Ada Merritt K-8 Center

What is the 8th Grade Culminating Project?

The MYP Culminating Project is an independent project. It will becompleted at home with guidance from a mentor and your MYPTechnology 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 8th 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 issuesConnect to the Community and Service Area of

Interaction

What your 8th Grade

Culminating Project must:Deal with a topic or area to which you are committed

and which has an impact on your communityGenerate a product that connects to one of the MYP

subject areasBe mentored by an advisor who is an expert in the

field (instructor approval is required)Be of grade level appropriate scope and qualityBe 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 rubricSuccessful 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 8th 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

productA Rationale: why you chose this projectA Conclusion: reflecting on the process, the

product and its impact on your life, and the community

A visual representation of your finished productAppendices: any additional documents, charts,

etc. needed to further explain your project.

Eighth Grade Culminating Project 2013-2014

Completion Timeline

First Grading Period:Brainstorm topics, propose 3 optionsRevisions and Conferencing

Second Grading Period:Submit a final proposalSMART Goal InvestigateDesignCreate

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!

ProposalWhat 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 GoalSpecific -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 8th 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?

PresentationCreate 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 itYour academic goals and how this project

meets themThe process you followed to complete this

project, including your use of the Design CycleYour product