MYP Personal Project Packet

Meridian School

MYP Personal Project Packet

2015-2016

Name: ______

Table of Contents:

Description of the Personal Project.………………………………………….………………….………………………...... 3

Global Contexts……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Components of the Personal Project……………………………………………………………………………………………5

Supervisor Information……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Due Dates and Deadlines…….……………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Process Journal Guidelines…………………………………………………………………………………………...……….…....10

Personal Project Paper Guidelines…………..………………………………………………………………………………….11

Grading………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

Personal Project Rubrics………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17-18

What is the Personal Project?

The personal project is a student-driven, inquiry-basedproject that takes place over an extended period of time. When it is complete, it should represent a significant body of work and should showcase the skills you have developed over the past several years.

So, what does that mean?

Student Driven: you get to choose the topic of your personal project, and you get to decide what you want the outcome to be. This project should be 100% based on your interests. Nobody is going to assign you a specific subject and no one is going to tell you what your project should look like in the end. You are responsible for shaping your project. You are in control. By April 29, you will have to decide what you want to accomplish with your personal project.

Inquiry-based: though you determine the topic and outcome of your project, there are some requirements. One is a research requirement: your project must include research. The research you conduct must be varied and you must make sure you evaluate your sources to ensure that they are valid. From May through January, you will spend time conducting research. You will also have to apply what you learn to your product.

Extended Period of Time: this project stretches across your entire sophomore year. There will be grades associated with it (applied to your Design class in 9th Grade, in English in 10th Grade) in each and every term. Therefore, you cannot complete this project last minute; procrastinating will be detrimental.

Significant Body of Work: because so much time is devoted to the personal project, the expectation is that the outcome will be ambitious, and of superior quality. Consider this when you are creating your goals and thinking about what you want to do. This project should go above and beyond any work you have completed in the past. It is the culmination of your interests and learning!

The purpose of the personal project is to help you accomplish objectives in investigating, planning, taking action, and reflecting.

Remember, this is an MYP project. Therefore, you must use one of the sixGlobal Contexts[1] to provide focus to your work. Though your project may apply to more than one Global Context, you will have to decide which one works best.

Don’t worry. You will have the help of a supervisor[2] (this is not your Design teacher!), and he/she will help guide you through the process. Though this is a major undertaking, you will not be alone!

What are the Global Contexts and how do they impact the project?

You must choose one of the six Global Contexts to provide a real-life context for, and a focus to your work.

The six Global Contexts are:

Identities and Relationships: This Global Context explores identity; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; what it means to be human. It asks students to consider – who am I? Who are we? If you choose a project that focuses on people and humanity, this could be a good GC for you.

Orientation of Space and Time: This Global Context explores personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from personal, local, and global perspectives. It asks students to consider the meaning and importance of “where” and “when.” If you choose a project that focuses on history or societies, this could be a good GC for you.

Personal and cultural expression: This Global Context explores the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of aesthetic. It asks students to think about the nature and purpose of creative expression. If you choose a project that focuses on creativity and/or aesthetics, this could be a good GC for you.

Scientific and technical innovation: This Global Context explores the natural world and its laws; the interaction between people and the natural world; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs. It asks students to consider how they understand the world in which they live. If you choose a project that focuses on experimentation or anthropogenic impacts, this could be a good GC for you.

Globalization and Sustainability: This Global Context explores the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the relationship between local and global processes; how local experiences mediate the global; the opportunities and tensions provided by world interconnectedness; the impact of decision-making on humankind and the environment. It asks you to ask yourself how everything is connected. If you choose a project that focuses on systems or environmental impacts, this could be a good GC for you.

Fairness and Development: This Global Context explores rights and responsibilities; the relationship between communities; sharing finite resources with other people and with other living things; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution. It asks you to ask what the consequences of our common humanity are. If you choose a project that focuses on ethics or equality, this could be a good GC for them.

What do I actually have to produce for this project?

There are four main components to the personal project:

The Process Journal is where you document your work as you do it.START NOW. In your process journal you should record your ideas, planning, discussions, clippings of readings and concepts, photographs, diary excerpts, meeting schedules and outcomes with your supervisor – whatever you do that is part of the process should be kept in this document.

The Product is the actual project you produce. It is how you show other people what you have investigated. You need to have some way of showing what you produced or achieved for your goal. This might be an actual product (model, electronic article, artwork), or it might be visuals of the outcome (such as photographs of an event you organized).

The Paper is a technical report you produce following the completion of your project. It is a detailed analysis of your entire project and the process of development. It explains how, why, and what you did, in a well-structured and organized manner.

The Presentation is a display of your project, along with a 3-4 minute oral explanation. You must come up with a way of visually presenting your project (think about tri-folds, photographs, models, etc.) and you must prepare a brief talk about your goals and process.

This presentation will take place during Advisory February 20th-24th 2017.
There will also be an exposition of your project on March 17th 2017.

Additionally: You have five required face-to-face meetings with your supervisor (though you may choose to meet more often).

Who is my supervisor and what does he/she do?

Because this is such a comprehensive project, youwill be provided with a supervisor to help guide you through the process. Your supervisor is responsible for helping you think through your project, however, your supervisor is NOT responsible for the project. Similarly, supervisors do not have to be experts in the field you choose to explore for your project. Supervisors are providing general advice, not specific instruction.

In class on March 28, you will complete your personal project proposal on ManageBac. You will not fill out the supervisor selection—Mrs. Rudd will do that when you have been paired with your Personal Project Supervisor! You must have this project finished by the end of your class period.

By date April 8, 2016, you must complete your first meeting with your supervisor.

You must initiate the conversation about when to meet (you can meet with them after school on Wednesday, April 6—there is time set aside just for this! Or in advisory) and you must follow through.It is up to you to be proactive and make sure that your supervisor participates in your personal project.

What due dates do I have to be aware of?SpringSemester 2016

April 8: First Meeting with Supervisor

You need to meet with your PP Supervisor
In this meeting, you should be prepared to discuss ideas that you have for completing your Personal Project (you should not walk in to this meeting without having considered interests, issues, or activities you might like to pursue)
You need to walk out of this meeting having selected a specific topic, and having discussed some goals you might want to achieve over the course of this process
Reflect in ManageBac in your process journal on the meeting with your supervisor. What went well? Have you created criteria to measure your success yet? What is your next step?

April 29: Goal Defined

You need to settle on a specific topic for your PP
To some degree, this step is the most difficult as it involves crucial decision-making. After this point, you cannot change your topicor your goal
To complete this step, you need to write and submit on ManageBacaone-page explanation of your PP. In this explanation, you must:
Explain how your topic relates to something you are interested in
Justify the oneGlobal Context you will focus on for your project
Create specifications that you will use to evaluate the success of your project
Please Download the File from ManageBac with the full instructions!

May 13: Second Meeting with Supervisor

You need to meet for the second time with your MYP PP Supervisor
In this meeting, you should be prepared to discuss possible sources for the research component of your project
You need to discuss the validity and variation of these sources with your supervisor
Reflect in ManageBac in the process journal.

Fall Semester 2016

August 26: Sources Selected

You need to have identified the sources you will use for your PP.
The sources you select should be varied (you should not exclusively use the internet) and valid (you must evaluate the quality of the research you conduct).
To complete this step, you need to writeand submiton ManageBac a one-page discussion of your sources. In your paper, you must:
establish a wide variety of relevant sources
rationalize how each source is relevant to your Personal Project
thoroughly evaluate the quality of each source (Criterion C)
Please Download the File from ManageBac with the full instructions!

September 9: Third Meeting with Supervisor

You need to meet for the third time with your MYP PP Supervisor
In this meeting, you should be prepared to discuss how you will (or have already) applied your research to the product portion of your personal project
You need to discuss how your research has helped you develop or improve your product
Reflect in ManageBac using the process journal.

October 14: Sources Applied

You need to have discovered how the research you completed will inform your PP
You will need to consider how the research you conducted impacts the Global Context you selected for your project (how does it help you broaden the context of your work?) Similarly, you must consider how you will use your research to make decisions and create solutions.
To complete this step, you must write and submita one-page explication of the application of your sources. In your paper, you must:
Establish how you will use your research to meet the objectives you created in first term (when you set your goal)
Demonstrate how your research has developed your understanding of your PP
Please Download the File from ManageBac with the full instructions!

November 11: Fourth Meeting with Supervisor

You need to meet for the fourth time with your MYP PP Supervisor
In this meeting, you should be prepared to discuss how you will plan your presentation for Advisory (2-4 minute presentation) as well as the exposition event.
Reflect in ManageBac using the process journal.

Spring Semester 2017

January 13: Last Meeting with Supervisor

You need to meet for the final time with your MYP PP Supervisor
In this meeting, you should be prepared to discuss your completed (or almost completed) product
You need to spend some time evaluating your product in light of the specifications you originally created when setting your goal
You need to discuss with your supervisor what you have learned over the course of the PP process, and begin reflecting on your personal growth and development

February 20-24: Personal Project Product Presented in Advisory

During this period, you must sign up to present your PP in Advisory
Your presentation must be between 2 and 4 minutes long
In your presentation, you must describe your original goal, summarize your research, explain your product (and the process you underwent), and evaluate your achievement
You will condense this presentation for the PP exposition on March 17th.
To complete this step, you must write and submit on ManageBaca one page evaluation of your product
In your paper you must consider the criteria you established back in first semester
Discuss how your product measures against the specifications you originally established
Evaluate the quality of your product
Please Download the File from ManageBac with the full instructions!

March 3: Personal Project Paper DUE

You must have submitted a polished, final report on your PP.
You will need to compile and edit all your previously written PP papers, andwrite an additional one to two page Reflection on Learning in order to complete this step.
The Reflection on Learning should demonstrate how completing the PP has extended your knowledge, and allowed you to develop as a learner.
You need to organize all the papers you have completed into a formal report, with a Title Page, a Table of Contents, Clear Section Headings, and an Appendix.

March 17: Exhibition of the Personal Project:

You need to have created a compelling display for your PP.
You need to determine how to best visually represent your PP. Consider that your display needs to be polished, and professional looking. Your display can include photographs, tri-folds, posters, recordings (videos/music), or any other form of school-appropriate media.
In order to complete this step, you must present your project at the exhibition on March 17th.

What should my Process Journal look like?

You will be using ManageBac in order to maintain your process journal. You will be linked to your supervisor, your Design teacher and Mrs. Rudd in ManageBac so that everyone can see and assist you throughout the duration of your Personal Project. ManageBac allows you to document your process electronically, and to incorporate a variety of media. Your entries will be saved by date. This means you cannot attempt to create your entire process journal at the end of the Personal Project! You must show evidence of regular use throughout the year.

Your process journal should:

Demonstrate organization and time-management
Demonstrate information literacy
Demonstrate thinking and reflection

You can use your process journal to:

Plan
Record interactions with Supervisors or other sources
Explore ideas
Save pictures, charts, maps, brainstorms, timelines, notes, illustrations, etc.
Reflect on work
Make Connections
Evaluate Achievements

Your process journal is not a diary, or a static document. You do not need to write in it every day, and you do not need to create detailed paragraphs about what you have done. Each entry should support your current needs, and should reflect where you are in the process. If used thoughtfully, the process journal will support you through the completion of your product and your report.

What should my paper look like?

The paper you will complete for the personal project takes the form of a report. It is broken up into sections in which you will explain the process you undertook in setting your goals, conducting your research, and executing your project. In the paper, there are also sections where you will evaluate your work and reflect on your accomplishments.
You will begin drafting the early sections of this paper as early as April (see due dates and deadlines). However, the compilation of the entire report, as well as the revision and editing of your work, will take place at the end of the year.
Please pay close attention to the formatting and length requirements outlined below, as these will be significant factors in your overall score.

The report must include: Title page, Table of contents, Body of the paper (broken up into sections measured by criterion B-F), Bibliography, & Appendices.

The Title page must include the following.

•Student name

•Title of the project

•Length (word count)

•School name

•Year

The body of the paper is structured around the objectives and assessment criteria and it must include these sections.