Independent Project Q&A, May 2024

Hello Everyone,

Here is a Q&A about many things Independent Project, which we discussed in class today.

When is the presentation day?

Tuesday, June 11th, from 12-2 PM. We will set up in the morning, have an early lunch, and then present from 12-2 PM straight.

Where are we presenting?

We are going to see how much space we need based on what people produce for their projects. But, right now, we have our room, Portable 3, and the Library space reserved for our presentations.

How many people are coming?

I invite all parents, guardians, extended family, siblings, Advanced Learning staff, Suncrest staff, and administrators to come and visit. I encourage adults to come from 12-1 PM as it will be less crowded. Then, from 1-2 PM, I invite up to four classes. One of them will be our other Div 2 MACC group, and then other ones come from our intermediate grades, depending on who is available. We do not invite younger classes in, as they typically do not have the attention span for what we are presenting.

Will there be a time after school we can present?

No, sorry. I have tried this in the past, and we can’t get everyone coordinated due to extra curriculars at this time of the year. But, we are hoping people can find time to come with lots of advance notice and the lunch hour available.

When does everything need to be done?

May 31 — All notes, primary research, and bibliography shown or sent to Ms. D
June 6 — Deadline for Ms. D to photocopy handouts and brochures for students
June 10 — All items for project must be at school so I know you are ready
June 11 — Presentation Day

How are we assessed?

As everyone’s project is on a different topic, the focus for assessment is curricular competencies or the skills it takes to do deeper research. I am looking for your ability to ask quality questions, document research, use a variety of resources (both print and online), manage your time wisely and finish by deadlines, reflect on your process, present aloud to the public, and be creative in your presentation. I have a rubric for the project, which I will share with you soon. I first look at your notes, bibliography, and primary research, as well as what I notice directly during class time, to make an initial assessment. It is important to bring your research and presentation items to school and work on them here during the time given in May/June, so I can see what you are doing and give advice for the process. I observe during our presentation day to see how organized you are, whether you have prepared talking points as directed in class, and how knowledgeable you are about your topic, overall. Finally, I ask you to do an e-port reflection on the process and presentation on June 12th in class, and I will respond with my final thoughts there about your project.

How do I show my notes to you?

You can either send digital notes to me, or show me your journal notes in person at the end of May.

How many primary research things do I need to do? What is required for primary research?

One. Primary research can involved an interview, an experiment, an observation, a model, teaching yourself something, or visiting a new location to do research firsthand. All primary research needs to be documented in writing and/or pictures. Use the scientific procedure for most documentation (title, question, hypothesis, materials, procedure, results, analysis, conclusion). Focus on finishing one quality primary research thing before moving on to others.

If I do an interview, what is required?

Please make sure to have an adult look over your interview questions (ideally me via email) before doing your interview. Make sure to record the interview date, who you are interviewing, where you did the interview, and the answers to the questions. You need to ask permission before recording. Documentation would include both the questions you asked and the answers they gave. The interview is included in the bibliography, and I can show you how.

Are print books outside of the Internet required?

Yes, you were required to do research in at least one print book. This print book can be from the public library, Burnaby Schools libraries, or from EPIC.

What does a bibliography look like?

Bibliographies need to be typed, with resources in alphabetical order. Each type of resource needs a different format. We will go over this in class, but you can also look at the Independent Project 2023 section of this class blog for examples. Make sure your bibliography has a title including your project topic, and your name! Save the file as BibliographyYourName2024, and then send it to Ms. D with full editing permissions.

What kinds of things can I post on the class blog in the Independent Project section? How do I send those things to you?

You can post any digital media from your project. Your bibliography at the minimum is required. You could also post PowerPoint presentations, digital versions of handouts or brochures, primary research lab reports, interview documentation, website links to sites you have created, and anything else YOU have created that can be shared digitally. When you share these items, you need to send the file to Ms. D with a name and full editing permissions. For example, if you were sending me your interview documentation, you might call it InterviewYourName2024. Make sure I know what the document is, and that your name is in the file name. Please note, once it is sent, I download it and post a link from my OneDrive. So, if you make any changes to the document after you send it to me, those changes will not update automatically to the blog.

Can I use my own device from home for Independent Project?

Yes. Please talk to me ahead of time. Bring it to class as we prepare for Independent Project if needed. These devices can not be stored in the classroom overnight, and I am not responsible for them during the school day. That said, I will put devices in my locked drawer when we are away from the classroom if you talk to me about bringing them in. I have limited space. On presentation day, make sure you bring not only the device, but also the plugs, so you can charge your device.

What kinds of things can I do to present my information to the public?

I want you to be creative thinkers! It is boring if every person uses a poster or trifold, so I love to see other things. In the past, we have had models to look at, experiments to view, animals, interactive games, taste tests, mobiles, artwork, sculptures, etc. If you aren’t sure if I allow it, ask me. I am usually very open minded, as long as experiments are not going to create large messes and water isn’t needed for your presentation. We are also somewhat limited on space. So, just ask with your big idea and we can discuss!

Can I use a poster or a trifold if I want?

Yes, but we don’t provide trifolds at school. If you do get one, please consider the smaller size, not the larger ones at Staples, because they are generally too tall and have too much space for you to fill up with stuff! Not needed. Dollar stores tend to have the smaller ones for cheap. Cover the trifold with paper before beginning (we have poster paper here for that), and then you can reuse the trifold from year to year. We do have poster board here at school, and it can be nice to have something visual announcing your topic at your table area. Just take into mind, your poster may need to be attached to the front of a table, a wall, or to the side of your table. Also, remember a poster is a visual tool, not a place to write a book. We won’t read tons of writing, and visual displays are best done with fun pictures and shorter captions people can read quickly.

What other things could I use other than a trifold or poster?

You could make a mini book on Book Creator on the iPads. This is a great item to post on the blog, where people have more time to read. They may not look at it much at presentation day, unless it has lots of pictures and less writing.

You could make a short PowerPoint slideshow with pictures of your primary research. Don’t do too many slides, no more than 20, because adding too many pictures to PowerPoint makes it run slowly. Also, the person at your table during presentation day may not stay long enough to see all the photos.

Consider something more interactive. Create a game that makes people have to ask you a question or learn something about your topic. Have a spinner wheel where they land on a certain number, and then get some information about your topic in some creative way. Have your information on a box people have to get in to to view the information. There are lots of options.

Are there supplies at school to create my presentation?

Supplies I have: poster paper, construction paper, bristol board, colour printer for printing some images, some cardboard, pastels, meter sticks, paper cutter, cardboard scissors, tissue paper, art paper in different colours, hot glue, tacky glue, electronics things, cloth scraps, yarn, string, masking tape, clear tape, iPad stands, measuring tapes, some foil, some wood pieces, cardboard tubes, toilet paper tubes, cups, paint, dice, math bingo chips, spinners, game pieces, some wood sticks, ADST tools, measuring spoons, and lots of other random building supplies.

Things I don’t have: clay, trifolds, pipe cleaners (we are out), specific supplies for some experiments, some colours of paint like brown, sticker prizes/handouts for interactive games, pottery tools (this list to be updated as people ask for things)

What do I need to have for presentation day?

• You need to have your bibliography and primary research items posted on the class blog already.
• You need to have something visual that announces or tells the public this is my topic title.
• You need to have anything interactive you would like to share with the public.
• You need to tell me what kind of technology you need.
• You need to prepare a single index card with the top ten things you want to share with the public about what you have learned, and practice saying those things ahead of time. Cards available in class.

Can I give out things on presentation day to our visitors?

Yes, with some limits!

• You can give out one-page handouts, brochures, or zines. I recommend you focus on mostly giving these to the adults who visit, as we can’t make enough photocopies for all students, and students often don’t keep the handouts. Deadline to give your things to Ms. D to photocopy is June 6th in the morning. Photocopies are all in black and white. Please don’t photocopy at home.
• You could give out stickers, stamps, handmade bookmarks, or some other item if the visiting person answers a question or listens to some information about your topic. Making something is better than buying! Be creative and be conscious of the environment. Stickers often get thrown away and are made of plastic! Please ask me first about what you are planning to give out. It is NOT required or necessary, but some people like to do this. Acceptable items are stickers, stamps, or other cheap items. NO CANDY handouts are allowed at all.
• No handing out of word finds, crossword puzzles, or games. You can have these things for people to do at your table. Ms. D can provide a plastic cover for paper games, and participants can do them using whiteboard markers.

REMEMBER — the presentation is about QUALITY of information and presentation skills, not QUANTITY.

More questions – ask and I will add to this page.

Ms. D