Philipbarbourhigh School Senior Project

PhilipBarbourHigh School Senior Project

General Information

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Senior Project is to provide an opportunity for each senior to explore in depth an area of specific interest, while demonstrating mastery of skills acquired during the high school experience.

Senior Project Goals

To participate in an extended, rigorous and organized foundation for learning.
To select and explore a topic of personal interest.
To prepare for post-secondary school expectations, requirements and experiences.
To communicate knowledge and skills effectively before an audience.
To demonstrate mastery of West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives.

Senior Project Components

The Research Paper (factual: report-style, or interpretive: thesis and conclusion).
The Physical Project (e.g. a physical product, a performance, teaching or physical

experience).

The Presentation (final component, a power-point presentation demonstrating your expert knowledge of the topic.
The Portfolio – an organized collection of all documents and research associated with your senior project paper and presentation
(Optional) A second formal presentation to a larger panel for scholarship purposes.

Senior Project Staff Support

The Senior Project activities will take place during Senior English classes. The senior English teachers, Adviser/Advisee 12 teachers, and support staff will serve as the key faculty contacts to facilitate the students’ efforts by explaining the project’s purpose, providing guidance in project selection, assisting in project organization and timelines, scheduling and supervising research and computer resource opportunities, and serving on the review panel.

While English teachers will serve as resources in the research paper/documentation phase, additional staff members or community members may serve as mentors, resource persons in areas of expertise related to students’ topics, and panel review members.

Further detailed information about the Senior Project will be provided to students through their senior English class, Adviser/Advisee 12 classes, and the Philip Barbour website. Questions in the meantime may be directed to the PBHSC administration, guidance department, or Senior English teachers.

Overview

The Senior Project is a culminating activity designed to provide enrichment learning for seniors in an area of specific interest, while demonstrating mastery of skills and concepts learned during their high school experiences. This graduation requirement will help to foster independent, lifelong learners who have the ability to utilize various resources in the attainment of an important goal.

Requirements

The Senior Project is divided into four parts. All four must be completed satisfactorily prior to graduation. It is anticipated that a minimum of fifteen hours will be spent on a proficient project, while thirty or more hours will be spent on an excellent project. A portfolio (primarily a three-hole binder) must be maintained to include all materials pertinent to the project for verification purposes as necessary.

I. Preparation: The student seeks out, analyzes, and selects information on the topic.

This portion of the Senior Project involves selecting resources, making notes, finding reproductions, graphics, and other evidence that demonstrates the student has thoroughly researched the topic. A minimum of forty note cards (standard 3 x 5 or larger) will be organized into the portfolio as supportive material.

II. Research Paper: The student becomes an expert on the topic and produces a researchpaper of six-ten pages, excluding the works cited and title page.

The research paper must be written on a single controlling idea.
All research must be original without plagiarism.
The paper must be double-spaced with a 12pt. Times New Roman font and one inch margins.
No more than twenty percent of the paper may be direct quotations.
A minimum of six sources must be used in the paper and appear on the works. cited page, excluding hardcover or electronic general information encyclopedias.
No more than four Internet sources may be used.
Follow the Source Documentation Guidelines provided by your English teacher to correctly credit sources.

For English TR classes – the 4-6 page paper will focus on a chosen career. Along with the 4-6 page research paper, the student will create a resume and a cover letter for future employment purposes.

For English 12 classes – the 6-10 page paper may include chosen career topics, but not to the exclusion of other topics of interest.

For English CR classes – the 8-15 page paper will include an annotated bibliography of 8-10 sources, and an MLA style Works Cited page.

For AP Language and Composition Classes – The senior project research paper is completed independently of class. The 8-15 page research paper will include an annotated bibliography of 8-10 sources, and an MLA style Works Cited page.

III .Physical Project: The student will create, demonstrate, or perform something related to the research topic.

The physical project involves “stretching” beyond the student’s normal comfort zone.
The portfolio will include a project log of the amount of time and specific work accomplished on the physical project. Only hours spent on the physical product are logged. Those hours cannot include any time spent in a class at the high school, the CTE center, or the Fred Eberle center. Any time spent on the physical project during school hours cannot be logged. The log will reflect the date, the number of hours spent and an activity description.
English TR Classes – students must log 15 – 30 hours on their physical products. To receive a proficient score of 64-5-92.4, a student must log 15-30 hours. To receive an excellent score of 92.5 or above, a student must log 30 or more hours.
English 12 Classes – the requirements are the same as English TR. See above.
English CR and AP Language and Composition Classes – students must log 30 hours and above on their physical product.
Physical product hours will be verified by the Senior Project Log Sheet and conferences with the senior English Teacher. Parents / mentors must meet with the English 12 teacher before the senior project presentation to verify hours logged on the physical project. This may take place during Parent/Teacher conferencesor by appointment.
Evidence of hours logged in the form of photos, video, letters from parents and mentors must be turned in to the teacher one week prior to the scheduled presentation.
Costs incurred in the completion of this activity is the responsibility of the student, as the students selects his/her own project.
The presentation date will be scheduled by the senior English teacher after the final portfolio has been approved.

IV. Presentation: The student explains to his senior English class what he/she has learned from the Senior Project.

The presentation will be a minimum of six minutes and a maximum of ten minutes.
The student will use a balance of paper, project, and an explanation of the process used.
The presentation will be well organized.
Students are encouraged to practice the presentation ahead of time with peers, teachers, family members, etc.
Effective speaking skills will be demonstrated.
The portfolio must be given to the English teacher at least one week prior to the presentation.
A question/answer period will follow the six-ten minute presentation.
Presentations will be scheduled during the week of Westest (usually the second or third week in May). Presentations will be scheduled through Adviser/Advisee classes. The presentation, PowerPoint, and physical product will be evaluated by both the English 12 teacher and the student’s adviser.

V. General Guidelines: The Evaluation Process.

Each student’s Senior Project will receive feedback from their peers, as well as, a formal evaluation form their senior English teacher and adviser. Following the approval of the portfolio, the senior English teacher will make one of three determinations regarding the presentation for the purpose of graduation credit:

Proficient (Satisfactory) – Senior Project is complete with a rating between 65 and 92 and credit is granted. The great majority of students will earn this rating.
Excellent (Outstanding) – Senior Project is completed in an exemplary manner with a rating greater than 93 and credit is granted.
Incomplete – Senior Project is incomplete because of a rating less than 65 and credit is not yet granted. Gaps in requirements remain or improvement is needed.

If the student is not ready to make the presentation on the scheduled date, he/she will be rated as incomplete and rescheduled.

If a Senior Project is still judged incomplete following the presentation, the student will use input from his/her senior English teacher to improve the project and reschedule a second presentation.