Boston Latin School
Senior Capstone
______________
Advanced Independent Research
and Presentation Seminar
Handbook 2017-2018
The Senior Capstone course at Boston Latin School is made possible in part thanks
to the generous underwriting by the Wolk Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
an initiative made possible by Deanna and Sidney Wolk ’53 and family.
Ms. Judi Freeman
Mr. Jeff Mikalaitis
Contents
I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1
II. Key Deadlines and Milestones………………………………………………….……….….6
III. Your Faculty Mentor…………………………………………………………...…………..8
IV. Developing Your Essential and Research Questions………………………………………10
V. Identifying and Evaluating Sources and Creating Your Annotated Bibliography……..……15
VI. Creating Your Capstone Research Proposal………………………………...……………..19
VII. Creating Your Capstone Website and Using Google Classroom……………………….….21
VIII. Documenting the Process: Your Blog and Your Weekly Plans ………………………..….25
IX. Collecting Raw Data through Interviews and Surveys ………………………………....….28
X. Your Final Product and the Deliverables Leading To It………………………...……....…33
XI. Presentation strategies and skills………………………………………………………..…38
XII. Summative Reflection………………………………………………………….………….40
XIII. Plagiarism and Senior Capstone…………………………………………………………...42
Appendices
A. Essential and research question template………………………………………………….43
A1. Example of Completed Essential and research question template…………………………50
B. Research proposal template with sample of completed template…………………………..60
B1. Proposed budget for your research proposal ……………………………………………...71
B2. Research proposal rubric…………………………………………………………………..73
C. Statement of Project choice……………………………………………………………......75
D. Annotated Bibliography Entry Template…………………………….…………………….76
D1. Annotated Bibliography Rubric………………………………………………………….....82
E1. Blog Post Rubric…………………………………………………………………………...83
F: Weekly Plan Template and Example ………………………………………………………84
F1: Weekly Plan Rubric………………………………………………………………………...89
G: Sample E-mail for contacting possible interview candidates and/or experts………………..90
H: Interview release form for film, video, and recorded interviews…………………………….91
I-1: Quarterly-Project Deliverable Template……………………………………………………92
I-2: Mid-Project Deliverable Template………………………………………………………….93
J: Communication Blueprint……………………………………………..…....………………94
J1: Rubric for Presentations (TEDx talk)……………………………………………………….96
J2: TEDx talk reflection template ………………………………………………………………97
K. Summative Reflection Template…………………………………………..................................98
Senior Capstone
______________
Advanced Independent Research
and Presentation Seminar
Handbook 2017-2018
The Senior Capstone course at Boston Latin School is made possible in part thanks
to the generous underwriting by the Wolk Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
an initiative made possible by Deanna and Sidney Wolk ’53 and family.
Ms. Judi Freeman
Mr. Jeff Mikalaitis
Contents
I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1
II. Key Deadlines and Milestones………………………………………………….……….….6
III. Your Faculty Mentor…………………………………………………………...…………..8
IV. Developing Your Essential and Research Questions………………………………………10
V. Identifying and Evaluating Sources and Creating Your Annotated Bibliography……..……15
VI. Creating Your Capstone Research Proposal………………………………...……………..19
VII. Creating Your Capstone Website and Using Google Classroom……………………….….21
VIII. Documenting the Process: Your Blog and Your Weekly Plans ………………………..….25
IX. Collecting Raw Data through Interviews and Surveys ………………………………....….28
X. Your Final Product and the Deliverables Leading To It………………………...……....…33
XI. Presentation strategies and skills………………………………………………………..…38
XII. Summative Reflection………………………………………………………….………….40
XIII. Plagiarism and Senior Capstone…………………………………………………………...42
Appendices
A. Essential and research question template………………………………………………….43
A1. Example of Completed Essential and research question template…………………………50
B. Research proposal template with sample of completed template…………………………..60
B1. Proposed budget for your research proposal ……………………………………………...71
B2. Research proposal rubric…………………………………………………………………..73
C. Statement of Project choice……………………………………………………………......75
D. Annotated Bibliography Entry Template…………………………….…………………….76
D1. Annotated Bibliography Rubric………………………………………………………….....82
E1. Blog Post Rubric…………………………………………………………………………...83
F: Weekly Plan Template and Example ………………………………………………………84
F1: Weekly Plan Rubric………………………………………………………………………...89
G: Sample E-mail for contacting possible interview candidates and/or experts………………..90
H: Interview release form for film, video, and recorded interviews…………………………….91
I-1: Quarterly-Project Deliverable Template……………………………………………………92
I-2: Mid-Project Deliverable Template………………………………………………………….93
J: Communication Blueprint……………………………………………..…....………………94
J1: Rubric for Presentations (TEDx talk)……………………………………………………….96
J2: TEDx talk reflection template ………………………………………………………………97
K. Summative Reflection Template…………………………………………..................................98