Hi Parents!

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone is surviving the snow and this crazy winter! I wanted to write to you as our 11th grade honors history students are starting to focus on their "Honors Research Project". As you have likely heard, this project is a major requirement for passing the course. The project will take place during both third and fourth quarters, with the final paper being due after April vacation.  The HRP consists of a variety of components: a critical book review, primary source analysis, skeleton outline, full outline, annotated bibliography, and final 5-7 page paper.  Students have a hard copy of a packet that describes (and gives models) of each product required of the HRP. If you are interested in seeing the packet, a downloadable version is available on my blog under the "HRP" page.

We will spend time working on this project in class, however students are expected to spend a significant amount of time  independently reading and researching. For each product, students will be shown samples and given step-by step instructions and expectations. In addition, I will require one-on-one conferences a few times and strongly encourage voluntary sessions with each student after school so that we can troubleshoot any issues, work on thesis development, and do general check-ins about their progress.

The first component of this project that is due is the critical book review. After the students selected a topic of (hopefully!) high interest to them, they selected a book which they will read in its entirety in order to provide in-depth contextual knowledge and familiarity with their topic. All students should have their book in hand from the library, or a book store by this point. Students are currently reading the book and when finished, they will write a 2-3 page critical book review that  evaluates the book and gives a personal commentary of the author's contribution to their understanding of their topic/issue discussed.  The critical book review is due Friday, February 18th. I will provide a few chunks to get this reading done in class, however students will do most of their reading independently. It would be hugely helpful if you could partner with me to encourage discipline and time management in order to get this task achieved. Students did show me their chosen titles and I believe all students have chosen books that are both appropriate for an honors-level class and their own personal reading level.

I will continue to update the class blog, [Link]www.duxburyamericanhistory2.blogspot.com, with project updates. Please check it often and encourage your kiddos to do the same.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or issues. This project is time consuming, but is an important and essential step in preparing students for honors-level research.

Very best,
Ms. Jackie Orleck