Capstone Project Overview and Instructions Scholar Name:__________________________________ Overview: For the remainder of the school year you are going to participate in an authentic learning experience of your choice. We are going to help you plan, find, and participate in a project that will result in you having to present products of your learning. This will be a requirement for your promotion to the next grade, for high school scholars- it is a graduation requirement. This is your chance to explore and learn something you are passionate about. Since this is your learning passion- you need to do this individually, HOWEVER- someone might pick an authentic learning path that can pair with your idea nicely and you can create a final project together to present in the end. Example: Someone’s passion is to learn about animal science so they go to work in a zoo and do volunteer work. Someone else’s passion is animal conservation and photography. Your combined project could be a photo album with information about each animal. Essential Questions: Habit 8- Find my Voice and Help Others Find Theirs Talent- What are my strengths and talents? Passion- What do I love to do? Need- Where is a need? Conscience- What would make a difference? Student Project Calendar Overview: Quarter 2 Big Rocks: -Research authentic learning choices -Apply for internships, jobs, volunteer work, competitions, classes, establish projects/plans, etc. -Gather any supplies/materials needed for learning choice -Set yourself up to begin learning choice by January 2023 Quarter 3 Big Rocks: -Participate in authentic learning choice -Maintain and update evidence of authentic learning -Collect artifacts, items, showcases, photos, examples, journal entries- anything evident of your learning Quarter 4 Big Rocks: -Begin preparing and organizing evidence of your learning for a presentation -Write a thesis about your learning and your plan moving forward -Write thank you cards for those who helped you during your authentic learning adventure -Present to an authentic audience your Capstone Project 1 Scholars are encouraged to work on their Capstone during lunch hour as well as an anchor activity in any other class when work is completed and with permission of the teachers. Scholars will also have to spend time outside of school engaging in their learning project. Planning Authenic Learning Choice: Examine the example below of thinking about, and beginning to plan the process of your authentic learning choice. What is something you enjoy learning about? How can this connect/help others? What can you do or participate in, in order to expand this interest of yours? (Where is your community of learners?) What is something you can create and present that shows what you learned? Example 1: Cartoons and comedy shows Example 1: -Make educational/funny videos for kids -Make cartoon strips with social commentary that promote awareness about causes -Bring joy to others Example 1: -Watch interviews online with comic/cartoon creators and producers -Begin to collect comics from online and annotate their content -Reach out to local cartoonist online -Look for cartoon classes at a local community college, community center, or start an art club at school Example 1: -Make an actual animation show -Make a portfolio of comics -Submit comics to a local newspaper -Create an Instagram profile for your art and animation shorts 2 Your Turn Planning an Authenic Learning Choice: Following the same sequence of planning, complete the chart below for THREE ideas that you have. If you find that some of the questions are difficult to answer and plan for, then move onto another idea- it’s okay to have blank squares- a part of planning for a major project is Beginning with the End in Mind- if you find that you can’t find the End, then it’s not a viable idea. What is something you enjoy learning about? How can this connect/help others? What can you do or participate in, in order to expand this interest of yours? (Where is your community of learners?) What is something you can create and present that shows what you learned? *Ideas on next page Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3: 3 Final Product Instructions: Below is a list of choices to present your research. You must select one. This project should be evident of weeks worth of research, and done with high fidelity and time commitment. Please see the Final Product Rubric for details and requirements. End in Mind- during the beginning of Quarter 4 you will present your Product to members of the Paideia community. Written Products and Performances Oral Products and Performances Visual Products and Performances Advertisement Blog Brochure Editorial Experiment Game Journal Lab Report Letter Logbook Magazine Article Poem Proposal Questionnaire Script Short Story Storyboard Textbook Excerpt Audio Recording-Podcast Debate Dramatization Interview Newscast Panel Discussion Play Poetry Reading Rap Skit Song Teaching a Lesson Banner Cartoon Collage Collection Computer Graphics Slide Presentation Data Table Diagram Display Diorama Drawing Fimstrip Graphs Maps Paintings Photo Essay Scrapbook Sculpture Storyboard Video Mural 4