X. Your Final Product and Key Deliverables Leading
to It
The final product is something you will produce based on the knowledge you have gained during the research phase of the project. It is something of your own design that represents an authentic, innovative application of your inquiry. The final project is your contribution/solution to your research problem/questions. The product can take many forms. You can build, write, compose, draw, paint, construct, design, develop, invent, plan, solve, improve, test, improve, change, arrange, organize, produce, or assemble your final product.
For inspiration (perhaps?), here are some examples of final products from 2014-2015:
Quarter-Project Deliverable
It’s our goal that everyone is successful with their projects and it’s our hope that you will not go too far off course during the duration of your work in Senior Capstone. It is for this reason that we are asking you to produce, around the end of the first quarter of the year, a quarter-project deliverable.
See the chart below for what might constitute a quarter-project deliverable. Ultimately, we will collaborate in determining what is appropriate for each of your deliverable.
The deadline for the quarter-project deliverable will be announced via Google classroom.
See paragraph 3 under “Final Project” for requirements around submission format.
Mid-Project Deliverable
By midway through the year, we imagine that you will be deep into your final project. We want to ensure that you stay on target, that you are not overwhelmed by the sheer amount on your “to do” list for the final product. That’s why we ask you to produce, at the midpoint of the year, a mid-project deliverable.
See the chart below for what might constitute a mid-project deliverable. Ultimately, we collaborate in determining what is appropriate for each deliverable.
The deadline for the mid-project deliverable will be announced via Google classroom.
See paragraph 3 under “Final Project” for requirements around submission format.
Here are some examples of what we mean by quarter- and mid-project deliverables:
If your final project is:
A website
Completed website with all citations and materials uploaded, ready for final proofreading by others.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A preliminary site map as well as the content for one page (or tab) of your site. A statement of purpose for the site. One (1) interview completed and documented.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
A final site map as well as the content for two pages (and all sub-tabs) on your site. The content should be in whatever the final form for your site might be, so that we get an idea of what you are planning for the rest of the site.
If your final project is:
A research paper
Completed with paper with all footnotes in proper format. A complete, annotated bibliography will be appended to the paper.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A prospectus for the paper, including your thesis statement, topic sentences for the major portions of your paper, and a preliminary outline. At least one (1) interview completed and documented.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
A final prospectus for the paper, with any revised thesis statement, paragraph topic sentences, and at least one drafted section, complete with supporting evidence with relevant and proper citations.
If your final project is:
A film, play, or documentary
For a film or documentary: final film due in an accessible (digital) form plus all research materials used are to be housed on a website.
For a play: Performances completed and filmed, final version of the script with props, costume, and set lists as well as preparatory research (all of which will live on a website).
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A script in final form and (in the case of a documentary) a complete list of all interviews you plan to conduct, with a schedule for conducting them. At least one (1) interview is completed and documented.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
The script, shot list, prop, costume, and set list, final casting, and at least one rough-cut scene already shot (ideally more than that).
If your final project is:
A series of workshops or lesson plans
All workshops and lesson plans fully documented, session by session, in writing, in proper lesson plan and/or workshop format. All handouts, clips, images, etc. are submitted. All research and preparatory work done in support of these workshops and/or lesson plans are to submitted. All of this is to be housed on a website.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A thorough outline for each workshop or lesson in an organized format, identifying objectives and activities for each.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
At least 1 or more workshops/lessons conducted or tested, with revisions to the original plan based on what was done. Documentation (via film/tape/still photography) of each workshop/lesson submitted.
If your final project is:
A book, magazine, zine, or other publication
Final book or magazine/zine due with all content in place and laid out, ready for publication proof process.
All preparatory research and notes should be submitted as well, organized and housed on a website.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A draft of the table of contents and outline along with a maquette for the publication that includes a proposal for the cover, title page, two-page spread for the opening of a chapter, a sample page for the back matter of the book (about the author), and storyboards that diagram the layout and content arrangement of the volume.
For fiction, at least one chapter (in draft) of the book should be submitted.
For non-fiction, at least one chapter, with notes, of the book should be submitted.
For a zine/magazine, at least three articles with accompanying images should be submitted.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
Revisions to the table of contents and outline as well as the maquette for the publication (including the cover, title page, two-page spread for the opening of a chapter, the back matter of the book (about the author), and storyboards that diagram the layout and content arrangement of the volume).
For both fiction and non-fiction, at least half of the book’s content (in draft) should be submitted.
For a zine/magazine, at least half of the content, with images should be submitted.
If your final product falls outside of the categories/examples identified above, please see us and together we will identify what a quarter-project and/or mid-project deliverable might be.
Final product
You will be submitting your final product several weeks before you present it publicly. It is going to require considerable time to execute. The danger in a big block of time to conduct research and create a final product is that the research is so engrossing that the final product gets left to the last minute. Beware of this temptation!
You will have defined your final product in your approved research proposal. If experience is any guide, chances are that your final product will change over the course of the year. Often students find they need to condense the product or scale back the ambition of what they hoped to achieve. That’s okay but it’s critically important that your teachers and mentors are all in the loop when you make adjustments.
The format you submit in is critically important. This applies to all submissions—whether it’s the quarterly, mid-project, or final project deliverable. You must submit it in TWO forms: (1) the laid out form AND (2) as an editable Google document. If you don’t do this, we are required to print out every page you give us and give you handwritten feedback, which is far less efficient and far more laborious than giving you feedback within a Google version of your project. This is a strict requirement.
Use your mentor meetings to share your progress and to test out your thinking. Use your blog entries to document the small steps you are taking to complete the project. Use your weekly plans to keep track of your progress and when you seem to be falling behind. Above all, talk to the course teachers! We are seeing you every day. Tell us when you have concerns. Let us celebrate the small and big successes you have along the way.
Don’t be worried if you have to rethink midstream or have to admit a mistake or failure. Remember, failure can be an opportunity to learn and grow. The process is structured to keep you on task and making incremental but steady progress toward the final project you designed.
The final product will be due in March. The specific due date will be announced in class. Once announced, that’s a strict deadline. There will be no extensions. The reason the deadline is this early is that we want your final product in good shape weeks before you deliver your TEDx talk later that spring. We also want to be able to provide you with detailed feedback on your product so that the feedback (and any changes/revisions that you want to make as a result) is reflected in what you talk about during that presentation.
Before the presentations, you will have time to identify key revisions you want to make. The due date for these revisions will be announced by the teachers.
to It
The final product is something you will produce based on the knowledge you have gained during the research phase of the project. It is something of your own design that represents an authentic, innovative application of your inquiry. The final project is your contribution/solution to your research problem/questions. The product can take many forms. You can build, write, compose, draw, paint, construct, design, develop, invent, plan, solve, improve, test, improve, change, arrange, organize, produce, or assemble your final product.
For inspiration (perhaps?), here are some examples of final products from 2014-2015:
- a published book of photographs featuring portraits of individuals from various Boston neighborhoods
- a fiction film dealing with stories of intersectionality
- a Boston Latin School Agenda app (for iPhone)
- a website on how to start a girls’ education club along with case studies on girls’ education in Rwanda and Sri Lanka
- a published book about ways to combat bias against abstract and/or conceptual art, documented with exercises to conduct to address this bias
- a research paper on the effect of smartphone technology on teenage independence
- a series of online videotaped tutorials on advanced mathematical concepts
- a constructed hydro-powered generator, accompanied by its “how to build” guide
Quarter-Project Deliverable
It’s our goal that everyone is successful with their projects and it’s our hope that you will not go too far off course during the duration of your work in Senior Capstone. It is for this reason that we are asking you to produce, around the end of the first quarter of the year, a quarter-project deliverable.
See the chart below for what might constitute a quarter-project deliverable. Ultimately, we will collaborate in determining what is appropriate for each of your deliverable.
The deadline for the quarter-project deliverable will be announced via Google classroom.
See paragraph 3 under “Final Project” for requirements around submission format.
Mid-Project Deliverable
By midway through the year, we imagine that you will be deep into your final project. We want to ensure that you stay on target, that you are not overwhelmed by the sheer amount on your “to do” list for the final product. That’s why we ask you to produce, at the midpoint of the year, a mid-project deliverable.
See the chart below for what might constitute a mid-project deliverable. Ultimately, we collaborate in determining what is appropriate for each deliverable.
The deadline for the mid-project deliverable will be announced via Google classroom.
See paragraph 3 under “Final Project” for requirements around submission format.
Here are some examples of what we mean by quarter- and mid-project deliverables:
If your final project is:
A website
Completed website with all citations and materials uploaded, ready for final proofreading by others.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A preliminary site map as well as the content for one page (or tab) of your site. A statement of purpose for the site. One (1) interview completed and documented.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
A final site map as well as the content for two pages (and all sub-tabs) on your site. The content should be in whatever the final form for your site might be, so that we get an idea of what you are planning for the rest of the site.
If your final project is:
A research paper
Completed with paper with all footnotes in proper format. A complete, annotated bibliography will be appended to the paper.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A prospectus for the paper, including your thesis statement, topic sentences for the major portions of your paper, and a preliminary outline. At least one (1) interview completed and documented.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
A final prospectus for the paper, with any revised thesis statement, paragraph topic sentences, and at least one drafted section, complete with supporting evidence with relevant and proper citations.
If your final project is:
A film, play, or documentary
For a film or documentary: final film due in an accessible (digital) form plus all research materials used are to be housed on a website.
For a play: Performances completed and filmed, final version of the script with props, costume, and set lists as well as preparatory research (all of which will live on a website).
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A script in final form and (in the case of a documentary) a complete list of all interviews you plan to conduct, with a schedule for conducting them. At least one (1) interview is completed and documented.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
The script, shot list, prop, costume, and set list, final casting, and at least one rough-cut scene already shot (ideally more than that).
If your final project is:
A series of workshops or lesson plans
All workshops and lesson plans fully documented, session by session, in writing, in proper lesson plan and/or workshop format. All handouts, clips, images, etc. are submitted. All research and preparatory work done in support of these workshops and/or lesson plans are to submitted. All of this is to be housed on a website.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A thorough outline for each workshop or lesson in an organized format, identifying objectives and activities for each.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
At least 1 or more workshops/lessons conducted or tested, with revisions to the original plan based on what was done. Documentation (via film/tape/still photography) of each workshop/lesson submitted.
If your final project is:
A book, magazine, zine, or other publication
Final book or magazine/zine due with all content in place and laid out, ready for publication proof process.
All preparatory research and notes should be submitted as well, organized and housed on a website.
Then your quarter-project deliverable could be:
A draft of the table of contents and outline along with a maquette for the publication that includes a proposal for the cover, title page, two-page spread for the opening of a chapter, a sample page for the back matter of the book (about the author), and storyboards that diagram the layout and content arrangement of the volume.
For fiction, at least one chapter (in draft) of the book should be submitted.
For non-fiction, at least one chapter, with notes, of the book should be submitted.
For a zine/magazine, at least three articles with accompanying images should be submitted.
And your mid-project deliverable might be:
Revisions to the table of contents and outline as well as the maquette for the publication (including the cover, title page, two-page spread for the opening of a chapter, the back matter of the book (about the author), and storyboards that diagram the layout and content arrangement of the volume).
For both fiction and non-fiction, at least half of the book’s content (in draft) should be submitted.
For a zine/magazine, at least half of the content, with images should be submitted.
If your final product falls outside of the categories/examples identified above, please see us and together we will identify what a quarter-project and/or mid-project deliverable might be.
Final product
You will be submitting your final product several weeks before you present it publicly. It is going to require considerable time to execute. The danger in a big block of time to conduct research and create a final product is that the research is so engrossing that the final product gets left to the last minute. Beware of this temptation!
You will have defined your final product in your approved research proposal. If experience is any guide, chances are that your final product will change over the course of the year. Often students find they need to condense the product or scale back the ambition of what they hoped to achieve. That’s okay but it’s critically important that your teachers and mentors are all in the loop when you make adjustments.
The format you submit in is critically important. This applies to all submissions—whether it’s the quarterly, mid-project, or final project deliverable. You must submit it in TWO forms: (1) the laid out form AND (2) as an editable Google document. If you don’t do this, we are required to print out every page you give us and give you handwritten feedback, which is far less efficient and far more laborious than giving you feedback within a Google version of your project. This is a strict requirement.
Use your mentor meetings to share your progress and to test out your thinking. Use your blog entries to document the small steps you are taking to complete the project. Use your weekly plans to keep track of your progress and when you seem to be falling behind. Above all, talk to the course teachers! We are seeing you every day. Tell us when you have concerns. Let us celebrate the small and big successes you have along the way.
Don’t be worried if you have to rethink midstream or have to admit a mistake or failure. Remember, failure can be an opportunity to learn and grow. The process is structured to keep you on task and making incremental but steady progress toward the final project you designed.
The final product will be due in March. The specific due date will be announced in class. Once announced, that’s a strict deadline. There will be no extensions. The reason the deadline is this early is that we want your final product in good shape weeks before you deliver your TEDx talk later that spring. We also want to be able to provide you with detailed feedback on your product so that the feedback (and any changes/revisions that you want to make as a result) is reflected in what you talk about during that presentation.
Before the presentations, you will have time to identify key revisions you want to make. The due date for these revisions will be announced by the teachers.