I.+Culminating+Synthesis+Project

Culminating Synthesis Project
 * OVERVIEW**

The "California Mission Explorations" culminating synthesis project is designed to help students create a final study product based on their own individual research, and will express their knowledge about the California Missions System. Students will be given a list of 5 different "California Mission Explorations" projects from which to choose, and are encouraged to choose the project that best fits their interests (students will complete only ONE project.) All 5 project choices offered will include a written component, a visual component, and an oral presentation of the student's completed project. The written component must include a title page, a table of contents, and a bibliography. Students will also be held responsible for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students will be encouraged to go to the library to conduct their research, as well as to utilize online resources. Students may also access the literature tie-ins available from the teacher.

**PROJECT CHOICES:**

**1.** **Multi-Paragraph Essay on Father Serra with Hand-Drawn Colored Picture:** ** The student must **write a multi-paragraph essay about Father Serra, and create a hand-drawn colored picture of Father Serra. Student must include information about Father Serra's early life, his life with the missions, what missions he was in charge of, and when and where he died. Make sure the student understands that the information in his/her essay must be written in his/her own words, and cannot be copied directly from the resource(s) they used. The essay must include the following: an opening paragraph with a topic and thesis statement, at least one paragraph each on Father Serra’s early life, his life with the missions, and his passing, and a conclusion paragraph. The essay must also include correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. **2.** **Multi-Paragraph Essay on a Mission with Hand-Drawn Colored Picture or a Model:** The student must research information about one mission in California and write a multi-paragraph essay about the mission. Student will need to include information about the founder of the mission, the history of the mission, what life was like on the mission, and what happens at the mission today. The essay must also include an opening paragraph with topic and thesis statement, a conclusion paragraph, and have correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. The student must also create a hand-drawn colored picture of the mission or build a model of the mission. Students can use cardboard, Styrofoam, tinfoil, clay, tile, etc., to build their mission, or they can use a store-bought kit as long as they add additional details around the mission to make it as real as possible. Within the mission, they must also show at least 2 jobs the Native Americans performed on the mission. The model must be labeled with the mission name and the city where it is located. **3.** **Accordion Paragraph with Diorama:** The student must construct a diorama using a box showing a scene from mission life. Some possible ideas for a diorama are: the inside of a mission church, the padre’s living quarters, a mission kitchen with Native American women cooking, Native Americans making candles or weaving cloth, Native Americans taking care of livestock, padres teaching Native Americans about the Spanish ways of life, etc. The student will write an accordion paragraph telling about the scene depicted in the diorama. The accordion paragraph must include a topic sentence, transitions, body, and closing, and have correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. **4.** **Mission Video Documentary:** The student will make a mission video documentary. The student must visit a mission, and scout out 10 locations at the mission to shoot scenes for his/her video. The student will not be allowed to video tape a mission tour guide, rather, the student will be the tour guide. The student’s parents/guardians (or other helper) will have to video tape the student telling about the 10 places the student has chosen to be on the video tour of the mission, and what occurred in each spot in mission days. Some possible ideas are the church, the kitchen, living quarters, bells still at the mission, gardens, etc. The student should start the video outside the mission and give the mission’s name, location, founding date, and any interesting facts, after which he/she can proceed to the locations inside the mission. The student must end the video with a brief conclusion about what he/she learned during the mission visit. The student should research the mission beforehand to find out interesting facts or spots of interest on the mission grounds. The student must also turn in a script for the video. **5. Mission Photo Shoot:** The student must go for a photo shoot at one of the missions. The student will be the photographer (not his/her parents) and must take at least 6 pictures of interesting spots at the mission. One picture needs to be of the front of the mission. Each photograph must be mounted on either poster board or in a photo album, and must be accompanied by a 5 - 8 sentence paragraph about each photo. The paragraph about the photograph of the front of the mission needs to be a brief history paragraph including the location and founding date of the mission.

**__MISSION EXPLORATIONS RUBRIC – 100 Point Scale __** Title Page - 3 points Table of Contents - 3 points Bibliography - 4 points Project (See Details Below) - 90 points
 * Total Points Possible – 100 points **

__Multi-Paragraph Essay on Father Serra with Picture__
Opening paragraph with topic and thesis statement – 10 points Father Serra’s early life - 10 points Father Serra’s life with the missions - 20 points Father Serra’s passing - 10 points Conclusion - 10 points Hand drawn colored picture of Father Serra - 20 points Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling - 10 points
 * Points Possible – 90 points **

__Multi-Paragraph Essay on a Mission with Picture or Model__
Opening paragraph with topic and thesis statement - 10 points Founder of the mission - 5 points History of the mission/life on mission - 20 points Mission today - 10 points Mission closing - 5 points Model or hand drawn colored picture of Mission - 30 points Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling - 10 points
 * Points Possible – 90 points **

__Accordion Paragraph with Diorama__
Accordion Paragraph: Topic Sentence - 5 points Transitions - 5 points Body - 30 points Closing - 5 points Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling - 10 points Diorama - 35 points
 * Points Possible – 90 points **

__Mission Video Documentary__
Mission name, location, founding date (at the beginning of the video) - 10 points 10 different stops at the mission - 30 points History of what occurred at each mission stop - 30 points Conclusion of what student learned - 10 points Script - 10 points
 * Points Possible – 90 points **

__Mission Photo Shoot__
6 photographs at the mission - 18 points 6 paragraphs (5-8 sentences each) to explain photos (1 paragraph per photo: 10 points each) - 60 points Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling - 12 points
 * Points Possible – 90 points **

Mission La Purisima - Front View
 * Sample Student Project - Mission La Purisima, Lompoc CA **

Mission La Purisma - Back View

Mission La Purisima - Side View