Rules (Grades 5-8)
Project Citizen showcases should demonstrate how a classroom has developed a public policy proposal to solve a specific problem in their school, town or state. The presentation should summarize students’ research and include a recommendation of that policy to their appropriate elected official (e.g. school board member, city councilperson or state legislator).
Students are highly encouraged to make contact with their elected officials prior to the state showcase, inform them or their staff about the problem, and attempt to persuade them to act on the proposed solution.
At a fifth through eighth grade showcase, classes display a portfolio and give an oral presentation. Classes will then respond to questions from the judges about their research. The portfolio and the presentation will be judged separately. Certificates of achievement will be awarded to each student participating in the state showcase and the top three placing teams will be awarded medals and a plaque for their schools.
Each school may bring up to two teams to present at the state showcase. Showcases are held in Nebraska’s State Capitol Building, which has nospecific dress code. Parents are welcome to attend.
The portfolio has two components: a display component and a documentation component. A team of 8-15 students should be divided into four groups. Each group is responsible for developing both the display and the documentation components for their section of the portfolio as outlined below.
Group One: Explain the problem, why it is important, and why government should deal with it.
Group Two: Evaluate alternative policies that have been tried or suggested to deal with the problem.
Group Three: Develop and justify a public policy to deal with the problem.
Group Four: Develop an action plan to get government to accept this proposed policy.
The display component consists of four panels of poster board, foam-core board or the equivalent with each panel being no larger than 32" wide x 40" high. Each of the four groups of students in the class will have one panel to display their work; each panel should include:
- a written summary of the required topics for the group’s section
- graphic illustrations for the section
- an identification of the sources used to gather information for that section
The documentation component consists of:
- five (5) sections placed in a single three-ring binder no larger than 2" thick; each section should be separated by a different color divider
- an overall table of contents and a table of contents for each section
- copies of the most important information each group has gathered for their section which
- best documents or gives evidence of their research
- a fifth section that contains the entire class’s evaluation and reflection on their experience
Scoring of each of the four groups’ sections is based on the following criteria
completeness, constitutionality, clarity, information, support, graphics and documentation. Scoring of the overall portfolio is based on persuasiveness, practicality, coordination and reflection. Teachers should review with students the description of these criteria for each group’s portfolio section on pages 27-32 in the student text.
Each of the four groups will make a prepared four-minute presentation before the panel of judges. Students will then respond to follow-up questions from the judges. A volunteer acting as “timer” will indicate to students and judges when there is one minute of time remaining. Every effort should be made to observe the time limits.
Notes may be used during the four-minute presentation, but not during the follow-up questions.
Students may refer to the portfolio display at any time during the presentation, but should not read the display verbatim.
For the oral presentation, judges will score each student group using these five criteria: significance, understanding, argumentation, responsiveness and group cooperation/team work. Judges will then score the overall oral presentation on its persuasiveness, practicality, coordination and reflection. Teachers should review with students pages 33-34 of the student text, which outline the goals and procedures for the class to use when making oral presentations.
