The+nature+of+the+Project

= At heart, this is a research project. The goals of the project are for students to learn research skills, write a substantial paper from their research, have a few different venues to show others what they know, and to learn they can successfully complete a large project that may initially feel impossible and/or overwhelming. =

The way this happens is: 1. Students choose someone they are interested in learning more about. It seems essential to the success of the project that the student make the choice and this seems to give the degree of investment needed to be successful with the project. There are only two restrictions of choice. a. There must be one full biography (not autobiography) written about the person, and b. Only one person can do the subject.

2. Students choose a full book and read it about the subject. They also read a short article from the wonderful data base we have at the school on the subject and if the person is not included, I help them find another small article that gives them a sense of the person's entire life.

3. In class students learn how to take notes and take notes on the book they have already read, the article and at least two other resources. A jotlist is provided for them (see section on jotlist) to help guide them in taking these notes.

4. Using their notes, students write two drafts of a 5-15 page paper on the person in the form of a "fictionalized autobiography".

5. Students create a costume (see section on costume plan) for themselves to wear the day of the Museum.

6. Students create boards that show information about their subject. Each board includes a picture of the person, a time-line, a name-plate, and any other information they think will be interesting. (See photos)

7. Students prepare themselves for the day of the museum by practicing being the person answering questions about all aspects of their subjects life.

8. The day of the Museum students appear in costume, answering questions of visitors of the Museum in the morning. In the evening students give a brief introduction of who they are and then the Museum opens again for visitors.