COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

STUDENT SURVEY – PRE COLLEGE RESEARCH This is an anonymous survey. You do NOT have to put your name on it. Please

answer all questions honestly. No one will judge your answers.

Are you planning to go to college? (Circle one)

YES NO MAYBE

Do you already have a college in mind?

NO YES, I plan to apply to:_____________________________

How much do think the cost is for one semester of college tuition and books?

How much do you think your entire college education might cost?

Do you plan to apply for scholarships and/or financial aid? YES NO

How many hours do you spend in class per week now? __________

How many do you think a college student spends in class per week? _________

What would you like to know about college?

Have you ever visited a college campus? If so, tell me about it.

Are you interested in going on a college campus tour, seeing a real dorm room or college apartment, student center, or other facilities?

YES NO MAYBE

Additional comments or thoughts about college (you may write on the back):

Name__________________________________ Hour____ Teacher_________________

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

REQUIREMENTS

Visual Presentation Options:

PREZI/POWER POINT -OR- DESIGN BOARD 10 slides presentation board

Writing Content (1 paragraph summarizing your research):Typed in MLA format

12 pt Times New Roman font1 inch marginsMLA headingHeader with last name and page number

11 sentencesMust have Works Cited page

THESIS STATEMENTThis research project will allow you to gather information about three different colleges or vocational schools. After you have conducted your research, you will form your own opinion regarding the three choices and decide which one would be best for YOU. Fill in the blanks below, and you will have a THESIS STATEMENT. This will be the topic sentence for your research summary paragraph.

After I graduate from high school, attending _______________________________________ (example: Michigan State University)

is the best choice for me because _______________________________________________, (Reason #1)

_________________________________________________________________________________, (Reason #2) and _____________________________________________________________________________.

(Reason #3)Grade Breakdown

First Draft Peer RevisionSource Check (3 completed source sheets) 10

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Thesis Statement10

Written draft of Summary Paragraph (to edit)10

30 pointsFinal ProjectWorks Cited (typed in MLA format) 10PowerPoint –OR- Design Board 60Typed Summary in MLA 30Presentation to class

20120 points

TOTAL: 150 points

Visual PresentationOption #1: Prezi/PowerPoint

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

MINIMUM SLIDE REQUIREMENTS

Slide 1: MLA heading, and title

Slide 2: School #1 (from thesis)- school name and a photo, location, colors, mascot

Slide 3: School #2 (comparison school)- name and a photo, location, colors, mascot

Slide 4: School #3- (comparison school)- name and a photo, location, colors, mascot

Slide 5: Reason #1 (from thesis) for choosing and the stats for each of the three choices

Slide 6: Reason #2 (from thesis) for choosing and the stats for each of the three choices

Slide 7: Reason #3 (from thesis) for choosing and the stats for each of the three choices

Slide 8: Your thesis statement

Slide 9: Other facts/information about School #1, the school you chose as your best option after high school.

Slide 10: Works Cited

Font should be large, and photos should be clear. The information on your slides should be easy to read.

You may add transitions, video clips, more facts, pictures, slides, statistics or any other information that you found interesting or useful to your project, but you must meet the above minimum requirements!

Visual PresentationOption #2: Tri-fold Design Board

MINIMUM BOARD REQUIREMENTS

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

LEFT SIDE: School #2Name of schoolLocationPhoto/VisualStatistic for Reason #1Statistic for Reason #2Statistic for Reason #3TWO interesting factsWorks Cited Info

MIDDLE: School #1(the school you chose as the best option for you)

Name of schoolLocation

Photo/VisualStatistic for Reason #1Statistic for Reason #2Statistic for Reason #3FOUR interesting facts

Works Cited Info

RIGHT SIDE: School #3Name of school

LocationPhoto/Visual

Statistic for Reason #1Statistic for Reason #2Statistic for Reason #3

TWO interesting factsWorks Cited Info

Make sure the information on your board is neat, clear, and easy to read. Font should be large. Bold colors and eye-catching graphics should attract attention. You may add extra pictures, facts, etc.

SOURCE #_____

Editor/author/compiler (if available)_____________________________________________________Name of site: _______________________________________________________________________Version number: _______ Institution (name of school):______________________________________

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Date last updated (month and year) __________________________ Medium: __Web_____________Date you accessed material (in MLA format!) ______________________________________________

Day month year

Information I need:

Name of school:

Location (Be specific! City, State, how far from your home, near any important places?):

Mascot and school colors (if any):

Athletics:

Admission Requirements (Include ACT/SAT score):Recommendation letters? Interview?

School size, Student to faculty ratio, Graduation rate:

Estimated cost of tuition per semester:(Is this school in Michigan? If not, how much is the out-of-state tuition?)

Housing options (with cost):

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Campus highlights: (What’s on campus?)

What is near campus? (in the same town)

Look at your research and fill in chart below with at least 5 advantages and 5 disadvantages. You will use this information to write your thesis statement.

Advantages Disadvantages

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

Citing SourcesCiting a source is giving credit for someone else’s work in your research project.

For everything you use for your report that hasn’t come out of your own head or your own creation--whether it’s information, photographs, illustrations, etc. that

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

you’ve taken from a book, magazine, newspaper, Web site, electronic database, or even a person, you need to write down the following information for every source so you will be able to create a “Works Cited page that you will turn in with your finished project:

PRINT WEB (an Internet or online source)

1. Author (if it has one) 1. Author (if it has one)2. Title (of book or article) 2. Title of Article (if it has

one)3. City of Publication 3. Title of Web site or Journal4. Publisher 4. Volume & Issue (Year) if not5. Year of publication (or day Mon. year for periodicals) given, use Date Article

Posted6. Published: Page(s) 5. Pages (if given)7. Pages (where the info was taken from) 6. Medium (Web)8. Medium (Print) 7. Date you accessed this

site8. URL (its Internet address; optional)

Print Citation Format:Author’s last name, first name. Title of book. Publication City: Publisher, year. Medium of Publication.

Example of a Print Source Citation:Van Cleve, Donna. Mercy’s Face. Hutto, TX : Two Story Publishing House, 2007. Print.

Web Citation Format:Author’s or Editor’s last name, first name. “Title of Article.” Title of Web site or Journal. Volume & Issue (Year) or

Date of article - day Mon. year. Pages. Medium. Date of access. <URL>.

Example of a Web Source Citation: [no author listed with the article, so this citation begins with the title]“In swing states: 48%-48%.” USA Today. 5 Nov. 2012: page 01a. Web. <http://web.ebscohost.com>.

INTERVIEW1. Person’s last name, first name.2. Personal interview3. Date (day, month abbreviated. Year.)

Example of Interview Citation:

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Casey, James. Personal Interview. 24 Sep. 2012.Sample of a “Works Cited” Page

Bingham, Jane. Smoking. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2005. Print.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from Around the World. New York: Aladdin, 1992. Print.

Ryan, Margaret. Extraordinary Poetry Writing. New York: Franklin Watts, 2006. Print.

Tadjo, Veronique, ed. Talking Drums: A Selection of Poems from Africa South of the Sahara. New York: Bloomsbury, 2000. Print.

“Texas Rangers.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web. 28 September 2012. <http://school.eb.com/comptons>.

Vlasic, Bill and Frank Dill. The Great Pickle Caper: A Totally Made-Up Title to Make a Point for This Research Assignment. Austin: Great Faux Books, 2011. Print.

Zenia, Flora, et al. How to Grow Flowers in Spite of the Drought. Austin: Great Faux Books, 2011. Print.

When you’ve borrowed information from a source, you need to identify that source within the body of your written paper. Immediately following the borrowed information, put the author’s name in parenthesis, a comma, and the page number it was taken from:My grandparents didn’t know smoking could cause cancer, and they became addicted to something that we all now know will shorten their lives. “Many young people try their first cigarette just to join in with their friends.” (Bingham, 10) But I value my health more than being accepted by friends who don’t seem to care that they’re harming themselves and want me to do the same. I’m smarter than that.

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

NOTES : Parts of a ParagraphThesis Statement: A sentence with a subject and opinion (also called commentary). This is usually the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.

Concrete Details (CD): Specific details that form the backbone or core of your body paragraphs. They are facts, examples, illustrations, support, evidence, quotations, paraphrasing, or plot references.

Commentary (CM): Your opinion or comments about something; NOT a concrete detail. It’s your opinion, insight, analysis, interpretation, inference, personal thoughts, feelings, evaluation, explication, and reflection.

Concluding Sentence: The last sentence in a body paragraph. It is all commentary, does not repeat key words, and gives a finished feeling to the paragraph.

When you write your research summary paragraph, it should be eleven sentences in this order:

1. Thesis Statement2. Concrete Detail (fact from research supporting Reason #1)3. Commentary (explain reason #1)4. Commentary (explain reason #1)5. Concrete Detail (fact from research supporting Reason #2)6. Commentary (explain reason #2)7. Commentary (explain reason #2)8. Concrete Detail (fact from research supporting Reason #3)9. Commentary (explain reason #3)10. Commentary (explain reason #3)11. Concluding Sentence

When typing in MLA format: Always use Times New Roman font, size 12. Under File, Page Setup, change left and right margins to 1 inch. Title the page “Works Cited”. Do not underline, italicize, bold or use quotes for the

title. The first line of each entry should be at 1 inch. The second or third line should

be at 1.5 inches. All entries should be in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

*To set up your header:View -> Header Footer ->

Align with right margin and type your last name.Click on the insert page number button.Click the format page number button, and change to

“start at 2”. Close.

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Name________________________________ Date_______________ Hr____

PPEEREER E EDITDITNow that you have a rough draft, it’s time to edit! Follow the instructions for each step precisely, and check the boxes as you complete them. Your grade

will depend on how well you follow these instructions and edit the paragraph.

I am editing _______________________’s paper.

Look at the MLA heading. If anything is missing or incorrect, correct it.

Read the paragraph one time without stopping or making any corrections.

Count the number of sentences in the paragraph. How many are there? ______

Using a highlighter, highlight the thesis statement.

Underline each of the three reasons in their thesis that tell why they chose their school.

Using a red pen, circle the three concrete details (or facts) in the paragraph.

Using a red pen, underline all commentary (opinions) in the paragraph.

Using a highlighter, underline the concluding sentence.

Using your red pen, correct any grammatical errors you find.

Take this paper and the paragraph you edited to your teacher to have it checked. If you have followed directions, every word in the paragraph should be underlined, highlighted, or circled!

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Return the edited paper to its owner and your highlighter and red pen to the proper places. You are finished.

STUDENT SURVEY - POST COLLEGE RESEARCHThis is an anonymous survey. You do NOT have to put your name on it. Please

answer all questions honestly. No one will judge your answers.

Before you started the College Research Project, were you planning to go to college? (Circle one)

YES NO MAYBE

Now that you have researched your options for college, do you plan to go to college? (Circle one)

YES NO MAYBE

What were you surprised to learn about college?

What do you still want to know?

Did you enjoy this project? Why or why not?

Do you think this research project will benefit you in the future? How will you benefit from doing it? Will you ever use this information?

Are you interested in going on a college campus tour, seeing a real dorm room or college apartment, student center, or other facilities?

YES NO MAYBEWould you be willing to take a field trip to visit a college?

YES NO MAYBEWhat could be changed about this project to make it more beneficial to you?

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

Comments/Suggestions:

Justin Time

Mrs. Keith

English I – 5

4 April 2012

Marine Life at South Beach State

After I graduate from high school, attending South Beach State University is the best choice for

me because the tuition is affordable, it is within driving distance of my hometown, and it will allow an

opportunity for me to earn a degree in marine biology. The estimated cost for one year’s tuition at South

Beach State University is $4,321.00. Compared to an out-of-state college, that is fairly inexpensive.

Also, the housing plans are relatively inexpensive and I can apply for state grants and scholarships to

help with the costs. South Beach State is located 67 miles north of Nowhere Ville, Florida. This distance

is perfect for me because it will allow me to develop my independence away from my parents. However,

I will also be able to make a quick drive home if needed. South Beach State offers a program that will

allow me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in marine biology. Marine biology is not offered at many schools

because accessibility to the ocean is essential. Fortunately, South Beach has a great program that would

allow me to study and get hands on field experience in the water. These and many other factors have led

me to believe that applying for South Beach State University is the best option for me after high school.

EXAMPLE:Edited draft of research summary

paragraph in MLA format

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

STUDENT _________________________________________ HOUR_____

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT RUBRICThis student chose to create a: PowerPoint Design Board

PROJECT GRADE: (60 points)

0 (zero) 10 25 40 55 60The student did not turn in a project.(NO CREDIT)

The student did not meet any of the requirements.

The student met few requirements.

The project had no color/detail and was not well constructed.

The student met most of the requirements.

The project was of average quality and showed a limited amount of creativity.

The student met all of the requirements.

The project was colorful and showed some detail and creativity.

The student met all of the requirements plus went above and beyond.

The project was colorful, organized, detailed, and creative.

PRESENTATION GRADE: (20 points)

0 (zero) 5 10 15 18 20

The student did not give a presentation.(NO CREDIT)

The student did not effectively present an informative message or give accurate facts.

The student did not use effective verbal and nonverbal strategies such as pitch and tone of voice, posture, and eye contact during the presentation.

The student presented a small amount of information. Some facts were accurate.

The student rarely used effective verbal and nonverbal strategies such as pitch and tone of voice, posture, and eye contact during the presentation.

The student effectively presented information about his/her project.

The student sometimes used effective verbal and nonverbal strategies such as pitch and tone of voice, posture, and eye contact during the presentation.

The student was prepared, organized and presented a variety of accurate information.

The student used effective verbal and nonverbal strategies such as pitch and tone of voice, posture, and eye contact during most of the presentation.

The student was prepared, organized and presented a variety of accurate information.

The student used effective verbal and nonverbal strategies such as pitch and tone of voice, posture, and eye contact during the entire presentation.

TEACHER’S COMMENTS:

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT

STUDENT _________________________________________ HOUR_____

COLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT RUBRICRESEARCH SUMMARY GRADE: (30 points)

0 (zero)

5 15 20 25 30

The student did not turn in a research summary.(NO CREDIT)

This paragraph is incomplete, and errors in grammar and mechanics make it difficult to understand.

MLA format is incorrect.

This paragraph lacks structure, is not in MLA format, and contains many mechanical errors.

One sentence missing (commentary or concluding)

Many (if any) mechanical errors

Errors in MLA format

All 11 required sentences

Few mechanical errors

Few MLA format errors

All 11 required sentences in order

Very few (if any) mechanical errors

Well written

Very few (if any) MLA format errors

WORKS CITED GRADE: (10 points)

0 (zero) 2 or 4 6 8 9 10

The student did not turn in a Works Cited page.(NO CREDIT)

Less than 3 sourcesMany errorsNot in MLA format

3 sourcesMany major errors

All 3 sources listedMLA format but with errors

All 3 sources listedMLA format with few minor errors

At least 3 valid sources listed correctly

Perfect MLA format on all parts of the Works Cited page

TEACHER’S COMMENTS: