Preparing for the Graduation Project

Introduction

Since the first year, Southeast Raleigh High School students have been expected to complete a Graduation Project before they receive their diplomas. Students have tended to compress this important effort into a single semester, which has cause them--and their senior English teachers--no end of stress and difficulty. The English department has therefore begun an effort to spread the process over a longer period to make it easier and more successful for everyone involved.

This project will help you get started on the Graduation Project now, when you will have more time to complete it. With this kind of head start, you may even be able to complete parts of the project during the summer before your senior year, which should reduce the stress associated with this process substantially.
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The Task

On one level, the task is quite simple. You will merely fill out some forms and write a business letter to Mr. Modest informing him of your proposed topic.

The actual task will involve a little more effort than that, however, since you will need to put substantial thought into your topic to make sure it is a valid, valuable topic to pursue. Doing so now will save you trouble later, so you owe it to yourself not to cut corners.
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The Process

Choosing a topic and arriving at an essential question should occupy your mind for a while. Remember that you will be "stuck with" this topic for several weeks, so make sure it is really something you are curious about and not some trendy, meaningless inquiry that most people already know all about.

You also do not want to choose a topic that has been "done to death," either. The judges see these presentations twice a year, and it doesn't take long to form a negative attitude toward repetitive, shallow topics. You will achieve much better results with a unique topic, one that the judges haven't heard before on several previous occasions. Ms. Trice, one of our senior English teachers, has developed a special page of her Web site devoted to helping you avoid this pitfall. It is really worth a look.

In arriving at a topic, remember that a narrow topic often works better than a broad one. This requires a little judgment on your part, but try to find a topic that you can cover completely in your allotted 15-20 minutes. For example, a topic like Space Exploration would require several books to cover. Even looking at the recent effort to send a "rover" to Mars would require too much material. A sub-topic such as the robotic control of the Mars rover, though still a topic with many details and possible approaches, might fit the requirements better.

Also keep in mind that your topic should be one which lends itself to creating a product, another requirement of the project. This requirement has stopped many students from pursuing their chosen topic after they have already put much time into the process. Thinking about this requirement early may save you substantial wasted time.
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Resources

The links noted above:
The school's site devoted to the Graduation Project
A Google search for the term " essential question"
 
Research 101, a site devoted to getting you started on the right path
 
The necessary forms have been digitized and made available online (in Word format):
Graduation Project Proposal Form
Letter to Mr. Modest
Portfolio Document
Advice on Selecting a Topic
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Evaluation

All students owe it to themselves to do a good job on this assignment. We all recognize that changes probably will occur between now and next year, but effort expended now will minimize last-minute frustrations that can really affect the outcome of the final project.

This is not meant to be an assignment that will receive bad grades, however. Students will receive a reward--a helpful major grade--for completion of this assignment.
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Conclusion

The SRHS English faculty hopes that beginning this process early will help decrease student stress over the Graduation Project. The Grad Project is meant to be a positive experience for students, one that will bring value to the senior year and get students ready for college in a meaningful way. Some of those goals depend on you, however. We hope you will take this seriously.
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Designed by Michael Byers
Orange High School
Hillsborough, NC
Last updated June, 2008.
Based on a template from The WebQuestPage

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