Monday, December 19, 2011

IMD II

Continue with your competition, make sure you document work on two different components and email them to me for credit for the day.

Computer Animation Team - Make sure you have a completed scene ready for tomorrow.

Website - Include a new article as one of your activities.

See you tomorrow! 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

IMD I - Keep Competition Rolling

I'm out today you'll need to continue working with your competitions.  Please complete the following assignments:

Web Site - 1. Complete individual articles (250 words min.) that relates to your site content.  2. Complete the grid comp we started last week.

Digital Media - 1. Continue working on script and storyboard.  2. You will also need to make a list of locations where you will shoot and the props your going to need.

Computer Modeling - 1. Start the day by rendering your progress from Friday.  2. Find a tutorial that will help you build part of you model, spend 1 period working on this tutorial.  3. Make a final render of your work on your model at the end of lab

Computer Animation: 1. Complete the art from 1 scene of your movie!  This is mission critical today, I want to see working art tomorrow when I'm back!


IMPORTANT: Send me individual emails with the assignments that you have completed to earn points for the day  derek.fitzer@swcs.us

Have a good day!

Friday, December 2, 2011

IMD I - 3rd hour

Turn in electronic super hero / cartoon character to students/public/fitzer/cartoon_superhero folder.  Name your file last_first


Turn in drawings to the folder in the front of Mr. Fitzer's lab.

Have a great weekend!



Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Capstone Assignment Packet


2011-2012 COLLEGE TECH PREP CAPSTONE PROJECT



All South-Western Career Academy college tech prep students will complete a research paper, extension project, and a presentation that demonstrates senior English competencies.  The written project will center on a research topic that is connected to their lab.



Parameters

*Beneficial to industry, community, or family.

*School appropriate.

*Demonstrates cross-curricular work with at least one other area.

*An area of personal interest or curiosity.

*Lends itself to research and a 10-15 minute presentation before a panel of judges in April-May 2012.

*A Capstone Portfolio for the judging panel.  See page 17.

*Written in Standard English/3rd person (he, she, they)

*A minimum of 6 sources, no more than two of the same kind of sources including an interview, (See page 3).



Components


*Project proposal

*English/Lab Check-Off sheet

*3 Preliminary readings with summaries

*Evidence of research (50 note cards or other option)

*10 Open-ended interview questions

*1 Interview from an “expert” in the field who is over 21 years of age

*2 Edited drafts attached to final copy

*Research paper – final draft (5 pages) see rubric for standards (Required for

  Presentation) 12 font, Times New Roman, double spaced

*10-15 minute formal presentation

*PowerPoint/technology presentation – see rubric for standards

*Self-Reflection paper (1 page)

_____________________________________________________________________

*Students will create a project proposal and submit it to the English and Lab teachers for approval/adjustments.  Only papers relating to the student’s approved topic will be accepted.  Topics must be lab related.



*Duplicate topics will be allowed, but all work must be independent and original.



*Students will be required to keep their English/Lab Capstone Check-Off sheet to ensure deadlines are met for both English and Lab requirements.  This sheet is worth points in both classes.



*Students will be required to be prepared to work in English class daily, as well as use personal time to complete their projects.


*Students submitting plagiarized work will receive a zero for the paper, be required to submit a new paper, and disciplined for academic misconduct.


*All components are required before presentation.  If the student does not present, the product extension will not be graded.

*Students receiving an averaged score of 88% or better on the paper, extension, and presentation will be exempt from the English 2nd Semester Final.

*Passing English by 5th grading period to be exempt.

*No more than 9 days absent.

*If the student is absent the day the research paper, presentation, or extension is due, the student HAS to have an EXCUSED absence slip in order to turn in material or present AND it is due the NEXT time the student is in school.  For example, if the student has 1st period English and is absent, the paper is due when the student comes to school either tardy that day or the next day the student attends school.  If the student’s absence is UNEXCUSED, the student will receive a ZERO for the part of the project that was due the day of the absence.

To ascertain second semester lab exam requirements, you will need to speak with your lab teacher(s).


LOCATING RELIABLE SOURCES



You will be required to have at least six (6) sources for your Capstone Project.  You may have more than six, but six is the minimum.  No more than two sources can be the same kind of source unless you have more than six sources total.  Keep in mind that you will also have to have one interview from an “expert” in your field of research.



Primary Sources:  A first-hand experience, an eye-witness account, an original idea, or an original piece of work such as a diary.



Secondary Sources:  An interpretation, retelling, or analysis of a primary source such as a journalist reporting about an auto accident.



Tertiary Sources:  are publications, such as research journals, encyclopedias, that sum up other secondary sources, and sometimes primary sources. (Wikipedia itself is a tertiary source.) Some tertiary sources are more reliable than others, and within any given tertiary source, some articles may be more reliable than others.  (Source:  Wikipedia)



Does your research fit this criterion:



*Is the research current? 

*Is the publish date within the last five years?

*Can this research become obsolete because the topic is constantly changing?

*Is the material biased? 

*Does it represent more than one opinion?

*Is this a reputable author, source, organization?

*Is it a primary, secondary, or tertiary source?



Finding Reliable Internet Sources


The Internet is a great resource, but it is also a public forum, where anyone can make a claim or an assertion. If you find an article that provides relevant information for your research topic, you should take care to investigate the source to make sure it is valid and reliable.

It is your responsibility as a researcher to find and use the trustworthy sources. There are several ways to investigate your source.

Author

In most cases, you should stay away from Internet information that doesn't list an author. While the information you find may be true, it is more difficult to validate information if you don't know the credentials of the author.

If the author is named, you will want to find his/her web page to:

·         Verify educational credits

·         Discover if the writer is either published in a scholarly journal

·         Verify that the writer is employed by a research institution or university

URL

If the information is linked to an organization, try to determine the reliability of the sponsoring organization. One tip is the url ending. If the site name ends with .edu, it is most likely an educational institution. Even so, you should be
aware of political bias.


If a site ends in .gov, it is most likely a reliable government web site. Government sites are usually good sources for statistics and objective reports.

Sites that end in .org are usually non-profit organizations. They can be very good sources or very poor sources, so you'll have to take care to research their possible agendas or political biases, if they exist.

For instance, collegeboard.org is the organization that provides the SAT and other tests. You can find valuable information, statistics, and advice on that site. PBS.org is a non-profit organization that provides educational public broadcasts. It provides a wealth of quality articles on its site.

Other sites with the .org ending are advocacy groups that are highly political in nature. White it is entirely possible to find reliable information from a site like this, as always, you should be mindful of the political slant and acknowledge this in your work.

Online Journals and Magazines

A reputable journal or magazine should contain a bibliography for every article. The list of sources within that bibliography should be pretty extensive, and it should include scholarly, non-Internet sources.

Check for statistics and data within the article to back up the claims made by the author. Does the writer provide evidence to back up his statements?

News Sources

Every television and print news source has a web site. To some extent, you can rely on the most trusted news sources, but you should not rely on them exclusively. After all, network and cable news stations are involved in entertainment. Think of them as a stepping stone to more reliable sources.



Name: _____________________________ Class: _________ Date: __________

Notes that provide background information about my topic:

(Be sure to provide page numbers of direct quotes from books or magazines)

MY RESEARCH TOPIC IS:

________________________________________________________________________




These notes are from: Circle One: A Book    A Magazine    A Web site
Title:__________________________________________________________________
Article Title (for magazine or web site only): _______________________________________________________________________
Author: ________________________________________________________________
Copyright Date OR if web site, date you used web site: ________________________
Publisher of book OR Sponsor of web site: __________________________________
Place of Publication OR web site address: ___________________________________


Summarize in a few sentences what you learned from this reading.  Explain how it may connect to your topic of interest.

NOTES:________________________________________________________________

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NOTES CONTINUED: ________________________________________________________________________

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Getting Started With Senior Project

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1.)  Writing the essential question is the first part of the research process. The essential question will be the focus of your research.

2.)  Essential questions are questions that require you to make a decision or plan a course of action. After you get experience writing essential questions, you will become a more competent researcher.

3.)  When writing essential questions, avoid "What is" questions such as "What is AIDS," or "What is acid rain." While these are important questions, they do not require that you make a decision or plan a course of action. Instead ask, "What is the best strategy for reducing the impact of acid rain in the United States?" (this requires a decision among the various strategies).  Ask open-ended questions which are not easily answered without research.











 When thinking of phrasing your research questions, try to phrase them in such a manner as the following examples:
 Essential Question Example
Type of Essential Question
By explore the bio-ethics of cloning humans, is it acceptable to clone humans?
decision-making
Should animals be genetically altered to produce human proteins?
decision-making
Should the remaining cultures of smallpox be destroyed?
decision-making
What are the most effective steps for preventing breast cancer?
plan of action
How can bananas be genetically altered to show that they vaccinate the consumer against viral diseases?
plan of action
Should the HIV virus be modified for use in gene therapy?
 decision-making

FOUNDATION QUESTIONS

A.)  A foundation question is one whose answer provides the facts used to answer the essential question.

1.)  Foundation questions are typically the "What is" questions. They will be the questions you will try and get answers for. The facts obtained by finding the answers to your foundation questions will be used to build the answer to your essential question. It is your job to craft an answer from these facts.

2.)  You should try and write between 6 and 8 foundation questions. The number can vary; ask your teacher for help. As you proceed through your research, it is also OK to add (or subtract) foundation questions as needed. Here are the characteristics of foundation questions.

3.)  Let’s try an example. Here is our essential question: "Should wetlands in the United States be preserved? (remember: essential questions require that you ask a decision-making or action plan question, this is an example of a decision-making question).

4.)  Here are some foundation questions relating to the wetlands essential question:

  • What is a wetland?
  • What are the reasons for saving wetlands?
  • Why are wetlands being destroyed?
  • Who is destroying wetlands?
  • How many of acres of wetlands exist in the United States?
  • At what rate are wetlands being destroyed?
  • What are the best methods for saving wetlands?

5.)  Again, the answers to these questions will provide the factual information required to build an answer to the essential question. As a result, these questions are extremely important! Make sure to ask the questions which will give you the information you need. In the next step, you will use foundation questions to help you build a search strategy.
2011-2012 CAPSTONE/LAB CHECK-OFF SHEET
Name                                                                         



COMPONENTS OF CAPSTONE PROJECT

ENGLISH SIGNATURE,
DATE, & COMMENTS
LAB SIGNATURE,
DATE, & COMMENTS
1.  Project proposal







2.  Six sources, no more than two of the same kind of sources including an interview.







3.  10 Open-ended interview questions







4.  Interview notes from a person who is an expert in the field and over 21







5.  Mock Works Cited Page









4.  Evidence of research (50 note cards or other option)







5.  First draft








6.  Second draft








7.  Final draft








8. PowerPoint/technology plan/brainstorm








9.  Speech cue cards
















CAPSTONE PROPOSAL I



Name                                                



Direction:  Answer each question in complete sentences



1.         My topic of interest is:  (Topics must be lab related)









2.         I want to specifically explore:  (this narrows your topic)









3.         I am interested in this topic for the following reasons:









4.         I already know the following about this topic:









5.         My webbed idea is:


















 CAPSTONE PROPOSAL II



Name                                                



Direction:  Answer each question in complete sentences



6.         The following people might be good resources for me (Explain why they are good

resources):













7.         Some possible resources for research are:











8.         I will create or propose the following PowerPoint/technology presentation as a result of my research:















9.         How will family, community, or industry benefit from this project?













10.       What skills or understanding do you expect to develop and demonstrate in this

project?















11.       What other content area besides English will you incorporate?


 CAPSTONE STEPS



CREATING NOTE CARDS FROM YOUR RESEARCH

1.  Create one source card for each of your six (or more) sources and label them

     (research source 1, etc.) R1, R2, R3, etc.

2.  As you write note cards, label each card from the appropriate source, R1, R2, R3,

     etc.

3.  Write ONE fact, or ONE quote, or ONE statistic per note card.

4.  Put your name/English teacher’s name in the bottom corner.



(Note Card Example)

Label research source here                                                                     Prong Letter/Sequence #





ONE fact, or ONE quote, or ONE statistic per note card





Student’s name/Teacher’s name
 































SEPARATING NOTE CARDS

*Divide your cards into 3 stacks, label the stack that you will use first in your paper A, the next stack B, and the final stack C.



*Then take each stack and try to put it in the order you think you will want to use the note cards in your paper. 



*Number each stack A1, A2, A3, etc.  Repeat the process for stacks B and C.



THESIS


*Write ONE sentence using all three ideas from your note cards. (3-prong thesis)



INTRODUCTION


*Begin with a topic sentence (quote, statement, or question that introduces what you are going to talk about).



*Write gradually more specific supporting sentences.



*3-prong thesis statement




BODY OF PAPER


*Each prong should be connected to the thesis with a topic sentence.



*All paragraphs have to have topic sentences, supporting sentences, transitions, and a concluding sentence.  Use your note cards to create the “skeleton” of your paper, and your words and ideas will create “flesh” that holds the note cards together.



*Express each piece of information from each note card in sentences and cite each. Depending on the source, use (first word of bibliography entry date or website) or (first word of entry page #).



*Each prong should be approximately 1 ½ pages in length.



*The paper should be written in 3rd person – no I, we, us, me, my, mine, you, or your.



*If you directly quote someone else (use his/her exact words) or use someone’s ideas, you must give credit to this person by citing the source where you found the information.

(Examples are fictitious)

President Bush said, “We will not withdraw from Iraq until our work is completed” (www.bushinfo.com).  NOTE WHERE THE PERIOD IS.



Dr. Jones believes in five years cancer will be cured using herbal medications (www.medicine.com).  NOTE WHERE THE PERIOD IS.








SENIOR PROJECT SYLLABUS/DEADLINE CALENDAR




Name                                                



            ACTIVITY                                                                             DEADLINE

1.         Senior Packets distributed to students                                                   

2.         Choose/develop Topic of Interest                                                                        

3.         Project Proposal – Part 1 w/ teacher conference                                              

4.         Project Proposal – Part 2                                                                                                   

5.         Three Preliminary Readings                                                                                 

6.         Six Sources                                                                                                 

7.         10 Open-ended questions                                                                        

8.         Interview                                                                                                       

9.         Supplemental Lessons                                                       Throughout

10.       First Rough Draft – (Intro, thesis statement,

            topic sentences, content, sentence structure,

logic, and citations) HAND WRITTEN,

            and DOUBLE SPACED                                                                                                    

11.       Second Rough Draft – (TYPED – 12 font,

double spaced, 1” margins, pages numbered,

end notes, and cover page)                                                                                           

12.       Final Copy – (ALL OF THE ABOVE

REQUIREMENTS, PLUS A COVER SHEET

CONTAINING THE TITLE CENTERED ON

THE PAGE, STUDENT’S NAME, DUE DATE,

ENGLISH TEACHER’S NAME IN THE

BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER.)                                                                              

10.       PowerPoint/technology presentation                                                                  

11.       Presentations judged                                                                                                         



***LATE PAPER – 1 DAY 10% DEDUCTION, PAST 2 DAYS = 20%, 3 DAYS = 30 %,

     ETC.



***POWERPOINT/TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS WILL NOT BE GRADED IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT PRESENT.



***ILLNESS – DISTRICT POLICY FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES – 2 DAYS PER DAY OUT – WILL REQUIRE YELLOW EXCUSED ABSENCE SLIP.






CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS





Every student will be required to compile at least one copy of his/her portfolio.  The portfolio is to be submitted to the judging panel on the day of your presentation; sometime in the April-May 2012 time frame.



The portfolio covering could be either a 3-ring binder no larger than one-inch or a paper report cover or a plastic report cover.  The portfolio must contain the following items:



(1)      Cover page

(2)      The project’s proposal page

(3)      The check-off sheet with teacher signatures

(4)      Three preliminary readings with summaries

(5)      Your five-page paper with bibliography

(6)      Paper copy of PowerPoint slides.






CREATING A WORKS CITED PAGE IN MLA FORMAT


(All students will use MLA format except Health Tech students)



*A works cited page is a list of the sources a writer used to write a paper.

*Center the WORKS CITED as a title.

*List the sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.



The following are examples of citing a particular piece of work.



One Author


Angell, David.  The Internet Business Companion:  Growing Your Business in the

     Electronic Age.  Reading, MA:  Addison-Wesley, 1995.



Author, Name.  Title.  Address of publisher:  Publisher, date published.



Two or Three Authors


Bystydzienski, Jill M., and Estelle P. Resnik.  Women in Cross-Cultural Transitions.

     Bloomington, IN:  Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1994.



An Article in a Reference Book


“Technical Education.”  Encyclopedia America.  1992 ed.



Signed Article in a Magazine


Tully, Shawn.  “The Universal Teenager.”  Fortune 4 Apr. 1994:  14-16.



Unsigned Article in a Magazine


“Crafts Fair Showcases Women.”  Entrepreneur May 1995:  23.



Signed Newspaper Article


Bleakley, Fred R.  “Companies’ Profits Grew 48” Despite Economy.” Wall Street Journal 1 May 1995, midwest ed.: 1.



Personal Interview


Brooks, Sara.  Personal Interview.  15 Oct. 1993.



Internet


Name of Site. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/organization affiliated with

       the site (sometimes found in copyright statements). Date you accessed the site

      [electronic address].

.











(Resource:  Refer to Writer’s Inc.  pg. 197-239.)