JBurke-Kleinman

toc = Wiki Organization = The York School Personal Project Student Handbook information is written in brown.

**Action items (due dates, forms etc.) are written in red.**

YOUR PROCESS JOURNAL ENTRIES SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN BLACK. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT EACH ENTRY IS PROPERLY DATED.

= Process Journal = = = Maintain a process journal containing all your thoughts, decisions and actions. This document allows you to record your progress as you work on the project. It should be completed honestly and regularly to show how your project is developing. The process journal will also help you as you write the various sections of the report.

* //Adapted from MYP Personal Project Guidelines, Jan 2004// The process journal should be written in each of the following stages of your personal project: Investigate, Design, Plan, Create and Evaluate. **The process journal will be collected along with your written report on the due date for submission: December 11, 2009.** The process journal is your account of the progress you make with the personal project. It is about:

a) What you are doing at that moment. b) What you are thinking c) What you are accomplishing d) How you are coping with each of the different stages of your project e) How well you are dealing with problems and what you are learning about yourself as a result f) What makes you happy, annoyed, angry, nervous, disappointed, proud g) It needs not contain only written material, you can use pictures, photos, sketches, checklists, recordings, anything which provides evidence of your planning and progress

For example:

 PERSONAL PROJECT PROCESS JOURNAL

Biked 200km from Mont. Laurier to Saint-Jerome, Quebec over 4 days with a daily high of 80km Biked upwards of 21km Biked 49 km. The hilly terrain of this ride helps when building strength in core muscles but mainly thighs/quads as well as calves. Biked 31km Finalized plans from 150km ride from Niagara Falls to Toronto, Ontario, set the third of October as date. Decided on Camp Oochigeas as charitable source Began working on sponsorship strategies, will contact Sean Mitchell of the York School for advice Ran a 6 minute 15 second mile. While different from biking, running takes similar cardiovascular fitness as well as some similar leg muscle groups. Played upwards of 2 hours of hockey. Hockey, skating in particular, is a great way to increase stamina and leg strength 30min cardio training on stationary bike 15min elliptical 3 miles on treadmill 5 sets of 12 quad leg lifts at 45 lbs S. Mitchell recommended setting up a personal fundraising page on the Oochigeas website, so I did 35 minutes 30 sec strength and muscular endurance training on stationary bike 1 hour hockey practice 40 min cardio on stationary bike – reached target heart rate of 160 for no less than 5 minutes in total 17km route through Moore Park Ravine via Belt Line trail – 1 hour 3 minutes Have raised almost $800 in support of my cause. Prepared all equipment for the ride tomorrow, including first aid **
 * May 5, 6, 7, 8**
 * August 24**
 * August 29**
 * September 6**
 * September 10**
 * September 11**
 * September 15**
 * September 12, 13**
 * September 19**
 * September 21**
 * September 22**
 * September 26**
 * September 27**
 * September 30**
 * October 2

Will have an announcement of fundraising website posted to YorkNet, school’s webpage accessible by all faculty, students and parents

=Guiding Question (Big Idea)=

**//__How can I best challenge myself mentally and physically while raising funds/awareness for a good cause?__//**
=I. Investigation=

**Part I: Brainstorming:**

[|Investigate_Brainstorming.pdf]

**Part II: Some questions to consider**

Is there anything that you want to learn more about? That you’ve always wondered about? Are fascinated by? Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to learn to do? What are you interested in finding out about yourself? What challenge would you be willing to take? Have you traveled anywhere that changed your view of life? Where did you go? Have you ever experienced anything that changed your view of life? What was that experience? If you could go anywhere (country, city, building, behind the scenes) where would it be? If you could meet anyone, who would it be? Is there any deceased person that you wish that you had met? Who and why? Is there something in your culture/heritage to investigate, bring attention to, celebrate?

Do you have future aspirations? Describe them. Do you have any hobbies? What are they? Do you play any sports? Which ones? Do you participate in any competitive activities? What are they? Do you play any musical instruments? Which ones? If you don’t play any musical instruments, would you like to play any? Which ones? Have you developed any skills that you could use in your personal project? What are they? What are your major personal accomplishments? Why do you consider them accomplishments? Do you belong to any clubs, community organizations etc. that could be incorporated into your personal project? Which ones?
 * Part III:** **Questions to consider**

**NOW READ ALL THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE MORE PROGRESS IN FINDING A SPECIFIC TOPIC FOR YOUR PERSONAL PROJECT. YOU MAY WANT TO DO THIS BY:

1. USING A MIND MAP VIA INSPIRATION OR BY HAND. YOUR MIND MAP** **WILL NEED TO BE SCANNED AND INSERTED INTO YOUR WIKI.**
 * 2. WRITE OUT ANSWERS ON LAPTOP OR BY HAND.**

1. Eliminate (cross out) any repetitive ideas 2. Eliminate any ideas that you really are NOT interested in pursuing 3. Put together any similar ideas 4. How can you relate your ideas to an Area of Interaction? Which one? Or two 5. Consider how relevant the ideas are to real life (are they doable?) 6. Consider the ideas most meaningful to you. Consider what, of yourself, you can bring to your ideas. 7. Can you formulate any questions about your ideas? Take a point of view? 8. Is your idea “researchable, interesting, realistic?


 * BY NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE A MORE DIRECTED TOPIC FOR YOUR PERSONAL PROJECT. DO YOU HAVE ONE? WHAT IS IT?**

1b) Areas of interaction [[image:tyspersonalproject:AoI.png caption="AoI.png"]]
[|Areas of interaction as lenses.doc]

1c) Focusing to a guiding question
**WRITING THE GUIDING QUESTION**

A good guiding question is characterized by the following:

i) that prompts students to ask more questions ii) has multiple answers iii) ensures students learn content and do research iv) promotes deep thinking about an area of interaction v) not easily answered

Examples:


 * **Topic** || **Guiding Question** ||
 * Safety || ‘How can I better design traffic flow around my school?’ ||
 * Poverty || ‘How can I help reduce poverty in my city?’ ||
 * Sport Violence || ‘How can I bring awareness to soccer violence and how can this be reduced?’ ||
 * THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL PROJECT YOU MUST ANSWER THE GUIDING QUESTION YOU CHOOSE ****.**

__** MYP PERSONAL PROJECT 2009 PROPOSED TOPIC **__ ** THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY Feb 25th ** 1. My topic/area of interest is: Health, Fitness, and current issues 2. Briefly explain what inspired you to choose this topic. I was inspired to choose this topic because I wanted to do something physical, and something that would challenge my personal level of fitness. I also wanted to, however, do something relating to charity work, fundraising, or raising awareness of a certain issue. 3. Highlight applicable AOI

Environment -Health and Social Education -Community and Service Human Ingenuity

4. My guiding question is: (be as clear as possible). How can I best challenge myself mentally and physically while raising funds/awareness for a good cause? 5. Briefly explain how the above AOI(s) will be the focus of your project and how your guiding question is connected. By answering my question, I will have included all the areas of interest that I want to work in. I want to bike a far distance, collecting sponsorship money for an issue like paediatric cancer. This would relate to fitness as I train for such an activity and health and current issues as I raise awareness and money for such an item.

Ask yourself the following questions: 1. What kind of information do I need to research? 2. Who has information about my topic? How do I contact people? 3. Where do I find the necessary material? 4. Do I need to interview individuals? 5. Do I have to carry out my own experiments? 6. Do I need to prepare, circulate and analyze surveys/questionnaires? 7. Do I need to visit a museum? Gallery? Gathering the Necessary Material and Research ** When you have found a source of information and/or inspiration, you will have to decide how useful it is. The list of sources in your report should only include those you have actually used. Write an annotated bibliography for each resource in the section below. Remember to keep your personal project goal in mind. This will help you to select what is useful and relevant.
 * A book, journal, internet site: see **Bibliographic Resource tab** to the left.
 * An interview: record date of interview, name, address, title of person
 * A work of art: record name, artist, location of gallery/museum
 * An experiment: apparatus, circumstances

__1d) COLLECTING RESOURCES__ Fill out this table below as you go... (at least 1 print source, 1 website, 1 interview) //List below: [][][][]// Sean Mitchell on Oochigeas fundraising and website information || - - - - - - - - ||
 * **Questions:** || **Y/N** || **Which resource addresses my guiding question, AoI,** ||
 * Have I collected a variety of resources?

trail information health, community service - guiding question cycling in canada information training for a distance bike ride - guiding question health and community service info || STAGE 2 DESIGNING THE PERSONAL PROJECT After collecting and analyzing resources you are now in a position to make decisions about the best way to carry out your personal project.
 * Are the resources enough to answer my question? || Y || ||
 * Do the resources support the area of interaction(s) || Y || ||
 * What changes could I make in my design(planning) and research to attain better results? || || ||

Consider a table weighing out the different options you could take evaluating the pros and cons of each design option.

CHOOSING and APPLYING TECHNIQUES  Biking – Ride for Refugees || For a great cause, already organized || Requires a lot of time and training || 30-day personal fitness challenge || Self-designed, independent with results || Requires planning as well as a gym membership Little space for charity component || Bike the Ontario Waterfront trail from Niagara falls to Toronto (145+km) || Highly challenging, safe, self planned, great opportunity for sponsorship and charity component || Physically demanding and requires significant planning || Decide which design/technique you will use and write an explanation why you chose it
 * Design/Technique || Pros || Cons ||
 * 1
 * 2
 * 3

I think that I will use option 3 for my project, because it is the best way to demonstrate my ability to organize this myself, to raise money and to do something physically demanding.

What will my ideal Personal Project look like/be when it is completed?

My ideal personal project will be something that is challenging. It will be something that I am proud of and something that helps people.

STAGE 3 Planning the Personal Project

After your research you are ready to plan how you will carry out your Personal Project.
 * Step 1: Make a chronological list of steps you will take **
 * Step 2: Prepare a list of materials/resources needed and where and how you **
 * attain them (consider associated costs, people to consult and scheduling challenges if applicable) **
 * Step 3: Prepare a time line showing what you will do at each step **
 * Ie. A calendar or table itemizing action plans/anticipated results **
 * Step 4: Include back up plans/alternatives should changes need to be made **
 * * **// Contributed by Dianne Dowman, MYP Design Cycle, 2008. //



STAGE 3 PLANNING

Planning and Development Worksheet : due April 29

//This is the first step of your project – to plan and to make a goal. Your goals and timelines may change throughout the project somewhat, but it is important to state and explain clearly the reasons for the changes in your process journal.//
 * You must complete this worksheet and share it with your supervisor at the your first meeting. At the end of the meeting both you and your supervisor will sign this sheet.**

Topic: Biking to raise money for a cause _

Focused Guiding Question/goal: How can I help a cause while testing myself mentally and physically?

Area of Interaction (AoI): Fundraising, health, fitness

Justify and explain how your chosen personal project fits into the above stated AoI and guiding question My personal project is going to raise money for a good cause, depending on which ride I choose to join. It also has to do greatly with fitness, because I will need to increase my personal level of fitness before I am able to complete this bike ride. Describe the process you will carry out to address your personal project guiding question Outline a detailed plan and timeline of what you hope to achieve. (Recognize plans can change, but only if there is a plan). You will want to take into account the deadlines that have already been set by the school (see page 2 of this guide)

Plans Approximate deadline

STAGE 3 PLANNING

List __all__ the resources needed to carry out your personal project (this includes print sources, people, organizations, community services ).

[] _




 * STUDENT SIGNATURE:** **DATE:**


 * MENTOR** **SIGNATURE: _**

=II. Design=

**STAGE 2 DESIGNING THE PERSONAL PROJECT** After collecting and analyzing resources you are now in a position to make decisions about the best way to carry out your personal project.

Consider a table weighing out the different options you could take evaluating the pros and cons of each design option.

__** CHOOSING and APPLYING TECHNIQUES **__ Decide which design/technique you will use and write an explanation why you chose it.
 * Design/Technique || Pros || Cons ||
 * 1 || || ||
 * 2 || || ||
 * 3 || || ||

What will my ideal Personal Project look like/be when it is completed?

= =

=III. Planning=

**STAGE 3 Planning the Personal Project **

After your research you are ready to plan how you will carry out your Personal Project.


 * Step 1:** Make a chronological list of steps you will take


 * Step 2:** Prepare a list of materials/resources needed and where and how you attain them (consider associated costs, people to consult and scheduling challenges if applicable).


 * Step 3:** Prepare a time line showing what you will do at each step (ie. A calendar or table itemizing action plans/anticipated results).


 * Step 4:** Include back up plans/alternatives should changes need to be made.

Planning and Development Worksheet:
__Due Date:__ April 29

//This is the first step of your project – to plan and to make a goal. Your goals and timelines may change throughout the project somewhat, but it is important to state and explain clearly the reasons for the changes in your process journal.//
 * You must complete this worksheet and share it with your supervisor at the your first meeting. At the end of the meeting both you and your supervisor will sign this sheet.**

Topic:

Focused Guiding Question/goal:

Area of Interaction (AoI): Justify and explain how your chosen personal project fits into the above stated AoI and guiding question. D escribe the process you will carry out to address your personal project guiding question Outline a detailed plan and timeline of what you hope to achieve. (Recognize plans can change, but only if there is a plan). You will want to take into account the deadlines that have already been set by the school (see page 2 of this guide)
 * Plans || Approximate Deadline ||

List __all__ the resources needed to carry out your personal project (this includes print sources, people, organizations, community services).

= = = = = =

= = = = =IV. Creation= **STAGE 4 CREATING the PERSONAL PROJECT** After research, choosing the best technique and planning you are now ready to create your personal project.

Ask yourself the following:

Have I written in my process journal regularly? Have I taken photographs (if applicable) at various steps? Have I attained all the materials that I need?

= =

= =

= = = = = = =V. Evaluation and Reflection= ** Writing the Personal Project Report FIRST DRAFT DUE DATE: November 6th
 * STAGE 5 EVALUATING and REFLECTING
 * **CONTENTS** || Yes or No ||
 * I have a contents page written with sections labeled introduction, description of research, process, analysis of process, conclusion, bibliography, appendices (if applicable). ||  ||
 * **INTRODUCTION** //Written in future tense approximately 1-1.5 pages// ||  ||
 * I have clearly identified my goal within its context (i.e. WHY it is important), and some background on my inspiration towards the chosen project. || ||
 * I have justified my choice of AoI focus. ||  ||
 * I have written a detailed outline of the steps taken to achieve my guiding questions, this includes a variety of resources (at least 1 print, 1 website, 1 interview). ||  ||
 * **DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS** //Written in past tense approximately 1.5-2 pages// ||  ||
 * I have described the possible techniques suitable to answering my guiding question and have justified my choice/technique. ||  ||
 * I have described my process clearly (all production steps/components) referring to my plan in the introduction. ||  ||
 * **ANALYSIS** //Divide into 2 sections research analysis and process analysis// ||  ||
 * I have reflected on the resources collected (design stage) to attain my project goal and the AoI chosen: emphasizing the value of the resources. ||  ||
 * I have considered if the AoI is well connected to the resources. ||  ||
 * I have supported my arguments thoughtfully with evidence. ||  ||
 * I have reviewed my goal: challenges and achievements. ||  ||
 * I have reviewed the process (plan and doing phase): considered the timelines, ease/challenge of 'doing': reliance upon others/experts, materials/equipment. ||  ||
 * Review if your chosen AoI is effective in your project process. ||  ||
 * //*Analysis is not description which is telling. Rather identifying factors that shaped the idea/point. It can be comparing and contrasting. It may also be understanding the significance.// ||  ||
 * **CONCLUSION** ||  ||
 * I have analysed the outcome: the strengths or weaknesses in my final outcome/project? ||  ||
 * I have considered how to improve upon the project. ||  ||
 * I have shared new insights gained about the project. ||  ||
 * **BIBLIOGRAPHY** ||  ||
 * I have completed an annotated bibliography following a format outlined in the Bibliographic Resources tab. ||  ||
 * I have correctly cited borrowed ideas in the text of my report. ||  ||
 * **PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT** ||  ||
 * I have organized my work logically and clearly. ||  ||
 * I have met deadlines and made use of my process journal. ||  ||
 * I have shown enthusiasm and commitment. ||  ||
 * I have correctly cited borrowed ideas in the text of my report. ||  ||
 * **PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT** ||  ||
 * I have organized my work logically and clearly. ||  ||
 * I have met deadlines and made use of my process journal. ||  ||
 * I have shown enthusiasm and commitment. ||  ||
 * I have shown enthusiasm and commitment. ||  ||

WRITING the SECOND DRAFT and SUBSEQUENT DRAFTS

Do not expect your first written version to suffice. Check your project with the ASSESSMENT CRITERIA and YOUR MENTOR.

Have the first draft read by, for example, a peer, a parent, or your mentor and ask for feedback. After consulting with one or all of the above persons you are ready to edit your draft. Remember that this draft should be as complete as possible and follow the structure outlined in section B of this booklet. The more editing the closer your report will likely meet the assessment rubric. FINAL COPY - DUE DECEMBER 12, 2008

The written piece should not exceed 4000 words.

=Resources and Bibliography=