Course Syllabus
The purpose of this course syllabus is to give you an idea of what you will be doing in Senior Seminar. In order to assist you in achieving your goals, the required components of this course, teacher expectations with regard to the quality of your work, and the basis on which your work will be evaluated (graded) are clearly explained in this document.
You may print this document out and keep it in your notebook for future reference.
Course Content:
This course, Senior Seminar, is designed as the culmination of your efforts from your years of study in the Antelope Valley Union High School District, and it is a required course for graduation. The three major components of the Senior Project (paper, project, and oral presentation/board) will allow you to “put it all together” and integrate all of the experiences you’ve had in school so far. The content of what you will study will be determined by YOU! You will choose the topic of the three major components of this course: the research paper, the project, and the speech/presentation/oral board. These components will each be judged and/or scored by outside panels and/or readers. You will also be required to compile a portfolio of your work, including the three major components of the Senior Project, as well as the required documents from the Antelope Valley “Bridge” from School to Careers.
The scores you earn on each of the major components will be averaged together numerically, and you will have a notation on your permanent high school transcript indicating how well you did overall on the Senior Project. Once all of these factors have been taken into consideration and tabulated mathematically, there are several possibilities. You may earn one of the following degrees of the notation:
- 90 – 100 = Distinguished Achievement
- 80 – 89 = Commendable Achievement
- 70 – 79 = Acceptable Achievement
Please note that you MUST score at least 70% or above on EACH component in order to get a diploma from the Antelope Valley Union High School District.
Although your teacher will not be grading the three major components, your teacher will spend a lot of time assisting you in their preparation. In addition to the three major components covered, you will continue to practice and develop writing skills and put your Senior Portfolio together for final inspection. The specific pieces of writing which are required to be included in your Senior Portfolio are:
- Business letters (there are various letters: the letter of intent, the letter to the judges, etc., each with a specific purpose and audience)
- Research Paper: rough draft due 12/07/01; revision due 12/14/01; FINAL DRAFT due 01/08/02
- Project commitment (sign of commitment)
- Project overview/abstract
- Project documentation (pictures)
- Project verification form(s)
- Project self-evaluation
- Reflections
- Reflective Essay (from the beginning of the year; the 1st assignment in this class)
- A copy of your speech for the Oral Boards
- A copy of your Power Point and/or other evidence of audio-visual aids for your speech
- A completed Individual Career Plan
- A completed application form for a job (or college admission, or scholarship application)
- An updated resume
- A cover letter (letter of introduction)
- Two letters of recommendation
- Verification of the SCANS competencies (completed by a teacher or an employer or your mentor)
Some important dates to put on your calendar:
- December 7, 2001 – rough draft of research paper due
- December 14, 2001 – revision of research paper due
- January 8, 2002 – FINAL DRAFT of research paper due
- April 30, 2002 – PROJECT AND ALL ACCOMPANYING
DOCUMENTATION DUE - May 8, 2002 – Pre-Presentation Portfolio due;
- May 17, 2002 – One page summary due (for Oral Board judges)
- May 23, 2002 – Oral Boards
- June 4, 2001 – Final Reflective Essay due
Required Materials:
- A journal.
- A notebook (a three ring binder is best).
- The Senior Project Manual is the textbook—it will be provided by the school.
- Your Senior Portfolio (also provided by the school).
Items NOT provided:
Computer disks, zip disks, extra notebooks and excess plastic sleeves will not be provided. Some of these items may be purchased from the Student Store if you exceed your limit of provided materials. The materials to make, manufacture, produce, or put your project together will not be provided.
You will be issued one copy of the Senior Project Manual. If it is lost or destroyed, you must purchase another copy (paper or on disk—your choice) from the Student Store for $5.00.
Grading Policies:
Although your teacher will not be grading the three major components of this class, you will get a grade for Senior Seminar from your teacher. Your grade will be based on two things: participation in class, and turning the assignments in ON TIME. If your work is late (even if you are absent on the due date) your grade will suffer. Be sure to note the due dates and plan ahead. Remember this maxim, called “The Five P’s”: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!
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Your teacher will grade on a total point system. This means that everything you do: activities, class work, essays, homework, projects, research, journal entries, participation, etc. are worth a specific number of points. There are approximately 2000 points available each semester. If you plan to earn an “A”, you will need to accumulate approximately 1800 points (90% of the total points possible). The grades are calculated on the computer and posted every two weeks so that you can keep track of your own progress and grade earned to date. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME CONCERNING YOUR GRADE, PLEASE SEE YOUR TEACHER BEFORE OR AFTER CLASS; DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE CLASS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF INSTRUCTION! ! !
Quality of Work:
- All work for credit is on white paper, in blue or black ink,
with your name on it. It is neat and complete, and written in
complete sentences or paragraphs. Certain things MUST be typed
and/or computer generated. These include the research paper, any
letters that will be sent out or included in your portfolio, your
resume, etc.
- Again, although your teacher will assist you in the writing
process, your teacher will not be “grading” the finished product.
Other teachers will grade the research paper; teachers will also
score the project; and a panel of three (3) adults will score your
presentation. Therefore, the only part of your grade that your
teacher is entirely responsible for is the daily classroom
work/participation. Your grade for this class will mostly depend on
you turning the assignments in ON TIME!
- ALL WORK IS INDIVIDUAL, ORIGINAL, AND PRODUCED BY THE PERSON WHOSE NAME APPEARS ON THE DOCUMENT FOR CREDIT. In other words, any work that is copied or plagiarized in any way will NOT be given credit!!!
Late work and Make-up Work:
Major assignments, projects, papers, and essays are DUE on the due date. If you forget it, if the computer crashes, if the dog eats it, or if you leave it in the car, it doesn’t matter. If it is not turned in on or before the due date, you cannot get full credit for it. Work that is one day late is ON SALE (25 % off!). Work that is two days late is on sale for 50% off; three days late 75% off; four days late and it is FREE! (ZERO POINTS).
Absences:
It is imperative that your attendance is good. If you have ten or more unexcused absences in a semester, you will not receive credit for this class—which could delay your graduation plans! In the event that you must miss class, prior notification of your upcoming absence means your teacher can tell you what you are going to miss. Work can only be made up for EXCUSED absences. A parent MUST excuse these absences within 48 hours of the absence by calling or writing a note to the attendance office. For an excused absence, you must turn in your make up work within three working days of the absence, or it will not be included in your grade and you will not receive credit for the make up work. While you can make up any work or assignments missed, you CANNOT make up participation points. This can mean the difference between passing or failing.
Tardies:
Your teacher will expect everyone to be in their seats, with the proper materials out and ready, when the tardy bell rings. Excessive tardiness will be noted on your progress report, and will cost you points toward your grade.