“I believe it is the nature of people to be heroes, given the chance.” James A. Autry

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Dear families,

Here is a part of what your fifth or sixth grade child will receive in school tomorrow; I have included it here for your perusal. It looks daunting, perhaps, but it really isn't. The first three items are (or should be) turned in already, and students are finishing up the "Accomplishments" section in class tomorrow. Much of the rest is just a matter of using their creativity and skill to make a PowerPoint masterpiece. I will help them with their bibliographies in class next week.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF RESEARCH PAPER

There are several components of this project, which students will need to have completed. (They should keep track of them as they go along!) They are:

• An introductory survey titled “What Makes a Hero?”
  
• A 4-page packet that includes an parent interview page titled, "Do Adults Have Heroes?"(Do you remember your child interviewing you about heroes in your own life?)
  
• A brief biography of their hero (at least three resources)
• A brief summary of his/her accomplishments
• A quote that somehow demonstrates the values and beliefs of their person of choice
• A collection of photographs/illustrations, with captions, to include in their final project. (These will be scattered throughout your PowerPoint.)
• A description of how his/her accomplishments changed his/her (own) life.
• An explanation of how the world has changed or can be changed because of him/her
• A table of contents
• A bibliography (save all web addresses as you go along!)
• Options to include: Videos, Podcasts, Poetry, Music, News Broadcasts, Stop-Motion Animation, Movie-Maker, Audacity, Links, Interesting Facts

Things students should ask themselves:

1. What are the hero qualities your person of choice possesses, and
2. How can you link these hero qualities to examples of what your person has done?
3. How will you create a folder on your computer to store all of your research data and images?
4. How can you craft the most effective introduction to your hero so that you immediately “grab” the audience’s attention?
5. How will you organize your information?
6. How will you craft a PowerPoint presentation that is well-constructed, visually appealing and “fits” your hero?

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Students will be assessed on the above listed items, as well as on Style, Mechanics, and Presentation (They will present their information orally to their classmates.)

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Next week promises to be an interesting one in Social Studies; more on that later.

Have a pleasant evening, everyone.

Teri