Documentary Review Example

 

Assessments and Due Dates

I am home sick today, which is always difficult as a teacher. You feel guilty for not being able to be there for the kids, but what can you do? Since I'm at least well enough to type, what better time to update the blog, though, right? :)

Last week was Week 2 on the syllabus, and I feel like we accomplished what we had intended for the week. I say "we" because most students were focused on finding a topic and on completing their first assessment of the unit, the Documentary Review, and I had delivered all the instruction I had intended. 

The Documentary Review is typical of the assessments in this unit, which all focus on a different type of media that can be used as a source for research. One of my intentions for the unit was to expose students to different types of source material and possibly to forms of media that they had never encountered. Throughout the unit, we look at documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and books, and we evaluate the credibility of each insofar as it pertains to their individual research topics. Each of the sources requires a review, and each review is recorded as an assessment grade. (Grading policy at AHS dictates that work defined as "Practice" make up 10% of the final grade for a course, while work defined as "Assessment" accounts for 90%.)

Students can access all assessments for 3rd quarter through our school-wide online assignment platform, Schoology, which looks like this: 

In creating the timeline for their syllabus, I found it important to space out due dates for the 3rd quarter assessments so as not to overwhelm students or myself. Students are responsible for the completion of one assessment per week during Weeks 3-7. The assessments are listed in the order they are due. Due dates can be found within assessment rubrics. They then have two weeks to complete their Final Project. Each assessment during Weeks 3-7 is worth 40 points, making the total for those 200. The Final Project grade is also worth 200 points. I wanted students to feel validated for putting time and effort into the process leading up to the Final Project and in the completion of the project itself equally.

The first assessment of the unit, as mentioned earlier, is the Documentary Review. The instructions and rubric:

My goal this year is to provide students with an example of each assessment and to complete the actual

project itself because I believe that modelling is one of the best teaching techniques. I have chosen to write a song as a Final Project example this time around. I will take students through my process by showing them the sources I will be using for each of the assessments. 

Last week, I showed students the short YouTube documentary, "Worth Repeating: a documentary on songwriting" [sic], then created my own video Documentary Review (which I will include in its own post). I like creating the examples not only because they help students see a model for their assignment, but also because they help me understand what may become challenging to students throughout the process.

Kids are getting SO excited for the project! I have had multiple students send emails asking about topic ideas and book choices. Some kids are already asking questions about minute details of their Final Projects. I am also excited. Excited to see where their research takes them and what they learn about themselves along the way!

The Parent Letter

 Greetings!

I am your student’s Honors Language Arts 10 teacher, Ms. Leslie Leffers. I am reaching out to you today to inform you about the Quarter 3 Research Project that we will be working on for, well, the entire quarter. You may have heard your child talk about having to come up with a project idea or a topic for research. A lot of kids have been telling me they have been running ideas by their parents, which is awesome!

The Quarter 3 Research Project is an in-depth research venture intended to achieve multiple outcomes. By the end of the project, I want students to be able to:

·       Write documents in Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting

·       Compose a Works Cited page in MLA formatting

·       Be able to evaluate sources for research

·       Have a broader understanding of how to find information on a selected topic

·       Explore a topic of their choosing that they maybe have not had the opportunity to in the past

·       Create a project that demonstrates the cumulation of the knowledge gained through their research

·       Learn to grapple with what to do when there is not necessarily a “right” answer

·       Manage unstructured work time in order to complete tasks by given deadlines

·       Be more prepared for college-level research writing

·       Have a meaningful learning experience

This is the second year I have implemented the project. Last year, I was blown away with what students learned and how they chose to present their learning, so I have high hopes for this year!

Everything your child needs for the quarter is located in Schoology at this time. I have also recorded all of the assignments and their due dates for the quarter in Infinite Campus. I plan to complete the project right along with the students in order to offer examples of assessments. Please note that much of what students will do in class this quarter will involve unstructured work time.

The sky is the limit for research topics, truly. I want this to be an opportunity for students to dig deeper into something about which they are passionate or utilize the time given to try something new. I have attached a link to the Quarter 3 Syllabus for your consideration.

I will also be chronicling the quarter through a blog called “Leffers’ Lessons” that I will be utilizing as my final project for my MA in English through MSU Mankato. Check out https://lefferslessons.blogspot.com/ to see what we’ve been up to in class.

I am very excited for students to begin their research, and they seem excited, too! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about the project and/or your child. I look forward to an excellent quarter!

Leslie Leffers

Language Arts Instructor

The Quarter 3 Research Project Syllabus

 

Honors Language Arts 10

Quarter 3 Research Project Syllabus

 

All assignments are due by 3:30 on Friday of the week they appear in bold on the syllabus.

All assessments are designated with an asterisk*

Students should report directly to the library every Friday and check in with Ms. Leffers.

There will be no library work time on weeks with no school on Friday.

 

 Week 1 (1/17 – 1/20) NO SCHOOL MONDAY

• Introduction to research project
• Research project topic brainstorm activities
• Review syllabus
• Begin Final Works Cited*
• Lecture: How to find and evaluate sources

 

 Week 2 (1/23 – 1/27)

• Weekly topics: Project Proposal and Documentaries
• Lecture: How to create Project Proposal*
• Lecture: How to create Documentary Review*
• Video: Watch short documentary fitting topic of teacher example for final research project in class
• Lecture: How to use a documentary as a source
• Presentations: Former students’ Final Projects
• Library work time
• Find a book pertaining to your research to read and review by end of 3^rd Quarter
• Watch a documentary on topic related to Final Project* and begin Documentary Review*
• Week 2 Reflection

 

 Week 3 (1/30 – 2/3)

• Weekly topic: Documentaries, Cont.
• Project Proposal* worktime
• Library work time
• Finish Documentary Review*
• Continue reading book for Book Review*
• Continue research
• Week 3 Reflection
• Book Selection
• Documentary Review*

 

Week 4 (2/6 – 2/10)

• Weekly Topic: Podcasts
• Podcast: Listen to short podcast fitting topic of teacher example for final research project
• Lecture: How to use a podcast as a source
• Library work time
• Finish Project Proposal*
• Listen to podcast on topic related to Final Project* to and begin Podcast Review*
• Continue reading book for Book Review*
• Continue research
• Week 4 Reflection
• Project Proposal*

 

 Week 5 (2/13 – 2/16) NO SCHOOL FRIDAY

• Weekly Topic: Podcasts, cont. & Interviews
• Lecture: How to conduct a successful interview
• Lecture: How to use an interview as a source
• Video: Watch short interview fitting topic of teacher example for final research project in class
• Classroom work time
• Finish Podcast Review*
• Watch or listen to interview on topic related to Final Project*
• Contact potential interviewees for Published Interview*
• Continue reading book for Book Review*
• Continue research
• Week 5 Reflection
• Podcast Review*

 

 Week 6 (2/21 - 2/24) NO SCHOOL MONDAY

• Weekly Topic: Interviews, cont.
• Conduct recorded interview with expert on personal research topic and finish Published Interview*
• Library work time
• Finish Published Interview*
• Continue reading book for Book Review*
• Continue research
• Week 6 Reflection
• Published Interview*

 

 Week 7 (2/27 – 3/3)

• Classroom and Library work time
• Complete book for Book Review*
• Complete research
• Week 7 Reflection
• Book Review*

 

 Week 8 (3/6 – 3/9) NO SCHOOL FRIDAY

• Classroom work time
• Finish Final Project*, including Project, Presentation, Works Cited, and Reflection
• Week 8 Reflection

 

 Week 9 (3/14 – 3/17) NO SCHOOL MONDAY

**Individual Final Presentations* may be due before Friday**

• Final Project*

 

 

Kyle's Speech to the Sophomores

 

The Influence of Student Testimony

While I very much want to explain the project requirements and what the semester will look like, today I want to interject with current news about the project, as the information is still fresh in my mind.

Yesterday and today, former students from my Honors Language Arts 10 class came to talk with my current students about their own projects from my class last year. I wanted my current group to hear from their peers about the experience because a student perspective is so much more valuable to young people than a teacher perspective.

Olivia, a junior, discussed her final project, which was a modified Socratic Seminar about abortion rights. She had put together a short Power Point presentation about how she decided on her research topic and final presentation delivery method. She also offered advice to the current researchers regarding their utilization of unstructured work time and on considering the implications of their chosen topic.

I remember the day last year that she conducted the Socratic Seminar. She did a notable job of arranging students in a physical circle in the Commons. She gave clear instructions about her expectations for the discussion and laid out some very specific ground rules for the conversation, which she knew would be needed for such a controversial topic. I was impressed with her demeanor and ability to manage the class as they tackled talking points that elevated emotions among her classmates.

What I didn’t see or even know about until Olivia presented to my current students were the repercussions of her presentation on her classmates. I appreciated that Olivia took the time to talk to the sophomores about what had happened after her class had participated in her Socratic Seminar. Tensions had arisen among a friend group in that class, as opinions on the topic had been expressed for the first time. A small pro-life faction and a small pro-choice faction had formed, and some of the debating outside of class had gotten ugly. I had warned Olivia about such a possibility, and she had accepted the challenge in stride—more so than I had known at the time!

She told my students to be prepared to meet backlash if they chose a hot-button topic. It was so good for them to hear a student talk about being brave. I was sure to point out to my students how much growth I have seen in Olivia since the beginning of her project, when she was terrified to speak in front of people. Here she was, talking as confidently as a teacher to a group of kids she didn’t know, giving them advice and demonstrating such poise! It was one of those amazing teacher moments that help me remember why I do what I do.

Kyle came to my 2^nd hour class today. I am disappointed that he will not be able to present to my 6^th hour. He wrote a book for his final project that he then self-published through Amazon! He talked to my students about the importance of letting go of control and embracing uncertainty during the research process. He also stressed that the research topic options were limitless and encouraged them to take on something they were passionate about. For some reason, he also brought a betta fish in a jar that he passed around. The kids loved it, and he had definitely grabbed their attention.

I remember Kyle’s process more than I remember his final presentation of a chapter of the book. This is likely because I worked more closely with Kyle to find sources than I did with most of the other students. Kyle had begun writing his book in the 8^th grade and decided to utilize the work time for the research project to complete it. Some kids started the project wanting to know more about a particular topic but unsure of how to present at the end; others knew what they wanted to create and had to find sources to help them understand how to create it. Kyle was in the latter category, so I helped him find a novel to read—Stephen King’s On Writing—and I connected him with a local New York Times bestselling graphic novel author for his required interview.

When Kyle handed me a signed copy of his novel (complete with beautiful handwritten notes on the first and last pages of the book), I wept. I am admittedly an extra emotionally-sensitive person, but I think I would have lost it even if I weren’t. My student WROTE AND PUBLISHED A BOOK! Another one of those this-is-why-I’m-a-teacher moments.

My goal is for this project to be a meaningful experience for all my students. It was so valuable to have two former students share how they found meaning through the process in its first iteration. I am SO excited for students to begin!

Why I have Implemented Project-Based Learning

I had all but given up on being a high school English Language Arts (ELA) teacher by second semester last year. Student behavior was the worst I had encountered in my ten years of teaching. Students were socially immature and lagging academically from the previous two years of online and hybrid education. They did not remember, it seemed, how to carry themselves appropriately in a group of their peers, much less how to speak to an adult without being disrespectful. They were jaded by online assignments but not yet sure how to learn in person. Large numbers of students (even honors students!) were turning in work late if they were turning it in at all. The apathy and exhaustion of students and staff was palpable. I was disconsolate. 

I was tired of the new online curriculum. It was shallow, with short vignettes from obscure pieces of literature. It was confusing, with answers to multiple-choice questions worded so strangely that I found myself having to double-check the "correct" answers. And, it was somehow cold, with students demonstrating very little interest in anything they were assigned through the program. I was desperate. 

My graduate classes offered some solace, giving me the opportunity to interact with my content in a way that kept my fire burning when everything about my work atmosphere seemed determined to stamp it out. I relished the opportunity to be creative through writing once again--something I had not realized was a large part of my becoming a teacher in the first place. I was beginning to seriously consider the rationale behind the work we ELA teachers were being asked to assign. It did not seem to be challenging students. It seemed unable to engage them at all. I was at a breaking point.

When the second semester of last school year rolled around, and I was at the most desperate point in my teaching career, I knew that I had to make changes to what I was doing. Though I was supposed to use what had been provided by the school, I could no longer bring myself to do it. Students were not enjoying ELA, and they were not learning.

As a final project for ENG 625: Composition Theory Seminar during the Fall 2022 semester, I had created curriculum for a hypothetical research project for college freshmen. I foresaw myself pulling up the file someday when I worked as an instructor at a community college to utilize as a blueprint for a semester-long syllabus for an entry-level course. I was proud of what I had created, but I had originally not seen any immediate application for the project.

With the impending second semester causing me great anxiety, I made a choice. I decided to use the college curriculum I had created for the third quarter of my Honors Language Arts 10 course. The honors sophomore students were constantly asking why they had to do or learn something that was part of the online curriculum, and I did not always feel as though I could answer their questions honestly without admitting that I, too, felt that much of what we were doing in class was pointless. It was a problem. I saw the individual research projects as a solution. Students would have the chance to choose for themselves what they wanted to learn about. I would teach them about the tools they would need to find credible sources and utilize them effectively to complete academic research.

Even though I knew that the first implementation of such curriculum would be messy and would be a lot more work than the canned curriculum I had been using, I dived in, and so did the kids. Initially, it felt strange to allow students so much time to work without direct instruction from a teacher, but they absolutely thrived. Students who had turned in few assignments up to that point in the class gave presentations on topics with incredible intricacy and astounding clarity. Many students reflected at the project’s end that it had been life-changing for them.

One student completed and published a novel he had been working on since his 8^th grade year. Another student created a healthy lifestyle plan after researching diet and exercise that changed his entire physique when he applied it to his own life. Yet another student led a Socratic Seminar about abortion rights and managed to keep it civil. My faith in education had been restored.

At this time, I have begun Implementation 2.0 of the Quarter 3 Research Project with my honors sophomore students. I have made changes to the original curriculum based on my observations and student input from last year. My goal through this blog is to document the process of teaching the unit, including reasoning based on scholarly research that has helped me determine instruction methods and grading philosophy. I hope to be able to share assignment instructions and rubrics I have created as well as summaries for class activities and commentary on their success or lack thereof. I also hope to include student input.

I call the blog “Leffers’ Lessons” not only because I hope to teach my students lessons through this project that will help them become lifelong learners, but also because I know that I will learn my own lessons as a teacher and as a human along the way. Students are (ironically?) the best teachers.