"I have no special
talents. I am only
passionately curious."
- Albert Einstein
Think about and share a time you felt
passionately curious as a student.
Why Capstone Projects?
• Since time immemorial, young adolescents have bemoaned, “Why do we have to learn this stuff?” With
Capstone Projects, students finish middle school with a demonstration of what learning is really about.
• It’s required. ELA Common Core Learning Standards
include research skills.
• Inquiry skills are lifelong learning skills . . .
in high school, in college and in today’s
economy.
• Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question, asserts research findings from two
studies are not coincidental.
1. Asking questions declines in middle school from a peak of 100/day in pre-school.
2. A Gallup survey found interest in school “falls off a cliff” in middle school. Berger
asserts these two studies are not coincidental.
• It’s a response to too much testing today! Authentic, student-centered learning shows middle school students
that curiosity and learning is an innate human trait. William Butler Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a
pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
What is a Capstone Project?
A capstone is the stone on top of a
wall that caps the smaller stones.
-
8th grade Capstone Projects are a culmination of
inquiry skills taught over the course of three years at
Hommocks. You’ll use these skills in high school,
college and throughout your life.
-
Each 8th grader will create an Inquiry Question to
answer.
-
Capstone Projects will require 8th graders to be
producers (not just receivers) of knowledge.
-
Every 8th grader will be assigned an Inquiry Guide,
an 8th grade teacher from their house or a UA
teacher with a similar interest in art, technology,
wellness, etc., or a counselor if the topic is
psychology. The Inquiry Guide will be your advisor.
Is my inquiry question worthy?must . . .
It must spark my curiosity and passion. I must really care!
There’s a “so what” – a meaningful need for information in the
wider community or world.
It must be clear and answerable using evidence. There may be
multiple answers.
I can’t be an expert already or else there is nothing to
learn.
We advocated for social justice
. . . in the world
. . . in the US
. . . at Hommocks Middle School
We created, invented and problem-solved.
We thought deeply about a question.
We examined psychology and social issues
HMX-Con 2016
Striping Inquiry Model
introduced to all sixth
graders in library skills
class.
Barbara Striping
addresses Middle
Level Liaisons in
Spring, 2015
Striping presents
at Conference Day
workshop.
Grade
6
Connect
Phase
Grade
7
Grade
8
Finds an area of Narrows,
Narrows,
interest within a develops and develops and
topic of study.
revises
revises
problem/topic problem/topic to
Identifies key
arrive at a
to arrive at a
words and ideas manageable
manageable
in background inquiry topic
inquiry topic
information and with assistance. independently.
makes
Verifies
meaningful
Verifies
connections to background
background
knowledge
existing
knowledge using
using reliable reliable sources
background
sources of
knowledge
of information
information and and makes
makes
meaningful
meaningful
connections to
connections to own
own
life/background
life/background information
information
English
Create and
develop
independent
reading and
writing lives;
accessing prior
knowledge and
naming areas
of interest and
expertise.
What do you
care about,
know about
and wonder
about?
Math
Social
Studies
Science
Appropriately Reason spatially & Asking questions
and strategically geographically
and defining
uses all tools (all
problems.
grades).
identify and
Planning and
analyze how
Attend to
carrying out
environments
investigations
precision (all
affect human
activities and how
grades)
human activities
affect
environments
Unified Arts
Defining a
problem, looking
at the real world
to appropriately
define and
improve a
significant
problem
Monday
Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
5/1
5/2
5/3
5/4
5/5
5/8
5/9
5/10
5/11
5/12
5/15
5/16
5/17
5/18
5/19
5/22
5/23
5/24
5/25 SLP Oral Test 5/26
Construct
Construct
5/29
5/30
5/31
6/1
6/2
6/5
6/6
6/7
6/8
6/9
6/12
6/13
6/14
6/15
6/16
6/19
6/20
6/21
6/22
6/23
DC Trip
Investigate
SLP Oral Test
Memorial Day
Construct
Earth Sci Practical
Set-up HMX Con 2:15
7th grade relocate
NYS Math Test
DC Trip
Investigate
Investigate
Snow Day
Construct
Gr 6/7 Full Day
Gr 8 PM Regents
Gr 8 AM HMX-Con
NYS Math Test
Investigate
Investigate
Construct
SLP Paper Test
Gr 8 AM HMX-Con
NYS Math Test
Connect/Wonder
Investigate
Construct
Earth Sci Practical
Gr 6/7 Full Day
Gr 8 PM Earth Sci Regents
9:00-11:00
Connect/Wonder
Connect/Wonder
Investigate
Construct
Earth Sci Practical
Reflect
Graduation at MHS
8th Grade Schedule
Capstone 8:00-8:40
Period 1 8:45-9:30
Period 2 9:34-10:19
Period 3 10:23-11:06
Period 4 11:08-11:48
Period 5 11:50-12:35
Period 6 12:39-1:22
Period 7 1:26-2:11
Period 8 2:15-2:58
Connect and Wondery 5, 11,12
Develop your inquiry question by repeatedly asking
questions and conducting preliminary research.
What are leading causes
of death in the US?
How might we improve safety on
US roads? (32k died 2013)
How might we
design safer
cars?
Investigate
Learning more from a variety of primary and secondary sources.
automobile safety, automobile
technology and safety, Ralph Nader
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Automobile Association of America
The Car Book 2015: America’s most
comprehensive car buying guide from
the Center for Auto Safety
A Field Guide to Automotive Technology
Dyer, Ezra. "The State Of Car Safety."
Popular Mechanics 191.9 (2014): 86.
Middle Search Plus. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Saunders, Carol Silverman. "Safety in
cars." Current Health 2, a Weekly
Reader publication Apr.
1996: 16+. Kids InfoBits. Web. 21 Oct.
2015.
I plan to interview the Mamaroneck
Toyota sales manager - my parents bought
their car there. Here is a partial question
list I prepared for the interview
1. Do you think people are willing to
pay more money to buy a car with
more safety features?
2. What new safety features do you
expect will be included in the car of
the future?
Construct
Taking information you gathered and making it your own.
Hommocks-Con (Express)
Share what you’ve learned. Be creative!
Half days June 20-21. Once for 7th grade in your house and once for parents.
.
Final Capstone Project must be made of common school supplies and other
materials
Reflect
June 16Time for reflection. What did you learn about learning?
.
70% Inquiry Journal &
Final Reflection
(the journey)
+
30% Rubric assessing
the final project
(the destination)
To launch your own inquiry-inquiry.
Seth Weitzman, Principal
Hommocks Middle School
[email protected]
Kelsey Cohen, Librarian
[email protected]