3rd Quarter Project specifications
Research Project
6th/7th Grade Language Arts
Objective: Students will identify a person who demonstrates positive leadership qualities, research that individual, and inform others through a series of written/oral presentations. There will be no duplications per grade level (meaning: 35 people cannot study Abraham Lincoln).
Due Dates:
Thursday, January 12: Write persuasive letter #1, introducing your topic and convincing Ms. Courtney/Mr. Mitchell that he/she is a suitable leader/person of interest
Monday, January 23: Bring research materials to class for in-class exercises, check-in with Ms. Courtney/Mr. Mitchell, and beginning of work on initial draft (week of 1/23 will be an in-class “work week” on the project)
Thursday, February 2: First draft of paper due (students will work on the draft 1/31 & 2/1 in class); students will peer edit on this day
Thursday, February 9: Final Paper Due (typed)
Thursday, February 16: Creative portion due/oral presentations
Monday, February 21: Write persuasive letter #2, convincing a curator at the Smithsonian that your leader is worthy of his/her own exhibit
Project elements are included on the next page. Standards for which students will be assessed are included. Rubrics will be handed out prior to final project deadlines; intermediate steps will earn participation points (to be determined and assigned per teacher).
Persuasive Letter #1: Write a “friendly” persuasive letter to Ms. Courtney/Mr. Mitchell stating the following:
Research Paper: Please include the following sections in your Research Paper. All sections should be clearly titled and put in order. The paper should be typed, 12 point font, double spaced.
ii.Education (if relevant)
Creative Element/Oral Presentation: Students will inform/educate others about his/her leader. Bring a visual element and be prepared to talk about why your person is a leader. Presentations will be 2-3 minutes. Flex your creative muscles – do more than a PowerPoint!
Ideas may include (but are not limited to):
Persuasive Letter #2: Write a “business” persuasive letter to the Smithsonian Museum, stating the following:
6.W.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
6.W.1a
Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
6.W.1b
Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
6.W.1c
Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
6.W.1d
Establish and maintain a formal style.
6.W.1e
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
Research Paper
6.W.2a
Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
6.W.2b
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
6.W.2c
Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
6.W.2d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
6.W.2e
Establish and maintain a formal style.
6.W.2f
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
Creative Presentation
6.SL.4
Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
6.SL.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
6th/7th Grade Language Arts
Objective: Students will identify a person who demonstrates positive leadership qualities, research that individual, and inform others through a series of written/oral presentations. There will be no duplications per grade level (meaning: 35 people cannot study Abraham Lincoln).
Due Dates:
Thursday, January 12: Write persuasive letter #1, introducing your topic and convincing Ms. Courtney/Mr. Mitchell that he/she is a suitable leader/person of interest
Monday, January 23: Bring research materials to class for in-class exercises, check-in with Ms. Courtney/Mr. Mitchell, and beginning of work on initial draft (week of 1/23 will be an in-class “work week” on the project)
Thursday, February 2: First draft of paper due (students will work on the draft 1/31 & 2/1 in class); students will peer edit on this day
Thursday, February 9: Final Paper Due (typed)
Thursday, February 16: Creative portion due/oral presentations
Monday, February 21: Write persuasive letter #2, convincing a curator at the Smithsonian that your leader is worthy of his/her own exhibit
Project elements are included on the next page. Standards for which students will be assessed are included. Rubrics will be handed out prior to final project deadlines; intermediate steps will earn participation points (to be determined and assigned per teacher).
Persuasive Letter #1: Write a “friendly” persuasive letter to Ms. Courtney/Mr. Mitchell stating the following:
- Who your person of interest is and why you want to study him/her
- Three brief reasons why you consider that person a leader
- A concluding thought that reiterates your desire to study your person of interest
Research Paper: Please include the following sections in your Research Paper. All sections should be clearly titled and put in order. The paper should be typed, 12 point font, double spaced.
- Title Paper (1 page). Title, Name, Date, Class Section.
- Research Paper (2-4 pages). The paper needs to be organized in this order:
- Introductory paragraph – hook the reader with WHY this person is a leader (anecdote)
- Biographical information – give a brief biography of the person, including:
ii.Education (if relevant)
- Why the person is known for being a leader
- Awards/accolades the person has received
- What the person is doing today/what the person did prior to his/her death
- Bibliography (1 page). Include a bibliography in MLA format. Recommended website of format: http://www.easybib.com/mla-format/website-citation.
Creative Element/Oral Presentation: Students will inform/educate others about his/her leader. Bring a visual element and be prepared to talk about why your person is a leader. Presentations will be 2-3 minutes. Flex your creative muscles – do more than a PowerPoint!
Ideas may include (but are not limited to):
- Videos - recording selections
- Dioramas - write an ode to the person (24 lines min.)
- Create a newspaper about the person - create a trivia game about the person
- Create a “did you know” board? - Power Point
Persuasive Letter #2: Write a “business” persuasive letter to the Smithsonian Museum, stating the following:
- Your purpose for writing
- Three detailed reasons why that person is worthy of an exhibit
- A concluding thought that reiterates your purpose
6.W.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
6.W.1a
Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
6.W.1b
Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
6.W.1c
Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
6.W.1d
Establish and maintain a formal style.
6.W.1e
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
Research Paper
6.W.2a
Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
6.W.2b
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
6.W.2c
Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
6.W.2d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
6.W.2e
Establish and maintain a formal style.
6.W.2f
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
Creative Presentation
6.SL.4
Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
6.SL.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.