NC Graduation Project at North Gaston

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NC Graduation Project atNorth Gaston
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What Is the Graduation Project?

• Student-centered
• Performance-based
• Practical and career-enhancing
• Based on NC Standard Course of Study
• Required for graduation in NC
• Progresses over four years

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How does the Graduation Project help students?

• The components of the Graduation Project are
  aligned with 21st Century Skills
• Focus on core subjects
• Global awareness, civic literacy
• Critical thinking skills
• Information and communication skills
• Life skills (time management, organization,
  leadership, responsibility, etc.)

Adapted from Time, 18 Dec 2006.
Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, 2007-8
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How does the Graduation Project help students?

• Life is NOT a multiple-choice test.
• We must prepare students for the real world.
• We want our students to leave high school with
  transferable skills that they can actually use.
• Graduation Project provides an opportunity for
  students to demonstrate that synthesis in a safe
  environment.

Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, 2007-8
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What is the Graduation Project?Definition

• Teacher talk
• It is a performance-based exit assessment that
  provides students with a vehicle to demonstrate
  what they know and are able to do as they prepare
  to graduate from high school.
• Real talk
• It is a way for students to show themselves and
  others what they have learned as they get ready
  for life after high school.

Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, 2007-8
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Key Components The Four Ps
Portfolio
Paper
Product
Presentation
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The Portfolio

• Begins in the 9th grade is added to each year
• Documents the process over all four years
• Includes all required forms
• Letters
• Research paper
• Resume
• Evaluations
• Speech outline
• Reflections
• It is the 1st impression to judges on
  presentation night in the 12th grade

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The Paper

• Written in English class in the 11th grade
• On the topic of the students choice based on his
  or her interests
• Traditional research procedures including MLA
  documentation
• Must include a thesis and
• information to prove it

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The Product

• Will be done in the 12th grade
• Requires a learning stretch
• learning or accomplishment clearly beyond what
  the student previously had achieved
  intellectually, creatively, emotionally, or
  physically as appropriate to the nature of the
  student's project. 
• Must be documented (through photos, video,
  physical product, and/or journal entries)
• Monitored by a community mentor
• Must reflect a minimum of 15 hours of work

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The Presentation

• Will be done in the 12th grade
• Oral presentation of research and product
• Time limit (8-10 minutes) followed by Q A
• Requires visual aids (posters, the product,
  and/or PowerPoint)
• Presented in front of a panel
• of community judges

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The 5th P Parents/Guardians

• Practice research skills
• Encourage your student to conduct informal
  research to answer trivia questions (e.g., Who
  starred in? Why does that do that? Where in the
  world is?)
• Help your student evaluate source credibility
• Ask questions
• Help your student form connections between ideas
  and actions
• Ask questions (maybe even if you know the answer)
  to get your student to think more deeply

Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, 2007-8
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The 5th P Parents/Guardians

• Stay informed
• Continue to attend meetings to stay on top of
  district information for graduation requirements
• Ask your students teachers what they are doing
  to support the Graduation Project
• Stay in touch
• TALK TO YOUR STUDENT! OFTEN! It doesnt matter
  what you discuss, just keep the lines of
  communication open. When it comes time to select
  a topic for the Graduation Project, you should be
  able to help your student because you know what
  he/she likes.

Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, 2007-8
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THE RESEARCH PAPER
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Purpose

• Meet requirements of the NC Standard Course of
  Study
• Meet requirements of the NC Graduation Project
• Instruct students to
• Integrate Technology
• Improve Written Language
• Interact with the Community
• Increase Personal Growth
• Improve Personal Responsibility

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ScoringThe paper will be scored to meet two
different objectives
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Requirements

• Students will complete the paper through English
  11 class.
• ALL students enrolled in English 11 will complete
  the paper.
• Students will receive timeline,
  rubric, and requirement
  information from Advisory
• teachers or English teachers.

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Requirements

• Students will be given at least 5 days in the
  media center to research. All other research
  will need to be conducted before or after school.

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Requirements

• The paper must be related to the product.
• Product Make a Silent Movie
• Paper Cinematography (Film Making)
• Paper The Homeless
• Product Volunteer at Homeless Shelter or
• Organize a food
  and/or clothing drive
• 
  

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Requirements

• The paper must be a minimum of 10 pages in
  length
• a title page
• a one page outline
• a seven page research paper
• a one page works cited page
• If the research paper is submitted with less than
  the minimum 10 pages, the paper will fail the
  research paper component of the graduation
  project.

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Requirements

• The paper must use the MLA format.
• Students will use four primary sources (reference
  books, NC Wise Owl database, the Internet that
  have been evaluated and established as valid.)
• Students will use three secondary sources
  (encyclopedias, books, pamphlets, brochures, and
  documentaries.)  

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Requirements

• Students will also interview an expert in the
  topic area as a final resource. 

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Timeline

• Assigned Advisor August 25
• Topic Chosen September 2
• Select a Mentor September 9
• Meet with Advisor Sept 16, 30
• Outline due October ? 1 test grad
• Final Rough Draft due October 22 1 test grade
• Final Paper due November 21 2 test grades
• Final Revisions due January 9

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Resources

• Mentor
• School Advisor
• Gaston/Lincoln Regional Libraries
• http//www.glrl.lib.nc.us/
• Graduation Project Handbook
• http//www.gaston.k12.nc.us/
• NC Wise Owl
• http//www.ncwiseowl.com/

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TOPIC EXAMPLES

• Research Topic Obesity in children
• Sample Thesis Obese children have weaker
  academic performance than children who are not
  obese.
• Sample Product Create an awareness education
  program on active lifestyles in children vs.
  sedentary lifestyles.
• Research Topic The effects of violence in video
  games on teenagers in America.
• Sample Thesis Violent video games have impacted
  Americas teenagers in many ways.
• Sample Product Conduct a survey of teenagers who
  play video games versus those who do not to gauge
  their sensitivity to violence.

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Topic Examples cont.

• Research Topic Physics of a roller coaster.
• Sample Thesis With the increase of force and
  speed of a roller coaster, head and neck trauma
  injuries increase.
• Sample Product Build a model roller coaster.
• Research Topic Economic impact of Spanish
  speakers on county economics.
• Sample Thesis Hispanic owned businesses are
  making positive contributions to the business
  community in Gaston County.
• Sample Product Research, list, and interview
  Hispanic owned businesses in the county.

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Who Helps?

• Teachers
• Graduation Project Contact (advisor)
• Mentor

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Mentors

• Someone from the community
• Cannot be a family member living in the same
  household
• Must be over 21 years of age
• Someone that is knowledgeable in the area of
  research that is chosen
• All mentors must receive training

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What do our students get out of this?

• Organization skills
  
• Time management skills
• Self-direction skills
• Critical and analytical thinking skills
• Communication skills writing, speaking
• Technology skills
• Information-retrieval skills
• Employability skills

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Questions?