1997 Personal Project
Mr. Burke/English

Overview The principle idea behind this project is that you will research some idea, issue, or subject of great interest to yourself for an extended period of time. During the course of your research you will be required to do certain types of work--e.g., read the class required novels, etc.–regardless of your project’s focus. This project is intended to be done solo--unless you have received my specific approval to work as a team. The projects will be due sometime in late May. Further details and rubrics will be made available as we proceed. Just think of this as the biggest project for this class this quarter and be organized for success.

Requirements

• Project proposal explaining the what, how, when, who, why of your project; may involve initial speculation as to what you will find, how you will do it
  
• Survey/Interview: you must interview people who are able to provide meaningful information about your project’s topic. This means they are either experts or people whose opinions are somehow relevant and even important to consider when thinking about this subject.
  
• Oral Presentation: each person will be required to present their conclusions to the class at the end of the project. This is a significant component as you will be demonstrating your ability to integrate information from a variety of sources and communicate your ideas to an audience.
  
• Grant Proposal: using the guidelines provided, you must write up a one page typed proposal for up to $2,000 to further explore this subject. Such grants are common in most fields but particularly fields like education, health services, and the arts where inadequate funds are often an obstacle to trying new programs. Those seniors who are applying for scholarships and financial aid to go to college are familiar with these demands.
  
• Outside Reading: this includes books, magazines, newspaper articles, and internet texts; depending on your subject this could also include, but would not be limited to, films and CDs. You should read approximately 75-100 pages for this project from a variety of sources, keeping track of these sources for your bibliography as you go.
  
• Bibliography: you must submit this along with other assigned writings at the end of the project. This bibliography will include all works cited and read as part of your project. This would also include, but would not be limited to, films and CDs. for an example, see one of reference books in closet in classroom or refer to MLA guide.
  
• Formal Letter: it is up to you to find, during the course of your research, an organization or person to write in order to get information. You must type this letter and use proper business letter format which I will discuss eventually. This letter must be perfect as it must be sent to its addressee.
  
• Research: using any of the following, you must research your subject:
  
  • Internet
    
  • World Wide Web
    
  • Infotrak
    
  • CD-ROMs
    
  • Other
    
• Writing: using what is often called the “New Journalism” style or reporting (see example), you will write (minimum of) five pages (TYPED on computer), about your subject: what you learned, how you learned it, what this learning means to you/others, and so on. The writing should be lively but clear.
  
  • In addition you may wish to submit other articles as evidence of further work in the area of writing:
    
    • NOTES from reading, research, thinking
      
    • LETTER as explained above
      
• ALTERNATIVES: those who wish to try their hand at something different, so long as it still satisfies the writing requirement, may create their project in one of the following formats:
  
  • NPR-type radio exposé
    
  • documentary video (writing component still required)
    
  • multi-media presentation using computers
    
  • something else I cannot think of at this hour but which you can ask me about if you have any other great ideas.