Choosing a Topic for the Capstone Project
Our Senior Capstone Project was introduced to our students this month.
First we explained "Why" we do this project.
To answer the question "Why?" --
With the Junior Project, students began to explore their passions and creativity. We want them to continue this work by contemplating the question "On whose shoulders are you standing?"
- Although it is important to create works of your own, it is equally important to realize and research the works of others. Even Isaac Newton acknowledged "if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
- Another critical purpose of the Senior [capstone] project is college preparation
Our next step in the project is choosing a topic through lots and lots of 'pre-search.'
Here are some YouTube videos we watched last week:
Choosing a Topic
Picking Your Topic IS Research! 3 minutes 10 seconds- https://youtu.be/Q0B3Gjlu-1o
Developing a Research Topic 2 minutes 44 seconds https://youtu.be/R_V1LMaD1e4
Presearch
Doing Background Checks on Your Research 2 minutes 18 seconds - https://youtu.be/ocz7b0HeOaI
Sources for Presearch
Using Wikipedia for Academic Research (CLIP) 3 minutes 36 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cql_yVUYj6A
Next week, the topics will be due and then we will have two weeks to refine the topics before we visit a University Library. Thanks to Mary Ellen Sloane and Christy Groves at MTSU's Walker Library for planning an orientation to the Library’s website, services, collections, and resources, as well as a brief walking tour of the building.
More Topic Selection Resources
Topic Broad Ideas
Math TopicsScience Topics
