Project: Independent Project Fall 2010

Step Description Expected Student Results
1 WEEK ONE:

Student Role: Student will write a letter of introduction that includes information about school, extracurricular interests, and existing knowledge about the chosen field.

Mentor Role: Mentor will breainstorm with student to identify possible areas of the broad interest to pursue and will pose questions/issues of a professional or personal interest nature with the goal of drawing students to consider provocative questions rather than simply researching "art" or "photography".
 ENTRY NO. 1

Letter of Introduction that includes the following information:

1. Interests and activities both inside and outside school.
2. An outline of areas of interest the student will examine in preliminary research - particular periods, people, or movements.
3. A paragraph about student's existing knowledge on the subject in general.
2 WEEKS TWO AND THREE: General Research and Topic Choice

Student Role: Search the internet (including Wikipedia) for people, movements, and eras of interest in either art, literature, or history. Summarize findings.

Mentor Role: Aid students in finding web sites and in pointing them in the proper direction for their research. Again, mentors should use probing questions of their own to help students begin to research on more than a surface level.		 ENTRY NO. 2

After choosing two people, periods, and movements, student will compose a paragraph summarizing each piece of research.


A paragraph outlining the choice of topic and the reason for that choice.
3 WEEK FOUR:

Student Role: Based on preliminary research, students will develop a list of questions they would like answered. Student will begin a library search for materials (both periodicals and reference books) that can be used to begin research.

Mentor Role: Mentor will aid student in developing a list of questions that does more than "scratch the surface" of the topic and will help students identify information sources for answering those questions. Mentor is encouraged to share 20/20 hindsight from past research projects in which the understanding of the topic shifts dramatically from a narrow view to a normal view and, possibly, to a wide angle view. This is critical to a student's understanding that he is not locked in to the project as he viewed it in the beginning and that research produces an evolving view of a topic.		 ENTRY NO. 3

A list of 7-10 good, in-depth questions that will be used as a catalyst for further research.

An MLA list of Works Consulted that will be used as a starting point to the research.
4 WEEK FIVE:

Student Role: Student will continue pulling information for research from library and online sources. Student will begin to locate local citizens and/or experts to begin interview process.

Mentor Role: Mentor will continue to provide web sites that may be helpful with research and will assist students in locating a list of major experts in the field and in creating a document that contains biographical and contact information. Mentor will contact the "online" experts and will act as a liaison between student and expert.		 ENTRY NO. 4

A list of 5 professionals in the field with a biographical "blurb" and contact information for each professional. At least one of these contacts must be from the local community.
5 WEEKS SIX AND SEVEN:

Student Role:
1. Student will compose a list of 7-10 interview questions for the experts. These questions should include questions concerning implications for the future. This list will be discussed with the mentor and refined.

2. Student will compose a cover letter explaining research interests. The letter should demonstrate the student's understanding of the field and its future.
The student and mentor can point professionals to this URL and ask them to respond. The answers willb e posted to the ITP system for analysis by student and mentor.

Mentor Role: Mentor will aid student in
editing letter and composing questions. Mentor will act as a liaison between students and experts.

Teacher Role: Teacher will act as liaison between students and local professionals.

This step and step 4 may overlap.		 ENTRY NO. 5:

1. Final draft of cover letter and interview questions.
6 WEEK EIGHT:

Student Role: Student will share answers to research questions with mentor and will offer ideas for a thesis. Student will create an outline of how he plans to prove this thesis.

Mentor Role: Mentor will aid student in developing a provable, three-pronged thesis that is structually and grammatically sound. Mentor will examine the outline for consistency and for logical organization. Does it prove the thesis?		 ENTRY NO. 6

1. Final thesis.
2. Outline
7 WEEKS NINE - THIRTEEN:

This is an ongoing part of the project that will continue until the last week if necessary.

Student Role: Student will continually submit drafts of the paper for mentor critique.

Mentor Role: Critique drafts of student papers for logical organization, proof of thesis, proper citation, grammar and punctuation. Also, throughout these drafts, push students to make the paper engaging and not merely something to "get through." 		ENTRY NO. 7

A minimum of three drafts of the paper that have been critiqued by the mentor.
8 WEEK TEN - ELEVEN

Student Role: Student will produce a multimedia presentation that will contain the results of research as well as pictures that reflect the importance of the era, person, or movement studied.

Mentor Role: Aid student in producing a powerpoint presentation that is professional and useful as a speaking tool.

Teacher Role: Provide students and mentors will a copy of requirements for powerpoint presentation.		 ENTRY NO. 8

1. Handout printing of Powerpoint presentation.
9 WEEK TWELVE:

Student Role: Student will finalize research paper.

Mentor Role: Mentor will review final presentation and give his "stamp of approval".		 ENTRY NO. 9

1. Final draft of research paper.
10 FINAL WEEK:

Student Role:

1.Student will use an online template to organize information for a presentation poster that will be displayed at the AIM Expo.

2. Student will write a thank-you letter to mentor.

Mentor Role:

Offer suggestions for template contents and give final ok to the project's end.		 FINAL ENTRIES:

1. Completed poster template

2. Thank you letter to mentor.