WORLD HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 2009-2010 DELASALLE AND COMMUNITY HISTORY UNIT How I Fit Into the Twin Cities Project

The purpose of this project is for each student to share a part of his or her life story with classmates and gain an understanding about how we all fit into the area we call the Twin Cities. This can be an excellent way for everyone in the classroom to feel some type of connection with each other and the DeLaSalle High School Community. This Project is worth 30 Total Points: Paper = 25 points and Presentation = 5 points.

You will be writing a one-page paper about you, your family, and community, using the guidelines below. If there is any piece of information you do not want the teacher and/or classmates to know about, do NOT include it in this project. You will also be giving a 2 to 3 minute oral presentation to the class.

You may choose the specific information to write about, but here are the main topics that should be addressed in your project:

1. Where do you currently live? Include the name of the city, and the street address where you are currently living in your paper. Find it on a map, because you will be expected to place a star on the area where you live, on a map of the Twin Cities, after you give your presentation. You do NOT have to tell the specific street address to the class when you give your presentation. (2 points possible)

2. Describe your neighborhood. Try to gather as much information as possible about the: style of houses, layout of the streets, people (professions, hobbies, or any other cultural characteristics), schools, parks, lakes, businesses, etc. You do NOT have to write about every piece of information that is listed here; otherwise your paper and presentation would be much too long for this assignment. (4 points possible)

3. Explain what you like AND dislike about your neighborhood. (3 points possible)

4. How did you and/or your family end up living in the Twin Cities? You might want to write briefly about your parents’ journey to the Twin Cities, or relatives such as grandparents or great- grandparents who migrated to this area. (5 points possible)

5. Tell us something about you and/or your family’s culture. This can include information about your family’s ethnicity, religion, customs, beliefs, or anything else that explains who you are. (3 points possible)

6. What are some hobbies or activities that you enjoy? (2 points possible)

PAPER REQUIREMENTS:  One page minimum, no more than two pages. Turn in after presentation. (2 points possible)  It must be word-processed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, size 12 font, and Times New Roman. (2 points possible)  Include a cover page with a Title, Name, Period, and Date on it. (2 points possible)

PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS:  Be able to point to the general area where you live on a map of the Twin Cities at the start of your presentation and place your star at the end. (2 points possible)  Stand behind the podium, and give a 2 to 3 minute oral presentation during class, using your paper or a note card as a guide. (3 points possible)  Although all topics of your paper should be covered in your presentation to some degree, based on the length of your paper & how fast you speak, you may have to summarize some parts of your written paper, & not include all the details in your presentation.  Try to be familiar with the information you are presenting to the class. That means you should practice reading it ahead of time. Students may use note-cards or read from a word- processed copy of their paper.