Senior English Research Project and Presentation

Teachers: McGarry and Wassall.
Due date: the end of April

English IV
Research Project and Presentation
_________________________

Overview:
The purpose of this assignment is to provide insight into what it would be like if you were a citizen of another country, but as you are, about to leave high school and more into the next stage of your education or employment. You will investigate the life of a person of approximately your age from another country. Your will research what it might mean to be you if you were not American or living in the United States.
This assignment gives you the opportunity to research the contemporary culture of another country through your choice of general topics. l) As part of your research you will locate the country in its region and continent. 2) You will investigate a piece of art, music, or literature (brief). This work from your country will be part of the presentation that you give to the class. You will provide a summary paragraph of the work during the process of the assignment. 3) Following your research, you will write your findings in a brief paper which includes an introduction, the five topics of your choice, a short explanation of your art, music or literature choice and a conclusion that assesses the current life of your counterpart.
The presentation portion of the assignment will be 6-8 minutes in length with a target of presenting 4 per day. In the presentation you will share your research, including insights you have gained about your counterpart. You will use a portion of your time to teach the art, music or literature to the class and will conclude by drawing parallels between your life and that of your counterpart. Use a visual aid to assist you.
The term counterpart is to be taken as a generic term, similar to the American teenager. That is, you are not required to locate a specific person, but rather to use your data to formulate a picture of what the young adult in your country might be like given all of the information you have researched. Likewise, you are not meant to draw a personal comparison between you and your counterpart, but rather to discuss the generic American young adult in relation to the counterpart. This distance will enable you to observe and report objectively.
You will receive two equal grades for the project: one for the paper and one for the presentation.

Topic:
Select any country that you have an interest in, but be sure that you can address your choices from the requisite areas below. Each student must select a different country in order for the presentations to cover as many countries as possible.

Art, music, or literature:
Be sure to select interesting art, music, or literature. Keep in mind that you are the expert on your country and that it is more than likely that your art, music, or literature may be the only work that your classmates may ever be exposed to from that country.
However, make your literature choice accessible for the class by keeping it within the bounds of what you would want to study as representative as the best work of a country. Provide a copy of any art or literature. For music, provide lyrics. On Tuesday 4/4, submit a paragraph concerning your art, music, or literature. Describe it, including its significance or importance.

Requisite areas:
You will select five areas from the list below. If you do not see what you want to investigate, suggest more areas to add to the list. You can tailor your paper and presentation to lean more toward the historical, cultural anchors of your counterpart’s country or toward the pop culture of your country. Or, you can create a mix that works for your interests. Balance is importance in your selection of areas.

Education Technology Industry
Housing Entertainment Regionalism
Family Food and Drink Music
Careers Religion Resources
Standards of living Leisure Art
Sports Government/Politics Transportation
Fashion Consumerism/Materialism Literature

Length:
Your paper will be three to four pages, not including the required Works Cited.

Presentation:
You will have 6-8 minutes to teach about your counterpart in his or her country and employ one piece of art, music, or literature to make that country more real. You need a visual aid for the presentation, and may use any materials that you believe will make your presentation more interesting and vibrant. Your own enthusiasm for the country must be evident in the presentation. While makeups can be scheduled, it is important you be present and ready on your assigned day. If you do not present on the assigned day, expect to be fitted into the schedule at my convenience. That is, be ready to go any day thereafter.

Dates:
Assignment introduced: Thursday, March 23
Assignment packet: Thursday, March 23
Country selection: Friday, March 24
Library research: Week of March 27
Art, music or literature paragraph: Tuesday, April 4
Paper due: Monday, April 10
Presentations begin: Tuesday, April 11




Name______________________________ Presentation Assessment
Presenter___________________________ (anecdotal—these will count as
Date_______________________________ quiz grades)
English IV
Research

1. Introduction: Does it grab the audiences’ attention? Does it preview the content to follow? Does it orient the audience to the location? (use maps)


2. Organization of Material: Is the presentation logically organized? Is the audience made aware of the organization?


3. Language: Are diction and syntax commensurate with the importance of the content?


4. Audience Engagement: Is the class drawn into the presentation through the use of visual aids?


5. Content: The Six Areas: Do the area choices provide good information? Are they balanced in the presentation? Does each contribute important understandings about the counterpart?


6. Content: The Art, Music, or Literature: Is the choice adequately introduced and taught? Is its importance made clear to the audience? Is it appropriate for and useful to the audience?


7. Content: The Counterpart: Does the presenter use the concept of the counterpart to anchor and enhance the presentation? How?


8. Voice and Expressions: Does the presenter use these elements of oral expression to further the presentation? Is the voice adequate in volume, pac,e and inflection?


9. Enthusiasm: Is the presenter enthusiastic about and engaged by the content of the presentation so that the audience is aware of and enjoys his or her enthusiasm?


10. Conclusion: Does the presenter leave the audience with several key ideas as a summary of the important things to remember about the presenter’s country and his or her counterpart?
Name_________________________
English IV

Research Project and Presentation—Research Paper Assessment

1. Content is important information balanced from the writer’s choice of six areas from the requirement list. It focuses on building a picture of the writer’s counterpart in the selected country.

2. The introduction provides brief background about the country including its location.
The thesis statement addresses the purpose of the investigation and includes the writer’s area choices.

3. Support and evidence are properly quoted, using the correct MLA form for quotations. Due to the length of this paper, avoid excessively lengthy quotes. All information that requires documentation (quotes and paraphrases) is cited.

4. The art, music or literature choice is identified by title, author, and date of publication. Background concerning the piece such as its reputation or its value is clearly stated. A brief summary and description of the piece is included.

5. Paragraphs discuss relevant points from the six areas, include topic sentences, are logically organized, and include clincher sentences. The body paragraphs include transitions that link them together.

6. Sentence structure is strong, varied, and appropriately used. Quote incorporation is fluid, effective, and correctly incorporated.

7. Word choice is precise, varied and effective.

8. Proper mechanics and grammar are used including: third person narration-formal
spelling punctuation
agreement of verb tense
pronoun agreement
active voice
clear modifiers
usage and syntax

9. The tone of the paper is respectful, informative, and interested. It is clear that the writer gained valuable information from the research and is presenting it in an engaging way.

10. The conclusion alludes to the thesis, but does not restate it, and leaves the reader aware of what life must be like for your counterpart.