Jessica's+Final+Project

=Jessica's Final Project=

Introduction & Rationale:
While the traditional stereotype of the Lehigh Valley perpetuates the myth of a homogenous, white, Christian populace, in reality, this area is seeing a tremendous growth in diversity. For this project, students will investigate the historical development, contemporary practices, and local impact of major global religions. Each of these religions will be addressed in class. However, this project, which takes the place of a traditional research paper, gives students the opportunity to engage in the work of historians, theologians, sociologists, and demographers. This project will require students to select and evaluate appropriate primary sources and to compile data in an informative and engaging manner. This project will be assigned at the beginning of the course. Benchmark deadlines will be used throughout the project to ensure that students are working toward the final product. The final project, which will consist of a formal written paper and a group presentation, will be due approximately one month prior to the end of the course. Throughout the duration of this assignment, students will need to collaborate with their teacher and peers to check for understanding, accuracy, and relevance.

Objectives:
1. Students will be able to plan and implement a procedure to complete a multi-step, complex assignment. 2. Students will be able to identify similarities and differences in the development of the world's major world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam). 3. Students will be able to describe the contemporary practices of the world's major religions. 4. Students will be able to evaluate the impact of religious values on historical and contemporary geo-politics. 5. Students will be able to interpret diverse primary sources relating to the world's religions. 6. Students will synthesize research into a formal research paper. 7. Students will be able to formulate a presentation that shows how the major world religions manifest in their local community.

Procedure:
1. During the first week of class, the teacher will divide students up into heterogeneous "investigative teams." Each team will consist of five people - one person for each of the five major world religions (these five religions have the most followers by population). Although each member of the team is responsible for his/her own work, the team will act as a support system and sounding board for ideas throughout the project. 2. The teacher will direct students to the class wiki (Mrs. Friday's Wiki ) for a link to the project wiki (Religions Project Wiki) project description and due dates. Students will also be using this wiki to post relevant comments and questions about the project as well as the final products. [Note: Although I've linked to my wiki above, the link to the project wiki will not be posted until the beginning of the school year. District policy dictates that the research project must be consistent throughout the grade level. Therefore, I must consult with the other World Cultures teacher prior to implementing this project. Thus, I will create the project wiki but it will not be linked on my class wiki until I have received approval from my department and the district.] 3. The teacher will spend a full class describing the project and answering questions. Students are likely to feel a bit anxious about such a large, complex assignment. However, the teacher will remind students that there is remediation time built into the schedule for anyone that is struggling. Further, the final products will be posted on the wiki and therefore available for the entire world to see. 4. The project will be broken down into four main parts which will then be tied together in a group presentation: a. Defining the religion - Each student will need to create an overview of the historical development of their assigned religion. b. Identifying contemporary practices - Each student will need to explain the practices and beliefs that set this religious group apart from others. In this section, students would also need to identify major sects within the religion. c. Evaluating the impact on the Valley - Each student will use census data along with personal interviews to detail the extent to which the religion is practiced in the Lehigh Valley. d. Constructing a formal argument - Each student will write a formal paper supporting a clear, concise thesis statement. This paper will detail both the research process and the significance of their findings. e. Creating a presentation - Students will work as a group to create a presentation describing the extent and impact of religious diversity in their local community. 5. There will be a worksheet for each benchmark that will be completed and uploaded to the group-space on the project wiki. Each of these worksheets will ask students to list at least 3 unique primary and 3 unique secondary sources as well as space for the students to provide a summary of the information they have uncovered. Further, students will post annotations to the group work space. 6. After all papers and presentations have been completed and posted on the wiki, students will be responsible for reading/watching and providing constructive feedback to their classmates (and themselves) on the quality of the final product. 7. Students will also fill out a survey on "SurveyMonkey" on the quality and quantity of work provided during this group activity. This grade will be worth an additional 30 points.

Assessment:
(Please see the specific rubrics on the project wiki ). The project will be assessed in four primary ways:
 * 1) Benchmark deadlines - Each student is responsible for completing the assigned work by the assigned deadlines. Students will receive either a + (excellent, complete), check (good, but needs improvement), - (completed but needs significant improvement), or a zero. Any score that is not a + must be corrected and re-submitted until a + is achieved.
 * 2) Research Paper Critique - Students will be compiling a research paper detailing the results of their research.
 * 3) Religions Presentation Rubric - This score will be based on the quality of the final presentation as well as the the individual participation of each student (as indicated by a survey completed by group members).
 * 4) Final exam essay question - The final exam essay question will ask students to explain whether their local community is a reflection of global realities. Although the question will require students to draw in information learned throughout the course, a response would not be complete without referring to the data gleaned from this project.

Resources:
I have gathered a variety of useful resources that will be posted on the project wiki (Resources Links). However, students will also be encouraged to find their own resources. Any resources that have not been already vetted by the teacher will require the completion of a web evaluation form as well as a brief meeting with the teacher.

Conclusion:
Admittedly, this project is more complex than many research assignments for tenth graders. However, this type of activity will have relevance on many levels. First, students will be investigating their local community. Their findings will reveal the complexity and diversity in a community that they felt they already knew so well. Secondly, students will be developing research skills that can help them in many facets of their lives. Although most students will be going to college and continuing a formal education, there are some that choose to go directly into the work force. Research skills can be used either in formal academic settings or in one's everyday life to investigate news stories, political candidates, or consumer information. While this project requires a formal written paper and a presentation, the fruits of research don't always have to be this formal. Thirdly, these research skills will help students develop higher level thinking. As they examine primary and secondary sources, students will be improving critical thinking skills including interpretation, analysis, and synthesis, among others. Finally, students will be learning the complex nature of collaboration in the 21st century. While collaboration can be extremely beneficial and rewarding, students will undoubtedly also learn the difficulties that accompany working with others. They will need to develop a process that enables every group member to participate and make valuable contributions. The wiki enables students to extend their in-class discussions and ensures that all students will be held accountable for their contributions (or lack thereof).