Senior Project 

In The Senior Project unit, students will self-select a topic to investigate, research, and present. Students will post thier data, articles, questions, reflections and research to create a blog or webpage about thier topic.
State Standards:

F.12.1 Conduct research and inquiry on self-selected or assigned topics, issues, or problems and use an appropriate form to communicate their findings.

• Formulate questions addressing issues or problems that can be answered through a well defined and focused investigation
• Use research tools found in school and college libraries, take notes, collect and classify sources, and develop strategies for finding and recording information
• Conduct interviews, taking notes or recording and transcribing oral information, then summarizing the results
• Develop research strategies appropriate to the investigation, considering methods such as questionnaires, experiments, and field studies
• Organize research materials and data, maintaining a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrase, and quoted material
• Evaluate the usefulness and credibility of data and sources by applying tests of evidence, including bias, position, expertise, adequacy, validity, reliability, and date
• Analyze, synthesize, and integrate data, drafting a reasoned report that supports and appropriately illustrates inferences and conclusions drawn from research
• Present findings in oral and written reports, correctly citing sources

E.12.3 Create media products appropriate to audience and purpose.

• Create multimedia presentations in connection with major projects, such as research reports or exhibitions
•  
• Develop various media products to inform or entertain others in school or the community such as slide shows, videos, newspapers, sound recordings, literary publications, and brochures

E.12.1 Use computers to acquire, organize, analyze, and communicate information.

• Design, format, and produce attractive word-processed documents for various purposes Incorporate information from databases and spreadsheets into reports Integrate graphics appropriately into reports, newsletters, and other documents Retrieve and reproduce documents across various platforms Use on-line sources to exchange information

C.12.2 Listen to, discuss, and comprehend oral communications.

• Attend to both literal and connotative meanings Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information Distinguish fact from opinion, evaluate logic, and identify manipulative techniques Analyze messages for their accuracy and usefulness Evaluate a speaker's use of diction, tone, syntax, rhetorical structure, and conventions of language considering the purpose and context of the communication Relate a speaker's ideas and information to prior knowledge and experience Consider the specific situation and current conditions when responding to instructions Develop and deliver a speech that conveys information and ideas in logical fashion for a selected audience, using language that clarifies and reinforces meaning
• Construct and present a coherent argument, summarizing then refuting opposing positions, and citing persuasive evidence
• Participate effectively in question-and-answer sessions following presentations
• Summarize narrative and numerical information accurately and logically in presentations
• Demonstrate confidence and poise during presentations, interacting effectively with the audience, and selecting language and gestures mindful of their effect
• Demonstrate the ability to debate an issue from either side
• Interpret literary works orally, citing textual data in support of assertions
• Synthesize and present results of research projects, accurately summarizing and illustrating the main ideas, using appropriate technological aids, and offering support for the conclusions
• Speak fluently with varied inflection and effective eye contact, enunciating clearly at an appropriate rate and volume
• Observe the appropriate etiquette when expressing thanks and receiving praise

B.12.2 Plan, revise, edit, and publish clear and effective writing.

• Write essays demonstrating the capacity to communicate knowledge, opinions, and insights to an intended audience through a clear thesis and effective organization of supporting ideas
• Develop a composition through a series of drafts, using a revision strategy based on purpose and audience, personal style, self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and feedback from peers and teachers
• Given a writing assignment to be completed in a limited amount of time, produce a well developed, well organized, clearly written response in effective language and a voice appropriate for audience and purpose