Senior Scrapbook

Guidelines for Students:

The senior scrapbook is a project that will compile many pieces of personal writing and reflection about who you are today, as a senior who will graduate in _____.  Your completed project should be a window into your mind, and any reader should feel like he or she knows you after reading and looking at the contents of your scrapbook.  When your scrapbook is finished and graded at the end of the year, it is yours to take and keep. 

General Requirements:

•  The size of the scrapbook should be larger than a regular notebook (12x12, 11x14, 12x15 are all acceptable).  You have creative liberty to buy a scrapbook or make your own. If you have a financial issue and need help with this, let me know ASAP, and we’ll get you what you need.  Scrapbooks should be present in class for a grade by _____.  
• The completed scrapbook will be due________. Each of the general requirements must be met in addition to completing each of the required contents to the best of your creative abilities in a thorough and neat manner. 
• The title of the scrapbook is your choice, but please be creative, and try to summarize your life up to this point. 
• Your grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be near flawless, as you have the chance to get help with editing and do a rough draft and a final copy. 

Required Contents:

 Item 1: Title Page should contain:

       Title of Project

       English 12

       Our School Name

       Your Graduation Year

       Your Name

Item 2: Table of Contents: You must number the pages in your scrapbook as you go, so you will add the numbers to the table of contents once the book is complete.  Make sure you leave a blank page to fill in as the Table of Contents when you are finished.

Item 3: Personal Statement/ College Essay: One or more pages for a piece of writing with a clear and appropriate message that considers the audience of college admissions officers.

Due:

Item 4: Parent Biography: Write a one-page biography of one of your parents (you may choose to write a biography for both parents).  Conduct an interview, (which you can record with their permission, or just take notes) and be sure to write up questions beforehand.  Consider: Where they were born, where they grew up, what their family was like, what their childhood and teenage years were like, and what path they pursued in life.

Due:  

Item 5: Personal Timeline: One page for a personal timeline that goes from birth to your 16th birthday.  Mark at least five memories in between, and try to estimate the date of these events.  You may be as creative as you would like in the form of your timeline.

Due: 

Item 6: Where I’m From Poem: Using the form provided, construct a 14-line poem based on George Ella Lyons’ poem, “Where I’m From.”  After it has been graded, it should be typed or neatly handwritten.

Due:  

Item 7: Picture Collage: Two pages of a photo collage of the student from birth to present.  You do not need to cut pictures if you would prefer not to. You may also exceed two pages of photos.

Due: 

 Item 8: “Autobiography as Haiku”: Using examples from The Washington Post, write a very short piece that conveys a deeper meaning about who you are. 

Due:  

Item 9: Research—The year I was born: We will compile this as a class, each student taking a different aspect of a certain year.  You will include the information for the year you were born in your scrapbook.  I'll provide a copy of our compiled list for you after we complete it. 

Item 10: Memoir Project:  If the project that you chose to do in response to the memoir you read for class will fit neatly into your scrapbook, please include it.  If it is a large poster, or too big to fit, you may include a picture of it.

Due:

Item 11: Personal Memoir: Write a one-page “slice of your life.”  This piece of personal writing may be a humorous memory, a tragic memory, a joyful moment.  It is up to you, but do not feel obligated to write about a life-altering moment. You must include: Imagery (at least three of the senses) and Figurative Language (at least two examples).

Due:   

Item 12: Senior Advice to Freshmen: Having been through it all, if you could give some advice to incoming freshmen, what would you tell them to watch out for, to cherish, etc?

Due:  

Item 13: Family Tree:  Using the template as a guide, ask older generations in your family about the names of and important information regarding your relatives back to, at minimum, your great-grandparents.  You may transfer this information to a more artistic representation if you choose.

Due:  

Item 14: In and Out list for the year: We will compile this list as a class based on The Washington Post’s format. I'll provide a copy of this to you when we have finished it as a class. 

Extra Items:  Anything else that you wish to include because it has special meaning to you. (A poem you wrote this year, your best friend’s senior picture, your prom ticket, etc.)

Due: When you turn in your completed Scrapbook.

Notes to Teachers:

These are all possible assignments, which you might choose from or add to, depending on your specific circumstances and needs.  For the Autobiography as Haiku assignment, you can Google to find samples even though the Washington Post no longer holds this contest.  

If you have a web platform available, you could also have students complete an online portfolio using something like Google Sites.