Embracing Heritage Project

EMBRACING HERITAGE PROJECT

Culminating Unit Project

Student Project Contract

Student Agreement

I, ______, agree to complete the Embracing Heritage Project {Culminating Unit Project} by the assigned due date. I understand the instructions given by my teacher, and I will do my best to create a detailed and appealing project with all required components. I also agree to complete all writing portions of the assignment in my own words, and I will include a bibliography for all resources that I use, including citing the interview. Additionally, I understand that this is a home project, and I will only have limited opportunities to work on the assignment at school. I also understand that my project must be completed & ready for presentation on May 14, 2014.

THIS DATE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!

______

Student Signature Date

Parent/Guardian Agreement

I am aware of the Embracing Heritage project, and I agree to help and encourage my child in gathering information and completing the project by providing assistance, guidance, and support. I will ensure that my child completes the project on or by the due date.

______

Parent or Guardian Signature Date

Parents,

If there are any questions regarding this assignment, please email me at the address below. Your support wit this assignment is greatly appreciated.

______

Teacher Signature Date

EMBRACING HERITAGE

STUDENT FAMILY HERITAGE PROJECT

STANDARDS:

ELACC6RI3: Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

ELACC6RI7: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

ELACC6W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

ELACC6W6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

ELACC6SL2: Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

ELACC6SL4: Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

ELACC6SL5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, and sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

TASKS:

Students will conduct research within his or her family to connect with the past and discover more about the family’s ancestry. Students will analyze, share & present their findings in various formats, including written, oral, and digital presentations.

REQUIRED COMPONENTS:

1. I Am From Poem [Template Provided]

2. Family Tree of at least three (3) generations [Links and/or Template Provided]

3. Interview of a relative [parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.]

4. An informational text essay about your life & where you come from.

5. Documents and photographs [Consult with parents when selecting pictures & documents to share. Please use copies of all documents and photographs. Do not use originals.]

6. Mementos and miscellaneous material [Get permission from parents.]

7. Presentation of Heritage [Oral & Visual à(3-5 min.)]

STUDENT OPTIONS:

J Your visual can be a poster, a model you have made, a PowerPoint or I-movie presentation, other digital format, or any other student made art.

J Use a variety of sources such as the Internet, Destiny, encyclopedias, text books, CD-ROMs, and family members.

J Family members are invited to come and share the history of your family as part of your presentation.

PROJECT FORMAT:

I. Cover Sheet

This is the opening page of your project; this is not the outside cover.

Information on the cover sheet:

Ø Title of the project

Ø Your name

Ø Due date

Ø Class period

II. I Am From Poem

Use the attached template to create your poem. The poem must meet the following criteria:

Ø Follow the format provided

Ø Be creative & unique to you & your family

Ø Include appropriate punctuation & spacing

Ø Should be typed or neatly written in blue/black pen ink on plain paper

III. Family Tree

It is like a map of who’s who in your family.

Ø The information on this page must be completed creatively & neatly. You may use one of the links below or create your own format.

Ø Three generations are required—you, your parents, and your grandparents.

Ø Complete dates should be used whenever possible. You can estimate a date if you do not know a date exactly. When you use an estimated date, use the abbreviation c before the date, which stands for circa (about the time of).

Ø If there is information you cannot locate, leave the space blank (do not use question marks or “I don’t know” in the space.

Ø If you can complete your chart further than the required three generations, you should certainly do so.

IV. Interview Questions

You may use some of the interview questions listed here, or you may come up with your own questions. You must include the questions & responses from the interview. You must use 10 or more questions for the interview.

1. What is your full name? Why did your parents select this name for you? Did you have a nickname?

2. When and where were you born?

3. How did your family come to live there?

4. Were there other family members in the area? Who?

5. What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?

6. Were there any special items in the house that you remember?

7. What is your earliest childhood memory?

8. Describe the personalities of your family members.

9. What kind of games did you play growing up?

10. What was your favorite toy and why?

11. What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.)?

12. Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite?

13. Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it?

14. What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High school? College?

15. What school activities and sports did you participate in?

16. Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?

17. Who were your childhood heroes?

18. What were your favorite songs and music?

19. Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?

20. What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?

21. Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?

22. Who were your friends when you were growing up?

23. What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them personally affect your family?

24. Describe a typical family dinner. Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods?

25. How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?

26. How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?

27. Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them?

28. What do you know about your family surname?

29. Is there a naming tradition in your family, such as always giving the firstborn son the name of his paternal grandfather?

30. What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors?

31. Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family?

32. Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?

33. Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?

34. Are there any special heirlooms, photos, bibles or other memorabilia that have been passed down in your family?

35. What was the full name of your spouse? Siblings? Parents?

36. When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?

37. What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen? How did you feel?

38. Where and when did you get married?

39. What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?

40. How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?

41. What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?

42. Why did you choose your children's names?

43. What was your proudest moment as a parent?

44. What did your family enjoy doing together?

45. What was your profession and how did you choose it?

46. If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice?

47. Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?

48. What accomplishments were you the most proud of?

49. What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?

V. Informative Essay

You will use what you know about your family in general, from research and interview(s) to write your informative essay about your family. The essay should be at least 3-5 paragraphs. You should complete a rough draft & work with a peer for editing & revising.

I. Introduction:

a. Attention Grabbing Hook

b. Thesis Statement

c. Background information about family

d. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? of family (overview)

e. Supporting Details

II. Body Paragraphs(s)

a. Discuss an important aspect of your familyà provide details & examples

b. Discuss another important aspect of your familyà provide details & examples

III. Conclusion

a. Summarize the most important points made in essay

b. Explain how what you learned about your family & how has played a role in your life

c. End with a closing sentence (clincher) that stands out as a strong statement.

VI. Documents and photographs

Consult with parents!! Please use copies of all documents and photographs. Do not use originals.

Your visual presentation should have a variety of pictures & documents to help tell the story of your heritage. Identify the pictures with names and indicate the relationship of those pictured to you. Include the date, location, and the occasion of the picture if possible.

Below are some suggestions of copies of things you might include. You are not limited to these, however. Use your own creativity.

· pictures

· awards

· service records

· obituaries

· newspaper articles

· school papers

· report cards

· letters/cards

VII. Mementos and miscellaneous material

Get permission from parents!! You may include some of the selected items below to enhance the presentation of your heritage.

· interviews with family members [Maybe this can be recorded and added to a digital presentation.]

· lists of family customs, traditions, or/and superstitions

· religion

· foods

· celebrations/rituals

· maps

· letters to/from ancestors

· country of origin

· flag from country of origin

· drawings or pictures of things in style during the lifetime of a family member (identify who, when)

· maps of where family members live/lived

· the origin of family names

· address list of family members

· timeline

· autographs

· writings of family members

· family crest, either existing or of your creation

· family stories

· the family’s favorites or pet peeves

· a list of the family ” ten commandments”

· brag pages

· a VIP list

· advice from family members

· family wishes, lies, and dreams

· favorite recipes

Some Internet resources

http://www.myheritage.com/

https://familysearch.org/

http://www.ancestry.com/trees/charts/ancchart.aspx

EMBRACING HERITAGE

STUDENT FAMILY HERITAGE PROJECT RUBRIC

The following rubric will be used to assess your overall & completed project. Some assignments will be completed along the way and will be graded as an independent assignment and also as a part of the completed project.

CRITERIA / TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS / POINTS EARNED
Cover Sheet:
q Title of project
q Your name
q Date
q Class period / 10
I Am From poem:
q Follows format
q Includes all requirements
q Tells story of your life
q Uses correct punctuation
q Typed or written in blue/black ink / 20
Family Tree:
q Creatively done
q Neat
q Includes at least 3 generationsàyou, parents, grandparents / 20
Interview Questions:
q Used at least 10 questions
q Questions answered thoroughly & completely
q Typed or written in blue/black ink / 10
Informative Essay:
q Follows required format
q Consists of 3-5 paragraphs
q Tells the story of your life
q Has evidence of the steps of writing
q Incorporates information from interview
q Typed or written in blue/black ink / 60
Visual:
q Student created
q Creatively designed
q Uses a variety of media & color to tell your story
q Unique in appearance; well organized
q Shows great effort & creativity / 50
Presentation:
q Knowledge of material
q Eye contact
q Voiceàspeak clearly & loud enough to be heard / 20
Timeliness:
q Entire project turned in on or before due date / 10
Total/Final Grade / 200
Comments:
Name