English II Research Portfolio
Mrs. Szepiela
Assignment: You are asked to pick a viable career (within good taste, please!!!), research it, and then assemble it into a collection of artifacts that you will present upon, and display. This portfolio will document your personal approaches to the research, writing, and presentation process.
Process: While class time will be given for you to work on this project, some work should be done on your own time. Your portfolio will be due on Monday, February 11, 2013.
Use the rubric as a check list to make sure you have everything that is required.
Contents: Your portfolio must contain the following information double-spaced (12 pt Times New Roman font)
Title Page: This page, which should be a MLA style title page (see web site template). This should be the first page after you open your binder.
Table of Contents (page two): You will provide a table of contents to help you in organizing the portfolio. This should be one page in length, should indicate the various information on each portfolio page, as well as the page number it coincides with. (Use your rubric checklist as a guide for the order and the required items.)
Introduction (page three): You will write a one-page paper that presents your career and your reason/interest for choosing it to research.
Topic Articles and Reflections: You will include four PUBLISHED, professional articles about your career.
Your articles can be anything from the newspaper, journals, magazines, books, brochures, or accredited on-line sources. Any of the databases that you will see in your library research are fine. YOU CANNOT USE
WIKIPEDIA for any articles.
NOTE: I will have to approve all articles and you must include the full article in your portfolio. (Articles printed on library scrap paper and/or highlighted with notes on them are fine.)
NOTE: Each article needs to be properly documented in your works cited
Topic Artifacts and Reflections: You will include four artifacts related to your career. An artifact is something relevant to ~ or could be a part of ~ your topic. For instance, if you were going to research a veterinarian, your artifacts might include an empty prescription bottle/medicine, a book on animals, a college guide to Ohio State
University, and a pair of scrubs. Keep in mind that all artifacts must be school-appropriate; or your project will
NOT be accepted!
NOTE: Each item needs to be documented in your works cited and named in your artifact reflection.
Interview: You will have to interview someone who knows about, or has experience with, your chosen career.
This interview must include 6 open-ended questions (not answered yes or no), and you will need to provide the notes from your interview and a transcript (typed version) of your conversation in your portfolio.
NOTE: This interview needs to be properly documented in your works cited
Reflection of Each Piece: You will write a brief reflection on your articles, artifacts, and interview for your portfolio. Your reflection must be at least THIRTEEN LINES LONG, typed, double-spaced, 12 point Times
New Roman font .
For more information on how to write a reflection, see handout and/or on-line information.
Cover Letter and Resume: You must create a cover letter and resume.
See on-templates
Conclusion: You will write a one-page paper that will conclude your portfolio. In this, you should summarize the important ideas and details of your research in addition to discussing the steps you took in researching your topic and what you have gained from this learning experience.
Works Cited Page (last page): This page should record ALL professional/published/spoken sources you used in researching your portfolio topic. Be sure to include citations for all of your articles, your interview, and

artifacts. (For artifacts with no documented sources, you may simply list them.) Your works cited should be in
MLA format. Use library hand-outs or see on-line information for help. See me if you have questions. Failure to turn this page in (or properly cite sources in your reflections) with the correct MLA format will result in the lowering of your overall portfolio one letter grade.
If your work isn’t whole and/or typed, partial points will NOT be given: you will receive a zero!
Assessment: Grades will be given on the progress of your work – each work day (with required items turned in) will be worth 20 points (10 for rough drafts, 10 for typed drafts) . We will be in the library on these dates to facilitate the typing of the rough drafts. If you are absent on these days , you will need to turn in the rough drafts and the typed drafts on the following school day (after you return) to receive your work points i.e. if you are absent on a Friday, your work will by due by the following Tuesday. It is recommended that you save your work to your school account and back it up with a flash/thumb drive so that you are also able to work on it at home if necessary. Any extra time you have on the work days is yours to begin work on the next week's assignment or to work on your visual aid/presentation. You are expected to use your time wisely and productively.
The overall portfolio will be worth 350 points. The presentation of your career will be worth 100 points.
See the grading rubrics and ask if you have any questions before the due dates. If you do not present your project, you will receive no credit for the portfolio. Important: If you do not do the portfolio/presentation, you will fail the third nine-week grading period. All portfolios are due on the due date at the beginning of your class period. No late portfolios will be accepted!! If you are in attendance at school on the due date, your portfolio must be turned in whether you are in class or not!
You can turn your portfolio before the due date if you are finished!
Note: we will have class mini-sessions the week that drafts are due focusing on how to write that week's assignment. If you are absent on these dates, you need to see me for the proper templates/tips to writing what is due. Your assignments for that week are still due on the workday!!
Work/due dates:
Friday, January 4 –Career Quizzes and Career topic due, Research and find 4 articles and 4 artifacts for portfolio
Monday, January 7 - 4 articles and list of 4 artifacts due
Friday, January 11 – 4 article/artifact reflections
Friday, January 18 –4 article/artifact reflections and interview questions
Friday, January 25- interview script (questions with answers) and reflection
Monday, January 28Cover letter and resume (begin working on visual aid)
Friday, February 1
– introduction and conclusion (continue working on visual aid)
Monday, February 4
– Title page, table of contents, and works cited (continue working on visual aid)
Friday, February 8 work on revisions, visual aid (finish), and assembly of portfolio
Monday, February 11 - Portfolio Due – Begin presentations
Presentation visual aid : You will need some sort of a visual aid and your artifacts for sharing your career with the class. You can create a poster, presentation board, video, or a power point (hence something visual). You must let me know on the work days what you are planning on doing ahead of time. Power points will need to be tested on school computers ahead of time to ensure that they will open/function on the day of your presentation.

Research Portfolio Rubric
Student’s Name: ____________________________________________________
/10 – Project is in a binder
/10 – Student has a title page in the correct format
/15 – Project is neat: it is typed, double-spaced in 12-point, Times New Roman font, and page numbering
/15- Table of Contents
/20 – Introduction (length one page)
/20 – Article 1 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Article 2 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Article 3 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Article 4 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Artifact 1 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Artifact 2 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Artifact 3 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Artifact 4 with reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Interview Transcript and notes with Reflection (length 13 lines)
/20 – Cover Letter
/20 – Resume
/20 – Conclusion
/20 – Works Cited
/ 20 – Overall Product/Effort/Appropriateness/Completeness/Time in Class
/350
Most of the above grading is based on a scale that is, in turn, based as objective as possible. Total possible points is the highest one can receive for that specific requirement; thus, the lowest possible score you can receive is a zero. Points will vary between the highest and the lowest on an interval of five.
Career Portfolio Presentation Rubric

Name: _______________________________________ Overall Grade: /100
Performance Indicator Possible Points Points Earned
Presents on date and time assigned with no technical error 5
IV B 1 – Speaks clearly and understandably using appropriate enunciation and articulation
IV B 2 – Appropriate body language (i.e., stands to face listeners, maintains eye contact, avoids distracting mannerisms, uses gestures
5 for emphasis, does not "read" from screen/paper)
IV B 3 – Uses effective volume, tempo, phrasing, pauses and intonation to maintain listener interest and impact listener response through vocal emphasis or stress on important detail or ideas.
IV B 4 – Demonstrates developmentally
5
5 appropriate command of the English language
(i.e., grammar, conventions use); avoids slang and repetition of nonessential words (“uh,”
“um,” “like”)
IV B 6 – Adjusts speaking content (ideas, language, organization) as per listener reaction and/or context of the presentation
IV B 5 – Uses phrasing and language relevant to the topic and purpose of the presentation and appropriate to the type of audience directed
IV B 7 – Uses visual aids, props, or media to enhance oral presentation
The presentation visually depicts material and appeals to audience
Information is correct and relevant to the subject being presented
5
5
10
20
20
20