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QUEST Senior Project Handbook 2019-2020

Thomas Lind, Instructor Robert A. Millikan High School 2800 Snowden Ave. Long Beach, California 90815

QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

QUEST Senior Project Introduction The QUEST Senior Project is a culminating, humanities-based exit program that prepares students for college-level writing and research. In addition, it gives students an opportunity to explore an area of career interest through completing an independent project/internship, writing a research paper, producing a professional-quality multi-media presentation, and developing an academic portfolio. This rigorous course prepares students to become independent adults and life-long learners. Students will use a wide variety of resources as they work through the phases of the program. Community members, as well as school and district staff, serve as mentors and evaluators during the research, project, and presentation phases. Students are expected to research and work on their project on a regular basis throughout the year, and to expect periods of intense work as important deadlines approach. The course is built around the physical product, which drives most of the other learning. The research paper must facilitate some of the learning required to complete the physical product; the portfolio must chronicle the student’s experience in developing and completing the physical product; and the board evaluation is where the student shares their physical product and defends the time spent working on it. Therefore, the student must choose his/her product wisely: Find something you care about, something with many layers of learning, something that will hold your interest for a long time. This choice is critical—students who choose well always succeed, those who choose poorly count this course among their worst nightmares. Projects do not have to cost money. Any financial decisions associated with the project must be made by the student and his/her family. Donated materials are always acceptable. Please speak to your instructor for ideas. Discipline and cell phone policy posted in class. No cellphone use unless otherwise instructed by the teacher. Mr. Lind does not accept Millie Bucks. Grading categories: Semester One: Research Paper Speeches Prove-Its Participation/Classwork/HW

35% 30% 15%

Semester Two: Physical Product Portfolio Board Evaluations Progress Report

20%

20% 25% 25% 10% 2

QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

Participation/CW/HW

20%

Senior Project Parent Information 2019-2020 Contacts: Thomas Lind

425-7441, x. 4446 Room 834 [email protected] Conference: periods 2 & 3

Due Dates: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Quarterly Calendar Checks Project Proposal: September 17/18 Mentor chosen: October 7/8 Research Paper: annotated bibliographies and 8 notes: Oct. 17/18 16 notes: Oct. 25/28 Thesis statement: Oct. 29/30 Research Paper outline, including works cited and APA in-text citations: Nov 6/7 Project Commitment Speech: November 4-12 Research Paper draft one: December 4 Research Paper speeches: Dec. 10-17 Research Paper due: Dec. 18 Proof of Venue Booking or Venue research and contacts: by December 18 Prove-Its: periodically as teacher asks Career Report Powerpoint Presentation (semester final): January 16 - 24 Progress Report Powerpoint Presentation: March 9 - March 20 Physical Product: March 30 Portfolio: April 6 Senior Project Board Evaluations: Tuesday -Thursday, April 21-23 QSPN Presentation Board blueprint and text: May 15 QUEST Senior Night: Tuesday May 26

How you can help: 1. Support your student by talking with him/her. Ask about the project frequently. Don’t nag (unless you want to), just talk to them about it. 2. Help your student locate a mentor, but make him/her do the contact and explanation work. 3. Provide financial support if possible. 4) Help your student get where they need to be on time. 5) DON’T help them when they are stuck due to their own poor planning. 6) DON’T cover for your student.

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QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

PHYSICAL PRODUCT/FIELDWORK INFORMATION Some students will make a project choice that does not challenge him/her in any significant way. The thinking behind these choices is often survivalist: with all the AP courses in senior year, students are afraid to push themselves any further for fear of failing. Without exception, the students who have done this found several things to be true: 1) not challenging turns into exceptionally boring; 2) they did not feel proud of their accomplishment because there was none; 3) there is no sense of growth or discovery associated with the work; and 4) they wasted their time. 1.

The project must demonstrate passion, learning stretch, and risk. A learning stretch is a challenge of new content and/or skills. A risk is when you stretch your personal comfort zone, usually social/emotional/physical. The project is designed to stretch your abilities, talents, interests, etc. It cannot be something you have done before unless you are adding a new skill or a new level. For example, let’s say you want to major in engineering with a focus on robotics. Your Senior Project could be developing a robotic hand or arm. Let’s say you want to major in criminal justice with a focus on forensics. Your senior project would be shadowing a forensic scientist or investigator. Let’s say you want to major in liberal studies with a focus on early childhood education. Your senior project would be working in or developing an afterschool program.

2.

The project requires a minimum of 75 hours. Whatever you do must take 75 hours, and you must prove that you spent that minimum time by keeping a log. Building a chair, teaching one lesson, or cooking a 3-course meal will not take 75 hours. However, preparing, teaching lessons, and follow-up could constitute 75 hours. We want to see development over time, not just within a weekend.

3.

Students must keep a logbook of their daily experiences working on the physical product/fieldwork. The log contains your notes, descriptions and reflections of each session spent doing the product/fieldwork, organized chronologically and including the date and time spent working. This will help you when you type up your journal entries allowing you to be more detailed in your writing.

4.

Photographs of you in action working on your project are essential. Anytime you are working on your project, working with your mentor, etc. take several pictures. Also remember to take pictures of tools and/or equipment that you are using throughout your project. This is evidence!

5.

The physical product/fieldwork should clearly show evidence of working with a mentor. The Senior Project requires problem-solving skills, and one of the most annoying problems is trying to schedule time with a mentor. Simply saying, “our schedules didn’t match” is an unacceptable excuse for not developing this relationship.

6.

The mentor or significant adult who has knowledge of the time spent will need to evaluate and sign a verification form that the student did, in fact, spend 75 hours on the physical project. Verifications of your work with your mentor will be required throughout.

DEFINITIONS: Physical Product--A product that represents a learning stretch and has a significant intellectual component; it challenges the student in multiple ways. Fieldwork-- Any work done outside of a classroom and library to build, create, or learn about the physical product.

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QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

Letter of Intent: Outline 1231 Saint Street Stockton, Ca 95209 (Student address) October 11, 1999 (Today’s date) (3 lines of space) Mr. Bob Doe (QSP instructor's name) 815 S. Oakdale (School address) Lodi, CA 95242 (2 lines of space) Dear Mr. Doe: (double space between elements: greeting, paragraphs, closing) Paragraph I: Describe why you chose your project work. Explain what you already know, experienced or have accomplished in this area. What college major or career of interest is most closely related to your project? Paragraph II:

Include the specific topic on which your paper will focus and how that connects to your overall physical product work. How will your paper help you move your project forward?

Paragraph III:

Describe your product/ fieldwork, what it will be, who will be involved, potential cost, potential time spent, and possible resources. Use your research.

Sincerely, (leave 4 lines here to allow space for a signature; don't forget to sign it!) Bill Duncan (Student’s name) Samples may be found at the following website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/02/ We prefer block formatting All of the above elements will be part of the score on this letter.

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QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

PHYSICAL PRODUCT/FIELDWORK LOG During the physical product/fieldwork phase of the Senior Project, you must keep an up-to-date record of the effort, results, and time you have spent working on your physical product/fieldwork. This log is important for several reasons. First, it keeps you on task and focused by requiring you to write down all that you have accomplished so far and what you still need to complete. Second, it helps keep a record of the time spent on the physical product/fieldwork. Finally, the physical product/fieldwork log allows the teacher and the Senior Board Judges to realize the effort, thought, and learning stretch you have expended. It will give them a clear idea of the scope of your physical product/fieldwork. The log will be part of the Portfolio the judges will review before Senior Boards. Therefore, you will want it to be clearly and neatly written. Your log should include the following: 1. Date 2. Write in your log exactly what you did and the total time you spent completing it (i.e. writing, designing, constructing, planning, taking classes or lessons, interviewing or contacting sources, volunteering, reading, purchasing materials). 3. How do you feel about what you did? 4. What are you going to do next? 5. Total time spent An important element of QSP is running into problems completing your work. Be sure to log any and all issues you encounter, and your thoughts on solving them! This information will be very useful in May. SAMPLE PHYSICAL PRODUCT/FIELDWORK LOG (writing and publishing poetry) 3-22-15 Now that I’ve finished writing my poems (although I need to polish a few of them), I am starting the second half of my project, which is trying to have my poetry published. I talked to my neighbor, Mrs. Gonzalez, for two hours today. Since she has had several poems published in magazines and she told me about the process. She was very helpful and lent me her book, Writer’s Markets, which lists many publications interested in publishing poetry. I spent an hour looking over possible markets. Almost all of them do not buy poems, however. Oh well, it will be a thrill just to be published and have others read my poetry. Tomorrow, I will draft my first query letter to one of the magazines about some poems. Also, I will check with my English teacher about possible poetry competitions. Total time spent: 3 hours

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QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

MORE ABOUT LOGGING MINUTES AND HOURS… E-mails/Texts: All significant E-mails and texts must be printed and included in the log section of the portfolio. If the mentor or respondent returns your E-mail or text via phone call, then you must log that phone discussion as a standard journal entry. Phone conversations: All phone conversations must be logged and accounted for as standard journal entries. These entries may be brief, or lengthy, according to the time spent on the phone. Simple yes/no and scheduling calls do not need to be logged, unless you spent a significant amount of time attempting these things and ran into problems. Any summertime conversations that have already taken place between you and your mentor may be backdated. Be realistic about the length of your phone conversations. Taking classes/Interning/On the job training: These are quality hours that must be logged. However these hours will not exceed 80% of your total time on the physical product. Also, be sure to log exactly what you did at class or in the work place and how it relates to your project. Perhaps it was a skill that you were learning, a procedure, etc. Write while the memory is fresh! All other times out of the classroom: Be sure to document and describe exactly what you were doing for your project. Do not simply state that you were shopping for supplies for an hour. Tell us what you were shopping for, why you thought that would be a good place to go, what you found there, and advice they gave you on where to go next. Do not stretch these hours! Be realistic and honest.

Much of your grade and success in the class is determined by the quality of journal entries. Journal entries need to be completed the same day you do your fieldwork!

Finding a mentor

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QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

For many students, finding a mentor is one of the most difficult aspects of the project. For all students, however, this process and relationship is one of the most powerful learning components of the course. Here are the requirements your mentor must fulfill, and also some suggestions on how to go about finding one. Requirements: ● Must be an expert in the field for which you are asking his/her help ● Cannot be a mother/father/guardian, boyfriend/girlfriend, or otherwise significant other ● Must be ready to commit to a minimum of 20 hours working with you ● Must be available for face-to-face meetings, this includes Skype ● Will help you complete and adjust a curriculum map and review and apply industry standards ● Must complete a mentor verification form at the end of the project Suggestions: ● Parents CAN help you find a mentor, but that help should be little more than providing you with a phone number for a person who would be likely to help you ● Talk to family members, friends, parents of friends, and coworkers first in your search ● Talk to educators, either at your school or at a local city college or university ● Many of the people you talk to might not be able to be your mentor, but might be able to put you in touch with someone else who could become your mentor ● When you have found several candidates for mentorship, try to set up an appointment to meet him/her face-to-face; it is much harder to say ‘NO’ to someone sitting across from you than it is to a voice on the phone or a stranger’s email ● When requesting someone’s service as a mentor, put your best foot forward: dress professionally, speak clearly, exhibit strong posture, and possess specific information about your project that shows you have done a lot of thinking and planning already ● Finally, during any interview consider the needs of the person with whom you are speaking: be grateful for the time given you, be flexible within his/her schedule, be organized in how you present your questions and/or request ● All of the above works for establishing a job shadowing situation, as well ● Review emails with your instructor as needed in order to establish and a professional relationship. Don’t be afraid to cc your instruction on any emails you are sending.

Mentor Verification Form (To be completed at the END of the project)

Student’s Name___________________________________________________________________________________ Physical Product/Fieldwork____________________________________________________________ 8

QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

You have been chosen to verify this student’s efforts on his/her physical product/fieldwork. Please answer all of the following questions to help us evaluate his/her physical product/fieldwork. 1. What did you observe and/or do with the student?

2. Have you seen the physical product/fieldwork at different stages of completion, not just the final phase? Yes_______________ No________________ Comments:

3. What problems specifically did the student encounter and overcome? Please include example(s)

4. What success have you seen this student achieve? Please include example(s)

5. How did you meet the student?

6. How often did you meet and work with the student, and how long was each meeting?

Mentor Signature_____________________________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________

Date__________________________

Thank you for your cooperation. The Millikan High School QUEST program sincerely appreciates your willingness to help young people.

QUEST Senior Project Research Paper A major portion of your senior project is the research paper. This is where you should be learning part of what you need to know to finish the physical product. This paper counts for 35% of your overall course grade—do not take this assignment lightly. Due date is as stated on page 3. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The first thing you need to develop is a research question focused around some aspect of your physical product. If your physical product is creating a business plan, your paper must focus on some aspect of that topic, like “what are the pros and cons of starting a business from the ground up compared to buying an existing franchise?” If your product is creating four unique oil paintings, your question might be “what are the ways artists have used oils across the centuries?” 9

QUEST Senior Project

Mr. Lind

Once you have developed a question, you must begin researching an answer so that you can develop a thesis statement. The thesis statement should express a provable idea rooted in answering your research question. It should also give the reader a sense of the structure of your paper. In the examples given above, possible simple thesis statements might include, “Compared to buying an existing franchise, startup businesses require more planning in regards to funding, location, and market research.” Or, “Many artists have used oil paints not only for their vibrant colors, but to texture, light, and shade their art in more realistic and fantastic ways.” Once you have developed a thesis statement, write it at the top of every note sheet you make so you will remain focused on it at all times during researching and writing.

The requirements: I. 8-10 pages in length, bibliography does not count in this number II. Sources and citations A. 6 sources minimum 1. At least 2 academic journal sources found on internet databases are acceptable. 2. No encyclopedias/Wikipedia; however, these are good places to find relevant sources and search vocabulary. 3. At least 1 relevant image: chart, graph, photograph, map, etc. Must be properly labeled. Text must be wrapped around image if image is less than half a page in size. 4. All sources listed in a proper APA Works Cited page included at end of paper (this includes any images) B. Citations 1. One citation minimum per body paragraph 2. Each citation matches one of the sources listed under “works cited” III. APA format used throughout IV. Text A. 12 font: Times or Times New Roman B. Left justified C. Margins formatted to APA specifications (1 inch: top, bottom, left and right) D. Must create a header which includes your last name and page number V. Thesis statement boldfaced in the introduction

VI. Additional considerations: A. Check the validity of your sources—we will—especially internet sources. B. Introduce facts through quotation, paraphrase, summary, charts, tables, or graphs—vary your presentation of these details! C. The best papers will consider whether or not there is bias in your sources, and take this into account when discussing conclusions. D. Your concl...