SENIOR THESISA GRADUATION REQUIREMENTREVISED 9.18.18

The Science of Scientific WritingGeorge Gopen and Judith Swan

The fundamental purpose of scientific discourse is not the mere presentation of information and thought but rather its actual communication. It does not matter how pleased an author might be to have converted all the right data into sentences and paragraphs; it matters only whether a large majority of the reading audience accurately perceives what the author had in mind.

PURPOSE OF A SENIOR THESIS

To demonstrate to the community that you are worthy of a diploma that says you have graduated from Hampden Charter School of Science

To demonstrate the wealth of knowledge you have acquired while a student at HCSS

To demonstrate to yourself that you are capable of great things To prepare you for the real world of academics and employment

Categories for Thesis Projects

Experiment Must have a real world application

Follows scientific method

Must include proper data and analysis of the data

Must show evidence of data collection process (still pictures or video may be used)

Engineering Design Must have a real world application

Actual product must be demonstrated in a video (NO still pictures)

Must show evidence of engineering design process (which should include a prototype)

Stages of the Senior Thesis

Proposal for your project and its real world application What is your question? The “Hmm, I wonder…” aspect Completion of an annotated bibliography Submitted to Mrs. Trudeau and your ELA teacher by Aug 31, 2018

Creation of (and practice with) your web page Background Research

Submitted electronically on the due date as a research paper Pertinent information should be included in the final project – DO NOT upload the paper

Data and data analysis Leave yourself enough time to go back and make changes to your project if necessary

Conclusion and implications for further research/development and impact statement (real world application)

Completed web page

Web Page

Can be created through any site creator Google sites can be accessed easily and shared with teachers through your HCSS

email account

For pages created through other sites, you must send the link by the due date

Be certain to work out the kinks with the site you choose – no excuses will be accepted

Must include the initial problem you are looking to solve – the real world application

Must include background information Must include the necessary evidence of either data collection (experiment) or

engineering design process (engineering design) Experiments must include the data and data analysis Must include a conclusion and implications for further research Must include a statement of impact relating to the real world application

Background Research Paper

Discuss the issues and implications of the problem addressed by the topic you have selected.

Identify the scientific and social impact of the problem – the real world application

Review the origin and history of the problem

Should provide a foundation for the reader to understand your problem by discussing the existing research on the topic

Provide an analysis of the experimental/engineering design

Discuss how it is supposed to work to solve the problem

Process

Experiment Should follow the steps of the Scientific Method

Be sure that your hypothesis is a reflection of the problem you have identified If…then…because…

Make certain that all variables, constants, and controls are identified and addressed

Your experiment should test what you say you are testing

You should have enough data to properly analyze

Engineering Design Be certain to include evidence that you have followed ALL of the steps of the

engineering design process

Be sure to include the rationale behind the changes to the design suggested by the prototype

Analyze the results of the final product

Conclusion

Must be related back to the hypothesis/engineering design concept

Discuss the predicted results and whether or not they were supported by the data

Discuss the results in relation to the original problem identified Discuss the implications of your results – relate it to the real world

application Include recommendations for further investigation on the topic

Due Dates – NO EXCEPTIONS

Background Research Paper due February 1, 2019 Final project (completed website) must be completed by

March 15, 2019 Everything must be submitted electronically to google

classroom by 11:59pm on the due date Background research papers will be submitted on google

classroom ltrudeau@hampdencharter.org All electronic communication MUST be through your school

email addressNo personal email addresses

Check yours regularly for messages and updates

Additional Information

This is intended to be an independent study project Office hours will be held several times per week (schedule to be

determined in September) to provide you with assistance You may ask any faculty member to serve as a mentor

Non Science department faculty will be limited to serving as a mentor for no more than two seniors

Your background research paper may be reviewed by several faculty members

Your final web page may be reviewed by several faculty members

Grading Information

This will be a third quarter grade The paper will be weighted at 30% and the website at 70%

Background Research Paper grades will be posted by February 15, 2019

Final Project grades will be posted by March 29, 2019

Late submissions will be graded with a top rubric category score of 3

You will be given an opportunity to improve your project (not your research paper) You will present this formally to several faculty members on May 10, 2019

If you were initially failing, you must complete this step

If you were initially failing, the original grade will be replaced with a 65

All senior privileges that occur prior to this date are lost including the privilege of leaving school early

A failure at this stage will require you to complete an alternate project over the summer It will be reflected in your transcript as a summer make-up class taken as pass/fail

The failing 3rd quarter grade will remain in your transcript

You will lose all senior privileges including prom, senior trip, and graduation

Grading Rubrics

Papers and projects will be graded using rubrics Posted on the HCSS website under Science Fair tab

Background Research Paper will be graded separately from the project Background Research Paper Rubric sample categories

Content, organization, documentation, works cited, usage and mechanics

Final Website Rubric sample categories Content and content accuracy, presentation of the visual evidence, data

and data analysis, conclusion, future implications, organization and layout, creativity and elements of design (color choice, font, graphics), usage and mechanics

The formal presentation rubric will have an additional section for presentation skills