Eighth grade exam 2021: how to prepare the new thesis
There are those who have already finished and breathe the air of vacation and those who have not yet abandoned their heads on the books; the end-of-course exams for the students are now running out! Come on guys, this year is gone too ... And you mom, did you suffer from study stress like your kids? Now you can sleep peacefully, watch the video and discover the tricks that work to wake up in a good mood!
Eighth grade thesis 2021: what is it?
This year the exam for eighth-grade children takes place in a different way than usual, due to a pandemic: abolished written and oral tests grouped in a single paper, which at the time of writing are still in progress (they will last until the end on June). What is it about?
This is the eighth grade thesis and it is the document that allows you to open the oral interview for the examination of the candidate. The time available for the presentation is limited, about 15/20 minutes, but it will still have to be enough to talk about all the chosen topics; only in this way will a good vote be obtained from the commission.
The oral exam takes place face to face and for this year the topic treated is based on a topic agreed in advance with the teachers. The class council assigned the topic of the paper by 7 May and the students they returned it by June 7. The students could also choose whether to develop the theme in a multidisciplinary way or alternatively concentrate on a single subject.
What matters for 2021 is to have presented an original paper, regardless of the form, which according to the ministerial FAQ could be: a written text, a multimedia presentation, a concept map, a film or even an artistic or technical-practical or instrumental production. (valid for students attending musical courses).
Thesis of the third grade: how the paper is done in practice
It starts with the collection of material, for each school subject, such as a textbook, some notes and the now inevitable online searches. Obviously cataloging everything: the sources are important and must be included in the final bibliography (as long as they are reliable).
For the subjects of English, German, French or Spanish it is better to look for something directly in the original language; you save time for translations!
For an eighth grade exam you don't need as much material as for a high school exam; as a general rule also for future years it is more suitable for a student of this age to bring less innovative material rather than a lot and always the same. Anecdotes and curiosities, or some extra information are fine: they serve to make the speech more fluid and pleasant.
After having collected the necessary material for the development of the elaborate it is time to make an index. The practical preparation is over and you can proceed with the drafting!
We remind you that for this year the essay could be written or multimedia. In the first case the candidate would have to keep a register aimed at readability, without too complex periods, using the paragraphs and chapters well. And without even saying it, written in an Italian flawless.
In the second case, instead, the Power Point presentation had to be more graphic than textual, to give space to the oral story.
Are you wondering how long the term paper was supposed to be? It depends on the school; there is not a precise length .. but you have to calculate well the exposure times, which as we have already said, usually do not exceed about 20 minutes.
When to start writing the essay and how to prepare
The date to present the essay has now passed, June 7, but here's how the students should have organized themselves to get to the day of the eighth grade exams ready for discussion.
The ideal would have been to have dedicated time to it every week, perhaps during weekend free time. Even a couple of hours a day, until the final draft.
It is always advisable to start "work" when the teachers advise it and arrive ready in advance: the changes never fail to arrive and so you also have time to get used to any questions that an external teacher may ask.
Once the project is ready, here is the best strategy to prepare for the discussion of the paper: the repetition of the subjects. Not necessarily mechanically, but it is useful to become familiar with the modulation and the pauses. First one subject at a time and then several subjects together, establishing links between them to simulate an exam. Having a good starting lineup is crucial to remembering a guideline, even when the oral questions are different from those expected. The last step? Check the time, perhaps using a stopwatch to check that everything fits.
If your child has done all this, the eighth grade state exam will surely have gone well.
Thesis of eighth grade: links between subjects
Whether the candidate had to write a written text, a presentation or a map, there should be links between different school subjects. Finding the connections is quite simple, because from the central theme, which is pre-established in 2021, it is necessary to find the most sensible connections possible with the other subjects (students could also choose to do the paper on a single subject).The important thing is not to have created too forced references.
Here is an example of standard links for the thesis of the eighth grade exam, chosen by the Studenti.it team:
Eighth grade thesis on energy:
- Science: radioactive pollution
- Technique: energy resources
- History: energy, discoveries and destruction
- Geography: Japan
- Literature: Futurism
- Music: the "Revolutionaries" of 1900
- Art: futuristic art
- English: US and UK
Simple right? It is all in the textbooks that students have dealt with throughout the year. Or alternatively, from external sources such as newspaper articles. What if you have not managed to link all subjects to the central topic? Do not worry, it was enough to center the theme as much as possible, even if only conceptually, and concentrate on the most difficult ones, preparing the speech in advance.
Connections must never be taken for granted, because it is always better to go in search of lesser known notions, precisely to hit the commission that must hear many students on similar topics.
