|
VOLUNTEERISM -
A Gift of Kindness: A WebQuest for Fourth Year High School
(English)
Authored by J. Garde and P. Arinto
Introduction
Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak
but their echoes are truly endless.” Have you said something nice to someone
today? Have you done someone a good turn? If you have, then you would know the
feeling—a sense of fulfillment and peace.
There are people like Mother Teresa who devote their whole lives to performing
acts of kindness. They do so without expectation of anything in return. They
seem to find happiness and fulfillment in easing the suffering of others.
Who are these people? What makes them the way they are? Would you like to be one
of them?
The Task
The search is on for the 10 most outstanding volunteer workers of the century.
You are tasked with submitting to the Search Committee a research report (also
known as a term paper) on volunteers from various countries. Your research
report should be about the life and work of a volunteer—his/her family and
educational background, the political and socio-cultural influences on the
volunteer, his/her volunteer work through the years, his/her motivations.
From your reports of volunteer workers will be chosen the 10 most outstanding
volunteer workers of the century. Moreover, all research reports will be
published in a website to be made available to young people in order that the
spirit of volunteerism may catch on.
Process
1. You will work in groups of three. Each group will be assigned a volunteer
or group of volunteers to report about. Each member of the group has a specific
role or function, to be chosen from the following:
| Role |
Responsibilities |
| Writer 1
|
1.Research on the socio-cultural background (e.g., date and
place of birth, family background, growing up years, educational background)
of the volunteer assigned to the group; and
2.Write this section of the group’s research report, complete with in-text
documentation of sources of information used. |
| Writer 2 |
1.Research on the volunteer work of the volunteer chosen by
the group, including who he/she has worked with, why, for what purpose or
goal, and the impact of his/her work; and
2.Write this section of the group’s research report, complete with in-text
documentation of sources of information used. |
| Editor |
1.Write the introduction and conclusion of the group’s
research report (the introduction must include the meaning of volunteerism);
2.Collect the photos that will complement the information provided by the
two writers, write the captions, and decide on where in the research report
the photos should be placed;
3.Ensure a cohesive flow among the various parts of the report; provide
transition sentences or paragraphs, as needed, between the sections written
by the two writers; and
4.Ensure that all sources are documented and that the list of works cited is
complete. |
2. Once each member of your group has chosen his/her role and you are all in
agreement about this, do the background reading using the resources listed below
(under “Resources”). Your background reading will be on the topics, volunteerism
and term paper writing. Your teacher will also discuss these topics with you in
class.
You should complete the background reading in 1 week.
3. When the background reading is done, you are ready to do your individual
research work, focusing on the parts of the report assigned to you. Look for
information in books, magazines, and online resources (websites). Be sure to
take down notes properly and to document your sources.
You must complete your individual research work in 1 week.
4. Once you have all of the information you need for your part/section of the
group research report, write the draft of your section. Observe the rules of
grammar and effective writing. Make use of the MLA documentation format for
citing sources. Type your draft as a document file (using MS Word or StarWriter).
Aside from drafting the introduction and conclusion, the editor should scan the
photographs he/she has collected and save these as image files (.jpeg files).
All group members should complete their drafts in 1 week. Writers 1 and 2 should
turn over electronic and print copies of the drafts of their section to the
editor at the end of 1 week.
A Special Note About Plagiarism
Plagiarism is passing off as your own something that someone else said or
wrote. It takes many forms, including failing to cite the source of a
piece of information, whether the information is quoted or paraphrased;
copying word-for-word something someone else wrote but without using
quotation marks; and paraphrasing a source but failing to acknowledge
him/her.
Plagiarism is both immoral and illegal. NEVER PLAGIARIZE.
Here are online resources about what plagiarism is and how to avoid doing
it:
http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/write_cn/plagiarism.htm
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html
http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html
|
5. Working with the electronic files, the editor will now put together all of
the sections of the report, ensuring that there is a smooth flow from one
section to the next. Aside from making use of transition signals, the editor can
reorganize paragraphs and sentences to ensure cohesion. The editor should place
the photographs he/she has gathered in the appropriate portions of the report
and make sure that there is proper documentation of sources, including a list of
works cited at the end of the report. Follow the format for term paper writing.
The editor has 3 days to do all of the above.
6. Meet as a group to go over the complete report put together by the editor.
Use the rubric (given under the “Evaluation” section below) to guide you in
reviewing your group report. Make sure no part of the report is plagiarized. As
a group, revise the report as needed (working with the electronic file). You
have two days to do this.
Submit a print and electronic copy of your final report to your teacher on the
due date.
7. Write a one-page essay about what attitudes, values, and skills you have
learned in this project. Submit this essay to your teacher on the due date.
8. Fill in the peer evaluation form and submit this to your teacher on the due
date.
Resources
Here are online resources you can consult in the process of doing your
background reading. This is not a comprehensive list; it does not include
websites on specific volunteers. You are expected to look for references (online
and print) on the volunteer assigned to your group, on your own.
The Term Paper
Term Paper Writing
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/termpapr.html
IPL Teenspace : A+ Research
http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/aplus/
MLA Approach to Term Paper Writing
http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml
APA Approach to Term Paper Writing
http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm
Volunteerism
Definition of volunteerism
http://www.merrillassociates.net/topicofthemonth.php?topic=200012
http://www.calgarycommunities.com/FCC_Services/volunteeropportunities.htm
Why volunteerism
http://www.unv.org/volunteers/volunteerism/
http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/development/soc_dev/index.htm
School volunteer programs
http://www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/links/volhand.pdf
Volunteer experiences
http://www.ivcs.org.uk/pv_exp.htm
Evaluation
Your group research report or
term paper will be graded using the scoring guide below. For each item, you will
receive a score from the following scoring range:
6 = exceeds expectations 5 =
strong 4 = competent
3 = developing 2 = emergent 1 = not yet
Introduction
_____Catches the reader’s attention
_____Gives the necessary background information
such as a definition of terms
_____States the focus of the research report and
its thesis or main/central idea
_____Is written grammatically
Body of the report part 1:
Socio-cultural background of the volunteer
_____Provides complete or
detailed biographical information about the volunteer, including date and place
of birth, family and educational background and/or formative influences, date
and place of death if applicable
_____Presents information in a well organized way
_____Is written in an engaging way or in a way that elicits and sustains the
reader’s interest
_____Is written grammatically
Body of the report part 2: Work
of the volunteer
_____Provides complete or
detailed information on the volunteer work of the featured volunteer, including
what inspired the volunteer to do this kind of work, when he/she started, who
helped him/her, the beneficiaries of the volunteer’s work, and the impact of the
volunteer’s work
_____Presents information in a well organized way
_____Is written in an engaging way or in a way that elicits and sustains the
reader’s interest
_____Is written grammatically
Conclusion
_____Draws reasonable or logical
implications from the information presented in the body of the paper
_____Restates the thesis for emphasis
_____Brings the paper to a satisfying close
_____Is written grammatically
Photos
_____Includes at least three
photos
_____Photos included are relevant as proven by the captions
_____Photos are clear
_____Photos are well positioned
Documentation of sources
_____At least five sources are
used
_____Sources used are credible and appropriate
_____Sources of borrowed information (whether quoted or paraphrased) are
properly documented in the body of the paper
_____The list of sources or works cited is complete and written in the correct
format
Add your score for all of the items
and then divide it by 24. For example, if your score for all items is 108,
divide this by 24 and you get 4.5. This means that your work is between
competent and strong. Since this is a group project, all group members will
receive the same score for the biographical essay.
Important reminder: DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Any
sign or evidence of plagiarism in your group research report or term paper, in
whatever section of it, will result in a failing grade for you and your group.
Your essay on what your learned in this project and
the evaluation of your work by your peers or group mates will be graded
separately. Your final individual grade for this project will be computed as
follows:
Group research report/term paper (70%
of final project grade)
Individual essay (15% of final project grade)
Peer evaluation (15% of final project grade)
Conclusion
At the end of the grading period, you will have
come up with a term paper that is enriched by the use of both library and
Internet resources. You will also have enhanced your writing skills.
Equally important is the fact that the knowledge
that you have gathered and communicated individually and collectively will give
you a better insight into the values one must have in life in order that the
world we live in can become a happy place for all of us. In doing this term
paper on volunteerism, you learned not only about term paper writing but also
about other aspects of life that are worthwhile and enduring.
Volunteerism is best expressed in the song that
goes this way, "He ain't heavy. He's my brother."
|