8th Grade Project

Welcome to what will be the most challenging, relevant, and rewarding project of your academic career thus far. This yearlong project will consist of a research component (including an interview), a writing component, and finally, a presentation component.

Your first step is to choose a topic. Choosing a topic that will hold your interest all year will be key to making this a meaningful project. You might ask yourself the following questions to define your project:

  1. What are my dearest values?
  2. What am I curious about?
  3. What things do I consider to be fun?

After you have determined your topic, you will form an essential question about that topic. An essential question (EQ) is a meaningful question that requires research and deep thought to understand or answer. It is not a question that is likely to be answered in one book – rather, you will need to use numerous sources for information, and then use your own thinking to finally answer your question. To help you focus the scope of your project, you will be guided through the process of determining your essential question and three “need to know” questions about it. The “need to knows“ (NTK) will be main areas of research in your topic.

Here are some examples of topics, essential questions, and need to knows:

Topic Essential Question Need to Knows
Epidemics Will there ever be an epidemic as widespread as the black plague?
  1. What caused the plague?
  2. What are the conditions that need to be present for a widespread disease to occur?
  3. What “super-diseases” are most likely to become an epidemic today?
Green Buildings How can humans in urban areas build more environmentally friendly homes?
  1. What features make homes more energy efficient?
  2. Which building materials are most eco-friendly?
  3. How effective and realistic are “green roofs?
Basketball Has the WNBA positively influenced the sport of basketball for girls?
  1. Why was the WNBA started?
  2. What effects has WNBA had on youth sports and the popularity of the game?
  3. Are the players good role models?

A service learning/mentorship experience has traditionally been an important part of the 8th Grade Project. This year, the experience will not be part of the formal project, and there will not be any designated school time for service-learning in the spring. However, students may choose to incorporate service learning into their 8th grade project on their own time, with the understanding that it is not a requirement. Students who already have connections or ideas about service learning or a mentorship may complete service on their own throughout the year and use that experience as information in their research or presentation.