Capstone Project Toolkit by Ms. Ayers

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5 Grade Capstone Project Toolkit

What is the “CAPStone Project?” The CAPStone Project is a rich task that allows students to show their ability to identify and research a social justice problem, develop an action plan, implement their plan, look at their results and then present them. They will work with professionals, neighbors, relatives and members of our community to bring their project to life. It is organized around Capital Preparatory Magnet School’s guiding principles and our five learner expectations- information processor, collaborator, empathetic citizen, knowledgeable person and problem solver. The CAPStone Project will be evidence of their ability to fulfill Capital Preparatory Magnet School’s mission statement and is a requirement for moving to the sixth grade. In order to pass the CAPStone Project, they must do the following: 1. Create a Social Justice Action Plan 2. Create a multimedia project 3. Raise awareness of a problem 4. Create a reflection to showcase results 5. Analyze data throughout the project 6. Present the project

Adapted from CAPStone Guide created by A. Frohlinger

Yearlong Project Flow

Presentation

Portfolio

Written Product

Social Injustice Topic

Written Product

Portfolio

Planning the Project This is collaboration between all content areas- Math, Science, Humanities, the Arts.

Name of Project: Project Description

Project Planning Form Teachers

Overview of project and its major components.

Driving Question

An open-ended question that students understand and find intriguing, which captures their task or frames their exploration. This is done with the class.

Content Standards

Benchmark measures of what a student should know and be able to do as result of instruction.

Practice/Anchor Standards

The skills and activities that support rich engagement with the content standards. 21st Century Skills

Core competencies that are believed crucial for students to thrive in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. EX: collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, digital literacy, planning, social awareness, communication, etc.

Major Products

Small Group:

and/or Performances EX: research paper, podcasts, etc.

Individual/Pair:

Entry Event(s)

A brief description of the activities that will launch the inquiry and engage students in the core topic/social injustice issue. EX: video clip, read aloud, trip, etc.

Resources Needed

Instructional Materials: Technology (Include websites teachers and students will need): Books: Community Resources (include organizations to contact, etc):

People:

Begin With the End in Mind

Project Assessment Map Formative Assessment i.e Guiding Questions, Do Now, Homework, simple word problem, etc. Core Content and 21st Century Competency (Performance Task) Q1 Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment Core Content and 21st Century Competency (Performance Task) Q2 Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Presentation = Final Product= Summative Assessment

Core Content and 21st Century Competency (Performance Task) Q3 Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment Core Content and 21st Century Competency (Performance Task) Q4 Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment Core Content and 21st Century Competency (Performance Task) Q5 Formative Assessment

Project Essential Elements Checklist Each portion of this year long project must have the basics in this list to be considered Project Based Learning (based on research conducted by Buck Institute of Education). Though the Driving Question is created with the students, the topic and planning is done by teachers so, the following table needs to be reflected upon as the project is developed through its parts.

Element Does this Task/ Projectâ&#x20AC;Ś? Focus on Significant Content?

The core of the project is to teach student important knowledge and skills derived directly from the standards and key concepts of academic subjects.

Develop 21st Century Competencies

These valuable competencies, such as, thinking, problem solving, collaboration, etc, are taught and assessed through these tasks/this project.

Engage Students in In-Depth Inquiry

Students are engaged in rich discourse, extended thinking processes, asking questions, using resources, and developing answers

Yes

More Questions

Organize tasks/parts around a Driving Question The work is focused on an open-ended question created by students with the teacher and it frames their exploration.

Establish a Need To Know Students see the value in gaining knowledge to understand the concepts, apply the skills and create the products necessary to answer the Driving Question.

Encourage Voice and Choice

Students have some choices about the products to be created. This is a teacher guided activity and is based on developmental level and experience.

Incorporate Revision and Reflection

There is time built in for various forms of feedback (peer, teacher, etc) and for students to reflect on what and how they are learning.

Includes Public Audience

Students have the opportunity to present in front of people beyond their classmates and teacher

Building the Driving Question The Driving Question is an open-ended question created by the students with the guidance of the teacher. This question will assist in laying the framework for the project and tasks associated with it. It is not set in stone! The students will be involved in rigorous inquiry which often creates more question so, the Driving Question can change. While discovering what the class’s Driving Question will be, sub-questions may arise which can guide the smaller performance tasks required for each quint. The verbiage of the Driving Question is of high importance. For example, if the question states that the class will design a product to combat a real world issue, then the summative assessment (end product) will be expected to be a three dimensional object, perhaps.

Framing Words

Person (Who is doing this project?)

Challenge/ Action

•How can... •How do... •Should... •Could... •Would...

•We, as [Professional Career] •Nation, Town, City, County, State, etc

•Build, Create, Make •Design, Plan •Solve •Write •Propose, Decide

•Real World Problem Purpose (Who or What •School, Community, Demographic Audience is receiving this product/project?)

EX: How can we, as Walmart executives, create a way to raise minimum wage for our employees?

Quint 1 Resources The start of the project revolves around planning for both the teachers and students! Teachers will collaborate to plan mini-lessons to teach the research process and content knowledge and prepare their professional guests to meet the students. The students will develop the Driving Question with their teachers, learn about the roles/careers associated with solving their real world problem and complete a performance task to display what they have learned about the beginning of the research process and the roles they will be studying.

Meeting Your Professional

Synthesizing What You Have Learned and Writing About the Professional Name: ________________________________ Topic: (Personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name)______________________________________ Early Years: 1.______________________________________________

2.______________________________________________ 3.______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Education:

1.______________________________________________ 2.______________________________________________ 3.______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Accomplishments:

1.______________________________________________ 2.______________________________________________ 3.______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Quint 2 Resources This quint will focus on research. Research methods will be developed for the overall social injustice and research will be conducted on the professional roles.

The Big 6 Information Problem Solving Process Big6: 1 Task Definition Topic: The task involves selection of a topic. This does not refer to the over arching large idea that is guiding the entire project. This refers to a smaller topic for each quint that is building ideas/research for this larger social injustice topic. A good topic has enough available information at the student’s grade, ability, and interest level. The student will understand the topic and where to look for topic ideas. Find at least three different sources: books, online resources, experts Subtopic: A good subtopic answers: What do I want to know about my topic? O Person: Early life, education, accomplishments o Place: history, leaders, government, people, economy oThing: Who, what, why, where, why/how Big6: 2 Information Seeking Strategies Sources: A source is readable by the student and has information that matches the topic and subtopics. Sources: anything and everything used for information Formats: the form information comes in o Print: books, references, magazines, newspapers, etc. o Nonprint: Videos, software, research databases, internet sites Big6: 3,4 Location & Access, Use of Information Read/ Think/Select/Write Read or view a “chunk” with your pencil down (for intermediate age, a chunk is a paragraph) Think about what was read. What was important? Select key facts from each “chunk” to match subtopics. (No sentences – only key words or important facts) Write down only the important facts that answer the questions Give credit to the source: author, title, copyright date. Big6: 5 Synthesis Organize notes. Create rough draft/Create Final Product Sort notes into subtopic sections Move them into logical order for writing Create a “sloppy copy” of product (written report, poster, multimedia project, etc.) Create final research product and include list of sources Big6: 6 Evaluation Ask: Before handing in the assignment, students should stop and think about their assignment. The student should check their work asking the following questions… How well is my project organized? Did I have enough reliable information? Am I proud of my project?

Name: _______________________

Teacher __________________

Task Definition 1.What is my topic? ______________________________________________________________

2.What questions do I need to answer? ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ Information Seeking Strategies

Where can I find what I need? Sources:

Location & Access

How do I find information within these sources? I checked the table of contents in textbook

Textbook Library Book Research Databases

I checked the table of contents and index in library books I thought up keywords to type in database search boxes

Internet Sites Other ________________________________

Use Information

I used internet sites that my teacher or librarian suggested.

My finished product will be a

I took notes using a -computer

-Written Report

-Resume

-notebook paper

-Poster

-Website

I gave credit to my sources on

- Infomercial

-SCRATCH Project

-data chart

-Source Cards

-Blog

Quint 3 Resources This quint focuses on examining literature and extending ideas to our real world. While the students are analyzing characters and novels, they will also be collecting data about their own society/community and thinking about the impact this social injustice has on their community.

Example: Please fill in relevant data points and lables

KEY

Represents ____(INSERT AVATAR)______ = (INSERT VALUE)_______ Represents ____(INSERT AVATAR)______ = (INSERT VALUE)_______ Represents ____(INSERT AVATAR)______ = (INSERT VALUE)_______

CATEGORY LABELS

TALLY

TOTAL

ABCDEFGCATEGORY LABELS

AB-

AMOUNT OF SYMBOL 1 NEEDED

AMOUNT OF SYMBOL 2 NEEDED

AMOUNT OF SYMBOL 3 NEEDED

CDEFG-

THINK Use a separate page to answer each question and TYPE your responses. 1) Explain your process for determining the amount of each symbol needed for each category. 2) Is your counting method efficient for representing this data? Justify your response using your knowledge of numbers, patterns, and counting.

THINK Use a separate page to answer each question and TYPE your responses. 1) What information do you want your reader to learn from the graphs of the data? 2) Between your bar graph and your pictograph, which graph displayed the data in the best way for your reader? Base your response on what you want your reader to learn.

3) What characteristics of the graph you have chosen as the best makes it the best? a) If you have analyzed that they are equally useful, use your knowledge of data collection and data display to justify why they are equally useful. 4) Based on your analysis, when do you recommend using a bar graph? When do you recommend using a pictograph? a) If you have analyzed that they are equally useful, explain why they can both be used to display the same data and both have useful results.

*Questions that can be added for analysis: (Teacher input descriptors based on assignment, these are examples that require proportional reasoning) 1) In CT, for every black male under 18 imprisoned due to zero tolerance, how many white males under 18 are imprisoned for the same reason? 2) For every black male under 18 imprisoned due to zero tolerance in CT how many black males are imprisoned nationally?

EXAMPLE KEY

1) Represents ___

___ = 6 COWS

2) Represents ______

____ = 3 COWS

CATEGORY LABELS

III IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

A- Cows in NY B- Cows in CT

CATEGORY LABELS A- COWS IN NY B-COWS IN CT

TALLY

A COMPARISON OF COW FARMS IN CT AND NY

3 15

AMOUNT OF SYMBOL 1 NEEDED 0 2

TOTAL

AMOUNT OF SYMBOL 2 NEEDED 1 1

Quint 4 Resources This quint will focus on analyzing information and data and representing it. The novel and character studies continue as does focus on CCSS content standards and 21st Century competencies. The students have discovered and thought about how this social injustice impacts their character and their own society. They will now take that knowledge, research questions they have about it and represent their findings. Please allow for various choices in representation. A standard graph may be mandatory, but an additional way to represent data should be part of the assignment to reflect digital literacy. Examples of alternates: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/12/five-good-online-tools-forcreating.html#.U1kwelVdWmA

Quint 5 Resources Students piece together all of the research, analysis, ideas, and information displays into a final product. This final product can take various forms i.e a final research paper, PSA, political cartoon, etc, but it should be accompanied by a presentation that requires synthesis of ideas and writing. This presentation should be viewed by an audience outside of the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; normal class participants. Please see attached documents for examples, rubrics, and templates.

Appendix Includes reproducibles for performance tasks, rubrics for various points of the project and suggestions on how to form smaller, rigorous tasks throughout the duration of the project.