The Eighth Grade Project
A Proud Thornton Tradition

 Purpose:  The purpose of the eighth grade project is to give our eighth graders the opportunity to learn about a profession they are interested in and to experience a bit of that profession directly.  Through this project, we hope that students will learn more about the world and more about themselves, and begin building their skills for working in the world outside of school.  This project is meant to honor the achievements of our eldest middle schoolers and to challenge them to take what they have learned so far to a new level of intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth.

The Components:    

• Experience – work side by side with a mentor in the place where he or she works.  This should be done for a good part of five days.  This usually takes place during the work week, so students are out of school during this time.  They will need to make up missed school work.

• Journaling and scrap booking of experience (More info below) Students will be asked to write in a journal (paper or electronic) to chronicle what they are trying to do, what they are accomplishing, what they are learning, and their thoughts about these things.  Any kinds of mementos from their experience should be carefully kept.

• Research and Reflective Paper (More info below)
                    Introduction (to be written last, and that will pull together the other sections)
                    Research piece
                    Interview of mentor
                    Report on what student did during the time of the project
                    Reflection on what the student learned
                    Reflection on student’s own growth
• Presentation of project – speech and visual display (See below)

Time Line:   

 

---

Research and Reflective Paper

There are five sections of this paper that can be pulled together to make one long paper.  But each section is fairly short, and focuses on a different aspect of the project. 

Introduction:
Write this section last!  This section will pull together the other five sections of this paper. 

Research (2-3 pages):
The purpose of the research is to enrich your experience with your mentor.  Here are some questions to explore:

• What kinds of things does a person in the profession have to know about?
• What kind of training is usually required?
• Are there professional standards that must be met?  What are they?
• How has the profession changed in years past and in recent years? 
• Other questions that you have – what do you want to know?

Interview of mentor (1-2 pages):

• What inspired your mentor to do this work?
• What education and training did s/he receive (both formal and informal)?
• What does your mentor enjoy and value about his/her work?
• What is one thing that your mentor would still like to accomplish one day?

Report on student’s experience (2 pages):

• What did you do through the time that you worked on site with your mentor?
• Be specific – give examples of some of the things you did, and some of the things you helped your mentor accomplish
• Use your journal entries to help you write this section

Reflection on project (2-4 pages):

• Overall, what did you learn that is important to you?
• What part of this project flowed for you, was easy and enjoyable?
• What part of this project did you find to be especially challenging?
• Would you like to go into this profession?  Why or why not? 
• Use your journal entries to help you write this section

 

---

The Other Components

Reflective journal and scrapbook of mementos

• Keep track of what you did each week – two entries should be written each week, from the proposal to the presentation phases
• Write down things that you learned, whether or not they seem important to you
• Write down things you observed in the place you are working
• Keep track of papers, buttons, flyers, ads, and other things related to your work site (a big envelope or a notebook with pockets might be useful)

 

Presentation:

Speech:

• This can be completely written out or you can speak from notes on note cards.  You decide what works best for you.  Practice so you can feel relaxed and sound interesting
• Cover all the aspects that you covered in your paper – things you learned about the profession, something about your mentor, what you did, what you learned, and how you think about things.  Add enough detail that people can picture what you have been doing.  Especially talk about what you learned and your reflections on your experience.

Display:

• Use photographs that you took, any publicity materials and other things that you got from the place you were working. 
• Using Power Point or another kind of computer display form is fine
• Using a three part presentation board is fine
• Figure out how you want to make use of your display during your speech

Another kind of demonstration or display:
If you learned a skill that you can demonstrate, please do this! 

Video supplement
If filming a video is part of your project or helps you present what you did to the school community, please bring it to presentation night.

Details:

• Let us know ahead of time what space you will need for a demonstration
• Let us know ahead of time what equipment you will need for your presentation (DVD player, projector, etc.)
• Dress nicely
• Relax and enjoy your accomplishments