The 2010 Syllabus is below.  The students practice public speaking, presentation techniques and learn about exhibit designs.  This course also introduces studetns to multi-media equipment and allows them the chance to use this media to enhance their presentation styles!  It's a great program for Juniors and Seniors in High School.

North Star

DESCRIPTION

 “North Star” combines multi-media communications and presentation methods with oral communication and student projects.  This course is conducted over five weeks of U-DOC / Della Keats summer program.  Students will be provided digital cameras, camcorders and lap top computers for use during parts of the course, to develop their skills in presentation techniques and audio visual aids.  Students will be taught how to use these multi media devices and learn how to turn images and video into a movie documentary suitable for the general public and to use as visual aids for presentations or exhibit pieces.

GENERAL INFORMATION

ATTENDANCE: This is a participation-oriented course.  Those not in class will find participation difficult to accomplish and make up.  There are presentation during class times which will be difficult to make up.  Please due your best to attend every day of class and if for some reason you are unable to attend please let me know by e-mail as soon as possible.

GRADING: Standard scale will be used –

            100-90 = A; 89-80=B; 79-70 = C; 69-60 = D; 59 and below = F

ORGANIZATION

This is a lecture-lab course in which topics are presented by the instructor(s), tools are introduced and multi media equipment is explained.  Students practice presentation techniques and use multi media equipment both during class periods and outside of class.  Class projects and participation are required.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

·      To introduce students to the use of multi-media equipment, presentation techniques and basic oral communication

·      To introduce students to various forms of presentations

·      Offer students practical experience in public speaking

·      Assist students in developing their individual public speaking skills

·      To familiarize students with the time constraints and quality considerations integral to multi-media production techniques

·      To provide students with opportunities to develop basic skills in respect to presentation of information and tools to aid in presenting to an audience or community

COURSE CALENDAR

* Bold words = assignments are DUE! / Bold & Italic = Assignment handed out

* Italic = to do every week

ORAL COMMUNICATION

            Students will participate in 3 mock presentations.  These will vary, with preparation time, from 10 minutes to 2 hours.  The purpose of these mock presentations is to teach students how to successfully present a topic to a group using varying techniques.  The topics will be assigned impromptu by the Instructor(s).

            A final, formal presentation on each student’s Independent Research Project will take place at the end of the summer program.  Each student will be given an opportunity to deliver a practice presentation (check your slides and observe the presentation room) on July 23^rd, 2010 prior to delivering the graded presentation on July 26^th and 28^th.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT

            Students will design, conduct, analyze and present in a written (for written communication portion of North Star) and oral format (for Oral communication portion of North Star) an original research project on a Public Health topic they feel passionate about or that may impact their community.  This work is conducted under the mentorship of the Public Health professor and the North Star professors.  Students will present their research publicly at the University of Anchorage Alaska and, if they are a current Junior, to their communities, as the Health Research Project.  Student reports and presentation grading weights are listed in the Grading section.

HEALTH RESEARCH PROJECT (HRP)

Juniors (students completing grade 11 at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year):

While your involvement with North Star will be considerable during the summer program at UAA, it will also continue during the 2010-11 school year.  We will ask you to:

·       Create a Health Research Project (HRP), from your Research Project topic.  During the Della Keats/U-DOC summer program, we will work with you to identify a topic of interest to you and relevant to your home community.  You will use the skills you learn and continue to develop over the academic year to document how health science research in Alaska benefits and impacts Alaskans.  Students will be asked to create their HRPs during either the Fall of 2010 or the Spring of 2011. 

·       Participate in at least monthly web forums or conference calls.  These opportunities to contact you will allow you to seek advice and give each other feedback on ideas for your HRPs.

·       Present your HRP to members of your community outside your school and to provide The Imaginarium with a copy of your HRP so that it might be shared with visitors to The Imaginarium and through the North Star website.

·       Participate in twice annual surveys of your progress in high school and/or college so that we might track in what ways this program may continue to benefit you and others. These surveys will continue through June 2011

GRADING

The course has a total of 200 points.  Students will be graded based on the following point values:

Juniors Only – Semester Health Research Project