Capstone 2023-24: Share Your Expertise With An Eighth Grader

Jennifer Friborg, Capstone Coordinator
October 27, 2023

Would you like to be involved in the Capstone Program? Take a moment to check out the research topics of our eighth graders (listed below). 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 research and writing. The research and resulting papers represent the first part of the “triathlon” that is the Capstone experience. After concluding the research they began last spring, eighth graders have begun outlining their papers. They are showing lots of determination and pride as they refine their research into thoughtful papers.

Starting just after Thanksgiving 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. The eighth grade thanks you in advance for your interest and support. Hope to see you at our presentations April 8-12. Save the dates today!

Capstone Research Questions:

  • What are the origins of the Ancient Olympics, and how did they evolve to be the most important sporting event in Greece?
  • What are the potential positives and problems with AI?
  • What is the science of de-extinction and is it ethically permissible?
  • What is quantum physics and how is it being used in technology today?
  • What is sustainable architecture and how will it continue to shape the world?
  • What is the current state of the salmon industry and how will it change in the future?
  • What are the economics of the coffee industry?
  • How did airline deregulation affect the aviation industry and how does it affect our broader understanding of economic deregulation?
  • How can fashion be used to present power, and how does that affect how people view themselves?
  • Why aren’t students with dyslexia thriving in most schools and what is being done to change that?
  • What are cybernetics and how will cybernetic enhancements continue to affect human health?
  • What is doping and how does it affect the MLB and its players?
  • How do submarines contribute to underwater research?
  • How is blood used in the field of forensic science and is it reliable?
  • How do police dogs impact peoples’ lives and what advantages do they have compared to humans?
  • What is sports nutrition and how does it affect athletes?
  • What are the most effective methods for muscle recovery?
  • What has discrimination against Asians looked like in the United States’ past and present and what is being done to solve it?
  • What are synesthesia and other multi-sensory experiences and why are they important?
  • What are keystone species and how do they affect our world?
  • How are viruses important to medicine and the environment?
  • How has activism in sports been used in the past and present and how does it affect player’s careers?
  • How do we measure the relative success of economic systems?
  • What is the connection between flow and happiness?
  • How does dopamine impact humans?
  • What do successful authors and their bestselling books have in common?
  • What is carbon regulation and how would it impact daily life?
  • What are some events that have contributed to the development of the computer?
  • Where do fairy tales come from and what impact do they have on today’s children?
  • How does ballet affect physical and mental health?
  • How is the sports agent profession changing?
  • What was the relationship between the Ancient Olympic Games and the arts?
  • What impact did the state of the country have on Ethiopia’s ancient structures?
  • What does sexism look like in the music industry and what are women doing about it?
  • What is mirroring behavior and how does it present itself in our daily lives?
  • What is color psychology, and how does it affect human emotions and behavior?
  • What is dementia and what does the future hold?
  • How do organized athletics affect a child’s development?
  • What is the phenomenon of Taylor Swift and why does it matter?
  • Why do some regions of the world want to become independent countries, and what is the connection with culture?
  • How is technology evolving in the field of meteorology?
  • How did scientists and political figures navigate the moral and strategic implications of developing the atomic bomb?
  • How do our brains impact our behavior and emotions and why does it matter?
  • What was the development of the 20th century musical and how is an individual musical created?

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