Middle Years Programme
Eighth Grade Orientation
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
Guiding Question
How will my MYP
experiences help me in the
future?
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
Eighth Grade Highlights
 MYP Requirements
 Culminating Project
 High School Fairs
 Eighth Grade Exams
 End of the Year Activities
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
What is the 8th Grade
Culminating Project?
The MYP Culminating Project is a great opportunity to:
 learn about a topic that interests you
 apply the skills you have developed while participating in
the Middle Years Programme at Ada Merritt K-8 Center in
all your subjects and through approaches to learning
 develop and showcase talents and interests that you may
have and apply them to a chosen goal
 apply your knowledge of the design cycle
 do what you want to do on your own.
Your Culminating Project should also clearly focus on an
issue or theme closely related to an Area of Interaction.
Your 8th Grade
Culminating Project should:
 have a clear and achievable goal
 allow you to express a truly personal message
 be the result of your initiative, creativity, and ability to
organize and plan
 reflect your special interests, hobbies, special
abilities, or concerns about particular issues
 deal with a topic or area to which you are committed
 be entirely your own work—authenticity is very
important and you will be required to sign a
document stating that the project is your own work.
What your 8th Grade Culminating
Project should not be:
 a group project
 an all consuming project taking over your whole
personal and social life
 an interference with your studies, even though it will
involve many hours of work
 anything that does not truly reflect your own work,
values, interests and/or concerns
How will it be graded?
 Your project will be graded using the Technology
assessment criteria.
 The various phases of the Design Cycle will each receive
a grade during the course of the year.
 Your presentation of the final product will be evaluated by
your teacher and your peers using a rubric.
The project is an independent research activity and you will
complete it on your own. You will, however, receive
guidance and support during selected homeroom classes
and during your technology and gifted classes. Your will
receive a packet that is designed to help you through the
process and to ensure that your project has all the
required components.
What type of project can you
do?
You will be working on this project for an extended period of
time, so it needs to be something you really want to do.
Depending on your goal, you might choose to do:
 an original work of art (for example, visual, dramatic or
performance)
 a written piece of work on a special topic (for example,
literary, social, psychological or anthropological)
 a piece of literary fiction (for example, creative writing)
 an original science experiment
 an invention or specially designed object or system
 the presentation of a developed business, management,
or organizational plan, or the development of a new
student or community organization.
Examples of Successful Projects
 Creating a picture book for young children
 AIDS information for teenagers and young adults
 Writing a vegetarian recipe book
 Choreographing a dance performance
 Designing and constructing a beach chair
 The importance of sports for handicapped people
 Creating a travel guide
 Designing and making clothes and accessories
 Creating books and games for the visually
impaired
 Designing a website for a zoo
What are the required components of
the 8th Grade Research Project?
A Design Folder compiling your work
through all the phases of the Design Cycle
 A link to an area of interaction
A guiding question
A presentation of the project with visual aids
A structured piece of writing or personal
statement
All project components need to be
presented in your Design Folder
The written report will include:
 A Cover/Title Page
 A Table of contents
 An Introduction: the focus of your project with
a link to an area of interaction
 A Rationale: why you chose this project and
the particular Area of Interaction
 The Process you followed to complete this
project, divided into subsections for each step
of the Design Cycle
 A Conclusion: reflecting on the process, the
product and its impact
 A Bibliography
 Appendices
Tentative Project Timeline
September 22, 2010
Eighth Grade Project Presentation.
Start thinking about what you want to do
September 29, 2010
Investigate: Submit your Problem Statement and Design Brief
October 6, 2010
Submit your Project Proposal of 2 ideas of projects
October 20, 2010
November 3, 2010
November 17, 2010
Design: select one topic and elaborate on your design
Submit your written SMART goal with a rubric.
Plan: submit planning sheet
December 1, 2010
January 5, 2011
January 26, 2011
February 16, 2011
March 9, 2011
April 6, 2011
Create: Submit Design Folder showing documentation of the creation
process (include process journal entries, photographs, tapes, drawings,
rough drafts, etc.)
April 27, 2011
Written Personal Statement: see checklist
May 11, 2011
Classroom Presentations: Peer and Teacher evaluations
Week of May 16
Project Fair: presentation of projects to underclassmen.
May 25, 2011
Evaluate: Submit self evaluation of project
Enjoy this opportunity to:
• learn more about yourself and a
topic that interests you
• show off your knowledge,
skills, and talents!
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
High School Fairs
 October 13, 2010: Young Women and
Young Men Academies
 October 20, 2010: MAST Academy
 October 27, 2010: High School Fair with
representation from:
 Coral Gables High School
 International Studies Prep Academy
 International Studies Charter High School
 Terra High School
Applications due January 15, 2011
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
Eighth Grade Exams




Mid-term and Final Exams
Algebra 1 Exit Tests
Earth Space Science Exit Exam
FCAT in Mathematics, Writing,
Reading, and Science
 Spanish Language AP Exam
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
End of the Year Activities
 Eighth Grade Field Trip
 Prom/Dance
 Promotion Ceremony
Ada Merritt K-8 Center
Eighth Grade Orientation
September 22, 2010
The direction in which education starts
a man will determine his future in life.
Plato
Ada Merritt K-8 Center