Work with a Faculty Mentor

Each faculty member works with no more than three seniors on their projects. For this reason, it is important that you connect with a mentor early in the year. Your mentor and advocacy advisor will review your project proposal, and help you submit it to a review panel. You and your mentor will meet monthly to document your progress. You may choose from a number of methods to share your research with your mentor:

• notes
• highlighting copies of articles
• photographs
• video
• audio
• other

During the preparation of your project you will be keeping a progress log that details your work step-by-step along with your on-going reflection on your efforts.

An Interest-Based Topic

In order to best demonstrate your acquisition of 21st century skills, it is crucial that you select a topic for exploration that engages your curiosity. Once you have identified your area of study, you will consider an essential question. This statement details the specific topic, how you plan to go about researching the topic, and what you hope the outcome of your research will be.

Research

Much of your learning about your topic will come from research. This study should include work within most of the following categories:

• books
• articles
• websites
• interviews

Your mentor will help you document your findings, and they will serve as a foundation for your presentation in the spring. A complete bibliography will be presented to your project evaluators at the time of your presentation.

Connection to an Outside Authority on Your Topic

In addition to your research, you will consult with someone who works in your selected field of study. This should be included in your bibliography. Your outside authority may be someone who you meet face to face or communicate with online. Think of this person as someone who can check your perceptions or provide you with specific information that you cannot find elsewhere. Be creative in finding your outside consultant, and don’t be afraid to contact someone with impressive credentials. This person is not to be a direct relative.

Application of 21st Century Skills

Demonstrating your growth in the 21st century skills lies at the heart of your senior project. Your presentation of learning will explain to your audience how your course of study has added to your knowledge and abilities in the following categories:

• Core Subject Skills
• Information, Media, and Technology Skills
• Life and Career Skills
• Learning and Innovation Skills
• 21st Century Themes

These outcomes are explicitly stated in your reflection paper. Your project does not need to address every aspect of each skill, but it should show your growth in each of the skills.

Public Presentation of Learning

On April 9, 2024, all seniors will present their projects to an audience consisting of their parents, peers, and an evaluation panel. Attire is professional, and the presentation is designed to follow the following timeline:

15 Minutes for presentation

10 Minutes for the panel to ask the presenter clarifying questions

(Students can determine if they want questions during the presentation or at the end)

5 minutes for the panel to discuss and grade the presentation

5 minutes to give specific feedback to students

More than just an assessment, this presentation is a celebration of learning. We encourage all students to invite those important in their lives to share in their accomplishments.

Reflection

Following your presentation, you will prepare a 2-3 page paper that explains your experience in creating your project plus explain how you met the 21st Century Skills. Below you can find guidelines for the writing of your reflection. Copies of the paper are due to your advocacy advisor and your mentor by the second Monday in May.

The Project and Advocacy

During Advocacy, you will:

• research your topic
• apply your research to your project
• maintain timeline dates
• develop your presentation
• practice your presentation
• reflect upon your learning

As you begin your formal study, you will submit a proposal to your Advocacy teacher. This form will give your readers an understanding of the depth and breadth of your project, and it will help you outline your work as well. The letter includes

• a heading
• a salutation
• an introduction that
  • identifies the topic
  • explains why you chose the topic
  • states in its thesis the essential question that your project will answer
  • identifies what your final product will be
• a body that
  • identifies your mentor
  • explains the steps involved in answering your essential question
  • identifies your outside authority and describes that person’s role in helping you complete your project
  • lists preliminary research resources that you have already found
• a conclusion that
  • rephrases the essential question
  • summarizes the plan to answer it
  • identifies the significance of that answer
• a closing
• your signature

It is very important to keep a weekly log regarding your project’s progress. This journal provides you with an opportunity to monitor your accomplishments, and it will give your mentor and your Advocacy teacher an idea of how things are going. Some possible questions to answer in writing your narrative:

• What did you do this week?
• What was the most important thing you learned?
• Did you accomplish the goals you set last week? If so, explain.
• What is giving you trouble? Where can you get help?
• What are your goals for next week?

***Click on View More to see timeline table***

Purpose: The literature review is a necessary component of the senior project to ensure that students are making research a vital part of their decision-making. The literature review is a process check to ensure that students are on the right track and to create the next steps they need to take to have a successful presentation.

Logistics:

• The Literature Review will take place in classrooms with the student’s assigned panel. The student will sit at the table and share what research they have done using their annotated bibliography.
• Students will dress in normal school attire.
• Each student must have an appropriate number of credible sources to support decision-making and problem-solving in their project. Include a minimum of
  • 2 interviews with an outside expert or one interview and one personal communication (email/text)
  • one scholarly or peer-reviewed research article
  • 2 general information sources
• The approved Proposal Letter and Annotated Bibliography must be submitted to each panel member prior to the Literature Review interview.
• The Literature Review panel will be the same panel for the final presentations.
• Students may not complete their senior presentation without successfully completing their Literature Review.
• The Literature Review panel will notify the student’s Advocacy teacher if they have successfully completed the review.
• If a student does not successfully pass the Literature Review, they will be responsible for reconvening their panel together on their own time to make another attempt.
• Each student will be given 10 minutes to review their annotated bibliography and answer questions similar to the following:
  • What is the strategy used to research your project?
  • How do the sources you found contribute to the project?
  • How do you know that your sources are credible?
  • How has your mentor helped guide you to appropriate sources and information?
  • What role has your outside expert had in your decision-making of where to find research and how to apply it to your final product or service?
  • How are you going to apply what you learned in the research to your project?
  • What will your methods be to complete your project?
  • Summarize your research.

***Click on View More for Annotated Bibliography Steps/Form***

Annotated Bibliography

Your Annotated Bibliography should include (at a minimum):

• 2 interviews with an outside expert OR one interview and one personal communication (email/text)
• one scholarly or peer-reviewed research article
• 2 general information sources  (wiki, YouTube, etc.)

Include the following in EACH entry of your annotated bibliography:

1. Cite sources using MLA style. Please use MyBib.com to create your citations, but be sure to double-check your citations for mistakes (it’s only a software program, after all). Use the link shorturl.at/vOS58 to access the Purdue OWL for additional help with citations.
2. Summarize: Describe the main ideas, arguments, etc., and identify the intended audience. Identify the observations or conclusions of the author.
3. Evaluate: Explain the author’s expertise, point of view, and any bias he/she may have. Compare to other sources on the same topic that you have also cited to show their strengths, weaknesses, similarities and differences.
4. Reflect: Explain why each source is useful for your research topic and how it is relevant.

Formatting:

• All lines should be double-spaced. Do not add an extra line between the citations.
• Indent all lines of the citation after the first line (hanging indent) and indent all lines after the first line of the annotation.
• Entries should appear in ALPHABETICAL ORDER based on the first letter of the entry.

Sample MLA Annotation: In the sample annotation below, the writer includes a summary, an evaluation of the text, and a reflection on how it applies to her own research. (Italics, bolding and underlining are for demonstration only – don’t mark your annotations this way.)

"Single-sex schools good for girls' confidence." Age [Melbourne, Australia], 11 Jan.

2019, p. 2. Global Issues in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A568970553/GIC?u=wylrc_wyomingst&sid=GIC&xid=c0f1c298. Accessed 5 Mar. 2019.

This article cites a study done by Terry Fitzsimmons from the AIBE Centre for Gender Equality in the Workplace at Queensland University, which says that while girls’ confidence usually decreases compared to boys’ around age nine and doesn’t increase until old age, girls who attend girls-only schools do not experience this drop in self-confidence. This implies that girls-only schools are better for girls’ education because the drop in self-esteem corresponds to lower scores in several school subject areas. This article is credible because it cites two separate studies done by university researchers. Both studies used approved research methods and were peer-reviewed. In addition, the researchers involved in both studies are considered to be on the cutting edge of research on this topic.  The information in this article is useful for my research because it not only gives a background of previous research, it gives an example of how educating girls separately is good for their confidence.

Enter Title

Example:

Peer Reviewed Article using mybib.com

Ilgen, Daniel R., et al. “Personal Characteristics, Knowledge of the Veterinary Profession, and Influences on Career Choice among Students in the Veterinary School Applicant Pool.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 223, no. 11, Dec. 2003, pp. 1587–1594, avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/223/11/javma.2003.223.1587.xml, 10.2460/javma.2003.223.1587. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021.

This article discusses research used to determine common characteristics among people who chose to enter the field of veterinary medicine. It further discusses the skills, aptitudes, knowledge and attitudes people should possess when applying to veterinary schools. This article is significant to my senior project as I am considering a career in the field of veterinary medicine. The article gives me a sound idea of what would be expected of me in college and as a professional in the field, such as being able to cope with loss, being sympathetic to pet owners, making medical decisions that are emotionally taxing.

Personal Interview Sample: 

Doolittle, Doctor. How to Talk with Animals. 30 Oct. 2022.

I met with Dr. Doolittle to determine if it is possible for all veterinarians to talk with animals. Dr. Doolittle’s response was, “Well, if you are meaning can all veterinarians speak the same language with animals as I do, then my answer would be of course not, how silly!” “But! If you are asking if we are all capable of communicating with animals, then it would depend upon the person. If you have nearly endless patience, know the animal well, and can tell when they aren’t feeling well or they hurt somewhere, if you can distinguish their different moods, then yes, you could communicate with animals as I do.”

Video example

Nat Geo Wild. “Reading a Dog’s Signals | Dog Whisperer.” Www.youtube.com, Nat Geo Wild, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7SvC5t_pw. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.

The video demonstrates an example of how to read a dog’s behavior and how to respond so that the dog does not feel threatened and becomes aggressive. In the field of veterinary medicine, it is important to be able to read when an animal is agitated, afraid, or in pain because all of these factors could lead to a dog becoming aggressive.

Frequently Asked Questions about Senior Projects

Literature Review

1. How many sources am I expected to have?

Generally speaking, you need to have enough to ensure that you are successful in your project. The basic idea is that students are expected to research new information and then make an informed decision and apply what they have learned to their project. We have found that the more sources you have, the chances are you will be more successful in your project.

1. What type of research am I expected to do?

The best answer we can give is to find a variety of sources. Look at the internet, books, magazines, professionals in the field, or any other source that can help you make an informed decision. We would emphasize that there needs to be a variety of sources. If you are working on a welding project, for example, research the rod, welder, temperatures, welding process, size and type of metal, how to cut and fabricate the project. Some of this can be done through local professionals but then a deeper understanding can be made if you research though Lincoln Welders what settings and specifications the welders have that may be helpful.

1. What do I need to bring to the Literature Review?

You need to bring an annotated bibliography and a copy of your approved Proposal Letter. You may bring other documents that may help in your presentation of your research. Please make sure you have given copies to each of your panel members, one week in advance of the review date.

1. Who approves my proposal letter?

You should submit your proposal letter to the Advocacy teacher. Your Advocacy teacher will then review your proposal letter with a team of teachers and let you know if it has been approved. If the letter is not approved, the review team will provide feedback that will help you meet expectations. It is a very good idea to make sure that your mentor has a copy of the proposal letter.

1. How is my panel determined?

Your mentor is automatically on your panel, and then we find two other staff members.

1. What happens if I don’t do my literature review?

In order to present on senior presentation day, you must have successfully completed your literature review. If for some reason you are absent and miss the lit review, you can set up another time with your panel to complete the review.

Senior Presentation

1. How many hours am I required to spend on the senior presentation?

There is not set limit on hours. If you are painting your pickup truck for your senior presentation, then you should have completed the project. If you are writing a children’s book, you should again have the finished product. If you decide to research what it takes to become a dentist, you should have a strong understanding of what it will take and some time spent working with an outside expert in the field. How many hours does it take to complete these? The answer is that it takes enough to complete a quality project.

1. What happens if I don’t pass the first time

If you do not pass your presentation the first time, you will be expected to fix the parts of your presentation that are lacking. You will be expected to set up another time with your panel to make the necessary corrections. If for example, you did not pass your project because you had not completed the product, you would be expected to complete it and then show the panel the final results.

1. How should I dress for the Literature Review and the final presentation?

The literature review is casual dress, but the final presentation is expected to be “professional” dress. Girls, this means professional dress with no flip flops. Boys, you will be expected to be in nice slacks, tie, and dress shoes. One exception for example, is that if you are presenting in the kitchen, we will allow you to dress the part. If you are in the welding shop, you can dress the part. Dressing the part of a profession is very appropriate. If you have any questions with this, contact your 21 Advisor or mentor. Another issue that has arisen is if you do not have any of the required dress items; please contact your principal before the presentation day so that we can make necessary arrangements.

1. Can I use someone from school or my immediate family as my outside source?

We strongly discourage this. These people can be very valuable resources, but we would like you to expand your horizons with research to add even more variety and knowledge to your project. If you have any special concerns with this, please see Mr. Lester for ideas and approval.

1. Can I use a project from another class for my senior project?

Generally we would say no. However, we have and will continue to approve projects that are senior project worthy as long as they significantly extend the work and learning involved.

1. Can I do the senior project with a partner?

Generally we say no. On occasion we have approved and will approve partner projects. The main stipulation is that the presentations have to be done completely separate and the presentations need to be different. Each individual needs to present their own learning with their own individual resources. One of the main focuses of the panel is to measure the student’s learning and growth. This is much more identifiable when the presentations take place individually. Frequently Asked Questions

Presentation Guidelines

Scoring Rubric