Ada Merritt K-8 Center

What is the 8 th Grade Culminating Project? The MYP Culminating Project is an independent project. It will be completed at home with guidance from a mentor and your MYP Technology teacher It is a great opportunity to:  learn about a topic that interests you  apply the skills you have developed while participating in the Middle Years Programme at Ada Merritt K-8 Center in all your subjects and through Approaches to Learning  develop and showcase talents and interests that you may have and apply them to a chosen goal  apply your knowledge of the Design Cycle

What your 8 th Grade Culminating Project Must:  Have a clear and achievable goal  Allow you to express a truly personal message  Be the result of your initiative, creativity, and ability to organize and plan  Reflect your special interests, hobbies, special abilities, or concerns about particular issues  Connect to the Community and Service Area of Interaction

What your 8 th Grade Culminating Project must:  Deal with a topic or area to which you are committed and which has an impact on your community  Generate a product that connects to one of the MYP subject areas  Be mentored by an advisor who is an expert in the field (instructor approval is required)  Be of grade level appropriate scope and quality  Be entirely your own work—authenticity is very important and you will be required to sign a document stating that the project is your own work.

How will it be graded?  Your Design Folder will be graded using the Technology assessment criteria.  The various phases of the Design Cycle will each receive a grade.  Your final product will be graded using MYP criteria for the relevant subject(s)  Your presentation/personal statement will be evaluated using a project rubric  Successful completion of the project will be required to qualify for the Ada Merritt K-8 Center IB Certificate and Pin.

What type of project can you do? Depending on your goal, at the conclusion of your research, your product may be:  an original work of art (for example, visual, dramatic or performance)  a written piece of work on a special topic (for example, literary, social, psychological or anthropological)  an original science experiment  a specially designed object or system  the development of a new student or community organization.

What are the required components of the 8 th Grade Culminating Project?  A Design Folder detailing your work through all the phases of the Design Cycle  A product  A presentation of the project with visual aids  A personal statement Remember: successful completion of all components will be required to qualify for the Ada Merritt K-8 Center IB Certificate and Pin.

The Personal Statement: A Cover/Title Page A Table of contents An Introduction: the focus of your project and product A Rationale: why you chose this project A Conclusion: reflecting on the process, the product and its impact on your life, and the community A visual representation of your finished product Appendices: any additional documents, charts, etc. needed to further explain your project.

Eighth Grade Culminating Project Completion Timeline First Grading Period: Brainstorm topics, propose 3 options Revisions and Conferencing Second Grading Period: Submit a final proposal SMART Goal Investigate Design Create Third Grading Period: Finish Create Assemble Project / Design Folder Finish Product Personal Statement Presentations

Ada Merritt K-8 Center Enjoy this opportunity to: learn more about yourself and a topic that interests you show off your knowledge, skills, and talents!

Proposal What is the guiding question you want to pursue? What do you think might be the answer to that question? What do you have to do to check whether your hypothesis/thesis is correct? How much time do you expect to need to do these things? To analyze them? To present your analysis? What do you expect to accomplish during class?

SMART Goal Specific -What exactly do you seek to accomplish with this project? What knowledge will your project allow you to acquire? What product will you create? Measurable -How will you know you have accomplished your goal? Create a rubric that you will use to evaluate your finished product. The criteria should reflect 8 th grade standards of work connected to relevant subject areas. Advisor- What expert in the field will mentor you throughout this project? Why did you select this person and what are their qualifications? Realistic -Is the project of an appropriate scope ? Can it be completed within those constraints? Timely -How will you manage your time throughout this project in order to complete it?

Presentation Create a visual presentation that can be used at our upcoming Technology Fair to display and explain your culminating project. Explain: Your topic and why you chose it Your academic goals and how this project meets them The process you followed to complete this project, including your use of the Design Cycle Your product