Seniors in AP English Literature work on their Biography Project and those in English 12 Honors work on their 3 Pound Project. Marking the end, the Biography and 3 Pound Project Night is when students display to parents and peers what they have been working on throughout the year. This year, it just happened, on November 30th.
Mia Franz, one of the English 12 Honors teachers, describes the pound project as a, “Cornerstone project for English 12 Honors Students.”
The 3 Pound Project refers to how much the brain weighs when it is fully developed, and in those 3 pounds, students dedicate their time to learning something new.
“If learning new things stretches your brain, what would be something new that students would want to learn that could spend a course of time on,” Franz said.
Students dedicate at least 1 hour a week to learning and blogging about it, which Franz believes is the hardest part because it is hard to structure within the college application season.
A good way to pick something to learn is to think of “things to take away from stress,” Franz said.
On Biography and 3 Pound Project Night, the 3 Pound Project portion is set up as a gallery walk where students bring things to present and engage the audience.
Claire Hunter, a student who worked on the 3 Pound Project, said, “I immersed myself in the [French] culture.”
Hunter’s project was making French Macarons and her inspiration was because she loved French culture. Darren Dikmen, another student of the 3 Pound project, revolved around making Mediterranean meals because of his Mediterranean background.
Noel Monea, the AP English and Literature teacher, says the biography project is a “creative, nonfiction narrative written about a family member, highlighting either a significant moment in that individual’s life or how life experiences shaped that individual’s personality and characteristics.”
The biography is a pivotal experience for students because it allows them to deepen their connection with family. Monea believes that this project comes at the perfect time for the student as senior year is a time where students themselves are beginning to establish their own identities.
“It is a story they can hold on to just as they are adding a new chapter to their own stories,” Monea said.
Tomas Alvarado, Student Body President of Tampa Prep and student of the biography project said, “I felt like I was connecting [with Grandma] on a deeper level.”
Alvarado did his Biography on his Grandma and he got to learn things he would’ve never learned if he hadn’t asked for his project.
When talking to family members, Alvarado says it “felt like they shared a story they always wanted to share.”
Alvarado was able to connect with his family on a deeper level and was able to create a beautiful story based on pieces of information he received.
