Successful Capstone Projects will 

 

• investigate thoroughly and deeply a subject area or issue of a students' choosing, something in which they are interested, through a variety of different avenues (which may include nonfiction and/or fiction books, print articles, Internet sources, films, maps, charts, and interviews) and through self-reflective research “moves.”

 

• create both a sense of closure to students' last year in high school and a sense of possibility, a confident realization that the world--its past, present, and future--is always theirs to investigate, question, and change.

 

• strengthen students' motivation to learn at a time when, as we all know, their motivation and engagement can decrease at exponential rates (aka “senioritis”).

 

• increase educational and career aspirations, especially for those students still uncertain of their post-graduation path.

 

• improve students' confidence and self-perception by taking on a large responsibility, becoming more self-directed, setting goals, and following through on commitments.

 

• ultimately be shared with an audience of their peers, other teachers, parents, the Prairie community, and even the online world.