senior+projects

Dear Colleagues: I am writing to share with you some of the exciting topics that will be covered in the Global Connections class with Academy students. A year long program, this class is designed to have students spend 1st semester researching a topic (to create a research paper at semester’s end), have them implement a project (based on a proposal they created), and give a presentation to an outside panel in late May/early June on what they accomplished in their research and project implementation. Among other requirements, students need to seek out a mentor to assist with research as well as the creation of their project. Going on the concept that the community raises the child, I am sharing the following chart in hopes that you may offer your two cents to these students. I am most grateful for the assistance of numerous staff members who have just completed two rounds of evaluating the project proposals over the past two months. These Senior Project Board members have been of the greatest value. If you wish to be a participant in the Senior Project Boards in future, please let me know as I can certainly use everyone’s help in making these projects a success. I welcome suggestions (on research) to individual students via my email or via the staff mailboxes. You may offer individual advice to these students should you have them in your classes over the course of the year. If you have an idea for a mentor, suggestions are also welcomed. Thank you for taking a moment to peruse the list below in this, the first full year Senior Projects course at Tallwood. As this is always a “work in progress” some of the items may be modified slightly, but on the whole, these papers and projects will come into being over the course of the rest of the year. As always, thanks for your support. Yours, Earl DeMott Name || Question for Research (Due in January) || Project Idea (To be completed by May) || 101    ||   What are the factors that affect international media decision making? ||  Sponsoring a child in Sri Lanka  || 102    ||   To what extent does discrimination affect American, Indian, and Philippine societies and why? ||  Symposium on Discrimination  || 103    ||   How can bank failures be justified to the general public? ||  Mock Trial putting economists “on trial”  || 104    ||   What would the world need to do for our world to be environmentally stable? ||  Cultural clothing made of recycled material and fashion show  || 105    ||   To what extent has poverty and hardship affected the educational system in the Philippines and why? ||  Philippine school supply drive  || 106    ||   Why do Americans have such a problem with illegal immigrants? ||  Art with immigrant children  || 107    ||   How can one fail when everyone is against you? ||  Student Apathy  || 108    ||   What are the meanings of cultural makeup? ||  Publishing a book on makeup  || 109    ||   To what extent is Zimbabwe’s economy affecting its infrastructure? ||  Fundraiser for Zimbabwe  || 110    ||   Why do Moroccan people speak different  || Moroccan Café || 111    ||   To what extent does Filipino history affect cultural dancing? ||  Philippine Dance Performance  || 112    ||   What systematic gap exists between education in rural and urban China and what is the best policy to implement to reduce that gap? ||  Fashion for Education  || 113    ||   What is the most effective process in starting and running an NGO that will lead to a successful organization? ||  Fundraising for International Volunteer work  || 114    ||   How can gang members get out of gangs? ||  Panel Discussion on Gangs  || 115    ||   How do individualistic societies differ in their approach to self expression verses collective societies? ||  Creation of global art  || 116    ||   How can artwork lead to better health? ||  Visits to CHKD with creation of origami  || 201    ||   Why are environmental programs ineffective? ||  Creating a green website  || 202    ||   How does location influence a culture’s artistic style? ||  Creating global artwork  || 203    ||   How effective is lobbying for issues involving East Africa? ||  Officiating an Invisible Children movie screening  || 204    ||   Why are people born with autism and to what extent is autism curable and preventable? ||  Autism awareness night  || 205    ||   What means of communication between a citizenry and its government prove effective? ||  Writing a how to book on political activism  || 206    ||   Why is the nation of Haiti the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere and what can be done to solve its problems? ||  Haitian Information Evening (after trip to Haiti)  || 207    ||   Compare and contrast cultural taboos and customs regarding blood. ||  Blood Drive  || 208    ||   To what extent has the election of President Obama resurfaced prejudice in America and the world? ||  How to recognize and avoid racism (book and multimedia)  || 209    ||   What can be done systematically to eliminate poverty in the Philippines and other 3rd world countries and reduce day to day hardships? ||  Flip Flop collection drive  || 210    ||   How does deforestation affect the human population and to what extent could this environmentally hurt world be improved within the next 50 years? ||  Global goodwill through planting trees  || 211    ||   How does the treatment of water differ in Latin American countries versus the way African countries are dealing with water treatment? ||  Raising money for Lifestraw  || 212    ||   What is the best system to benefit coffee producers in East Africa and Latin America and why? ||  Selling of Fair Trade Products  || 213    ||   What can be done to improve learning education in 3rd world countries including Nigeria, Haiti, and India. ||  School Supply drive to Nigeria  || 214    ||   To what extent does global awareness negatively or positively affect a child’s development? ||  Multicultural Café  || 215    ||   How does government and religion affect same sex marriage laws being passed? ||  Panel discussion on same sex marriage  || 216    ||   How does culture influence media in Asian countries? ||  Creation of International Movie Club  || 217    ||   Which hemisphere of Martial arts is superior to the other? ||  World Martial arts demo  || 218    ||   What are the factors which disrupt female education in South Africa? ||  Supply drive for South Africa  || 219    ||   How is breast cancer treated differently around the world? ||  Awareness campaign for breast cancer at hockey matches  || 220    ||   To what extent is reunification of North and South Korea possible? ||  Korean Café  || 221    ||   How do concepts of beauty differ across the African continent? ||  Teaching a workshop at WE SHARE ONE WORLD  || 222    ||   To what extent and why do social interactions influence discrimination on the international level? ||  Discrimination awareness campaign  || 223    ||   How damaging are the repercussions of losing a language to the interlocutors of that language and the world? ||  Dying Language Phrasebook  || 224    ||   How does one teach stereotype awareness to younger children? ||  Creation of a children’s play workshop with elementary kids  || 225    ||   To what extent do environmental problems effect life and how? ||  Creation of a music CD with concert on environmental issues  || 226    ||   Through the cultural lens, what is the definition of natural landscape beauty? ||  Artwork creation (landscapes)  || 301    ||   Should the US play a role in ending the current blockade of Gaza? How and why? ||  Political activism (letter writing campaign)  || 302    ||   How do gender issues affect poverty throughout the developing world? ||  Women Issue Magazine  || 303    ||   Should fine arts be a part of the national curriculum? Why? ||  Presentation of the Importance of Fine Arts to Middle Schoolers  || 304    ||   How can the water shortage in Israel be ameliorated? ||  Sell tshirts to fundraise for a reservoir in Israel  || 305    ||   What is universally accepted as a ‘wedding’? ||  Officiating a handbinding ceremony  || 306    ||   What impact will an international study program have on non-academically inclined students for pupils? ||  International Tutoring Programme  || 307    ||   What is the purpose of taboos in a society? ||  Forgotten Countries Seminar  || 308    ||   ||   Tutoring program  || 309    ||   ||   Fashion for third world  || 310    ||   Why is the Arab culture so misunderstood? ||  ||  311     ||   ||   ||  312     ||   What is the best way to manage the excess amount of waste in countries? ||  Waste Management Documentary  || 313    ||   How can already existing health care systems be improved? ||  Global health system fair  || 314    ||   How can sustainable housing be ensured worldwide? ||  Creation of Alternative Sustainable Housing  || 315    ||   What is the best way to run a republican government? ||  International Mock Elections at Middle School  || 316    ||   How does one country’s mass media affect foreigners’ perspective of its culture? ||  Directing a play  || 317    ||   How do perspectives on beauty arise in differing cultures around the world and how do they influence people today? ||  Creation of cultural garb  || 318    ||   How does one create a community event that is successful and repeatable? And how does one measure and define “success”? ||  Creation of Multicultural Fair  || 319    ||   What political ideologies do you believe in and why are you wrong? ||  Presentation on politics to boy scouts. ||