Capstone 2020-21: Learn – Do – Share

Jennifer Friborg, Capstone Coordinator
November 6, 2020

Would you like to be involved in the Capstone Program? Take a moment to check out the research topics of our eighth grade students. You’ll be amazed by the variety! Do you or someone you know have expertise or experience in one of these areas? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Eighth grade students are hard at work on their Capstone papers. The papers represent the first part of the triathlon that is the Capstone experience. They have crafted research questions about topics that are of personal interest to them, and they are showing lots of determination and pride as they refine their research into thoughtful papers.

Starting just after winter break, students will embark on the second leg of the triathlon. They will design a project that grows out of the knowledge they have gained during the research and writing phase, as well as what they still want to learn. In this phase students take charge of their own active learning. One aspect of the project phase is an interview, and this is where you come in! If you have contacts who could prove useful to students during the project phase, please be in touch with the Capstone Coordinator, Jennifer Friborg. Thanks in advance for your interest and support.  

Capstone Project Questions 2020-21

  • What are Circadian rhythms and how can we modify and improve them?
  • What are nanomedicines and how are they changing medicine?
  • How is machine learning used in medicine and how will it be used in the future?
  • What made the dinosaurs one of the most influential species in history?
  • How are street art and graffiti tools for political and social change?
  • How has representation in TV changed over time?
  • What are the benefits and possible disadvantages of self-driving cars, and how does driverless technology work?
  • How do different animals see the world and what do we learn from them?
  • What are the impacts of positive affect and optimism?
  • How does one’s introversion/extroversion affect their experience at school?
  • How have wars influenced the evolution of aviation?
  • What are the rights of animals working in the entertainment industry?
  • What is particle fission and how is humankind going about harnessing its power?
  • Why aren’t third political parties in the US popular?
  • What is leather craft?
  • How can we improve the US prison system?
  • How has the world around us impacted the Midwest?
  • What is cryptocurrency, and how is it affecting the economy?
  • What rights do children have?
  • How is virtual reality being used in the medical field?
  • Why is black hair culture an importance aspect of identity?
  • How have computer parts changed and become more powerful over time?
  • What are the origins of karate, and how did its modernization and media popularity turn it into the sport it is today?
  • How has housing discrimination in US suburbs shaped who lives there?
  • Cyptography in the past, present, and future: the important methods and contributors
  • How and why do eating disorders affect people today?
  • Where in the world is child labor happening, why does it happen, and what is being done to stop it?
  • How do conspiracy theories work and why do people believe them?
  • What are the problems in today’s school system and what types of schooling might fix those problems?
  • What are neural networks, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and what can they teach us about ourselves and the future?
  • How is implicit bias reflected in American society, where does it come from, and why does it matter?
  • What are the implications of an ADHD diagnosis?
  • What is animal consciousness, and how can we analyze animal behavior to learn abut it?
  • How is the turnover in Hong Kong affecting politics, economics, and human rights?
  • What is money and how can government use it to help alleviate the effects of the pandemic? 
  • How are the ancient Greek and Aztec religions similar and different?
  • How have books developed over time?
  • What is the US-China Trade War?
  • How is erosion affecting Cape Cod?
  • How does interior design impact people’s mental state?
  • What are beauty and power, and why are they related?
  • How does chemotherapy affect cancer cells in the human body?

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