Social Studies Exit Project

Grade Nine Social Studies
Canadian Identity
Exit Project Information Sheet

Throughout the semester, you have looked at Canadian Identity in many ways. We have learned about people, groups, organizations, historical event, cultures, languages, and inventions that have shaped our country. Now it’s your turn. What is Canada all about? What does it mean to be Canadian? What would you like to tell the rest of the world about Canada?

General Information
The exit project is worth 30% of your overall mark in this course. It is also a mandatory component. There are three main components to the project: the oral presentation, the Gala Night presentation, and the reflective essay. FYI: Failure to complete any or all of these components will result in an automatic failure. Exam exemptions cannot be used towards and exit project.
The Exit Project Proposal
During class, on Wednesday, April 7th you will be asked to write a proposal plan for you exit project. The purpose for this exercise is to seek permission from your teacher to use your topic and ideas for your exit project. On that day, you will describe your topic and how it relates to Canadian identity. More specifically, you will relay how you plan to organize your project, what resources and materials you need to obtain, what it will visually look like, and how you will creatively involve and engage your classmates (your audience) so that they too may learn from your presentation.
Library Days
Each Canadian Identity class will be given a minimum of three days in the library to search for ideas, materials, and resources. Currently our scheduled days are for Monday, April 26th, Tuesday, April 27th, and Wednesday, April 28th. If you miss these research days, you will have to go to the library on your own time. Please note that students should not wait until these days to research and plan their projects. These days should be used as extra time to research and plan.
The Oral Presentation - 100 marks
From Friday, May 21st to Tuesday, June 1st, students will be presenting projects in front of their classmates and teacher. Your presentation must be at least five minutes and no longer than fifteen minutes. Presenters will be evaluated on their presentation skills (body language, voice, use of props, etc. ) and their prepared material (the project itself). Teachers will be looking for evidence of preparation, for both the project and the presentation. Please remember to display a title and include a proper introduction and conclusion in your oral presentation. Do not forget to talk about the historical significance of your project and how it links to Canadian identity. Each student will be assigned a particular day to present and a calendar will be posted as a reminder of these appointed times. FYI: Transportation of the materials is your responsibility. Therefore, plan ahead!
The Gala Night Presentation – 100 marks
Thursday, June 3rd: This is an exciting event which completely transforms the school cafeteria, to say the least! That night, you will set up your exhibit for your family, friends, and community leaders to see. During the Gala, you will be evaluated on your project display and on your professional conduct (behaviour, helpfulness) and dress (no jeans, hats, ripped clothing, etc.). The Gala officially opens at 6:30pm and runs until 8:00pm. As a part of their evaluation, we require students to attend a half hour before and after the Gala to assist with set-up and clean-up. So, you must be there from 6:00pm until 8:30pm that night. Again, arrangements for transportation are your responsibility. Perhaps you may need to stay after school if you cannot get here by 6:00pm.
The Reflective Essay – 100 marks
During the month of May, you will be given the opportunity to write the majority of your exit essay in class time. Your teacher will explain the essay question, its purpose, its structure, and will give you clear instructions about how to write this reflective paper. There will be a minimum of three days spent on the essay in class. It will be approached systematically, step by step each day, therefore attendance is important. Students will be expected to hand in the formal essay with a copy of the draft work and a formal title page. Exit essays can be submitted as early as Monday, May 24th and no later than Thursday, June 10th. There are no exceptions to this due date. Further details will be given during instruction time.
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