Senior Capstone Experience Framework A Guide for South Dakota Schools

Senior Experiences….. Prepares student for post-secondary with: Research Developing a Product Including 15 hours of Mentoring Completing a Portfolio Including weekly journals starting in November and ending in March Presentation

The Four Project Phases When choosing a topic, keep all of these things in mind: Paper Will there be enough research on this topic? Product What physical product or demonstration can come from this? Can we find a mentor in that area? Portfolio Presentation

Initial Documents and Forms Senior Capstone Guidelines Letter to Parents Timelines Point Breakdown Topic Selection Guidelines Topic Selection Worksheet Topic Proposal Topic Approval Form Letter of Intent Topic Change Form

Baltic’s Research Paper Guidelines 8-10 pages in length Several Checkpoints MLA format Five sources minimum Bibliography Note Cards Noodle Tools Stress research vs. report

Mentoring 15 hours minimum (7 can be excused from school; students must notify the HS office beforehand) Time window: January through March Mentors are sometimes found through the student, but it’s mostly my responsibility Certain projects may require more than one mentor, which is fine

The Product The product can be oriented around the performance of a skill or the development of some physical product. It is an appropriate and logical outgrowth of the research paper that demonstrates application of knowledge. Powerpoint does not equal Product! FYI: products that score well usually include Clear evidence of effort- several hours of work an aspect of community involvement (fund raiser, teaching a class, etc– this is especially good if your product is career or demonstration based) Significant stretch/risk

Products Require a Learning Stretch, Which is… An addition to the student’s own knowledge or skill Something they haven’t tried yet Searching for answers to questions they have about a topic.

The Portfolio Sections: Required Documents Topic approval form, signed mentor forms, typed overview, reflection, etc. Research Paper Outline, bibliography, polished final draft Journal Product Evidence of Work – pictures, materials collected, etc. (example portfolio) Cost- $10

The Journal Each weekly entry should cover the following: Describe what was done on the Senior Capstone Experience that week. Write a personal reaction or evaluation of what was done that week. 1/3 page of Word document, submitted through Blackboard

The Presentation The Senior Experience Presentation is the culminating event, which must include the entire learning experience. It should reflect elements of the paper, product and the portfolio. Community/Practice Night Rubric