Senior Defense Written Plan

Use this document to plan your senior defense presentation.

Prompt: ​Your senior defense should use evidence from your artifacts to answer the following question,

“How have your high school experiences prepared you to be a Global

Ambassador?”

A Global Ambassador is​ an LASGS graduate who exhibits habits of mind reflecting our school values of
agency, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, community involvement, and social change.

Presentation Format: ​Consider what format you will use to present your senior defense exhibiting your
advanced skills in design and media. (animated powerpoint, imovie, Prezi or other - no google slides)

A. What is my Growth Story (Background Story)

How have you grown during your years at Global Studies?
1. What was your agency like before you came to LASGS?
Before I attended LASGS my agency wasn’t as good as it is today. All of this working together in groups
wasn’t really new but having to work like that everyday was something new. Not really getting
comfortable with the people around you was something to get adjusted too. Also the people from your
group seem to have different skills and having to use agency by collaborating with others made the work
at times easier than having to work on your own.
a. How responsible were you?
I’m not really responsible when it comes to being organized with my work, keeping up with work.
Although i have been trying to work on that more. But as a student I do know I am responsible
for any action I take and how it can affect me.
b. How resilient are you?
I am not that resilient I don’t recover that fast from certain things. Depending on the condition I
am in it is hard for me to forget about what happened and move on. (Give example -- question
says How resilient ARE you? Should it say How resilient WERE you?)
2. How has your understanding of the world changed since you started at LASGS?

I feel like throughout my years here my perspective about the world has changed. Having topics in class
about how certain people have made it a difficult place for people to live in peace. Figuring out that I
really didn’t know anything about this world, finding out that the world is a place where no one is perfect
and that we are basically controlled by people of higher class.

a. How have your opinions and beliefs changed?

I think the world is a dark place, at time I fear it. Sometimes i don’t like the fact that the world is a
dark place and I rather be home hiding like if I was hiding from a certain person. I used to see
the world as a peaceful place, but in reality there are a lot of things wrong with it. I don’t know if
the conspiracies I’ve heard have gave me this fear or it has been something else.
b. How have you learned to question and make sense of the world?

3. How have your communication skills changed since you started at LASGS?
 Yes, they have changed throughout the years. I have really gone out of my way to actually ask and not
be afraid to ask for help. I stay a lot with YPI and they always seem to help with nothing in return. I
appreciate the fact that we have them here. Most importantly I can always count on the to give me
feedback and to help revise my work such as CRA’s and many more stuff like that.
a. Consider your interpersonal communication skills and public speaking skills.
4. How have your collaboration skills changed since you started at LASGS?
They have changed a lot, I like actually collaborating with my group. No matter who’s in my team I think
that if everyone just gets along the work will get done. My freshman year I didn’t really like working with
anyone but with people that I know. My mindset has changed since then.
5. Before you came to LASGS, how involved were you in making change in your community or society?
Throughout your time here, how have you created change in your community and/ or society?
When I came to this school, I didn’t have no idea on what this school’s academic pathway was. I didn’t
really care about social change. I didn’t believe a student can actually make a change, since most adults
don’t even get to be heard, I thought that a students voice wouldn’t even matter. Now all I ever want is to
make a change in the world. I know where I come from and people say it’s impossible for me to do or
follow my dreams. All I want to do is prove those people wrong.

B. Thesis Planner
Learning outcomes &
domains​ needed to be a
Global Ambassador (​add
more rows if needed)​
Global Ambassador
learning outcomes &
domains met in ​Wild
Card Artifact
Global Ambassador Global Ambassador
learning outcomes & learning outcomes &
domains met in ​CRA domains met in
Artifact Academic Pathway
Artifact

1. ​Ex. Agency/ Growing
from Setbacks
Ex. I grew from setbacks
because my team lost our
first two games. But, then
we started to practice more.
Then, we had a winning
streak.
Ex. I grew from setbacks
because I revised my CRA
three times.
Ex. I grew from setbacks by
taking notes on the
feedback I received after
practicing my presentation.
I used those notes to refine
my presentation slides.

2.

3.

4.

Content Knowledge Global Ambassador Global Ambassador Global Ambassador

needed to be a Global learning outcomes & learning outcomes & learning outcomes &
Ambassador (​add more domains met in ​Wild domains met in ​CRA domains met in
rows if needed)​ Card Artifact Artifact Academic Pathway
Artifact

1. ​Ex. Disaggregating data
Ex. I did not use this skill in
my wild card.
Ex. I wrote about
disaggregating data in my
CRA when I mentioned how
the BLS data did not
account for differences in
earnings by ethnicity, but the
current event article I read
Ex. My presentation
showed how I was able to
disaggregate the data from
my survey. I collected
demographic data and used
excel to disaggregate the
results based on ethnicity
 did. and gender.

2.

3.

4.

Thesis Statement
Use your thesis planner to write a thesis statement for your defense. Your thesis statement should answer the
prompt: “How have your high school experiences prepared you to be a Global Ambassador?”
Remember, a thesis should include a topic, argument and several claims.
The four years I have attended LASGS have helped me prepared to become a Global Ambassador. I have
shown that I am prepared by learning from my setbacks and understanding of seeking for the right help in
order to show agency

C. 3 Artifacts that respond to the Driving Question

Choose three artifacts that demonstrate your growth in answering the driving question. Use your Artifact
Reflection Forms to answer these questions below for each artifact.

Artifact 1 (Wild Card):

1. What did you produce and why? (focus on your artifact, not the project as a whole)

2. What context about the overall project is ​necessary​ for your audience to understand the artifact? (do
not summarize the entire project)
3. What knowledge or information did you gain from this project? (Knowledge about yourself or your
community. Insights about life. Knowledge about geography, government, economics, historical
events, literature, poetry, writing, formulas, scientific procedures or principles, etc.)
4. How did you gain this information? (readings, lecture notes, online research, videos, seminars, etc.)
5. What academic skills did you develop during this project? (See ​New Tech Network Rubrics ​for
examples of specific skills)
6. What mistakes did you make or what challenges did you face? How did you learn from these
mistakes or overcome these challenges?
7. Explain how this artifact supports your thesis about becoming a Global Ambassador? (see thesis
planner and thesis statement)
8. How did this project prepare you for your future career or educational goals?

Artifact 2 (CRA):
1. What did you produce and why? (focus on your artifact, not the project as a whole)
2. What context about the overall project is ​necessary​ for your audience to understand the artifact? (do
not summarize the entire project)
3. What knowledge or information did you gain from this project? (Knowledge about geography,
government, economics, historical events, literature, poetry, writing, formulas, scientific procedures
or principles, etc.)
 4. How did you gain this information? (readings, lecture notes, online research, videos, seminars, etc.)
5. What academic skills did you develop during this project? (See ​New Tech Network Rubrics ​for
examples of specific skills)
6. What mistakes did you make or what challenges did you face? How did you learn from these
mistakes or overcome these challenges?
7. Explain how this artifact supports your thesis about becoming a Global Ambassador? (see thesis
planner and thesis statement)
8. How did this project prepare you for your future career or educational goals?

Artifact 3 (Academic & Pathway):

1. What did you produce and why? (focus on your artifact, not the project as a whole)
2. What context about the overall project is ​necessary​ for your audience to understand the artifact? (do
not summarize the entire project)
3. What knowledge or information did you gain from this project? (Knowledge about geography,
government, economics, historical events, literature, poetry, writing, formulas, scientific procedures
or principles, etc.)
4. How did you gain this information? (readings, lecture notes, online research, videos, seminars, etc.)
5. What academic skills did you develop during this project? (See ​New Tech Network Rubrics ​for
examples of specific skills)
6. What mistakes did you make or what challenges did you face? How did you learn from these
mistakes or overcome these challenges?
7. Explain how this artifact supports your thesis about becoming a Global Ambassador? (see thesis
planner and thesis statement)
8. How did this project prepare you for your future career or educational goals?

D. Future Story
● What are your career goals for the future? (you may include one or several options)

I would like to be into music production, and be not only winning good money and be financially stable
but I want to be recognized for what I am doing and changing in life.

● What is your future plan for education?

○ What degrees, licenses, or certifications are you working towards?
The degree that I am Aiming for is at least a professional degree in music production, I feel like
having a degree like that would give me a good paying job and not only that but it would be
easier for someone to hire me with the experience I have.
○ What schools do you plan to attend?
I am still not sure on what school I would like to attend. I was thinking of attending MI, or rto go to
a music school called CRAS, which is mostly based on music production and that would be a
good step for me to take for my future.
○ How do you plan to pay for college?
I have money saved up and having a job wouldn’t hurt having. I don’t expect for my parents to
help out, i don’t want to be helped by any family member so that way they can focus on their own
expenses.
○ How are you emotionally prepared for life after high school?
I have that mindset that i have developed, I feel like nothing is impossible as long as you put
your hard work and never give up on yourself, I’ve met people that have started from nothing and
 they been successfully in what they have dreamed of since they were little.so that has inspired
me to not give up ad to pursue whatever I want.
● How do you plan to act like a Global Ambassador later in life?

E. Additional Questions
Be prepared to answer these additional questions during your senior defense presentation:
● Do you feel ready for college and life beyond high school? Explain why.

I don’t feel completely ready for my life beyond high school, I know what I want to pursue in my future. I
don’t feel like I know everything that will get me ready for the future, I’m grateful that we have college
and career day because that would really help.

● What actions in your high school years illustrate your readiness?

My sophomore defense, it has showed the skills I gained throughout two years. College and career day
has helped a lot, hearing other people talk about their careers and asking question that will benefit us in
the future.

● What do you foresee as your biggest challenges in college?

I feel like the biggest challenge I’ll have to face is having to manage my time wisely, I procrastinate a lot
and I feel like having a job will also have me distracted from school.

● What do you do when you are faced with an obstacle? Why?

I try to find the easy way out, as soon as I see that i feel like something is holding me back i try to get
back o track and try to find an easy way so that way i won't have to focus on starting again.