Final Portfolio

A portfolio showcases your learning from this school year. It is a celebration of all your excellent work and a tool you can use for future job, college, scholarship, and other interviews. It is also the most important project we do all year. 

View Past Student Samples Here.

Part 1: Review What We Have Done

Review the "Units" at the left or top menu of our class website, see photos from our year, and tour the work on the classroom walls to see what we have done this school year.

Part 2: Build Your Portfolio

Follow the "Final Portfolio" guidelines to build your portfolio. Go to Google Classroom and find these guidelines under "Classwork" -> "End of School".

Tips for building a digital portfolio in Google Docs with a Chromebook:

• To include pictures of your work use "Insert" -> "Image" -> "Camera"

• To take a screenshot, press the "Ctrl" + F5 ("||0") keys, then paste it in.

• To add a new page, use "Insert" -> "Break" -> "Page Break"

• To add call out boxes, highlight what you want to call out and then use "Insert" -> "Comment"

To be more complete, include the following in your portfolio.

1. A cover letter and

2. One or more other other sections

   1. Resume (including experiences from this science class)

   2. Additional work samples (plus what you did and learned in them) from each essential outcome (8+ total): (A)biotic, Food Webs, Geology, Cells, Photosynthesis, Genetics, Evolution, Motion

   3. Call-out text boxes on all work samples including analysis of the work

   4. A 10+ frame comic strip reflecting on your learning in science class

   5. Overall science class year reflection (one paragraph for each question)

      1. What did you excel in?

      2. What did you really like?

      3. What could you have done to improve your grade?

      4. What science-related paths or opportunities can you pursue in the future?

(Final Portfolio Guidelines in non-editable Google Doc - Modified Final Portfolio)

Part 3: Portfolio Sharing

Students share portfolios with other students. Students pull up the electronic versions of their portfolios on Chromebooks in the classroom.

Students choose two or three highlights of the portfolio to share.

1. Students arrange themselves in chairs in two concentric circles with the same number of people in both circles facing each other (inner circle faces out, outer circle faces in).

2. Students in the outer circle share portfolios with the person across from them and answer questions for 1-2 minutes.

3. Then students in the inner circle repeat step 2.

4. Then, people in the outer circle rotate one spot and repeat steps 2-3.

5. Continue this rotation all the way around the classroom, and if time still remains, the inner and outer circles may then pair share portfolios within each group.

Part 4: Compliment Circle

• All students get a whiteboard, dry erase marker, and paper towel eraser.

• We will go around the room taking turns featuring one person.

• On the whiteboard, write a compliment about that person’s helpful actions.

  • Make sure that the compliment is about actions (what they do, not about appearances).

    • Yes: "You helped your table when they didn't understand photosynthesis."

      • No: "You have cool shoes."

    • Yes: "You checked in with me when I was having a bad day during cell model."

      • No: "You are nice."  

  • Please write the compliment large and neatly to be visible.

• Be prepared to show your compliment to the whole class. 

Compliments will go on certificates  that students can add to their portfolios.

Part 5: Portfolio Celebration

Students will receive certificates  with compliments to bring home and add to their portfolios.

When called, each student will come to the front of the room.

The teacher will read and then present the certificate. 

People in the audience applaud.

Students may choose to share some words with the class before sitting back down.

Final Portfolio Extension 1: Thorough Portfolio

Include all of the extra sections shown in the "Build Your Portfolio" section.

Final Portfolio Extension 2: Photo Journal

Go through our class photos from the year and create a 15-20 photo journal of our class projects in which each photo is labeled with the date, unit, and a brief, 2-4 sentence description of the learning activity.

Final Portfolio Extension 3: Peer Teacher

Help every student meet minimum expectations (3/4) on the final portfolio and pass science class.  Do this by tutoring students in how to do the portfolio and helping them complete it themselves and by helping students figure out what they can do to earn a passing grade and help them earn this grade.