A “capstone” is an architectural term: it’s the final block or section placed on a construction project to complete the structure.  In academic terms, it’s this final project to complete your high school career.  Coincidentally, each layer of brick in a building is called a “course,” so it’s appropriate that a capstone project in high school, a final academic and intellectual experience, is an integral part of your last year of courses.

 

Capstone projects are typically long-term investigative projects that culminate in a final product and, often, final presentation.  Yours will be no different, as you will see.

 

According to the Great Schools Partnership’s Glossary of Education Reform, capstone projects are

 

 

generally designed to encourage students to think critically, solve challenging problems, and develop skills such as oral communication, . . . research skills, . . . planning, self-sufficiency, or goal setting—i.e., skills that will help prepare them for college, modern careers, and adult life.  In most cases, the projects are also interdisciplinary, in the sense that they require students to apply skills or investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge.  

 

 

A capstone is often confused with a “keystone,” which is the last block to be placed in an arch, or a “cornerstone,” which is the first block to be placed in a building.  However, both of these metaphors would work, too. Consider it these ways: This project will be like the keystone to all the other “stones” (courses, skills, knowledge, understanding, maturity, etc.) you have layered one on top of the other over your high school (and for some of you PS and MS, too) career.  Also, for some of you, I hope, this project will become the cornerstone for future inquiry in college and beyond.

For our purposes, though, we will refer to this project as a capstone.