Current Unit of Study
Capstone Research
Capstone 2020: Social Justice in American History
The 8th Grade Social Studies and ELA classes have started working on the
Capstone Project, a research project on various topics pertaining to
social justice. The student-selected topics for this assignment vary.
Broadly speaking, students are researching an issue or event that is
perceivably unjust and are considering its impact on society. At this
point, students have all selected their topic to research and write about,
and they have started to conduct their research. Your child will use their
research to write a paper, create an annotated bibliography and then
create a museum display / project that reflects what they’ve learned.
3 Paths for students to follow:
❏Path 1: Anay;ze a specific social injustice in American history,
explain what was unjust, how it developed and perpetuated, and
discuss its resolution or lack thereof.
❏Path 2: Examine the role power plays in justice in the United States.
Identify an example of when justice and fairness were at stake, or
in danger, examine what was done to resolve the issues, and
analyze who or what had influence and power over the situation
and its outcomes.
❏Path 3: Examine an issue prevalent in the media, analyze the
various ways in which it is being reported on, and examine how the
media influences the public’s opinion and understanding of the
event or topic.
What to expect:
❏Research will be completed by the end of January.
❏Students will use their research to write a formal research paper in
ELA class throughout the month of February. They will also create an
annotated bibliography during this time.
❏After February break, students will begin working on the project
component to Capstone. Work must be done in school and at home.
❏Research papers with annotated bibliographies are due in ELA class
on Friday, March 6th.
❏Capstone project pieces are due on Tuesday, March 10th.
❏All projects will be on display at the Capstone Museum on Thursday,
March 12th.
Questions/Concerns:
Please reach out to your child’s ELA or Social Studies teacher with any
questions/concerns
We are so excited to see and share the work of our 8th graders!