RISE
Independent Study
Name:
Topic:
0
What is Independent Study?
Independent Study (IS) is a guided study where you learn about a topic of your
choice. You should know very little about the topic you choose, but be interested in
it. You will study your topic all year and complete six projects based on the levels
of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
The main goal is to challenge you by emphasizing the higher levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy from application through evaluation, but knowledge and comprehension
are essential to create the foundation for the higher levels of thinking. This is why
we begin Independent Study with thorough research and note-taking on your topic.
Then you will use your knowledge to create projects that display your
understanding and ideas about your topic. This booklet will help you plan,
coordinate, and organize your research as you learn more about your topic.
Toward the end of the year, you will participate in the Spring Showcase with your
projects.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs
Knowledge (finding out): define, describe, know, list, memorize, name, recall
Comprehension (understanding): comprehend, demonstrate, explain, identify, paraphrase
Application (using your knowledge): apply, show, select, construct, produce, report, solve
Analysis (examining): analyze, compare, contrast, examine, separate, classify
Synthesis (being original, creating): synthesize, create, develop, design, discover, combine
Evaluation (making judgments, opinion): evaluate, judge, rank, prioritize, defend, recommend
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Independent Study Topic Ideas
Look over the topics listed below and circle those that interest you.
Structures
The Alamo
Ayer’s Rock
Eiffel Tower
Empire State Building
Fort Knox
The Gateway Arch
Golden Gate Bridge
Great Wall of China
Hoover Dam
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Lincoln Memorial
The Louvre Mesa
Verde Mount
Rushmore
National Parks
The Pentagon
Peteronas Tower
Pyramids of Giza
Skyscrapers
Sydney Opera House
Taj Mahal
Tower of London
The Vatican City
Vietnam Memorial
The Washington Monument
The White House
Yellowstone National Park
Transportation
Aeronautics
Airbus
Aircraft carriers
Blue Angels
Cycling
Helicopters
The Hindenburg
High speed trains
Hot air balloons
Steamboats
Subways
Transcontinental Railroad
People
Alexander the Great
Alexander Graham Bell
Amadeus Mozart
Aristotle
Babe Ruth
Benjamin Franklin
Cleopatra
Daniel Boone
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Explorers
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frederick Douglass
Galileo
General George Custer
Harriet Tubman
Henry Ford
Henry VIII
Isaac Newton
Jim Thorpe
Johann Sebastian Bach
Knights
Leif Eriksson
Lewis and Clark
Ludwig van Beethoven
Marco Polo
Marie Curie Mark
Twain
Michelangelo
Mother Teresa
Native Americans
Neil Armstrong
Paul Revere
Presidents
Princess Diana
Queen Elizabeth I
Rosa Parks
Rube Goldberg
Samuel Morse
The Wright Brothers
Thomas Edison
Vikings
Vincent van Gogh
Walt Disney
William Shakespeare
Winston Churchill
3
Math, Engineering,
Technology, Science
Allergies
Archeology
Architecture
Artificial Limbs
Bacteria
Body System
Botany (study of plants)
Cancer
Carnivores
Cartography
Chemistry
Diseases
Disorders
DNA/Genetics
Electricity
Energy
Engineering
Entomology (study of insects)
Forestry
Gemstones
Herpetology (study of
reptiles/amphibians)
Hippology (study of horses)
Hubble Telescope
Ichthyology (study of fish)
Marine Biology
Medicine
Meteorology
Money
NASA
Natural Disasters
Optometry
Organ/muscle
Ornithology (study of birds)
Periodic Table
Planets
Polio
Pollution
Robotics
Roller coasters
Speleology (study of caves)
Sputnik
Telescopes
Land
The Alps
Amazon Rain Forest
Amazon River
Ancient Wonders of the World
Carlsbad Cavern
Coral reefs
Deserts Easter
Island Grand
Canyon Great
Barrier Reef
Modern Wonders of the World
Nile River
Oceanography
Panama Canal
Rain forests
Rocky Mountains
Fine Arts
Ballet
Brass instruments
Jazz Music
The Opera
Percussion instruments
String instruments
Woodwind instruments
Careers, Hobbies, Special
Interest
The Air Force
The Army
Braille
Central Intelligence Agency
The Coast Guard
Cotton
Equestrian
Farming
Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI)
Gardening
Genealogy
The Great Depression
Home Construction
Landscaping
Law Enforcement
Library of Congress
The Marines
Martial Arts
Mining
National Archives
The Navy
Negro Baseball League
The Olympics
Photography
The Stock Market
West Point
World’s Fairs
Historical Events,
Documents, Time Periods,
Government
Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of the Bulge
The Bill of Rights
Boston Tea Party
Communism
The Constitution
The Crusades
D-Day Invasion
The French and Indian War
The Holocaust
The House of Representatives
Iwo Jima
Kentucky Derby
Korean War
Oregon Trail
The Pony Express
The Renaissance
The Senate
United Nations
World War I
World War II
List your top five choices from
After talking with your teacher, write
most interesting to least interesting:
your final choice below:
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Note Card Examples
As you select a source to use, complete a bibliography card. Then assign it a letter in the upper,
right-hand corner: Book 1=B, Book 2=B2, Encyclopedia=E, Website=W,
Magazine/Newspaper Article=A, Choice=C, Choice 2=C2, etc.
Bibliography
Card Example:
B
Scillian, Devin. AisforAmerica.
Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2001.
Source Letter
(B, B2, E, W, A, etc.)
Once you have written the bibliography card, begin taking notes and write one sentence per
note card using every other line. On each card, write the letter of the source in the upper,
right-hand corner. You need to write the page number from the source on your card, too.
Please include the related subtopic at the top of the card above the red line. You should
summarize or paraphrase the facts from your source on each card. If you take a direct quote,
you need to put “quotation marks” around the quote and copy the text exactly as it is written in
the source. The maximum number of direct quotes is 10.
Note Card
Subtopic
One
sentence
per card
Famous People
AnnieMoore,a15yearoldIrishgirl,
wasthefirstpersontoregisteratEllis
Islandin1892.
B
Resource letter
p.20
Page number
from the source
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BIBLIOGRAPHY CARDS
MLA Format
ENCYLOPEDIA
“Topic.” Title of Encyclopedia. City: Publisher, year.
“United States of America.” World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago:
World Book, Inc., 2004.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BOOK
Lastname, Firstname. Title of book. City: Publisher, year.
Example
Example (1 author)
Scillian, Devin. A is for America. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press,
2001.
Example
Teeth.
(More than one author)
Chandra, Deborah and Madeleine Comora. George Washington’s
Example (No author)
The American West. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1997.
New York: Berryville Graphics, 2003.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MAGAZINE or
Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical day
NEWSPAPER (1 author) month year: pages.
Example (1 author)
Braunstein, Sarah. “Kicking Off.” Sports Illustrated Kids. April 2009:
46-47.
Example (No author)
“The Challenge.” Time for Kids 27 March 2009: 4.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MOVIE
Title of Movie. Dir. Firstname Lastname. Type (Videocassette or
DVD). Company, year.
Example
Geography of the USA. Dir. Martha Ann byrnes. Videocassette.
Rainbow Educational Video, 1992.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WEBSITE
“Title.” Name of Site. Year. Day month year. Website.
Example
“United States of America.” CultureGrams. 2009. 4 May 2009.
http://online.culturegrams.com/kids.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PERSONAL INTERVIEW Lastname, Firstname. Personal Interview. Day month year.
Example
Brown, Linda. Personal Interview. 17 May 2009.
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STUDENT CONTRACT
I have chosen
as my topic for my
Independent Study in RISE. I know that my minimum requirement for IS cards is
.
I also understand that I will be required to do my best work and a quality
project in a timely manner that demonstrates my learning.
Student Signature:
Date:
Teacher Signature:
Date:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------INDEPENDENT STUDY RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS
These requirements are a guideline and represent a
minimum amount of work. Most students go beyond the
requirements with their research.
Requirements—7 sources
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Book (B)
Book (B2)
1 Magazine/Newspaper article (A)
1 Traditional encyclopedia (E)
1 Website (W)
Additional of your choice (C)
Additional of your choice (C2)
40 note cards (not including bibliography cards)
7
Self Evaluation- Knowledge Level (Note taking)
4
3
2
1
I took more than 10
notes each week.
I took 10 notes each
week.
I took 5-9 notes
each week.
I took fewer than 9
notes each week.
All of my note cards
are in the proper
format: they contain
the correct
bibliography
information (page
number and source
letter).
All of my note cards
have sufficient
details.
All of my note cards
are written in a
complete sentence
and in my own words.
Most of my note
cards are in the
proper format: they
contain the correct
bibliography
information (page
number and source
letter).
Most of my note
cards have sufficient
details.
Most of my note
cards are written in a
complete sentence
and in my own words.
Some of my note
cards are in the
proper format: they
contain the correct
bibliography
information (page
number and source
letter).
Some of my note
cards have sufficient
details.
Some of my note
cards are written in a
complete sentence
and in my own words.
Many of my note
cards are missing the
proper format:
bibliography
information is missing
Few of my note cards
have sufficient
details.
Few of my note cards
are written in a
complete sentence
and in my own words.
Research Grading Summary
After your notes have been completed and turned in, your RISE teacher will complete this
section.
Possible
Points
Notes are written in
complete sentences
10
Notes are
summarized
20
Notes have sufficient
details
20
Notes are formatted
correctly
(subtopic/source)
Spelling and
punctuation are
correct on note cards
10
10
Notes are written
neatly
10
Correct number of
cards turned in
20
Total
First Note Card Turn In—20 cards
Score
Comments
100
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Second Note Card Turn In—40 cards
Score
Comments
Get the initials of your RISE teacher on the shaded lines.
Steps to Project
Completion
1. Research: Complete 20 note cards and
check format.
2. Show your note cards to your teacher for
approval.
3. Sketch out a rough draft of your project.
4. Show your rough draft to your teacher.
5. Construct your final project.
6. Evaluate your project on page 10.
7. Share your final project with your teacher.
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PROJECT SCORING GUIDE
Please realize that a score of a 1 may require you to recreate your project.
*A score of 4 can be earned by students who go above and beyond the required standards.
CATEGORY
3- Met Standards
Considerable thought
and effort is evident in
the content of the
project.
The project reflects
Creative
creativity as well as
Effort
original and unique
ideas.
Capitalization, Capitalization, spelling,
Spelling,
grammar, and
Punctuation, punctuation are correct
and
throughout the project.
Grammar
The project is attractive
in terms of design,
layout, use of color,
and neatness. Many of
the graphics used in
General
the project reflect an
Appearance
appropriate degree of
student creativity in the
creation and/or display.
All borrowed graphics
have a source citation.
Quality of
Content
Use of
Class Time
Used time well during
class most of the time.
Focused on getting the
project done.
Completed the project
on time.
2-Progress Indicated
Some thought and
effort is evident in the
content of the project.
1-Improvement
Needed
Little thought and effort
is evident in the content
of the project.
The project reflects
creative and unique
ideas. Originality is
lacking.
There are a few errors
in capitalization,
spelling, grammar, or
punctuation.
The content of the
project does not reflect
creative or unique
ideas.
There are many errors
in capitalization,
spelling, grammar, or
punctuation.
The project is
acceptably attractive.
Some of the project
could be improved with
neater work. Some of
the graphics used on
the project reflect
student creativity in
their creation and/or
display. Several
borrowed graphics
have a source citation.
Used time well during
class some of the time.
Usually focused on
getting the project
done.
The project is
distractingly messy or
is very poorly designed.
It does not represent
the student's best
effort. No graphics
made by the student
are included. Most
borrowed graphics do
not have a source
citation.
10
Did not use class time
to focus on the project.
The project was not
completed on time.
ORAL PRESENTATION RUBRIC
*A score of 4 can be earned by students who go above and beyond the required standards. This
is your chance to “WOW” your audience!!!
Score:
out of 30
CATEGORY
3-Met
Standards
2-Progress
Indicated
1- Improvement
Needed
Time
Presentation is
about 4 minutes or
longer and student
uses time effectively
(no rambling, etc.)
Presentation is too
short (2- 3 minutes)
or student rambles
which makes the
presentation too
long.
Speaks Clearly
Speaks clearly and
distinctly all of the
time.
Speaks clearly and Often mumbles or
distinctly some of the cannot be
time.
understood.
Posture
Stands up straight,
looks relaxed and
confident. Keeps
hands under control.
Stands up straight
during most of the
presentation. Body
movements are a bit
distracting.
Slouches and body
movements are
extremely
distracting.
Volume
Volume is loud
enough to be heard
by all audience
members throughout
the presentation.
Volume is loud
enough to be heard
by all audience
members some of
the time.
Volume often too
soft to be heard by
all audience
members.
Content
x3
Presentation is less
than 2 minutes in
length or way too
long because of the
student not being
prepared.
Shows a full
Shows a good
Does not seem to
understanding of the understanding of the understand the topic
topic.
topic.
very well.
Eye Contact
Establishes eye
contact with
everyone in the
room during the
presentation.
Preparedness
Student is
The student is
Student does not
completely prepared. somewhat prepared. seem at all prepared
to present.
Enthusiasm
Facial expressions
and body language
generate a strong
interest and
enthusiasm about
the topic in others.
Student establishes
eye contact with
everyone in the
room during most of
the presentation.
Some facial
expressions and
body language are
used to try to
generate
enthusiasm.
11
Student does not
look at people during
most of the
presentation.
Very little use of
facial expressions or
body language. Did
not generate much
interest in topic
being presented.
Comments:
Time: