It is time to celebrate your students’ hard work and successes! At the end of the semester or school year, this assignment will help recap their writing experiences, highlight all of the content they learned, and encourage self reflection in a positive way.
Title: History Research Paper Series--Presenting and Defending Objective: Learner will reflect on their content learning and development of writing skills over the course of the term or year. This reflection will encourage their strengths to be continued in upcoming terms, provide a sense of accomplishment, and also review the content topics discussed during your time together. Additionally, the student will learn to evaluate the work of others as well as begin to learn to “defend” their own work. Assignment type: Summative Assignment Details: -Student will select their best historical research assignment of the term or school year. The instructor should emphasize that it might not be the one they got the best grade on as the evaluation of those writing experiences may have changed or had different goals during the year. -How do they pick? Ask students to reflect on which assignment they are most proud of or that taught them something they didn’t expect or even challenged them the most. Which paper is the most readable for the audience, the class, or would be most relevant to the audience? Which paper is the most interesting to the student? -After selecting their favorite research and writing assignment of the year, the student is to edit and improve the paper based on comments from the instructor when it was graded and make changes they wish they had done the first time. Does it need more sources, more supporting details, more explanation, a better conclusion? Does it have a catchy title and a first paragraph that intrigues the reader? -Students will share copies of their perfected paper with their classmates (each student should get a copy of each paper). Students will read papers before “defense day” and make edits, provide a statement of one item that is really great about the paper, and list at least one question to ask during the defense of the paper. -Student will present the paper to their classmates. -Class will ask questions regarding the topic and thesis, and the presenter will answer questions and defend their paper. (Instructor is to act as a moderator not as a participant of the audience) -Student will collect all the copies of his or her paper with comments from their class and have the opportunity to make final improvements before submitting the paper again to the instructor.
Rubric (Based on 100 points but considering the summative aspect could be worth more toward the final grade in the course) Student selected paper from the term and made edits to that paper for classmates to review.-10 points Student presented and defended paper and thesis statement to classmates.-20 points Student responded thoughtfully in a supportive and constructive manner to all the papers of his or her classmates including providing edit marks as well as one item the student did well and one question for the defense. -20 points Student submitted an improved version of the paper to the instructor.-50 points
This may be a tough assignment for some students because it will certainly push them out of their comfort zone, and in some cases may be done more effectively in a small group. However, as I recall my graduate college years, I remember feeling unprepared for “paper readings” and especially defending my master’s thesis. In “real” life we often get the chance to improve our work and then “defend” or persuade others that it is good and well researched. Students don’t often get the opportunity to show they can apply what they’ve learned to improve their work because they are starting from scratch with each assignment. This assignment focuses on the next step which is taking ideas and building them into something better. With this assignment the entire class is getting a review of historical content by reading the papers and listening to the presentations, and everyone is also working on editing and evaluation skills that they can apply to their own work.
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We have done research to identify some very good wet lab resources for virtual schools that could also be used successfully by homeschoolers. Here are a few of the top options:
Smart Science® virtual labs are a complete science learning system with online assessments and reports, delivery of all course activities and student and curriculum tracking for current and prior terms. In 2007 the College Board approved AP science courses that incorporate Smart Science® AP labs as their lab components. Full sets of labs (20-30 labs per course) are offered for only 15$ a student at the AP level and 10$ a student at the non AP level.
The science lab kits and products offered by LabPaq (formerly Hands-On Labs, Inc.) were specifically designed and selected by practicing distance educators to serve the "At Home" science study markets. These kits are used with web courses, telecommunication courses, home-schooling programs, and all other forms of independent study. http://www.LabPaq.com
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We know a lot of homeschoolers use HippoCampus. We are often asked if homeschoolers can study the content at HippoCampus and then just take and pass the AP exam.
HippoCampus courses were designed to address the AP College Board criteria. However, as with any teaching resource, they should not be considered a singular solution, but can be used as a good foundation for an AP teaching curriculum. The courses at HippoCampus have not currently been mapped to the CLEP and DANTE tests.
If you wish to receive college credit for taking an AP course, most colleges will require that the course have been approved by the College Board. Schools wishing to give their students AP credit must go through the AP audit process. The same is true for homeschoolers. The AP Course Ledger section below gives more information about the audit process.
AP Course Ledger
The AP Course Ledger is a comprehensive and public registry of all courses authorized to use the AP label on student transcripts. The Ledger is an annual and culminating product of the AP Course Audit, a process by which college faculty confirm that courses submitted by AP teachers and schools provide students with the essential elements of a college level experience. As an exclusively Web-based registry, the Ledger is published annually in November and updated weekly throughout the academic year to reflect newly authorized courses.
Here is a link to AP Audit information, (and you can find other links on this page to various other resources):
Yes, the AP Course Audit is only required for schools desiring to:
-- use the "AP" designation on students' transcripts
-- be listed in the ledger of authorized AP courses provided each fall to college and university admissions offices and the public.
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Explore NROC Network Membership for Institutional Use
The same great content available for free individual use at HippoCampus.org is also available for institutional use through the NROC Network. Membership fees sustain the operation of this non-profit endeavor to make quality educational content freely available to individual learners worldwide.
If you are interested in learning more about institutional use of the NROC Library within your school, district, or state, please complete our brief form below. An NROC staff member will be in touch with you directly.
http://vimeo.com/73903908
