Students will research and create a museum exhibit highlighting successful Hollywood High School alumni and their ties to the local community. Over three weeks, students will brainstorm what success means, research potential subjects, choose one to feature, and draft a proposal. They will then be grouped to develop a presentation for the alumni association explaining how their subject's background and education contributed to future achievements. Throughout the project, students will hone skills like evaluating sources, writing in MLA format, presenting creatively, and providing constructive feedback to peers.

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
Name of Project: Hollywood Alumni Duration: 3 weeks
Subject/Course: Language Arts 11th grade Teacher(s): Boi Hien Grade Level: 11
Other subject areas to Social Studies
be included, if any:
Project Idea Students will discover successful Hollywood High alumni with ties to their local community through
Summary of the issue,
challenge, investigation,
individual research and create a museum exhibit based on their findings. This unit would be ideal
scenario, or problem: after the students have been exposed to successful alumni in some way: reading a book by a local
author, in conjunction with career day activities, following up on a guest speaker or current event, etc.
Driving Question How do people’s backgrounds/education affect their future success?
Content and Skills The student will use background information and prior knowledge to analyze, evaluate, and justify
Standards to be informational and literary texts for intent and purpose to create and present an age appropriate
addressed:
product that demonstrates an understanding of format, purpose, audience, and choice of medium.
Analyze and evaluate a variety of texts according to content, structure, purpose, organization of text,
and tone.
Evaluate and justify the effectiveness of organizational patterns (e.g. tables, timelines, tables,
captions, maps, photographs) and ideas in informational and literary texts for intent and purpose.
Use knowledge of the history, cultural diversity, politics, and effects of language to comprehend and
elaborate on the meaning of texts, to expand vocabulary, and to draw connections to self and the real
world.
Analyze and create a wide range of purposes embedded in media communications.
Plan, compose, produce, and evaluate an age- appropriate product from various forms of media
communication that demonstrates an understanding of format, purpose, audience, and choice of
medium.
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 1

2. T+A E T+A E
21st Century Skills Collaboration Other:
to be explicitly taught and Student demonstrates ethical behavior
X
assessed (T+A) or that
will be encouraged (E) by
and works responsibly and
project work, but not collaboratively with others in the context
taught or assessed: of the school and the larger community,
and he/she demonstrates civic
responsibility through engagement in
public discourse and participation in
service learning.
Presentation X
After your proposal is complete, you will
be placed in groups of three or four for
the final presentation. Your group will
then work together to fit each subject
into the project. Show how each person
is successful and why he deserves to be
immortalized in this way. Create a
preliminary plan and outline for your
project.
Critical Thinking: X
Write/communicate effectively
Research topic
Use credible sources
Create an outline
Document sources in MLA format (create a
works cited page)
Make a proposal
Work in collaboration with others
Use technology to aid in making presentations
Create and present an appropriate product to
achieve purpose (individual proposal, final
product/ presentation).
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 2

3. Presentation Audience:
Group: Your school’s alumni association, in an effort to draw interest to a X
Culminating younger generation, has asked our class to create presentations of Class:
Products and
Performances
success stories from our school to be placed for viewing by current and X
potentially new students. You will work together in groups of three or School:
four to create a project that highlights three or four alumni who have X
“made it big.” These ten-fifteen minute presentations will emphasize Community:
just how being from our school/community played a role in their stories.
Experts: X
The next step in preparing your part for your presentation is to create a
Individual: three-five minute proposal in which you tell about the successful person Web:
you have chosen and argue why he should be showcased. The outline
must follow MLA format and a thesis statement must be included. Using Other:
the outline as your guide, create a well-organized proposal. Be sure to
consider whether or not being a Hollywood alumnus helped or hindered
his achievements. This proposal will then help determine your
presentation group (chosen for variety and similarity). You will then
present your findings to the class.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Entry event to You have been hired by the local Alumni Association to create exhibits on successful people with ties to
launch inquiry, our school. After discovering a success story, you must research and create a presentation to inform
engage students:
museum visitors of the various accomplishments by alumni.
Project Launch: A representative from the Alumni Association will speak to the class about their
Association (their purpose, their artifacts, their typical members). The representative will also discuss the
need to draw interest to a younger generation in order to preserve the school’s rich history.
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 3

4. Assessments Quizzes/Tests Practice Presentations X
Formative
Assessments Journal/Learning Log X Notes X
(During
Project) Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes X Checklists X
Rough Drafts X Concept Maps X
Online Tests/Exams Other: Exhibit X
Written Product(s), with rubric: X Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with rubric:
Summative Narrative of Process __________________________________________________
Assessments __________________________________________________
(End of Project)
Oral Presentation, with rubric X Peer Evaluation X
Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test Self-Evaluation X
Essay Test Other: Alumni Evaluation X
.
Resources On-site people, facilities:
Needed
Equipment:
Materials:
Community resources:
Reflection Journal/Learning Log X Focus Group
Methods (Individual,
Group, and/or Whole-Class Discussion X Fishbowl Discussion X
Whole Class)
Survey Other:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 4

5. PROJECT TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE
Project: Hollywood Alumni Course/Semester: October 2011
Knowledge and Skills Needed by Students Scaffolding / Materials / Lessons to be Provided
to successfully complete culminating products and by the project teacher, other teachers, experts,
performances, and do well on summative assessments mentors, community members
Ability to research and discern reliable sources. Librarian/Media Specialist
 Digital Databases
Internet Access
Library Access and library materials
Ability to write in MLA format and also write a Works Cited Teacher
page.  MLA format examples
Ability to create a presentation of topic in a creative and Markers
interesting manner.  Poster Boards
Art Supplies
Ability to orally present in an effective manner and process Peers
feedback to modify presentation.  Teachers
Administrators
Alumni
Parents

Project Calendar
Project: Hollywood Alumni Start Date: October 2011
Week One
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
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6. Brainstorm what Overview/Lesson— Library visit for digital Research in class. Research in class.
success means to the What makes a source database orientation
students. Who is reliable? When is it and tutorial.
successful? What appropriate to use a
makes them biased source? Class
successful? Does their discussion.
place of birth have an
impact on their
success? Students
will create a list of
people in the
community who fit this
description of success.
Week Two
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Students find at least Students will choose Draft project. Students Peer Review Proposal presentations
three sources for their one person from the will keep a daily log of to class members.
proposals and create a class-generated list of activities. Teacher can
works cited page in school success use logs as exit slips.
MLA format. stories. They must
create a 3-5 minute
presentation/proposal
nominating their
subject to be included
in the alumni display.
Week Three
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Group students. Practice Presentation in front of Final project reflection/ Students complete
Discuss project presentations. invited guests (Alumni review. Class evaluation forms—
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7. expectations/plan/create Association members, discussion. successes and
—each group must parents, teachers, challenges.
create a project outline administrators,
or plan for teacher community members,
approval. etc.).
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 7