Individual Learning Plans (ILP) are unique opportunities for students at Science Leadership Academy (SLA). It allows students to gain valuable experiences from the real world through different programs and internships. However, there is no central place for students to search for ILP opportunities which can make many students feel overwhelmed. My capstone is a web application that allows students to query the feedback provided by existing and current ILP students. It consists of three parts, a google form that allows existing and current ILP students to provide feedback, a google form for storing the feedback submitted by students, and finally, a local web application for students to search for feedback. The programming tools used for the web application are Notepad++ v7.5.1 and Chrome 96.0.4664.110. The programming languages used includes HTML, JavaScript, JavaScript libraries and code snippets (refer to annotated bibliography for a list of references). The setbacks for the web application are that it is not directly to a URL because it cannot use Google Sheet API that directly connects and query the data and that is not hosted on a server. It runs locally and has to be downloaded in order to be used. If possible, my future thoughts are to work to solve these problems so the web application can be published.

Link to Google Form: https://forms.gle/9LqHUUSPpfVXq6BKA

Link to Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18MSQE3J0S65TtSIcFUBmcz4IwiJihJkX2HQeu1WhCxA/edit?usp=sharing

Link to Web Application (Need to be Downloaded): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YBh5xHLyC2rk3xajxjZA_4NbCLcw3FVV/view?usp=sharing

Link to Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EAW514pDnInXLyZrY72GDIkYRpCildHYZK3FnTYwt7I/edit?usp=sharing

I built 2 picnic tables one regular size and one for pre-schoolers and 2 benches a few months back for SLA. I have now furthered this idea by making another picnic table for the preschoolers I work for. it’s roughly the same design as the last table but smaller and better for the environment of the school. One thing I improved on in the second table was making sure to sand the boards prior to putting them together making the table safer for younger children. I also made sure all of the corners were dull so as no not to poke someone’s eye out if they fall. The main idea behind the benches was to be able I left something behind once I move on into college and the next part of my life. I found that in doing so I have given the communities something to enjoy. Even the steps that didn’t involve the tables, like the carwash, gave something to the community which I am proud of.

Inquiry- I first started this project on the basis that I love making things with my hands. I found it to be fun and relaxing and wanted to find ways to challenge what I have already made. So I asked myself how I could make this Picnic table better than it already is.
Research- To make the best picnic table possible I would have to research. I began researching the best materials and strategies for making them. I then realized this wasn’t enough, I would also have to find out what uses the table could be used for such as storage and comfort.

Collaboration- I have had many family members and friends help so far and are excited to have many more people help in the future.

Reflection- While in the moment and really up until writing this I thought of this as just some project to get me through high school, I now see it as my opportunity to give back to the people who have given so much to me.

Presentation- The final presentation of this project will be the picnic table I am creating, along with my outline of what I have done to pursue this goal of finishing. I would like to show SLA what I am capable of.

Clothing is a necessity, people don’t realize that when they purchase clothing it mostly uses non-renewable resources in the material and production. A large portion of clothing ends up in landfills and waste. For my capstone, I wanted to inform people about an environmental problem known as Fast Fashion Waste. I not only wanted to provide valuable information but also inspire people to be creative and learn new ways to help prevent global waste. I learned about waste creation and the multiple effects fast fashion has on our world. Fast fashion is economically, socially, and environmentally very harmful. I created an informative magazine filled with articles and fashionable outfits that are fully recycled. The articles include research I have done on fast fashion and how to prevent it. These articles are connected to photographs I took of friends in fully recycled outfits. There are multiple different sections of the magazine that demonstrate different ways to recycle clothing. The reader will learn about creative recycling methods as well as the overall effect fast fashion has on our environment

Annotated Bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dFgCaapfTWb5oiJu9uts0_NGfCEKbYULRRTwy13hapc/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I wanted to study the relationship between film and music. Music and film are two things I enjoy and I have always been interested in the relationship between the two. I wanted to explore what techniques composers use to draw on specific emotions and connect their music to what is happening onscreen. My main goal was to get information about the way that people react to music, especially in the context of film. To accomplish this, I split my project into three different parts. First, I filmed a short video, with a couple of friends as actors. I intentionally shot this video in a way that was very ambiguous, without a clear story. The reason for this is the second part of my project: the music. I composed three different pieces of music with the goal of having each evoke a different mood or emotion. For the last part of my project, I sent three groups of people a version of my film, each with a different score. The video is exactly the same in all three versions, only the music changes. I then had each person fill out a form asking them what they thought about the tone and plot of my film. This allowed me to analyze the influence each particular piece of music had on my film.

All versions of my film:

Responses to my form:

I changed my project after I had already done my bibliography, so I don’t have a bibliography for this project. Here is the bibliography for my original project:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v8Fnk4PbAweOwRG8pwYk11ytn6q6T42VJPpMgo0H5qw/edit?usp=sharing

In the future, my goal is to teach students, specifically highschoolers, an English curriculum. Because of this, I wanted to put myself in the shoes of a teacher in order to better prepare myself. For my Capstone project, I created mock lesson plans as if I was an English teacher. I created two main units based on my own interests. One of them is called Passing Gatbsy, in which the unit is based around the books Passing by Nella Larsen and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The other is a Cinema Studies unit, which works as an abbreviated introduction to film course. I started with an inquiry into teaching in a way that was creative, engaging, and effective. I also wanted to explore how to incorporate film into an English classroom, as I am a CTE DigVid student, and film is a passion of mine. I figured that the best place to begin my research was all around me, interviewing my own teachers as guides. From there, after conducting my own research, I began to assemble my lesson plans. Each lesson plan, done in a UBD (understanding by design) format, contains several links to resources that I created or curated for the course, including relevant articles, project descriptions, and slide decks.

For research, I emailed (see above) several of my teachers, both past and current, asking if they would be willing to talk with me about the process of creating lesson plans. In addition to physical notes (see above),I voice recorded each interview, which can be found in this Google Drive folder.

In addition to the research via teacher interviews, I also researched on my own. For the filmmaking curriculum, I watched and took notes on (see above) several films and analysis videos. I also physically traveled to the Museum of Moving Images (see above) to deepen my understanding.

You can find the links to the lesson plans here:

Passing Gatsby UBD

Cinema Studies UBD

Each UBD doc contains hyperlinks to the other learning resources.

[Annotated Bibliography] (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z3nk-BjRiqpxi5nvDKiqjkPNWpBvw3fwhA4iEyJHx1E/edit?usp=sharing)

Softball has been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember. Many months ago, when brainstorming ideas for my capstone project, I knew that I wanted to do something having to do with softball. After a lot of thought and talking with family, friends, and coaches, I decided to create and host a clinic for younger softball players. I spent months doing research, reaching out and communicating with people and organizations, and planning specifics of my clinic. I had everything planned out down to the small party favors that I would give out at the end. At the last minute, disaster struck. I was informed that I wasn’t going to be able to host my clinic at the field that I had planned to. In panic, I tried to find a new field to run my clinic but I was not able to. Every field that fit my criteria: safe, reliable, somewhat close, etc, was filled and therefore my clinic that I had spent months working on and planning, could not happen. Not that my two hour clinic would’ve been life changing, but now these kids aren’t able to improve their skills, meet other young softball players, and grow their love for the sport. Once I got over the frustration and sadness that I felt, I became frustrated for a different reason.

My senior project, at first, was to find out how to make some sort of shelter for homeless people. Then, I switched to just building a small and affordable housing for a couple or a single person with a pet. I got to thinking and I came up with the tiny home that I have now. It is big enough and equipped with all the housing needs such as a bathroom, loft bed (with space underneath it to store items), kitchen space and then extra space. I wanted to make this project with my hands but I chose to have it digital so that it would be easier to present to all of you. I have learned that making a house is not as easy as you would think. It takes a lot of thought into how to use the space that you are given and how to position everything.

Annotated Bibliography

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14pf4n5iuI4HpahyLWLbrWteipw4Dk46gkKjtk9DAzK0/edit?usp=sharing

The SLA AnyWay 5k was started in 2020-2021 by Ethan Chen, a former SLA Students Run member. In hosting the second annual race, my hope was to establish the AnyWay 5k as a yearly event. To build off of last year’s race, I held an in person race in addition to the virtual event. I kept participation free in order to foster an inclusive and accessible race and, like last year, gave every runner who completed the race a medal. Money raised from shirts and donations went to the SLA Home and School Association, who will use it for freshman mini-courses next year. See the numbers below:

The main challenge with planning this race was reigning in its scope. With the help of my mentor, I was able to eliminate expectations of needing chip timing, or large event permits. After creating a more realistic plan for my race, I started by pursuing funding from Braskem for shirts, medals, a timing system, as well as for food and water at the event. After receiving full funding, I began advertising the race on RunSignup and Instagram. My goal was to reach new participants, as well as participants from last year’s race. I also put up posters around the school with scannable QR codes. Leading up to the race, I held three group runs, open to all race participants. For the in person race, I marked a course from Lloyd Hall to about 2.5 km out. Runners would turn around at this halfway point and cross the finish line where they started, receiving their medal, a bottle of water, and a soft pretzel.

   ^^^Poster^^^

I designed this poster during my capstone marketing campaign. These were put up during report card conferences with the hope that parents would see them and sign their kids up for the race. I used a QR code to make it easy for people to access registration, and placed the poster strategically in the stairwells and hallways.

   ^^^RunSignup, Instagram, Shirts, and Medals^^^

Runsignup is the website that Ethan and I used for race registration, as it allows the user to integrate virtual racing into a 5k event. The race was mainly advertised on the Anyway 5k Instagram, which features photos from group runs, and the in person race. The shirts were ordered from custom ink, and feature the race logo on the front, and Braskem logo on the back. The medals were ordered from Crown Awards, using the same design as last year, with no date printed on them. This is so that uncollected medals can be reused across years.

   ^^^Braskem Pitch^^^

This is the original Braskem funding pitch. It features 3 separate funding levels, based on participation, for shirts, medals, food, water, and a timing system. This setup was based on Ethan’s pitch, allowing me to compare and contrast this year’s funding to last year’s during my pitch presentation. This also allows Braskem to get a better understanding of how their funding will be used based on how many participants show for the race.

Links -

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qrVcleoJv_7z8cCWqntOgdCPD4zMi47XoW_dKcD2kWE/edit?usp=sharing

RunSignup Page: https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Philadelphia/SLAAnyWay5k

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/slaanyway5k/

My Senior Capstone project is based on building furniture if you live in a low-income household. I wanted to figure out how viable it would be to build furniture if you couldn’t buy it. I made two different types of chairs as well as a coffee table with minimal materials. The most advanced tool used was an impact driver. To start, I made a chair based on what I thought I knew about making furniture. The chair was not sturdy, but it worked. It was very cheap to manufacture at around 15$ worth of wood. The coffee table I made is a very nice piece that is all handcrafted and very sturdy. It cost around 20$ to manufacture not including tools. The final chair I made was much more sturdy and it looks more appealing than the first chair. It supports a lot of weight and is relatively comfortable. I am currently sitting on it to write this paragraph. By doing this project, I learned that making furniture can be fun and rewarding. However, it is not very realistic for someone in a low-income household because of the cost for tools and materials. Tools make the project much more expensive.