Project Proposals: Student Work

The three students I am tracking have all turned in their proposals early!

Student 1: Making Macaroons

When I think about macaroons, I feel as if they are easy to make but that is not true. Something I have always wanted to know is how do you get the perfect meringue; this is one of the questions I have been thinking about because whenever I make macaroons it seems as if I’m missing something or doing something wrong. There is always a problem, for example, the first time I made them it was so difficult and confusing. But the most disappointing part was taking the macaroons out of the oven, and they came out as flat cookies, so they did not even look like macaroons.

I chose this topic because I wanted to know more about the process of how to get the perfect macaroon or in other words, a more advanced level of techniques. I really want to make a macaron that has the following features: one that has the aroma when you first walk into a French bakery, the lumpy texture from the feet of the macaroon, and the flavor of heaven. I know how the process goes, but I do not know what else I could add to make my macaroon so delicious, like the secret ingredient’s bakers used. Hopefully, by the time I finish this project, I will take everything that I have learned and use it for future events, and I have been thinking about getting a job for the summer that includes working in a bakery and introducing this wonderful pastry.

I have plenty of resources to help me with my project, but I am thinking of using a cookbook as an additional resource since cookbooks not only have the recipes, but they have the directions and techniques for making certain pastries. Also using different cookbooks can help me find different recipes and expand the different varieties of recipes.

The way I will compose my project is by a PowerPoint with my research and my own experiences I have already had. It is important to also share experiences because it gives the viewer a more realistic view of the story or projects the narrator is trying to tell instead of just relying on research. I will also make macarons to present my project, but I am still thinking if I should make enough for the class, I’m also hesitant since there can be people that can judge your work even if you work so hard on it.

The reason I research “how to perfect macarons” is to obviously make the best macaron so when I present it looks like a professional chef made it which is going to be difficult, but my research and the new techniques I have seen from the documentary review will help me. I think it’s good to share the process of how to make a macaron because it’s very difficult to make a perfect one the first time and you’ll have struggles along the way, but once you finally have experience and find resources to help you it will eventually become easier along the way. I know from my experience the first time was terrible that I did not even want to try my creation at all but hopefully when I make them again, I will finally perfect them.

The way I will make time for my project is by working on it one step at a time every day and staying on track on what I need to complete. Another way to have this project done on time is to get less distracted from social media because sometimes it gets boring after reading so much. I am usually the type of person who likes to get things done, but also does it right the first time because if I don’t that’s just going to slow me down and end up with the worse outcome. My goal is to finish everything before the due date, so I do not need to worry about turning in my project late.

Student 2: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

            For my research project I am going to research Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACE’s. Adverse Childhood Experiences are potentially traumatic experiences that occur in childhood, ages 0-17. There is a series of 10 questions you take to determine if you have Adverse Childhood experiences.

            My central research question is: How do Adverse Childhood Experiences affect the mental and emotional development in children and teenagers? How do Adverse Childhood Experiences affect people later in life?

            My reason for selecting this topic is that I want to know how adverse childhood experiences affect my peers. I personally score a four or five out of ten on the ACE’s test, but there are many things that are not included in the test that should be included. I would like to know why there are only those ten categories on the ACE’s test, and why they have not added other traumatic things such as losing a parent or sibling. I also want to know how these traumatic experiences will affect us later in life. Do they affect our success and personal gain? Do our experiences affect how we interact with our family, friends, and peers?

            I am going to use a few methods of gathering information for this project. I am going to have some of my peers (those who are willing) take the ACE’s test. If they score one or higher on the test, I will talk to them about how it has affected them personally, and how it has changed their views. I want to ask if they think it has affected their ability to trust and let new people enter their life. I will also talk to some other people who have experience being around the people who have Adverse Childhood Experiences, such as teachers, counselors and psychologists. I will read published journals and studies about Adverse Childhood experiences and how they affect people.

            I am going to turn in a traditional research paper as my form of presentation. I chose this method because it is the most convenient way for me to organize my project and present it.

            To have my final research paper finished and turned in on time I will most likely use a week to evaluate one resource, and another week to evaluate a different resource. I will do an interview a day and spend the next day or so deciding what I want to use in my project and how I want to include it with other information that I have gathered from other sources.

Student 3: The Fermi Paradox

            The central research question I’m going to research is “Why have we not received any confirmation or signs that extraterrestrial beings exist in the universe?” Specifically, I’m going to be talking about the Fermi Paradox, which is the conflict between the large possibility of life existing outside of earth, and the complete lack of evidence of extraterrestrial life existing on Earth. I’m going to evaluate the reasoning behind the idea, talk about the universe, its evolution, and some principles behind it, and explain some of the theories that have been proposed for the idea.

The Fermi Pardox, and the idea of aliens in general, has been a really interesting topic for me. There have been many movies, books, TV shows, and other forms of media that have evolved around aliens, especially technologically advanced alien civilizations. Comparing this with the extraterrestrial evidence in the real world, it can be observed that there are no clues as to where aliens are at all. There are thousands of theories and ideas on aliens, but confirmed facts in this topic are all unclear, because it dabbles into the unknown and unexplored vastness of the universe. Personally, I find any topics that deal with the unknown to be very intriguing. This interest really arose after I read a really good book series that revolved around the idea. The purpose of the project is to inform others on the topic, and hopefully arouse their interest in the topic as well.

Besides the sources required in the curriculum, I’m going to be looking into articles written by astrophysicists, physicists, cosmologists, or other people who are involved with the study of the universe or its principles in some way or another. It will help me better comprehend the history of the universe and principles governing it, giving me more understanding of the universe in which we live, and thus better understand theories on where the aliens are when they involve background understanding of the universe. I will also be looking into videos (not documentaries) that may further explain certain concepts. Animated videos, for example, are fun to look at and are also a good way to visualize information, and so aid in my further comprehension of the topic.

I’m planning to create a PowerPoint to deliver my project. I think it would be easier to organize my information into different slides, and it would also be easier to add pictures next to the text when it is necessary. It may also be easier to understand organized into different sections, rather than in other forms of presentation, like a research paper, in which explaining concepts may be difficult.

I will be following the guidelines given in Schoology to ensure I have the parts I need to have done for evaluation finished. I will likely be trying to work ahead, just so I am certain I have everything finished, including having the project finished. This means I’ll be looking ahead into the syllabus, and if possible, finish the assignment due next week finished in the previous week, or early in the next week.