AP Biology Summer Project
    School Year 2008-09
 

Due Date: First Day of School

EACH STUDENT:

1)  scans for possible topic/issue to explore and investigate…selects, integrates, modifies and designs pathway for the a unique experience

2)   speculates upon the complexity of the topic/issue…multiple views/solutions, curiosity, questioning and probing

3)   gathers information

4)  assesses and evaluates the information gathered: establishing, analyzing and translating ideas from among many and varied sources…an in depth study of resources

5)  reveals ability to hypothesize as ideas emerge, integrate and contradict and plays with possibilities

6)  manipulates, processes and analyzes data or conclusions based upon meaningful data

7)  uses science concepts as triggers and tools for making process-sense and applications (complex thinking)…interprets, perceives patterns, makes connections and synthesizes for insight

8)  discloses original thinking—vision for the future, world-changing applications

9)  assembles a creative, original, thorough, and thoughtful portfolio

10) experiences new ways of thinking about biology and reflects on the self/peer assessment experience as a process to improve final product and presentation

 
QUALITY PORTFOLIO:

1)  TITLE PAGE, topic, NAME, DATE

2)  TABLE OF CONTENTS

3)  CULMINATION PIECE  highlights of your findings and details of your best thinking written in a format most conducive to expressing your analysis; use APA parenthetical format where appropriate (SEE BELOW)

4)  ANNOTATIONS for all sources used and include hard copies of annotated sources (SEE BELOW)

5)  GLOSSARY new terms learned…terms and definitions

6)  CLOSURE MAP … mind mapped highlights of your I-Search Journey—successes, pathway traveled, struggles and how you overcame, what you learned from peer and self-review...etc. Mind map means that you develop a graphic representation including color, icons, symbols, terms, words as if your learning is manifested itself as artwork! (SEE BELOW)

7)  BIBLIOGRAPHY appropriate documentation of source materials; use APA format (SEE BELOW)


Presentation of Findings—highlights only: 2 minute limit!


CULMINATION PIECE may be in any of the following formats, as long as the format is conducive to explaining your findings (INCLUDES WRITTEN FORMAT)

1)       Synthesis of research

2)       Letter to a friend

3)       Newspaper article

4)       Argumentation

5)       Science fiction short story

6)       Memoir  or eulogy

7)       “_______”  for dummies

8)       Point of view

9)       Historical journal writing

10)    Tall Tales

11)    Motivational speech (WRITTEN OUT TOO)

12)    Story board

13)    Movie review

14)    Write a bill

15)    Screenplay

16)    Apology letter

17)    Resignation letter

18)    Restaurant review

19)    Thank you note(s)

20)    Pictorial essay

21)    Other or combinations of 1-20


 APA Bibliography sample format

Di Rado, A. (1995, March 15). Trekking through college: Classes
                                 explore modern society using the world of Star trek. Los Angeles
                                Times, p. A3.


Dubeck, L. (1990). Science fiction aids science teaching. Physics
                                Teacher, 28, 316-318.

Lynch, T. (1996). DS9 trials and tribble-ations review. Retrieved
                                October 8, 1997, from Psi Phi: Bradley's Science Fiction Club
                                Web site: http://www.bradley.edu/campusorg/psiphi/DS9/ep/
                                503r.html

APA parenthetical sample format

Lynch (1996) provides a practical, detailed approach to science fiction writing.

Interactive fiction permits readers to move freely through a text and to participate in its authorship (Dubeck, 1990).

 

ANNOTATION METHOD FOR ALL SOURCES

 ‘The How To’ Annotation Method for Scientific Method

  1. Read and Underline selectively.
    1. Underline just enough so that....
    2. when you look back in a quick review you’ll grab hold of the basic message
       
  1. Circle words you want to emphasize; that bring out the main points
     
  1. Number # ideas where appropriate
    1. Parts of a whole can be numbered
    2. Lists can be numbered
    3. Cause and effect can be numbered
    4. Problem-solution can be numbered
       
  1. Use the margins to add in symbolic icons and MARK FOR THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD!
    1. Use a ‘V’ in the margin next to words that are new or unfamiliar
    2. Use a ‘?’ in the margin next to text that is unclear or fuzzy
    3. Use a ‘!’ in the margin next to an idea in the text that is a great idea, interesting insight etc..
    1. Mark the research question that the article proposes or that was being explored with the word ‘Question’
    1. Mark the hypothesis or what the researches hoped to find out with ‘Hypothesis’
    1. Mark the reasoning provided in the article that supports the hypothesis or the reasons why the researchers speculated what they would find with ‘Reason’
    1. Mark the investigation, protocol or tests procedures used or alluded to by the researchers with ‘Test’ and NOTE the experimental control
    1. Mark the findings or data described in the article with ‘Data’ and NOTE the dependent variable (what is being measured) and independent variables (what is being manipulated)
    1. Mark the Conclusion with ‘Conclusion’
    1. Mark applications or significant uses for the findings of the research with ‘Use’
    1. Mark future studies or additional questions to ask with ‘Future’
       
  1. Write your own original ideas, insights or questions sparked by the reading in the margin, and within [square brackets].
     
  1. Analyze graphs, pictures, tables, charts etc and write in as few as words as possible what the graph, picture, table, chart is about in the margin next to the graph, picture, table chart…
     
  1. Annotate—in your own words, and in as few words as possible, write what most of each paragraph is about in the margin next to the paragraphs
     
  1. Summarize the main points of the reading assignment using complete thoughts and complete sentences making the summary easy to understand
    1. Reread all annotations and underlinings
    2. Include the main idea of the assigned reading and the title of the assigned reading in the opening sentence of your summary
    3. Work to develop one sentence summaries for each paragraph, series of paragraphs, chart, graph, picture etc…
    4. Reread  all annotations, underlinings, and the first draft of your summary
        1. Cut out any repetitions in the first draft
        2. Add in any main ideas which were left out in the first draft
        3. Work to create a summary that is 10-20% as long as the original assigned reading


SAMPLE CLOSURE MAP