Across the United States and Canada, education reforms have led to a demand for demonstrations of competency as a requirement for high school graduation. In these schools, all students, of all abilities, must give evidence of the capacity to find and use specific information, to independently develop and organize a complex project, to speak and write clearly, and to think critically. Independent Projects is designed to provide students, teachers, librarians, and administrators with an easy-to-use method of incorporating independent projects into the high school curriculum.
The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 begins by defining an independent project as "a concentrated, in-depth study of a self-selected topic that falls outside the normal curriculum." It then describes the types of independent projects that can be employed, and guides teachers through the process of the project, defining their role; giving advice about how to get started and where to go for resources; and presenting step-by-step methods for the planning, development, and presentation of the project. It also clarifies the role of the librarian in researching the topic chosen for the project. The last chapter of this section gives the reader advice on how to best put the book to use. Part 2 is an easy-to-use handbook for students, teachers and parents to use to select topics and develop them into Independent Projects. The step-by-step design and the worksheets serve as guides to completing worthwhile projects with minimum frustration and procrastination. Part 3 follows two Independent Projects from topic selection to presentation. Part 4 provides twenty-five one-page synopses of sample Independent Projects in content areas including history, English, Tech. Ed. art, music, business, and foreign language. Each sample project page provides background, resources, and deve