9-12+Benchmarks


 * Information Literacy Skills & Standards **


 * Standard 1. Define an information task: **


 * ** Students will be able to define problems competently and identify **
 * information needs. **


 * 1. Understand the criteria for the research assignment. **
 * 2. Read from virtual references and electronic encyclopedias to survey the topic. **
 * 3. Skim and read from general and specialized print/electronic reference sources to develop **
 * preliminary questions about the topic. **
 * 4. Determine the types of information required. **
 * 5. Investigate the scope of resources available. **
 * 6. Develop preliminary questions about the topic. **


 * Standard 2. Develop Information Seeking Strategies: **


 * ** Students will develop information-seeking strategies by investigating a wide variety of resources. **


 * 1. Independently search the high school library online catalog and public library online catalog. **
 * 2. Read, view and listen to a variety of sources on the topic to refine the questions. **
 * 3. Assess the value of the various types of electronic resources for data gathering, including **
 * databases, Internet sites, electronic reference works, community and **
 * government electronic resources. **
 * 4. Use WWW search engines and directories to survey a topic. **
 * 5. Develop a vocabulary for the topic. **
 * 6. Develop a list of search words. **
 * 7. Prepare a search statement. **
 * 8. Narrow or expand the topic based on preliminary searching. **
 * 9. Frame a research question. **


 * Standard 3. Locate and Access Information **


 * ** Students will access and gather information from a variety of resources. **


 * 1. Comprehend the systematic organization of resources within both the media center and public library, including specialized collections. **
 * 2. Use organizational systems - alphabetical, decimal and chronological - to locate resources. **
 * 3. Access materials to match and challenge ability level. **
 * 4. Use Internet browser features to track information links. **
 * 5. Use indexes, tables of contents, bibliographies, and chronologies. **
 * 6. Distinguish between electronic resources: proprietary databases, Internet, etc. **
 * 7. Understand the features of electronic periodical indexes. **
 * 8. Use a full text electronic periodical resource. **
 * 9. Access various search engines/directories and use searching rules/help screens. **
 * 10. Recognize differences in search engines. **


 * Standard 4. Evaluate and Use Information **


 * ** Students will evaluate resources for their appropriateness, select the best and extract the most relevant information. **


 * 1. Use reading strategies to determine which information is appropriate (scan, read for understanding,take notes). **
 * 2. Read from specialized biographical, historical and literary references. **
 * 3. Read from special topic print and electronic encyclopedias and reference sources. **
 * 4. Distinguish between primary and secondary sources. **
 * 5. Read primary sources when appropriate. **
 * 6. Collect and use bibliographic information. **
 * 7. Recognize point of view or bias in the presentation of the information. **
 * 8. Evaluate timeliness, point of view and accuracy of all materials. **
 * 9. Evaluate selected resources for specific appropriateness to the topic. **
 * 10. Collect evidence and details to support the topic. **
 * 11. Scan and evaluate results of an electronic search. **
 * 12. Read and evaluate the information at relevant World Wide Web sites, note URL. **
 * 13. Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, reliability and support for World Wide Web sites. **
 * 14. Use the features of the web and electronic databases to select, save, print out, copy and paste text and images. **
 * 15. Understand copyright guidelines, plagiarism and ethical conduct (AUP) related to print and electronic information. **
 * 16. Cite and credit resources with an accurate bibliography accordance to MLA 7th edition. **
 * 17. Use computer productivity tools to collect and organize information - word processor, **
 * spreadsheet, presentation software and various Web 2.0 tools. **


 * Standard 5. Synthesize Information **


 * ** Students will organize new information from multiple sources to construct a knowledge product that communicates the results of their research. **


 * 1. Consider the purpose and audience for the product and/or presentation. **
 * 2. Select an appropriate media format (oral, written, web/multimedia,video) to communicate new understandings and knowledge. **
 * 3. Organize the information appropriate to the format. **
 * 4. Create a rough draft of research notes. **
 * 5. Use word processing, editing, dictionary and thesaurus tools to produce a polished, original product that clearly communicates research results. **
 * 6. Produce an original work based on their research. **


 * Standard 6. Participate in Collaborative Activities **


 * ** Students will participate effectively in groups to pursue and generate **
 * information. **


 * 1. Practice teamwork skills. **
 * 2. Assign and complete task assigned to individual students. **
 * 3. Explore and use best tools for final product. **
 * 4. Share in the creation and responsibility of final product. **


 * Standard 7. Evaluate the Process and the Product **


 * ** Students will evaluate both the research process and the final product. **


 * 1. Peer editing and evaluation. **
 * 2. Presentation of final product. **
 * 3. Ability to answer questions pertaining to final product. **


 * Standard 8. Appreciate Literature **


 * ** Students will gain an increased enjoyment of literature and grow in their **
 * abilities to locate and select appropriate reading materials independently. **


 * 1. Independently search the high school library online catalog and public library online catalog. **
 * 2. Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction. **
 * 3. Recognize styles of various authors and illustrators. **
 * 4. Identify award-winning books. **
 * 5. Obtain an understanding of the characteristics of the different literary genres. **
 * 6. Use appropriate selection criteria for independent reading choices. **


 * SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS: **


 * ELA 10 CP-ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY **
 * Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4 **
 * Research Assignment-What’s happening around the world? **
 * Similar to the teenagers in __Feed__, today’s adolescents also aren’t aware of what is happening around the world, unles,s it impacts them on a daily basis. Your goal is to research a significant event in history that illustrates cruelty on a mass scale, one that that most Americans have little to no knowledge about. You will then educate yourself on the topic. Topics you may choose from are: **
 * § The War in Darfur **
 * § The Lost Boys of Sudan **
 * § Bosnian Genocide **
 * § Sri Lanka **


 * Tasks: **
 * 1.) As you compile your research, you must complete an annotated bibliography.An annotated bibliography is the MLA citation of the sources you used to conduct your research and a paragraph that contains summary of the source, how the source fits into your research, and your personal reflection on the source. You will need to compile 5 sources. **


 * 2.) __Five picture written response:__ In addition you must find 5 pictures that depict the genocide you have chosen. After collect your five sources and five images, you will write a response that encompasses the following items: **


 * 1.) In a full paragraph, summarize the cause, effects, and impact of the genocide. Tell me Who? What? Where? When? And Why? Include at least two sources in your response. **
 * 2.) __Arrange your photographs:__ Discuss and explain your photographic representation. **
 * a. Why did you choose the photos? **
 * b. Why did you order them this way? **
 * c. What impact where you looking for? **
 * d. How does your photographs represent the genocide? **
 * e. What is the purpose? **
 * f. Explain your tile **
 * 3.) In a brief conclusion, tell us why we could care and not be indifferent to this genocide. **


 * ELA 11 HONORS-GUIDED INQUIRY BASED GROUP PROJECT **
 * Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 **


 * __The Crucible__-Guided Inquiry Project **
 * Now that we have finished reading the play, you will research people who have been wrongly accused or groups that have been persecuted. You may research from any time in history and about any group, other than the Nazis and the Red Scare. Really, any group/topic works. **


 * Goal: In groups, you will select a person who has been wrongly accused or groups that have been persecuted. After compiling all your information, you and your group will teach your findings to class. You are the expert group here, so you should contain a wealth of knowledge. **
 * Groups: **
 * Your group may not contain more than 4 members. You may divide part of the research project; however, you should all be equally educated on your topic. Each group member is required to present and your present, at the very least, must contain the following: **
 * · Background discussion (location, causes, etc.) **
 * · Results **
 * · Personal reflection on the event. **
 * · One other element related to the topic/group you would like us to know. **
 * Presentations: **
 * In a 7-10 minute engaging presentation, you will present your findings and educate the class on your research. Your presentation can be in any technology form-wikispace, PowerPoint, Glogster, etc. **
 * Works Cited and Annotated Bibliography: **
 * After researching, you will be expected to compile a list of works cited and properly cite them using the proper MLA format (you will need a minimum of 7 sources). In addition, you will need to compile an annotated bibliography. **


 * ELA 11 HONORS-RESEARCH PAPER **
 * STANDARDS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 **

** Research Paper ** ** Documentary.Articles.Controversy. **
 * __Introduction__ **


 * Nonfiction, visual culture, media, graphic, and argument—these elements of reading and writing converge in documentary film, making it an ideal way to understand how we create and receive arguments. What, after all, is a documentary except someone’s argument on a topic? Documentaries suggest that the audience (you) should accept the viewpoint, take this action, make this commitment, understand the rightness/wrongness of this policy, etc. to achieve this purpose, the filmmaker (or director) must understand the audience and appeal to them—ex, using the rhetorical triangle. All in all, documentaries build upon the visual world while focusing on controversial and overlooked issues that affect our lives. **


 * __Prompt__ **
 * In this research paper, you will analyze the choice and arguments made in one documentary and 10 additional texts as they pertain to a given topic. The topic should be controversial; then, you are to use those texts and take a stance (ie: develop a thesis) on that topic. **

** __Research Requirements__ **
 * Type of Text ||  This includes…  ||  Minimum Requirements  ||  Notes and Preparation  ||
 * 1. Documentary || Film || 1 full length film || 1 Log per section; minimum of 5 logs ||
 * 2. News || Magazine, newspaper, history of topicàthis should be __unbiased__ and __objective__ || 4 texts || 1 Annotated Bibliography and annotations per text; a total of 4 ||
 * 3. Opinion || Blog, speeches, TV/radio transcript, columns, editorials || 4 texts || 1 Annotated Bibliography and annotations per text; a total of 4 ||
 * 4. Graphics || Cartoons, photos, drawings, illustrations, artwork, table/graphs, statistics || 2 texts || 1 I See/It Means with questions __and__ 1 Annotated Bibliography per graphic; a total of 2 ||


 * ELA 10 CP-Choosing an independent reading book **
 * Standard 8 **

** Independent Reading **


 * ** __Fallen-__Lauren Kate (Romance/Fantasy) **
 * After her boyfriend dies in a mysterious fire that she may have something to do with, Luce Price must spend her senior year at a reform school. While at school she meets two unbelievably gorgeous guys, Cam and Daniel. Although Cam is attractive and into Luce, she is more interested in Daniel, who Luce feels like she has met before. Daniel is trying to keep Luce at a distance because he has a secret that will forever change her life. **


 * ** __Invisible__-Pete Hautman (Suspense/Realistic Fiction) **
 * Doug and Andy have a secret from their past that they tried to keep buried. Doug spends his days at school as a loner being mocked and getting beat up, while Andy, his best friend is a popular athlete and actor. The two discuss everything except for their past but when the past can’t be repressed any longer, Doug starts to fall apart. **


 * ** __The Lost Boy__-Dave Pelzer (Autobiography) **
 * The follow up to A Child Called It, The Lost Boy continues Pelzer’s tragic tale after he escapes his severely abusive mother and alcoholic father. It details experiences moving from one foster home to another and eventually to juvenile detention. Dave’s struggles with mistrust and love but is able to find himself and turn his life around when he joins the Airforce. **


 * ** __November Blues__-Sharon Draper (Realistic Fiction) **
 * After November’s boyfriend is killed in a high school hazing incident she finds out she is pregnant with his child. After telling her mother and not receiving much support, she tells Josh’s parents. They surprise her with their support of having Josh’s baby but immediately hire a lawyer to gain custody of their grandchild. The only person who is offering her support is Jericho, Josh’s cousin, who feels guilty about his death. **


 * ** __They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group__-Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Nonfiction/Social Issues) **
 * Filled with pictures, diary entries, drawings, slave narratives and quotes from former members, this is a comprehensive history of a fearful hate group which started in Pulaski, Tenn. by six young men in the 1860s and its unbelievable presence in American history. The author tracks the origins of the Klan all the way to present day, where she gives a chilling account of a meeting that she attended while researching this book. **


 * Social Science US HISTORY II (CP,H) & WORLD HISTORY (CP, H): NATIONAL HISTORY DAY **
 * Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 **

** National History Day: Revolution, Reaction and Reform **


 * Working in groups of 2-3, you are to select a topic that pertains to this year’s theme: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform **
 * While you are researching a topic for an NHD project, you will read different types of sources: tertiary sources, secondary sources, and primary sources. **

** Primary Sources **

 * A primary source is a piece of information about a historical event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts and the intentions of the past. Primary sources help you to interpret what happened and why it happened. **


 * Examples of primary sources include documents, artifacts, historic sites, songs, or other written and tangible items created during the historical period you are studying. **

** Secondary Sources **

 * A secondary source is a source that was not created first-hand by someone who participated in the historical era. Secondary sources are usually created by historians, but based on the historian's reading of primary sources. Secondary sources are usually written decades, if not centuries, after the event occurred by people who did not live through or participate in the event or issue. The purpose of a secondary source is to help build the story of your research from multiple perspectives and to give your research historical context. **


 * An example of a secondary source is Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson, published in 1988. They are a great starting point in helping you see the big picture. Understanding the context of your topic will help you make sense of the primary sources that you find. **
 * The primary and secondary sources McPherson used are listed in the bibliography. Another researcher might consult these same primary sources and reach a different conclusion. **

** Tertiary Sources **

 * Tertiary sources are based on a collection of primary and secondary sources and may or may not be written by an expert. Tertiary sources should never appear in your bibliography but are only used as exploratory sources, to give you ideas about what to research. Wikipedia is not a reliable source and should not be utilized or appear in your bibliography. **

** Annotated Bibliography **

 * An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. The annotations for each source must explain how the source was used and how it helped you understand your topic. You should also use the annotation to explain why you categorized a particular source as primary or secondary. Sources of visual materials and oral interviews, if used, must also be included. **


 * List only those sources that you used to develop your entry. An annotation normally should be only 1-3 sentences long. **