Outline

Candidates will work with an advisory committee consisting of one faculty advisor and two external advisors throughout the program (see Advisory Committee.) The MW program has three components:

1. Research, Discovery and Framing of Topics

MW candidates spend the summer and first few weeks of the school year investigating topics of interest. They conduct preliminary research that will help them narrow their investigations down to a manageable subject for a paper.

A MW may take the form of either a research paper or an original artistic work or works accompanied by written commentary. In either case, candidates must declare their general area of interest by late September. In October, they must submit a formal proposal to their faculty advisor.

The formal proposal is meant to force candidates to present something beyond a mere report. We want them to give a good overview of the subject, and to tell us why it should matter to us, and why it matters to them. Candidates will receive more details on writing proposals in school, but essentially they must answer the following:

• What are the defining characteristics of the topic at hand?

• Why should we care about this topic or what is its significance?

• Why do you care about this topic or what is your personal interest here?

 A draft outline of the MW paper and an annotated list of sources must accompany the proposal. In order to complete the proposal, candidates will need to make use of external resources such as the school and public libraries and the Internet. They will also need to draw on the support and expertise of their advisors.

2. Written Essay

All candidates must produce a written paper of no less than 12, and no more than 35 typed pages. This paper must answer the three questions presented in 1. Research, Discovery and Framing of Topics.

Unless otherwise determined, students should use the MLA style guide as their standard for quoting and acknowledging external sources. It is expected that most schools will cover the basic style and mechanics of writing in their regular English program.

All candidates must prepare and present in a public forum an oral presentation of not less than 20 but not more than 30 minutes. Like the paper itself, this oral presentation must address the three questions presented in 1. Research, Discovery and Framing of Topics.

Following their presentation, each candidate must be prepared to answer questions from their advisors and the public in response to their oral presentation. Candidates will be expected to answer questions for no less than 10 and no more than 20 minutes.

The Oral Presentation & Defence usually takes place at the end of the school year, typically in mid to late June.

Program Delivery

 A successful MW program requires the work of many different people: the MW coordinator, faculty and external advisors, volunteers and, perhaps most importantly, the candidates and their families.

Masterworks Coordinator

The MW coordinator will:

• set the purpose, standards and timetable of the program;

• ensure needed skills (e.g. writing, grammar, research, MLA formatting) are taught to students in English classes;

• coordinate the efforts of the faculty advisors;

• set the editorial guidelines to be used by the advisory committee members (FAs & EAs);

• coordinate volunteer support including recruiting and assigning external advisors, special presenters and logistical support for the year and for the formal MW presentations in June;

• ensure all volunteers receive an orientation to the program;

• ensure all volunteers are properly acknowledged and invited to the formal MW presentations in June.

Advisory Committee (AC)

A candidate’s advisory committee will be made up of one faculty advisor and a minimum of one, but preferably two, external advisors.

The faculty advisor will be assigned to the student. Although faculty advisors will undoubtedly assist with research, their main purpose is to guide the candidate through the program successfully and to edit the candidate’s paper.

The external advisors will be chosen in consultation with the candidate, MC, faculty advisor and candidate’s parents. External advisors provide expert knowledge to the candidate so they should be chosen for their familiarity with the candidate’s topic.

The faculty advisor will:

• act as chair of the candidate’s advisory committee;

• ensure the candidate completes all the MW requirements;

• ensure that the candidate submits work to committee members according to the timetable established by the MC;

• read and edit for content and form all work of the candidate;

• ensure that the candidate has a positive, beneficial learning experience in the program;

• provide constructive feedback in one-on-one meetings with the candidate throughout the program;

• attend and chair all advisory committee meetings;

• advise the MC of the candidate’s progress throughout the program attend and contribute questions at the candidate’s oral presentation in June.

External Advisors (EA)

Students must have a minimum of one and may have a maximum of two external advisors on their advisory committee. Parents of grade nine students may not be external advisors on any candidate’s advisory committee.

The external advisors will: 

• read and edit for content four drafts of the candidates paper;

• attend all six advisory committee meetings and provide constructive critiques of the candidate’s work in progress;

• provide ongoing advice and support as time and other obligations permit;

• attend and contribute questions at the candidate’s oral presentation in June.

Student Candidate

The candidate is faced with a challenging but enormously rewarding project. The MW seems daunting at the start, but it is broken into manageable sections that can easily be handled by any student willing to work hard and honestly, and to the timetable.

The candidate will:

• complete all MW requirements according to the criteria and timetable established by the MC;

• make his or her best effort in completing these requirements;

• attend all advisory committee meetings called by the MC or FA;

• maintain frequent and clear communication with all advisors;

• keep all appointments with advisors or give proper notice when unable to make commitments;

• inform FA or MC of any concerns regarding the advisory committee members;

• properly thank the advisory committee members for their efforts.

The MW is an important project; it teaches valuable lessons about the process and product of the academic inquiry; and it demonstrates to candidates that they are capable of impressive work. But it is also an intimidating project. It requires candidates stretch themselves academically, emotionally and socially farther than they have ever done before in school. For these reasons, the candidates—and the IPS staff—need the enthusiastic support of the candidate’s parents and other adult family.

Parents will:

• inquire from time to time about the candidate’s progress;

• provide advice and support with research;

• provide advice and support with time management;

• help edit drafts of work;

• provide emotional support and encouragement.

Parents will have an opportunity to discuss the Masterworks program at a parent orientation meeting to be held in the first several weeks of the school year. It is highly recommended that parents check-in with the MC or FA at least twice over the course of the program. Finally, parents are expected to attend the candidate’s oral presentation and defence in June.

Masterworks Timetable

The MW is a large project, but it is broken into manageable sections that can easily be handled by any student willing to work hard and honestly, and to the timetable.  Experience has shown that it is very important for everyone involved—students, teachers, advisors, and family members alike—to ensure that candidates meet a firm progression of deadlines; a MW simply cannot be completed in a last minute rush.

Masterworks in Action: Island Pacific School, B.C. (CANADA)

For a working example of an actual Masterworks program in action, please go to www.islandpacific.org and follow the links from “Academics & Activities” to their description of the program. IPS typically hosts its Masterworks Presentations in the second week of June and, as these are public events, visitors are always welcome.