Sociology Final Project Page (due date is June 9, 2009)

This is an AUDIO/VISUAL (video) project. You will be making your points using video, pictures and sounds rather than sentences and paragraphs. You may use text in your project, but it should not be the focus of your presentation. Running time should be 15-20 minutes.

This project counts as your FINAL EXAM (20% of your course grade). I expect you to draw on what you have learned in this class in order to devise, carry out, and present the results of a sociological study of some aspect of BH-BL High School. In order to do this successfully you will have to do the following:

• Get your study group organized. What will your role be and how does it relate to the roles of others in your group? How can all group members use their time most efficiently (you need to get a lot done in a short amount of time)?
• Carry out your work. You need to make sure you understand the task(s) the group has assigned to you, you need to carry out the task with both skill and effort, and you need to keep your groupmates updated on your progress (you will be required to post  progress reports at the end of each class). Use Google Docs to stay coordinated with your group. You may also want to exchange phone numbers.
• You need to think and be creative. This is not a simple project. You will run into problems. You will have to make a lot of decisions as you work toward your final goal. Many of these decisions will not be easy. Such is life. Solve the problems. Make the decisions.
• Create a great video. A good presentation changes the way audience members think. It does not just convey information – it facilitates understanding. A very good presentation should also move the audience emotionally (make us laugh, or worry, or wonder).

Your next steps:

• Study the Project Rubric. This is the framework by which you will be graded.
• Study the Project Timeline.
• Read Things to Think About.
• Decide on a topic that the entire group likes. Present the topic to Mr. Thomas for approval.
• View at least two documentaries completed by previous classes (so you can understand what a good finished product will look like).
• Familiarize yourself with the Progress Report format. You will be required to complete this report at the end of EACH CLASS. The grade for each report will appear in the section below.

What to do to actually get this thing started ...

1. Do a literature review. Find out what other researchers have done on your topic. Notice the questions they've asked, how they've asked them and how they analyzed the answers. You must turn in to me an annotated bibliography with (# of group members x 2 ) scholarly sources (that means actual studies, not essays or opinion pieces). If you do not know how to do an annotated bibliography, read these guides: Guide 1, Guide 2. All of your sources MUST come from the HS library databases.
2. Create your OWN research instruments (surveys, interview questions, observation plans, etc.). You must show me a draft of your research instruments before you mass produce and use them. Survey Construction Tips.
3. Do your research: hand out surveys, conduct interviews, engage in participant observation, etc. You will not be able to do this all during class time, so make plans for using homeroom, Learning Labs, Activity Periods, or other times to complete this step. Communicating with and organizing all group members is important during this stage.
4. Record and analyze survey results, shoot video, construct graphics, etc. Your research articles and survey results should guide your video recording efforts. What kinds of material will you record? What are the key questions? How can you best communicate your findings? Don't be afraid to draw on a wide range of sources: interviews, observation footage, still pictures, clips from movies, charts, graphs, etc.
   1. When you are ready to SHOOT VIDEO, read this stuff first!
      1. Important Tips
      2. Video Footage Log.doc
      3. Storyboards.doc
5. Edit your video and finalize the project.

Alternate Assignment

• Research Paper Guidelines