now collecting old milk jugs so he can take them to Africa so people have containers to carry water from the well to their homes.

Total Time: 3.5 hours

Reflection on Learning

Length: No less than 1 full typed page. Address all the following questions thoroughly and thoughtfully

Questions:

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what new knowledge and/or skills did you acquire?

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how could your project have been improved or made more meaningful?

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what contributions did your faculty advisor make?

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what did you learn from your research?

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compare your learning in this project to classroom learning. Is self-directed learning important? why? what impact will this project have on your future learning within and outside the classroom?

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what have you discovered about yourself as a learner?

Presentation Outline

For the presentation portion of the project, you will be displaying your project at a senior project exhibition and talking with the general public about your project. In order to succeed in this part of the project, you should be able to discuss the following:

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what you learned

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what obstacles did you encounter

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how you overcame the obstacles

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what you might change if you did the project again

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what went well

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memorable moments

What to include in your presentation:

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some sort of display to “wow” your audience

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photos of your project

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display (could be a powerpoint presentation)

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a thank-you to those who helped

Dress: Business dress casual

**Be prepared to answer questions

Senior Project Self-Evaluation

Student Name:__________________________________________ Date:_________________

Faculty Advisor:_______________________________________________________________

Research Topic: ______________________________________________________________

1. Describe you physical project IN DETAIL

2. How many total hours did you spend on your physical project? ____________________

3. What date did you start? ____________________

4. What date did you finish? ___________________

5. What are three things you learned from working on the project?

6. What problems did you encounter? How did you overcome these problems?

7. What would you do differently if you could start all over?

8. What did you learn about yourself?

What grade do you think you deserve? Justify this grade in 50 words or more.

Grade: ______________________

Justification:

Letter to Judges

A letter to “the judges” needs to be the first item in your portfolio. Judges may be faculty members and/or community members. The judges will be present at the senior project exhibition. The purpose of this writing is to give the judges an introduction to you as a whole person, beyond the work you have done on the senior project. They will be able to see you as a young adult with goals, interests, and opinions. The following is a list of requirements for your letter--how it should be set up and information that should be included.

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business format

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brief biography

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where have you been?

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where are your headed? (what are your plans for the future)

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why did you choose this topic?

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what did you know before you began?

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what did you learn?

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what did you research?

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what did you learn from your research?

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describe project

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what things went well? what didn’t? how did you handle it?

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overall conclusion about the senior project

Sample of Letter to Judges

123 Somewhere St.

Oconomowac, OK 54426

October 28, 2012

Judges, Cook Inlet Academy Senior Project

45872 K-Beach Rd

Soldotna, AK 99669

Dear Judges:

As a soon-to-be graduate of Cook Inlet Academy, I want to take this opportunity to tell you about some of the things I learned this year. I learned the following: procrastination is not the answer, graduation is earned, and that I can accomplish a lot more than I ever realized I could if I work hard and stay with it. These lessons will be very useful to me when I leave here and go on to further training and into the workforce.

I wasn’t sure if I could make it through four years of high school and graduate. My family has moved around a lot, and I always felt behind in school. Whenever we would move into a new area, I would go to the nearest school, but often it was very frustrating. I would have to repeat something I had already learned or be confused because I came in during the middle of the unit. But it has always been important to me to get a good education because I want to have a productive life for myself and for my family in the future. I will be the only member of my family who has graduated from high school. They are proud of me, and I am proud of myself.

The choice of my senior project on carpentry relates to my career goal. I want to be a master carpenter. I love wood and working with it. I can see myself making beautiful pieces of furniture and cabinets for new homes. Too many people these days don’t appreciate the time and skill it takes to make quality furniture. I would like to draw their attention to the craft of carpentry. My family appreciates my hard work in this area. In fact, my parents and brothers and sisters are currently fighting over who gets to keep the maple dresser I made for my project. I want to leave something of myself with them when I move so I gave it to them.

Although I had to cut back on my hours of work at a nearby restaurant to work on school assignments and projects this year, I am now very happy that I did. I found that I enjoyed researching about my career goal in carpentry, and I really gained a lot of satisfaction from making my maple dresser.

Thank you for taking the time to read my portfolio and for listening to my presentation. I hope you have found them interesting.

Sincerely,

Senior Project Exhibition Requirements

The purpose of the senior project exhibition is to give students the opportunity to share with the community the wonderful work you have done in the a community.

Before the exhibition:

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you are responsible for providing your own electronic equipment

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let your faculty advisor know if you need access to a power outlet

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you are responsible for your complete set up

Must haves at the exhibition:

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a display board

evidence for both your paper and project should be on display

pictures, other graphics, charts, etc.

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if possible, show display something from your project

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dress professionally

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you must remain at your project during the entire exhibition

After the exhibition:

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clean up your area

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put your table away

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take all of your “stuff” home with you

Faculty Advisor Meeting Form

September

Assignments due for this month completed?