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toc = Wiki Organization = The York School Personal Project Student Handbook information is written in brown.

**Action items (due dates, forms etc.) are written in red.**

YOUR PROCESS JOURNAL ENTRIES SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN BLACK. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT EACH ENTRY IS PROPERLY DATED.

= Process Journal = = = Maintain a process journal containing all your thoughts, decisions and actions. This document allows you to record your progress as you work on the project. It should be completed honestly and regularly to show how your project is developing. The process journal will also help you as you write the various sections of the report.

* //Adapted from MYP Personal Project Guidelines, Jan 2004// The process journal should be written in each of the following stages of your personal project: Investigate, Design, Plan, Create and Evaluate. **The process journal will be collected along with your written report on the due date for submission: December 11, 2009.** The process journal is your account of the progress you make with the personal project. It is about:

a) What you are doing at that moment. b) What you are thinking c) What you are accomplishing d) How you are coping with each of the different stages of your project e) How well you are dealing with problems and what you are learning about yourself as a result f) What makes you happy, annoyed, angry, nervous, disappointed, proud g) It needs not contain only written material, you can use pictures, photos, sketches, checklists, recordings, anything which provides evidence of your planning and progress

For example:

February 25 2009 (add working on investigate stage) April 20-28 2009 April 29 June 20 2009 July 27 2009 July 27 2009 July 27-August 31 2009 || i finished the proposal i handed in the proposal
 * Date || Thoughts/plans/challenges/decisions/accomplishments || Materials/Sources consulted ||
 * February 20 2009

i worked on and finished the design and plan stage design and plan stage completed i revised the guiding question i started reading the book: Beating The Street by Peter Lynch i finished reading Beating the street by Peter Lynch i wrote my guidlines for investing i researched companies i wanted to invest in and chose a few possibilities ||||  || i need to chose a broker who knows the legal mishmash and will invest the money where i tellhim to. (etrade.ca and questtrade.ca where suggested discount brokers) a discount brokeris broker that does not give you advice in how to invest.etrade.ca costs 7-20$ per trade+ 1/2cent per share (when trading in US equities)questtrade.ca costs 5-10$ per trade + 1cent per shareseptember 4 2009

today i talked with my parents on my progress with the personal project. we discussed how much money they are goingto give me and how much i am going to use. and how i am going to invest the money (e.g. through which broker?) -2 portfolios one with 50-100k that i would have little power over and the other with 5k that i have completecontrol of.if me or my parents decide to shut down the portfolio we have a talk about it, but my parents have final veto powerit because they own 80% of the shares. when it is closed i get 20% of the investment and my parents get 80%.this will be done through an online broker.for the other portfolio depending on the stocks i chose and how much it will cost by dad will invest that amount ofmoney. however he has final veto power and he can do whatever with the stocks that he wants. i will only be ableto chose the stocks (with my dads aproval) and advise him on what to do with the stocks once they are bought.this will be done through my dads investment company.september 6 2009

today i tried setting up an account on scotiaitrade.com (etrade.ca redirects you there). i chose this online brokerinstead of questtrade.ca because i felt more comfortable investing through a bank (the site is owned by Scotia Bank).however as i was filling out the application form i learned that i have to be 18 or over to be allowed to own anaccount. becauase of this i will set up the account through my dad.becasue my dad uses TD waterhouse we suggested i use that bank. even though the prices are twice as high my dad canget them for half of what i would have gotten from Scotia Bankseptember 7 2009

Today i went with my dad to the local TD Waterhouse on Bathurst and Eglington. there we set up a trust account in hisaccount but i would have control of it and he would be able to see what i am doing. however it will take a few daysto set up the account, so me and my dad will have to go back in a few days.spetember 8 2009

Today i took a look at the stock prices I chose. i compared them to when I originally chose them. i decided that i would buy 100 shares of Hewlett-Packard. I chose this company becasue it had one of the highest gains. the other two that had higher gains I could not choose because they were over the 5000$ limit I had when buying in bulks of 100 stocks. I consulted my dad on the choice, he agreed that Hewlett-Packard was the right choice and i bought 100 stocks. October 15 2009

Bibliography: http://www.investorwords.com (definition of consumer staples and consumer discretionary), // [] July 27 2009 //(the sectors), July 27 2009 //Lynch, Peter.// Beating the street. //New York: Simon & Schuster,1993 http://www.stocktrades.ca/investment-basics/how-to-buy-stocks/, September 4 2009 http://www.questrade.com/, September 4 2009 https://www.scotiaitrade.com/, September 4 2009 http://www.tdwaterhouse.ca/, September 7 2009 http://www.bloomberg.com, July 27-August 31 2009 [],July 27-August 31 2009 http://www.gold-trust.com/QUOTES.pdf, November 8 2009

**//
 * All reaserch i did on bloomberg can be found on this document. it did not fit on the** **wiki page.

=Guiding Question (Big Idea)=

/How can i make the most of my money?

=I. Investigation=

**Part I: Brainstorming:**

[|Investigate_Brainstorming.pdf]

**Part II: Some questions to consider**

Is there anything that you want to learn more about? That you’ve always wondered about? Are fascinated by? Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to learn to do? What are you interested in finding out about yourself? What challenge would you be willing to take? Have you traveled anywhere that changed your view of life? Where did you go? Have you ever experienced anything that changed your view of life? What was that experience? If you could go anywhere (country, city, building, behind the scenes) where would it be? If you could meet anyone, who would it be? Is there any deceased person that you wish that you had met? Who and why? Is there something in your culture/heritage to investigate, bring attention to, celebrate?

Do you have future aspirations? Describe them. Do you have any hobbies? What are they? Do you play any sports? Which ones? Do you participate in any competitive activities? What are they? Do you play any musical instruments? Which ones? If you don’t play any musical instruments, would you like to play any? Which ones? Have you developed any skills that you could use in your personal project? What are they? What are your major personal accomplishments? Why do you consider them accomplishments? Do you belong to any clubs, community organizations etc. that could be incorporated into your personal project? Which ones?
 * Part III:** **Questions to consider**

**NOW READ ALL THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE MORE PROGRESS IN FINDING A SPECIFIC TOPIC FOR YOUR PERSONAL PROJECT. YOU MAY WANT TO DO THIS BY:

1. USING A MIND MAP VIA INSPIRATION OR BY HAND. YOUR MIND MAP** **WILL NEED TO BE SCANNED AND INSERTED INTO YOUR WIKI.**
 * 2. WRITE OUT ANSWERS ON LAPTOP OR BY HAND.**

1. Eliminate (cross out) any repetitive ideas 2. Eliminate any ideas that you really are NOT interested in pursuing 3. Put together any similar ideas 4. How can you relate your ideas to an Area of Interaction? Which one? Or two 5. Consider how relevant the ideas are to real life (are they doable?) 6. Consider the ideas most meaningful to you. Consider what, of yourself, you can bring to your ideas. 7. Can you formulate any questions about your ideas? Take a point of view? 8. Is your idea “researchable, interesting, realistic?


 * BY NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE A MORE DIRECTED TOPIC FOR YOUR PERSONAL PROJECT. DO YOU HAVE ONE? WHAT IS IT?**

1b) Areas of interaction [[image:tyspersonalproject:AoI.png caption="AoI.png"]]
[|Areas of interaction as lenses.doc]

1c) Focusing to a guiding question
**WRITING THE GUIDING QUESTION**

A good guiding question is characterized by the following:

i) that prompts students to ask more questions ii) has multiple answers iii) ensures students learn content and do research iv) promotes deep thinking about an area of interaction v) not easily answered

Examples:


 * **Topic** || **Guiding Question** ||
 * Safety || ‘How can I better design traffic flow around my school?’ ||
 * Poverty || ‘How can I help reduce poverty in my city?’ ||
 * Sport Violence || ‘How can I bring awareness to soccer violence and how can this be reduced?’ ||
 * THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL PROJECT YOU MUST ANSWER THE GUIDING QUESTION YOU CHOOSE ****.**

__** MYP PERSONAL PROJECT 2009 PROPOSED TOPIC **__ ** THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY Feb 25th ** 1. My topic/area of interest is: Managing an investment/stock portfolio 2. Briefly explain what inspired you to choose this topic. I have been interested in starting one for nearly a year now but with the personal project I can raise money to use from my friends and family. I am also interested in it because my dad is a portfolio manager. 3. Highlight applicable AOI

Environment Health and Social Education Community and Service
 * __Human Ingenuity__**

4. My guiding question is: (be as clear as possible). How can I display my interest in the global market through active participation? 5. Briefly explain how the above AOI(s) will be the focus of your project and how your guiding question is connected. It helps me understand the relationship between technology and the human capacity to impact development through technology. In particular the technology involved in predicting the direction of the global stock market (E.g. the price of oil; up of down?).

Ask yourself the following questions: 1. What kind of information do I need to research? 2. Who has information about my topic? How do I contact people? 3. Where do I find the necessary material? 4. Do I need to interview individuals? 5. Do I have to carry out my own experiments? 6. Do I need to prepare, circulate and analyze surveys/questionnaires? 7. Do I need to visit a museum? Gallery? Gathering the Necessary Material and Research ** When you have found a source of information and/or inspiration, you will have to decide how useful it is. The list of sources in your report should only include those you have actually used. Write an annotated bibliography for each resource in the section below. Remember to keep your personal project goal in mind. This will help you to select what is useful and relevant.
 * A book, journal, internet site: see **Bibliographic Resource tab** to the left.
 * An interview: record date of interview, name, address, title of person
 * A work of art: record name, artist, location of gallery/museum
 * An experiment: apparatus, circumstances

__1d) COLLECTING RESOURCES__ Fill out this table below as you go... (at least 1 print source, 1 website, 1 interview) List below: || yes || bloomberg and investing books ||
 * **Questions:** || **Y/N** || **Which resource addresses my guiding question, AoI,** ||
 * Have I collected a variety of resources?
 * Are the resources enough to answer my question? || yes || ||
 * Do the resources support the area of interaction(s) || yes || ||
 * What changes could I make in my design(planning) and research to attain better results? || || ||

=II. Design=

**STAGE 2 DESIGNING THE PERSONAL PROJECT** After collecting and analyzing resources you are now in a position to make decisions about the best way to carry out your personal project.

Consider a table weighing out the different options you could take evaluating the pros and cons of each design option.

__** CHOOSING and APPLYING TECHNIQUES **__ Decide which design/technique you will use and write an explanation why you chose it.
 * Design/Technique || Pros || Cons ||
 * 1i can start an international company that imports of exports products || it answers my guiding question || it will be expensive to startup and i will most likely lose money ||
 * 2i can invest in the stock market (1 stock, many stocks, a fund) || it answers my guiding question || i can lose money if i invest badly ||
 * 3 || || ||

What will my ideal Personal Project look like/be when it is completed?

= =

=III. Planning=

**STAGE 3 Planning the Personal Project **

After your research you are ready to plan how you will carry out your Personal Project.


 * Step 1:** Make a chronological list of steps you will take


 * Step 2:** Prepare a list of materials/resources needed and where and how you attain them (consider associated costs, people to consult and scheduling challenges if applicable).


 * Step 3:** Prepare a time line showing what you will do at each step (ie. A calendar or table itemizing action plans/anticipated results).


 * Step 4:** Include back up plans/alternatives should changes need to be made.

Planning and Development Worksheet:
__Due Date:__ April 29

This is the first step of your project – to plan and to make a goal. Your goals and timelines may change throughout the project somewhat, but it is important to state and explain clearly the reasons for the changes in your process journal.
 * You must complete this worksheet and share it with your supervisor at the your first meeting. At the end of the meeting both you and your supervisor will sign this sheet.**

//Topic:

Focused Guiding Question/goal:

Area of Interaction (AoI): Justify and explain how your chosen personal project fits into the above stated AoI and guiding question. D escribe the process you will carry out to address your personal project guiding question Outline a detailed plan and timeline of what you hope to achieve. (Recognize plans can change, but only if there is a plan). You will want to take into account the deadlines that have already been set by the school (see page 2 of this guide) //
 * Plans || Approximate Deadline ||

List __all__ the resources needed to carry out your personal project (this includes print sources, people, organizations, community services).

= = = = = =

= = = = =IV. Creation= **STAGE 4 CREATING the PERSONAL PROJECT** After research, choosing the best technique and planning you are now ready to create your personal project.

Ask yourself the following:

Have I written in my process journal regularly? Have I taken photographs (if applicable) at various steps? Have I attained all the materials that I need?

= =

= =

= = = = = = =V. Evaluation and Reflection= ** Writing the Personal Project Report FIRST DRAFT DUE DATE: November 6th
 * STAGE 5 EVALUATING and REFLECTING
 * **CONTENTS** || Yes or No ||
 * I have a contents page written with sections labeled introduction, description of research, process, analysis of process, conclusion, bibliography, appendices (if applicable). ||  ||
 * **INTRODUCTION** Written in future tense approximately 1-1.5 pages ||  ||
 * I have clearly identified my goal within its context (i.e. WHY it is important), and some background on my inspiration towards the chosen project. || ||
 * I have justified my choice of AoI focus. ||  ||
 * I have written a detailed outline of the steps taken to achieve my guiding questions, this includes a variety of resources (at least 1 print, 1 website, 1 interview). ||  ||
 * **DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS** Written in past tense approximately 1.5-2 pages ||  ||
 * I have described the possible techniques suitable to answering my guiding question and have justified my choice/technique. ||  ||
 * I have described my process clearly (all production steps/components) referring to my plan in the introduction. ||  ||
 * **ANALYSIS** Divide into 2 sections research analysis and process analysis ||  ||
 * I have reflected on the resources collected (design stage) to attain my project goal and the AoI chosen: emphasizing the value of the resources. ||  ||
 * I have considered if the AoI is well connected to the resources. ||  ||
 * I have supported my arguments thoughtfully with evidence. ||  ||
 * I have reviewed my goal: challenges and achievements. ||  ||
 * I have reviewed the process (plan and doing phase): considered the timelines, ease/challenge of 'doing': reliance upon others/experts, materials/equipment. ||  ||
 * Review if your chosen AoI is effective in your project process. ||  ||
 * *Analysis is not description which is telling. Rather identifying factors that shaped the idea/point. It can be comparing and contrasting. It may also be understanding the significance.// ||  ||
 * **CONCLUSION** ||  ||
 * I have analysed the outcome: the strengths or weaknesses in my final outcome/project? ||  ||
 * I have considered how to improve upon the project. ||  ||
 * I have shared new insights gained about the project. ||  ||
 * **BIBLIOGRAPHY** ||  ||
 * I have completed an annotated bibliography following a format outlined in the Bibliographic Resources tab. ||  ||
 * I have correctly cited borrowed ideas in the text of my report. ||  ||
 * **PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT** ||  ||
 * I have organized my work logically and clearly. ||  ||
 * I have met deadlines and made use of my process journal. ||  ||
 * I have shown enthusiasm and commitment. ||  ||
 * I have correctly cited borrowed ideas in the text of my report. ||  ||
 * **PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT** ||  ||
 * I have organized my work logically and clearly. ||  ||
 * I have met deadlines and made use of my process journal. ||  ||
 * I have shown enthusiasm and commitment. ||  ||
 * I have shown enthusiasm and commitment. ||  ||

WRITING the SECOND DRAFT and SUBSEQUENT DRAFTS

Do not expect your first written version to suffice. Check your project with the ASSESSMENT CRITERIA and YOUR MENTOR.

Have the first draft read by, for example, a peer, a parent, or your mentor and ask for feedback. After consulting with one or all of the above persons you are ready to edit your draft. Remember that this draft should be as complete as possible and follow the structure outlined in section B of this booklet. The more editing the closer your report will likely meet the assessment rubric. FINAL COPY - DUE DECEMBER 12, 2008

The written piece should not exceed 4000 words.

=Resources and Bibliography=