Final Project: Autobiography
You have read and learned about the life span of human development. The following project is a culmination of all you have learned in the past 5 weeks. In several of your past assignments you were asked to reflect on your own personal development. For the key assessment, you will be asked to do some personal reflection and synthesize this with what you have learned from your readings, lectures, and resources.
Directions: Reflect on your personal development from early years to now. You will discuss your earliest memories through adulthood and link them to what you have learned from this course. When you consider late adulthood, you will reflect on your feelings about this stage of life.
For all stages, you will discuss and reflect on your physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Points such as siblings/only child, adoption (if you were adopted), changes/losses, etc. you might describe in one section may continue in others as they are ultimately connected. Some other items to include are listed below each section and questions for you to consider as you connect your experience to what you have learned in this course. These questions are important to discuss, but create a paper that connects that make sense, in other words, make sure the transitions in your narrative flow. Organize your story first through an outline and then begin your narrative.
At least 3 sources will be needed to complete this narrative.
The following questions should be answered in APA format including level headings.
This assignment is worth 300 points and due on the last day of class by 11:59pm CST
1. Introduction
2. Early Years – connect this period of life with developmental theories such as Piaget, Erikson, Vgotsky, etc. What about you might be genetics vs. environment? (for this section, make connections throughout a-e with any developmental theories)
a. Describe your earliest memories.
b. Did you meet all your milestones of which you are aware. How did that affect you (positively/negatively).
c. Describe the role of your caregivers and their impact on you
d. Describe the role of siblings/only child/adoption for you
e. School experiences/friends
3. Middle Childhood
a. Describe and analyze your memories of this stage of life. Did you experience peer pressure?
b. How important were the role of peers for you?
c. Describe school experiences that you had: struggles/strengths
d. Describe fears/Anxiety/Self-esteem and other emotional developmental issues
e. Discuss your relationship with your caregivers.
4. Adolescence
a. Describe and analyze your memories from this stage of life.
b. How important were peers at this stage?
c. Describe your school experience.
d. Discuss your relationship with caregivers. Did the relationship change in this stage? (e.g. leaned on peers more than caregivers for “how to be”)
5. Early-Middle Adulthood
a. What was the transition into adulthood like for you? How did you know you were an adult? Was there a ‘rite of passage’?
b. Discuss physical and cognitive developmental milestones as they relate to you. Discuss milestones in your life up to this point.
c. How influential have peers been throughout your adulthood.
d. Discuss relationships (romantic and platonic) at this age for you.
e. Describe emotional development for you at this stage.
f. What are some generational patterns that you are aware of when reflecting on your caregivers. Are there patterns you would like to keep/change? Reflect and discuss.
6. Late Adulthood
a. If you are in this stage currently, discuss physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development.
b. If you are in this stage currently, how does heredity and environment influence you at this point?
c. If you are not in this stage, reflect on what you would like to be like at this stage. What are your fears and what are you looking forward to?
d. Discuss death, dying, bereavement.
7. Overall reflection of your developmental journey thus far as well as your journey in this class. What have you learned and what would you like to know more about? Were there things in which you struggled personally, emotionally, etc.?
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Criteria: Key Assessment: Autobiography |
Highly Developed |
Well Developed |
In Development |
Needs development |
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Part 1: Early Years 50 points Students addressed all parts of the early years section addressed in the directions including early experiences, genetics vs. environment, and connecting with developmental models. Physical, emotional, and cognitive development will also be identified and discussed. |
45-50 points Students clearly addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
39-44 points Students adequately addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
34-38 points Students partially addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Some parts were left out. |
0-33 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. |
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Part 2: Middle Childhood 50 points Students addressed all parts of the middle childhood section addressed in the directions including school experiences and relationships with peers and caregivers. Physical, emotional, and cognitive development will also be identified and discussed. |
45-50 points Students clearly addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
40-44 points Students adequately addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
35-39 points Students partially addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Some parts were left out. |
0-34 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. |
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Part 3: Adolescence 50 points Students addressed all parts of the adolescence section addressed in the directions including school experiences and relationships with peers and caregivers. Physical, emotional, and cognitive development will also be identified and discussed. |
45-50 points Students clearly addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
40-44 points Students adequately addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
35-39 points Students partially addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Some parts were left out. |
0-34 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. |
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Part 4: Early/Middle Adulthood 50 points Students addressed all parts of the adulthood section addressed in the directions including transitions, milestones, and relationships/generational patterns. Physical, emotional, and cognitive development will also be identified and discussed. |
45-50 points Students clearly addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
40-44 points Students adequately addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
35-39 points Students partially addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Some parts were left out. |
0-34 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. |
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Part 5: Late Adulthood 50 points Students addressed all parts of the late adulthood section addressed in the directions. Discussion should be based on where the student is in their phase of life (early/middle or late adulthood) Physical, emotional, and cognitive development will also be identified and discussed. |
45-50 points Students clearly addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
40-44 points Students adequately addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. |
35-39 points Students partially addressed all parts of this section including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Some parts were left out. |
0-34 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. |
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Part 6: Overall Reflection 25 points Students will write an overall reflection of their developmental journey thus far as well as their journey in this class. What have you learned and what would you like to know more about? Were there things in which you struggled personally, emotionally, etc.? |
20-25 points Students reflected thoroughly answers all parts of the question. It was very thoughtful and showed strong evidence of reasoned reflection and depth. |
19-24 points Students reflected adequately about their journey in this class and in their lives. The reflection was thoughtful and showed evidence of reasoned reflection |
13-18 points Students reflection is partially given not answering all parts. It should minimal thought and reflection. |
0-12 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete. |
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Writing Mechanics and APA Grammar and Format: 20 points. Papers are written using APA 7th edition formatting |
18-20 points No more than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and/or APA errors. Clarity of paper was not influenced by the errors. |
15-17 points More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors. Clarity of paper was not strongly influenced by the errors. |
12-14 points More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors that had a negative influence on the clarity of the paper. |
0-11 points More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors that had a strong negative influence on the clarity of the paper. |
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Sources: 5 points At least three professional sources are used to support points |
5 points 3 professional source (e.g., journal article, textbook) or more are used throughout the paper as appropriate to thoroughly support ideas, and was documented in the references list. |
4 points 3 professional sources were used to adequately support ideas and was documented in the reference list. |
3 points 1-2 sources/not a professional source was used to support ideas and is documented in the reference list. |
0-2 points 0-1 sources were used. Ideas were insufficiently supported. |
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Total: 300 points |
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