Guidelines for Senior Projects 12-13
The senior project is an integral part of a student’s final year of high school. It integrates skills,
concepts and data from the student’s program of study into one culminating project. Senior
projects are a requirement for each career path program and will count as 20% of a student’s
senior grade. The senior project is a requirement for both half-day and full-day students. The
senior project consists of three components. Each student will complete a research paper, a
product or process and give an oral presentation in front of their peers.
The senior project will take place throughout the Level II year with the presentation
taking place during the week of April 23. The senior project has been simplified into several
small components that together make up the project as a whole. Students will be assigned
specific tasks and will submit completed tasks by the established deadlines. Students who
attend the CCCTC full-day will be able to use senior project work from their lab in their English
class. Half-day students may be able to use the senior project that they complete at the CCCTC
for the senior project that they complete at their home school.
Students work on individual projects and will complete presentations independently.
Choosing a Senior Project Topic: (Typically selected by the end of the Level I year)
A Senior Project is about doing and learning something that you want to do and learn about!
This is your chance to choose a topic that will be interesting and worthwhile and will extend
your knowledge of your Tech Prep area. However, making the decision may not be easy.
Choose carefully; consult with your Career Path Instructor and English Instructor. Remember to
keep your project manageable. Here are some guidelines that might help you.

Topics must be related to the student’s career and technical area of interest.

The topic must be broad enough to provide adequate resources and to yield a written
report of the desired length and depth of study.

Topics must be narrow enough to be covered within the time frame of the project.

Topics must lend themselves to a manageable and affordable product/process project.

While topics might have similarities with other student topics, each paper must be
worked on individually.
Topic must be developed around the student’s career focus.


Initially, the student will select several possible topics for teacher approval.
(Sample: Senior Project Topic Selection Sheet)
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
When topic is finalized and approved by instructor, the student and instructor sign Topic
Selection Sheet indicating the students will not change topic and student will begin next
phase of senior project.
Senior Project Components:
Part One: Research Paper: (33.3%of grade)

A formal paper that encourages students to develop and demonstrate proficiency in
conducting research and writing about a chosen topic. The research paper will be
graded by the lab instructor for this assignment.

Must be research-based utilizing at least 2 different websites of information and a total
minimum of 3 individual sources. Types of sources would be periodicals, library
references, Internet, personal interviews, technical manuals, ex cetera.

Documentation of related research information through note cards to develop the initial
outline of the paper. Note cards include 3 title cards, one for each source, and 3 fact
cards per title card for a total of 12 note cards.

Paper must be typed and adhere to APA standards.

All research papers should be approximately 3-5 content/text pages (800 – 1,000 words)
in length. In addition to the content/text papers, there should be a title page and a
bibliography. An appendix is optional based on topic.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Submitting someone else’s work as your own is
unacceptable- even if it is just a few sentences.
Part Two: Product/Process Project (33.3% of grade)
Choosing a Product/Process for your Senior Project:

Carefully choose a product or process that you can create that demonstrates your depth
of understanding as it pertains to your senior project topic. Work with your Career Path
Instructor to decide what type of product/process you could complete within the
desired time frame. To help, answer these questions as you decide:

Does the research enhance the product? Is there a clear connection between the
research topic and the product/process you want to produce?
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
Does the product/process represent significant amounts of time, effort and appropriate
complexity? Does it go beyond what you already know how to do?

Is the project something you will do outside of your regular class or co-curricular
requirements? A product/process that you produce for a career-technical student
organization will not fulfill the Senior Project requirements unless it goes substantially
beyond the parameters of the product.

Will the product involve tangible evidence of your work – either something physical that
can be seen and touched or a process that can be documented written, produced, taped
and presented?
Please understand that the product does NOT have to be a complete working model
of the subject or topic being researched. The product can actually be a sample or
mock-up of a specific section or component being researched. In lieu of a physical
product, a student may present a process that they have completed in the form of
data/ charts/ graphs and other information gathered while researching their topic and
attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

A tangible creation based on choosing, designing and developing an item related to the
student’s research topic.

The student will spend a minimum of 15 hours outside class working on a project
related to the research topic.

The Career Path Instructor will approve the Product/Process Project. (Sample: Senior
Product/Process/Project Approval Form).
All documentation of the Product/Process will be included in a Portfolio/ 3-ring
binder. Be sure to include your graded rough draft and a clean copy of your final
research paper as well. The following items will also be included in the final Portfolio.
1. A Log: a log of the student’s hours, including dates and times in an hour-by-hour log and
a description of what you did during these times. Travel time, thinking time or time
spent practicing your presentation DOES NOT count toward your 15 hours.
2. Journal Entries: Entries need to contain each of the student’s experiences (including
dates). Entries should note obstacles, challenges, meaningful activities and encounters
in a written discussion.
3. Include a completed mentor sheet.
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4. Photographs or other visual documentation.
5. Include any notes, papers, flyers, and/or charts that you may have collected and/or
created about the project.
6. Include printouts of any Internet sources, Xerox copies of articles, ex cetera.
Part Three: Oral Presentation :( 33.3% of grade)
During senior project week (April 22-27, 2013) every Level II senior will complete a
formal presentation in front of their instructor, student peers, and parents.
The presentation consists of a speech, an explanation of how learning was applied in
developing the project and a discussion of lessons learned by the student.

A 5-7 minute oral presentation (may use note cards) that includes a multimedia
component. The multimedia component may consist of PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.

Presentation (must) include one visual aid in addition to the multimedia presentation.
This could be in the form a graph, chart, poster, etc.

Students must speak clearly, at an even tempo, using a strong tone of voice, making eye
contact with everyone in the room.

Students should demonstrate their depth of knowledge regarding their selected topic.
Students should be able to discuss how they might apply this new information to other
areas relative to their career field. Students should be able to offer suggestions as to
ways they might change or improve the concepts or processes being researched.

Speech content should; summarize the research paper by covering all major points,
explain how paper relates to product or process, explain why student chose the topic.

Students must dress professionally and make every attempt to present themselves in a
professional manner. Student’s portfolio/ 3-ring should be brought to the oral
presentation for review by the audience. Students should be prepared to answer
questions from the audience or review panel.
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Name: _________________________________ Date Submitted: __________________
Topic Selection Worksheet
Step One:
Please list Two possible topics below:
Topic One: ______________________________________________________________
Topic Two: ______________________________________________________________
Teacher Initials:
English Instructor:
____________
Career Path Instructor:
____________
Step Two:
Your job is to try and find Three resources with information for the topics above. Make
sure the information is of high quality. Please list the sources you were able to find for
each topic below: (Also provide copies of the sources for review)
Topic One:
1. http://____________________________________________________________
2. http://____________________________________________________________
3. http://____________________________________________________________
Topic Two:
1. http://____________________________________________________________
2. http://____________________________________________________________
3. http://____________________________________________________________
Step Three:
Final Topic: _________________________________________________
Student Signature:
___________________________________
Career Path Instructor Signature:
___________________________________
*English Instructor Signature:
__________________________________
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Name: _________________________________ Date Submitted: __________________
Internet Research Form
Please answer all of the questions below about the Internet resource you are using.
1. What is the URL of the site (web address)?
http://_________________________________________________________________.
2. Who is the author of the site (First and Last name)? ____________________________.
3. Date retrieved (the date you saw the website and got information)? _______________.
4. If there is no clear author, with what organization, school, or group is the site affiliated?
_______________________________________________________________________.
5. What is the web page title? ________________________________________________.
6. What other links to other web sites does this site offer? Please list them below
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
7. Explain how you determined the information was reliable?
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
8. Explain how you found the site. What search engine did you use? Was it linked from
another site? Give the steps so it can be found again.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
Please use the space below to record information you gained from the site. BE SURE THAT YOU
HAVE NOT USED THE EXACT WORDS THE AUTHOR DID. Put the information in our own words.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________.
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Print Research Form
Name: ______________________________ Date Submitted: _____________________
Book:
Title: ___________________________________________________________________
Author (s) Name (s) (First and Last): __________________________________________
Publisher: _______________________________________________________________
Year Published: ______________________________
City and State of publication: _______________________________________________
Page numbers used: ______________________________________
Reference Material (Encyclopedia, Almanacs, Atlas, and SIRS, ex cetera:
Title: ___________________________________________________________________
If magazine, article title: ___________________________________________________
If encyclopedia, volume number: ________________________
Page numbers used: ______________________________
Publisher: _______________________________________________
Year published: ______________________________________
City and State of publication: _______________________________________________
Please use the space below to record information you gained from the source. BE SURE THAT YOU
HAVE NOT USED THE EXACT WORDS THE AUTHOR DID! Put the information in your own words. Use a
new sheet when using a print resource.
Important Facts and Page Numbers:
New information I learned and Page Numbers:
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Index Card Format
Title Card
1 (Source Number)
Title of Book/Article/Website: _______________________________________________
Author: ____________________________
Date of Publication: __________________________
Publisher: _________________________________
Web Address (if applicable): ________________________________________________
Date Retrieved off Internet: ________________________________
You need three Title Cards – One for each source.
These are important and will help you later.
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Fact Card
1 (Source Number)
FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
You need three fact cards per each source.
3 fact cards x 3 sources = 9 fact cards.
3 title cards (1 for each source) = 3 title cards
Total = 12 note cards
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