The Independent Project is underway! These year-long projects are the students' evidence of ability to produce a quality product, from start to finish, predominately on their own. They are given very little time in class to work on this.
Each student has been given a comb-bound booklet that contains all the requirements, deadline, and rubrics for each part of their project. It has been broken down for them in smaller chunks to make the project more manageable.
So far, students have proposed a topic and written a few journals regarding their progress. Next section that is due, coming up quickly, is the notes and initial bibliography; this is affectionately and with all silliness known as "A BIG IMPORTANT DEADLINE' because of its pivotal role in the project.
First off, the BIG, IMPORTANT DEADLINE is Wednesday, November 26th-the day before Thanksgiving. If you will be pulling your student out early, have him/her turn the notes and initial bibliography in before they leave.
Second, the requirements for notes and initial bibliography are located on an upload on Jupiter. All handouts for the project are located there. In a nutshell, they must take notes from 13 sources (7th grade) or 15 sources (8th grade). These notes are to be in their Independent Project composition book (the same as their journal). There is to be no cut-and-paste from sources; neither may there be an article with highlights. All notes must be handwritten (or student-typed/glued in) and in their own words unless making a quote; if quoting, it must be relatively brief and in the proper format. The initial bibliography must be typed and in proper MLA format, turned in separately from the composition book notes.
Third, in order to avoid the procrastinators panic, students should be at least halfway done with finding resources and taking notes November 3rd. Just a suggestion, not a due date for grading purposes.
The BIG, IMPORTANT DEADLINE is just that because the research paper and all its lovely requirements start becoming due shortly after these notes and initial bibliography. All this research also is required for their physical project and visual for the presentation and speech. Let's make sure they don't shoot themselves in their own feet by waiting until the last minute.
Any questions? Never hesitate to call or email. (Email is better.)
Each student has been given a comb-bound booklet that contains all the requirements, deadline, and rubrics for each part of their project. It has been broken down for them in smaller chunks to make the project more manageable.
So far, students have proposed a topic and written a few journals regarding their progress. Next section that is due, coming up quickly, is the notes and initial bibliography; this is affectionately and with all silliness known as "A BIG IMPORTANT DEADLINE' because of its pivotal role in the project.
First off, the BIG, IMPORTANT DEADLINE is Wednesday, November 26th-the day before Thanksgiving. If you will be pulling your student out early, have him/her turn the notes and initial bibliography in before they leave.
Second, the requirements for notes and initial bibliography are located on an upload on Jupiter. All handouts for the project are located there. In a nutshell, they must take notes from 13 sources (7th grade) or 15 sources (8th grade). These notes are to be in their Independent Project composition book (the same as their journal). There is to be no cut-and-paste from sources; neither may there be an article with highlights. All notes must be handwritten (or student-typed/glued in) and in their own words unless making a quote; if quoting, it must be relatively brief and in the proper format. The initial bibliography must be typed and in proper MLA format, turned in separately from the composition book notes.
Third, in order to avoid the procrastinators panic, students should be at least halfway done with finding resources and taking notes November 3rd. Just a suggestion, not a due date for grading purposes.
The BIG, IMPORTANT DEADLINE is just that because the research paper and all its lovely requirements start becoming due shortly after these notes and initial bibliography. All this research also is required for their physical project and visual for the presentation and speech. Let's make sure they don't shoot themselves in their own feet by waiting until the last minute.
Any questions? Never hesitate to call or email. (Email is better.)