From discussions of how beef impacts climate change to technical degrees to chemicals in shampoo and soap, senior students at the Tallulah Falls School presented their capstone projects.
“The Capstone Project is a Tallulah Falls School milestone that students begin during their junior year,” said Elisha Boggs, Director of Communications and Media at the school. Boggs explained that the speeches are the culminating activity of their year-long project. Students research an issue of interest to them and complete a research paper on the topic before presenting it to a panel of judges made up of members from the local community and TFS faculty and staff.
“All TFS seniors share anecdotal introductions, often from personal experiences, drawing the audience into their topic before sharing background information, facts, statistics, and details. Then, they present the opposing viewpoint and defend their position,” Boggs added.
At the end of their presentation, the judges ask questions, which often lead to conversations about the topics that the students have become passionate about over the year.
Through the process, our seniors grow as thinkers, researchers, writers, organizers, and presenters — tools they will use in life and their future academic endeavors!
Kelly Bly, a professor at Tallulah Falls School who works closely with the students on their projects, talked about the process. “The students spend a month/month and a half working on their topic, finding people who have been affected by this, any background and history about the subject in their junior year. In the senior year, students look at the argumentative part of the subject matter and begin preparation of the paper and presentation part.”
The speeches are 10 minutes in length and students are required to have a visual presentation as well.
For some of the students, it was a personal experience that led to their choice of topic. For others, it was a subject matter of interest or a hope for a future career.
“When you are looking at what a capstone is when you are constructing an arch, it is that piece in the very center that keeps it all together,” Bly remarked. “I ask my students, how does that apply to you with this project that you have worked on for 12 months? Have you used your critical thinking skills, writing skills, brainstorming skills, and organizational skills, and then you stand up at the end to impress people with what you’ve done?”
Bly added, “That is what this is all about.”
The students will finish their presentations on Monday, February 12th.
