English 4: Contemporary Literature | Mr.

Conrad
Senior Portfolio

Description:
The Senior Portfolio is a document that showcases not only your best writing, but your academic,
extracurricular, and personal achievements as well. You will edit and revise a variety of writing
examples while creating a few new ones just for this portfolio. Additionally, you will have the
opportunity to show evidence of your non-academic interests and abilities.
Format:
You will create a website using www.weebly.com, a free and user-friendly online service.
Grading:
The portfolio serves as your 2nd semester final assessment, and is worth 20% of your semester
grade. A scoring rubric is attached to these instructions.
Due Date:
Your portfolio (website) is due on Monday, May 17th at 11:59 pm.

Weebly Login Information:

Username (personal email):

Password:

Website URL:

URL: (firstlast)_________________________________ edhs.weebly.com

Requirements:
Navigation Bar
➔ Each section listed below (capital letters) must have its own clickable navigation tab on
your website’s homepage. Sub-sections (numbers) can be linked using tabs, buttons, or
sub-pages (see example site) on each section page.
A. Education / Career
1. Résumé
2. Goals Statement (instructions attached)
3. Letters of Recommendation (optional)
B. Writing Section
1. Introduction to the Writing Samples (see instructions- attached)
2. Five examples of your best writing in a variety of genres. Your document
must be viewed on the website itself; do not simply ‘link’ the document.
Consider the following:
 a) Personal Narrative (ex: personal essay from ‘What’s Next?’ unit or
Mini Memoir from The Color of Water unit)
b) Expository or Research essay
c) Literary Analysis essay
d) Lab Report
e) Social Science essay or report
f) Short Story, Poem, or other creative writing
g) Other academic or professional writing

C. Optional Sections
➔ It’s up to you which additional (supplementary) sections you will choose to include.
These are not required for a grade of C, but must be present for a possible B or A
grade. Each section you choose should have its own main page present in the
navigation bar. Some ideas are as follows:
1. Achievements (awards, certificates)
2. Personal Interests (hobbies, sports, extracurricular)
3. Community Involvement (church, volunteer service)
4. Travel Experiences
5. Family and Friends
6. Creative Art (photography, etc.)

Additional Instructions

A. Resume
Both the format and content of your resume are up to you. However, it should be professional in
appearance and relevant in content. Tailor your resume so it will be relevant for its intended use.
Microsoft word has many resume templates to use. Resume building sites can be found online, but
beware: you often must pay in order to download or print the document.

B. Goals Statement
Here is the place to discuss your goals for the future: Personal, Academic, and/or Career. Construct a
multi-paragraph statement that discusses one or more goals. Why do you have this goal? What are you
going to do in order to achieve it? Label (personal, academic, or career) and title each goal as seen
below:
​
Personal Goal: Dunk a Basketball
 I had a growth spurt in my early teens. In the space of a year or two, I went from being an
average kid to a decidedly tall young man. On one Christmas during this time, I received no less
than five basketballs from various relatives. Because I was tall, the logic went, I would be good
at (or at least enjoy) basketball. To put it bluntly, they were wrong. I don’t have anything against
the sport, but I just never quite got the hang of it.

I stopped growing at 6’5” - not quite NBA material but taller than the average person. The gifts
have long since stopped, but people still do sometimes make assumptions about my athletic
ability based on my above-average height. For example, one day a student in my junior English
class asked, “Mr. Conrad, can you dunk?” to which I replied, “No, Adrian, but I suppose I could if I
worked at it.” In that moment I felt that the only respectable thing to do was to pledge that I
would be able to dunk a basketball by the end of the school year.

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, I have yet to shoot a single free-throw
much less test my vertical leap in the intervening months. If I’m going to make good on my
promise, I’d better get jumping. Each week for the rest of the school year, I will spend at least 5
minutes practicing jumping or working toward increasing my vertical leap.

C. Introduction
Prepare an introduction for the writing section of your portfolio. You will put this introduction on your
“writing samples” main page, while the samples themselves will be linked to their own tabs or
sub-pages.
This introduction should be at least 500 words. Since it is difficult to “introduce” a body of materials
before the materials themselves are finished and in place, you will want to compose your introduction
last. Your introduction should focus attention on the positive aspects of your writing and educational
career. Here are several points to address specifically in your introduction. You won’t be able to do
them all; focus on the ones about which you have the most to say:

> Introduce the various selections in your portfolio and explain why you included them.
> Explain the ways in which your approach to reading and writing has evolved over your high school
career.
> Discuss and illustrate two specific strategies or techniques of writing that you have used and found
especially helpful.
Describe the single most important insight or realization you have learned from your writing.
Discuss something you have read that has had a positive influence on you.
Identify the one aspect of your reading and writing behavior that you would most like to improve.
Senior Portfolio Rubric
Required materials:
❏ Navigation Bar
❏ Page for each required section
❏ Sub-page or tab for each required
document in each section
Education / Careers Section:
❏ Résumé
❏ Goals Statement
❏ Letters of Recommendation
(optional)
Writing Section
❏ Introduction
❏ Five writing samples
Optional materials:
Supplementary Sections
❏ Hobbies / Interests
❏ Community / Religious
❏ Sports / Outdoors
❏ Family / Friends
❏ Awards / Certificates
An A portfolio will exhibit the following traits:
> Overall flawless presentation. Includes all required materials. Few
if any errors. Attention to detail with a cohesive, unified design
element. Writing samples exhibit clear command of language and
writing conventions. Supplementary materials complement the
Career and Writing sections to express a dynamic presentation of
your skills, interests, and attributes.
A B portfolio will exhibit the following traits:
> Overall clean and organized presentation. Includes all required
materials. May contain a few errors. Attention to design creates
unity and cohesion. Writing samples show career-ready writing
competence. Some supplementary materials are present that help
better show your traits.
A C portfolio will exhibit the following traits:
> All required materials present. Good organization. May contain
several errors. Some design elements are present, but may lack
cohesion. Writing samples show proficiency in high school-level
writing. May include some supplementary materials.
A D or F portfolio will exhibit the following traits:
> Some required materials may be missing. Lacks organization.
Numerous, prominent, or repeated errors. Lacks element of design.
Writing samples show low proficiency in high school composition.
Supplementary materials absent or ineffective.