Requirements
Background Section (2-3 pages):
- This provides academic context for the scope of your research.
- What background does a reader need to understand your topic? (Terminology, research that has been done in the field, etc.)
- What was the context for your work (e.g. describe your internship setting)?
- You can also choose to put this information in your introduction, and then you don't need it in this section.
- Further expand on your issue or essential question if it needs more clarification
- Passive Third Person Voice
- Times New Roman, Double Spaced, Size 12 Font, MLA in-text citations
Sample Backgrounds
Example #1
(From a paper with the Essential Question: How can we help students become eligible/apply for the Cal Grant at HTHNC?)
High Tech High is a project based charter school. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a method of teaching that allows students to extensively explore questions in their work and overall have an authentic engaging learning experience. High Tech High was founded by Larry Rosenstock in 2000 who then also created a network of other High Tech schools across San Diego. Some major principles of High Tech are to prepare students for the working world. This means that several practices of High Tech are very different than that of a traditional school. For example the project phases in which they work are: observation, reflection, documentation, presentation. Teachers are evaluated on their students’ work through public exhibitions. There is a belief called “walls permeable” that students should provide service to the outside community through internship. But one of the biggest focuses of High Tech is college readiness. A graduation requirement of High Tech’s is for all students to apply to a four year institution. High Tech High North County has a 83% college acceptance rate to at least one four year university. In 2012, High Tech High North County’s college acceptance rate was 74%, the question is; How did this number increase so quickly?
Schools like High Tech have been using what’s called “Improvement Science” to continue development. According to the Carnegie Foundation, “Improvement science is a methodology for using disciplined inquiry to solve a specific problem of practice.” High Tech has been using Improvement Science to to revise systems in our schools. When using improvement science, there are three main questions: What are we trying to accomplish? How do we know if a change is an improvement? What changes might we introduce and why? Improvement Science was originally created as a framework for healthcare development. Now, Improvement Science is being used in schools to do things like revise classroom practices and avoid chronic absenteeism. High Tech has also used Improvement Science to increase our college enrollment rate. For example 98% of students graduating from a High Tech High school are attending college but broken down, men of color are some of the least likely to attend a 4-year institution. The High Tech Graduate School of Education decided to use Improvement science to further look into this problem. Now there are several projects within Improvement Science that are currently being run at the High Tech Schools. Having interned with the Improvement Science Team, I have learned quite a bit of information about these projects, and taken on one of my own.
The Cal Grant is a form of financial aid given from the California Student Aid Committee to students attending an institution in California. The Cal Grant can be used for University of California, California State Universities, California Community Colleges, and a few private institutions. You can apply for the Cal Grant by first applying for the FAFSA or the California Dream Act. The money awarded can be used towards living expenses, tuition, books, transportation, and in some circumstances, tools. One important aspect of the Cal Grant is that there are three types: A, B, and C (California Student Aid Commission). Cal Grant A requires a GPA of 3.0 or above, Cal Grant B requires a GPA of 2.0 or above, and Cal Grant C does not have a GPA requirement (California Student Aid Commission). The highest a student can be awarded is $12,294 for UC schools, and $5,472 at CSU’s (California Student Aid Commission). He/she must also have financial need and fit into the income ceilings they have. For example, to qualify for Cal Grant A he/she can have four people in their family and make an annual income of $95,400, and have a 3.0 GPA or above (California Student Aid Commission)`. The Cal Grant is an important financial aid option specifically designed for the students of California. If awarded, he/she could possibly pay an entire years tuition.
The team recognized that only 66.7% of the class of 2016 (See Appendix G) were eligible for the Cal Grant, and needed to pinpoint the problem in order to address it. There are currently ongoing projects at High Tech involving Cal Grant eligibility. In an interview I conducted with the College Advisor of High Tech Chula Vista, Michelle Alderete gave me some information on how she’s targeting Cal Grant eligibility. “We (by we, I mean specifically Ben Sanoff) collected the GPA information for our current juniors, and determined ‘target’ students by advisory who fall within the cusp of being eligible for Cal Grant but are at risk of not making it (2.2-3.4). These students will receive extra support and intervention previously mentioned, and we will track their GPA over the course of junior year, and whether they make the 3.0 guideline. The goal is that the percentage who make it will be higher than the percentage we had last year who were within the same zone that converted to 3.0 at end of junior year.” Michelle isn’t the only one tackling this issue though, several college advisors throughout the High Tech High Schools have made it their responsibility to assist students in submitting their social security numbers to the California Student Aid Commission's in order to become eligible.
High Tech High North County’s goal is to use Improvement Science to pinpoint the problem with Cal Grant eligibility. My research will explore some of the people involved in the Cal Grant application process, and their role in helping students. It will also reveal the level of knowledge that both professionals, teachers, and students possess about the Cal Grant and their other financial aid options. In addition, I will use the process of Improvement Science to navigate through and find a solution to this problem.
High Tech High is a project based charter school. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a method of teaching that allows students to extensively explore questions in their work and overall have an authentic engaging learning experience. High Tech High was founded by Larry Rosenstock in 2000 who then also created a network of other High Tech schools across San Diego. Some major principles of High Tech are to prepare students for the working world. This means that several practices of High Tech are very different than that of a traditional school. For example the project phases in which they work are: observation, reflection, documentation, presentation. Teachers are evaluated on their students’ work through public exhibitions. There is a belief called “walls permeable” that students should provide service to the outside community through internship. But one of the biggest focuses of High Tech is college readiness. A graduation requirement of High Tech’s is for all students to apply to a four year institution. High Tech High North County has a 83% college acceptance rate to at least one four year university. In 2012, High Tech High North County’s college acceptance rate was 74%, the question is; How did this number increase so quickly?
Schools like High Tech have been using what’s called “Improvement Science” to continue development. According to the Carnegie Foundation, “Improvement science is a methodology for using disciplined inquiry to solve a specific problem of practice.” High Tech has been using Improvement Science to to revise systems in our schools. When using improvement science, there are three main questions: What are we trying to accomplish? How do we know if a change is an improvement? What changes might we introduce and why? Improvement Science was originally created as a framework for healthcare development. Now, Improvement Science is being used in schools to do things like revise classroom practices and avoid chronic absenteeism. High Tech has also used Improvement Science to increase our college enrollment rate. For example 98% of students graduating from a High Tech High school are attending college but broken down, men of color are some of the least likely to attend a 4-year institution. The High Tech Graduate School of Education decided to use Improvement science to further look into this problem. Now there are several projects within Improvement Science that are currently being run at the High Tech Schools. Having interned with the Improvement Science Team, I have learned quite a bit of information about these projects, and taken on one of my own.
The Cal Grant is a form of financial aid given from the California Student Aid Committee to students attending an institution in California. The Cal Grant can be used for University of California, California State Universities, California Community Colleges, and a few private institutions. You can apply for the Cal Grant by first applying for the FAFSA or the California Dream Act. The money awarded can be used towards living expenses, tuition, books, transportation, and in some circumstances, tools. One important aspect of the Cal Grant is that there are three types: A, B, and C (California Student Aid Commission). Cal Grant A requires a GPA of 3.0 or above, Cal Grant B requires a GPA of 2.0 or above, and Cal Grant C does not have a GPA requirement (California Student Aid Commission). The highest a student can be awarded is $12,294 for UC schools, and $5,472 at CSU’s (California Student Aid Commission). He/she must also have financial need and fit into the income ceilings they have. For example, to qualify for Cal Grant A he/she can have four people in their family and make an annual income of $95,400, and have a 3.0 GPA or above (California Student Aid Commission)`. The Cal Grant is an important financial aid option specifically designed for the students of California. If awarded, he/she could possibly pay an entire years tuition.
The team recognized that only 66.7% of the class of 2016 (See Appendix G) were eligible for the Cal Grant, and needed to pinpoint the problem in order to address it. There are currently ongoing projects at High Tech involving Cal Grant eligibility. In an interview I conducted with the College Advisor of High Tech Chula Vista, Michelle Alderete gave me some information on how she’s targeting Cal Grant eligibility. “We (by we, I mean specifically Ben Sanoff) collected the GPA information for our current juniors, and determined ‘target’ students by advisory who fall within the cusp of being eligible for Cal Grant but are at risk of not making it (2.2-3.4). These students will receive extra support and intervention previously mentioned, and we will track their GPA over the course of junior year, and whether they make the 3.0 guideline. The goal is that the percentage who make it will be higher than the percentage we had last year who were within the same zone that converted to 3.0 at end of junior year.” Michelle isn’t the only one tackling this issue though, several college advisors throughout the High Tech High Schools have made it their responsibility to assist students in submitting their social security numbers to the California Student Aid Commission's in order to become eligible.
High Tech High North County’s goal is to use Improvement Science to pinpoint the problem with Cal Grant eligibility. My research will explore some of the people involved in the Cal Grant application process, and their role in helping students. It will also reveal the level of knowledge that both professionals, teachers, and students possess about the Cal Grant and their other financial aid options. In addition, I will use the process of Improvement Science to navigate through and find a solution to this problem.
Example #2
(From a paper with the Essential Question: What aspects of the Dive Show do guests enjoy and what are they taking from it?)
Birch Aquarium’s Mission is to provide ocean science education, interpret Scripps Oceanography research, and promote ocean conservation (Birch Aquarium). There are a lot of people in the world who don't understand or accept the meaning of climate change. Some don't know what it means and don’t make the effort to educate themselves, while others know what it means but are in denial that our planet is heating up. Many people find themselves in denial because they aren't even quite sure about the definition of climate change. When talking about a serious environmental issue like climate change and how we need to treat nature, there is a certain language that should be used so that non-believers are not triggered.To ensure that the Aquarium is delivering the correct information without non-believers being offended, the aquarium uses safer words such as “greenhouse effect” or “warming blanket.” Those who educate guests on the science behind the animals in our facility have been trained to follow this language format. In order to make climate change easier to understand, it is sometimes beneficial to explain what exactly is at stake if we as a planet don't find a positive solution to be applied to the issue of climate change. It is crucial for our audience to understand that we have to protect people, the places we live, and other life forms in these places. Just as the heart circulates blood and regulates the body’s temperature, the ocean regulates the world’s climate system by controlling the circulation of heat and moisture. While informing guests, it’s also very important to suggest ways that we as individuals can make a difference in our world. There are four different terms to follow when talking about a subject like climate change. One is ingenuity, by being resourceful and innovative, we can come up with new ways to tackle difficult problems. Two is energy shift, by using energy sources that don’t add to the heat-trapping blanket effect, such as solar energy, we can get the climate system back to functioning the way it should. Three is energy efficiency, while we work towards moving away from fossil fuels for energy altogether, we can use much less of the kinds of energy that add heat-trapping gases to our atmosphere. Finally, fourth is change the conversation, we all have a part to play in building support for action on climate and ocean change (NNOCCI).
When an individual gains new knowledge, the information may or may not be transferred into their behaviour. For example if you teach a child manners, it could potentially change their day to day behaviour. When you are teaching someone about the ecosystem as well as the world that they live in, you hope that the information changes the way they treat the planet. In order to learn something from what you have been taught, you need to be able to use your memory. There is short term memory, working memory, and long term memory. Something that you remember for the rest of your life would be classified as long term memory. Distractions can cause a lack of remembrance in what was just showed or taught to you. Distractions can consume your working memory and take the attention away from the long term memory, such as kids talking, cell phones, your friend next to you in class, or that baby that won't stop screaming. I noticed that people would not remember what information they were taught and that is most likely because they became distracted by excess noises and movement during the show.
There are different types of knowledge that are saved in your long term memory. In order for guests to remember everything they were presented with, they need to have their full attention on the speaker during the show. It may not always be the speaker's fault for the lack of information that guests absorb. The more attentive you are and the more effort you put into your work, the more you will remember it. If guests were given a sheet of information to read multiple times, they would probably be able to come back and tell me a majority of the things that was presented for them to learn from the Dive Show (Kihlstrom).
Birch Aquarium’s Mission is to provide ocean science education, interpret Scripps Oceanography research, and promote ocean conservation (Birch Aquarium). There are a lot of people in the world who don't understand or accept the meaning of climate change. Some don't know what it means and don’t make the effort to educate themselves, while others know what it means but are in denial that our planet is heating up. Many people find themselves in denial because they aren't even quite sure about the definition of climate change. When talking about a serious environmental issue like climate change and how we need to treat nature, there is a certain language that should be used so that non-believers are not triggered.To ensure that the Aquarium is delivering the correct information without non-believers being offended, the aquarium uses safer words such as “greenhouse effect” or “warming blanket.” Those who educate guests on the science behind the animals in our facility have been trained to follow this language format. In order to make climate change easier to understand, it is sometimes beneficial to explain what exactly is at stake if we as a planet don't find a positive solution to be applied to the issue of climate change. It is crucial for our audience to understand that we have to protect people, the places we live, and other life forms in these places. Just as the heart circulates blood and regulates the body’s temperature, the ocean regulates the world’s climate system by controlling the circulation of heat and moisture. While informing guests, it’s also very important to suggest ways that we as individuals can make a difference in our world. There are four different terms to follow when talking about a subject like climate change. One is ingenuity, by being resourceful and innovative, we can come up with new ways to tackle difficult problems. Two is energy shift, by using energy sources that don’t add to the heat-trapping blanket effect, such as solar energy, we can get the climate system back to functioning the way it should. Three is energy efficiency, while we work towards moving away from fossil fuels for energy altogether, we can use much less of the kinds of energy that add heat-trapping gases to our atmosphere. Finally, fourth is change the conversation, we all have a part to play in building support for action on climate and ocean change (NNOCCI).
When an individual gains new knowledge, the information may or may not be transferred into their behaviour. For example if you teach a child manners, it could potentially change their day to day behaviour. When you are teaching someone about the ecosystem as well as the world that they live in, you hope that the information changes the way they treat the planet. In order to learn something from what you have been taught, you need to be able to use your memory. There is short term memory, working memory, and long term memory. Something that you remember for the rest of your life would be classified as long term memory. Distractions can cause a lack of remembrance in what was just showed or taught to you. Distractions can consume your working memory and take the attention away from the long term memory, such as kids talking, cell phones, your friend next to you in class, or that baby that won't stop screaming. I noticed that people would not remember what information they were taught and that is most likely because they became distracted by excess noises and movement during the show.
There are different types of knowledge that are saved in your long term memory. In order for guests to remember everything they were presented with, they need to have their full attention on the speaker during the show. It may not always be the speaker's fault for the lack of information that guests absorb. The more attentive you are and the more effort you put into your work, the more you will remember it. If guests were given a sheet of information to read multiple times, they would probably be able to come back and tell me a majority of the things that was presented for them to learn from the Dive Show (Kihlstrom).