“Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.” –Henry Ford. Seven months of living with a topic of their choosing, the 8th graders overcame many new challenges and achieved a milestone in their maturity.
Here’s my objective:Package an independent research project into a curriculum meeting many core standards while applying service learning and project based learning.
This project engages the HEART (a student’s passion); HEAD (research skills); HANDS: (apply into a service learning project); and MOUTH (students present their complete project to a large audience, challenging them to take action)
The 2013 8th grade IRP (Independent Research Project) started in September of 2012 and will commence the week of May 21st. Each presentation will be condensed into a 10-minute overview of all the parts of their project. There was an added component last year to make it become real: ACTION! Starting in the fall, 8th graders are perusing their brain files and scanning their hearts for what argumentative topic they want to adopt. They write a thesis statement and jump in with both feet. Vast research along with expert interviews occur, as well as in-depth understandings of academic MLA writing. Once they have completed their seven page paper, they need to take ACTION. How can they go out now and affect others with their newfound understandings? They are to do a service project since they now have such passion for their topics.
For example, last year, one student not only educated us on this growing epidemic of Autism, but then worked one on one with autistic kids, learning how they respond to behavioral therapies. Another student was passionate about stopping animal testing and put up a web page informing the public and petitioning to stop this. Cyberbullying and other bullying topics were chosen, and one student made presentations to younger audiences about how to confront the problem and avoid it. In fact, one student wrote a thirty-four chapter novel and posted it to a well populated literary website. She had readers from all over the world affected by her book, learning about how to overcome this growing problem.
Their entire presentation will include ended an art piece/brochure depicting a visual image of their IRP topic. In their conclusions, they challenged the audience with pleas to make a difference in their own communities.
Currently, I am grading the 8th grade IRP for 2013. Tatum is helping me out!
So far, I am very impressed and so is she!
Here are the 8th graders Theses:
| Topic/Thesis (not formally written) |
| Awareness and intervention for suicide |
| Provide gov’t funding for space exploration and encourage private funding…if continued solve problems for earth |
| Testing cosmetics on animals should be stopped immediately because there are alternatives that are more accurate |
| The rise in obesity among children and teens and needs to be addressed |
| Head trauma in youth hockey is very controversial topic…two sides about how to enforce contact and at what age allowed. |
| Women in the ME are being the basic right of education |
| The American gov’t vows to serve and protect all citizens but the LGBT community feels unsafe in their own home |
| Veterans need help getting into a normal routine and achieving the quality of life they deserve |
| How has “Don’t ask don’t tell” effected America |
| Artists need to be more careful about reading and understanding what they are signing to avoid exploitation by record companies |
| The BP Oil company poses a serious threat to fishermen’s livelihoods, marine wildlife, beaches, habitats, and human health |
| Hunger a complex and widespread problem that people need to completely understand |
| Neuroscientists have just begun to conduct studies asking the question of video game effects on the brain. They seem to have long term effects in a negative and a positive way. |
| Celebrities are becoming more and more involved in our lives |
| There is much controversy about AZ SB1070 and racial profiling …getting to the bottom of it is important. It’s damaging our state and needs to be revised |
| We need to revise the way we think about immigration in this country and what we can do to improve our policies in order to benefit our country and immigrants |
| Outsourcing is a concept which many people and business thrive, yet many are living harder lives without jobs since the jobs were sent away to other countries. |
| There is much that can be done to emotionally help the families and friend of someone that has been victimized by breast cancer. |
| Excessive screen time is affecting children in a negative way |
| There is a solution to the fear of flying that can be right in front of people’s eyes |
| Concussions drastically change NFL players lives |
| Current AZ gun laws are putting many lives in danger and they should be stricter |
| There are many questions behind where the money is going for cancer research that needs to be answered |
| We should be more careful for ADHD with medications |
| Same sex marriage should be legal in order to fulfill everyone’s rights. |
| Cancer has been disrupting families for many years, but there are ways you can help your mom, dad or maybe friend that has cancer |
| Poverty causes many problems such as immigration issues, death, corruption, worldwide economic problems, hunger and more. Debt cancellation which is believed to be the only solution, should be completed to end poverty worldwide… |
| America needs a new tax plan so people so that the amount that people pay is fairly distributed |
| Syria |
| We are an oil dependent society but many people feel that we should us other types of energy |
| People in all walks of life rich or poor educated or blue-collar young and old can be animal abusers. |
| Verbal bullying affects people in horrible ways and can even lead death. |
| The same animal protection that keeps domestic animals safe should be used in factory farms. Our society should not tolerate the abuse and suffering inflicted upon these animals. |
| While the US Space program faulters, other countries gain on the US |