Voices of Witness:Research Project & Presentation

"We shall not cease from exploration

and the end of all our exploring

will be to arrive where we started

and know the place for the first time."

T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding”

Part One: Written Informative Paper--INDIVIDUAL

Assignment: Write a two page informative essay on their nonfiction text. What is a theme that is present across multiple stories? What are the editors implying about that particular theme/claim? Link to Assignment. Link to Rubric.

Learning Target 1: Reading

I can determine a central, implicit idea that the editors are making throughout multiple narratives.

I can cite evidence to support that claim.
I can evaluate the evidence presented to support the editor’s implicit claim.

Learning Target 2: Writing

I can follow a writing process to produce clear writing in which the development, organization, style, and voice are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

I can support my claim using appropriate evidence
I can use organizational techniques to develop my claim.

Part Two: Research--GROUP

Assignment: An exploration of St. Louis. You are going to take the theme topic from your informative essay and explore its implications locally. You may choose to do this portion of the project in pairs or in small groups (you may also choose to work with someone who read a different book than you did as long as you work with the same themes). Your final product will be an outline for a presentation that will include 1) a synopsis of your VOW text, 2) an overview of how you applied the theme to St. Louis/Missouri and 3) an activity for your audience that connects to your topic/research. Link to Assignment. Link to Rubric.

Learning Target 1: Research

I can develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts.

I can develop a research question to direct my inquiry.
I can use various sources to find the most appropriate details, examples, and quotations.
I can cite my research appropriately.
I understand the research process and use it to successfully complete a project

Learning Target 2: Presearch

I can use the presearch process to develop a research question.

Part 3: Presentation--GROUP

Presenting Your Research

Audience: Your audience will be your peers, teachers, and possibly parents. The final product will be presented in the Auditorium Lobby on October 9th during your hour (and another hour connected to your hour). The Honors teachers will send out an email to the school with a list of students participating in the presentations and the hours they will be excused from. For example, if you are in second hour English, you will miss your 1st hour. You are RESPONSIBLE for reminding your teacher and making up the work you miss during that class.

Schedule:

1st and 2nd hour students: 7:30 a.m.-9:10 a.m.

3rd and 4th hour students: 9:25 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

5th, 6th, and 7th hour students: 12:45 p.m.-2:20 p.m.

Learning Target: Presentation Skills

I can plan and deliver presentations to engage and inform the intended audience.

Step 1: You need to decide how you are going to present your research.

Will you use a prezi or a trifold board?
How will you maintain audience engagement?
If you are with a partner or group, who will handle what elements of the presentation?

Step 2: Here are the basic requirements for each presentation: Link to Rubric

Time limit: 8-10 minutes
Overview of your Voices of Witness book - give a brief summary of your Voices book and explain how the narratives led to your research topic
Transition from the Voices book to your more focused topic
Research Question (this might be the transition)
Information and sources you researched presented in an organized manner
Verbal citation of your sources; if you have written work on your project, it should also be cited appropriately (remember, quotes AND paraphrases should be cited)
An interactive element that engages your audience; this can be a quick game, answering questions, an activity, etc...the best presentations call for audience involvement in some manner
Some form of visual component either on computer or tri-fold board (if you have another idea, let us know)
- Use color, images, documents, objects, graphics, and design, as well as words, to display your research. Exhibits can be interactive (such as asking viewer to listen to music, watch a video, or interact with your presentation).
- Warning: If you are going to do a prezi or powerpoint, you will be asking your audience to look at a laptop screen--not very engaging. Additionally, you should be wary of filling your prezi with all of the words in your presentation--boring! You should be the center of this presentation:)
Explain why this topic is important locally and close with "Do you have any questions?"

Practice, Practice, Practice

Your presentation should be well rehearsed. You may use notecards to guide you, but the best presentations and presenters often do not. We are expecting this to be an actual presentation, not you reading from a powerpoint or notecards. You should also be prepared for your audience to ask you questions.

Schroll's Calendar

Part 4: Reflection

In class, you will write a reflection on your progress and process throughout this unit. Please keep the above steps in mind when writing.

Questions to think about:

In writing your Informative Essay, what do you do well? What do you need to improve upon in your next essay or your revision?
In your research, what did you find difficult? easy? What would you do differently next time? Think about your research process AND your outline/works cited. What did you learn? What do you still need to learn?
In your presentation, what were you definitely prepared for? What could you have improved upon? Think about the other presentations you visited--how do you think you compared to what you saw? How did your presentation stand out as different from someone else's?
Talk about your habits of learning: did you read/complete the packets? Does your work reflect your best attempts? Did you turn in work on time or ask for an extension? Did you use your work time effectively? If you worked in a group or pair, what did you find easy or difficult in your collaboration? If you worked solo, what did you find easy or difficult?