What seniors are…

To be able to engage in intellectual scholarship, evaluate sources, take initiative, organize knowledge into verbal form, create and deliver a public presentation, transform a personal interest into a valid intellectual experience, take responsibility for their own learning, meet deadlines on their own, communicate clearly in writing and in speech;

To know the mechanics of conducting research or of pursuing intellectual inquiry: quoting; footnoting; annotating bibliographic references; appropriate use of the Internet, e-mail, interviews, etc.; the skills of public speaking and making effective presentations;

To understand or value: self-discipline, organization, excellence, creativity, experts, meeting deadlines, the value of working with an academic mentor, self-directed industry, the pleasure of intellectual inquiry.

1. Written Portfolio: These documents include an annotated bibliography, an outline of completed research, and supporting materials as appropriate.
2. Detailed Outline of The Research: This is a clear and comprehensive outline that organizes the research into logical divisions and sub-divisions and contains citations to works read and other research accomplished.
3. An Annotated Bibliography: For each source, seniors must provide a correct citation and describe what they gained that is pertinent to their inquiry. These annotations are thorough and focused on the topic.
4. Further Supporting Material: This optional component of the portfolio might include audio or visual material, a formal paper, objects created during the project, etc.
5. A Public Presentation: In the spring, seniors must give a 30-minute public presentation; with time for questions and answers afterward, the presentation is approximately 45 minutes. In addition to members of the Thacher community, others often attend: parents, off-campus contacts established in the course of research, and local experts.

Occasionally, students give their Senior Exhibition presentation at other local schools.