Student work demonstrates what a student knows and is able to do. Capital City was founded as an EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning) school in 2000. The EL Education model focuses on three core areas to ensure student success: Mastery of Knowledge and Skills, Student Character, and High-Quality Work. High-quality work, like the leaf prints above created by Pre-K students, represents the intersection of mastery of knowledge and skills and student character. We believe that the rigorous and intense process of conceptualizing, revising, producing, and sharing high-quality work with peer support and teacher guidance is an essential way our students attain 21st Century Skills and graduate prepared for college and careers. Across every grade, our students have produced exemplary work demonstrating authenticity, complexity and craftsmanship and have ventured into a wide variety of topics and issues ranging from the study of weather to personal narratives and human rights.
Explore our gallery of high-quality work to #KNOWCapitalCity!
K: Weather Story
Project Name: Weather Story
Grade(s): K
Project Description: Students created an illustrated book of types of weather occurring and how that weather impacted a character they invented. A sentence describing how the character felt was recorded on each page and the student wrote down dialogue to reflect how the character was feeling.
Learning Target: I can create a weather story book using a character I create and different patterns of weather I know.
Standard: Module 2
Final Product: An illustrated book
K: 2D Robot
Project Name: 2D Robot
Grade(s): K
Project Description: Students pasted different geometric shapes to create a ‘robot’ that did a job. The teacher asked the student about the robot, how it was made, and what it can do. The teacher recorded what the student reported and attached that to the picture creation.
Final Product:
3rd grade: Pourquoi Tales
Project Name: Pourquoi Tales
Grade(s): 3rd
Project Description: Students will apply what they have learned about pourquoi tales to write a fanciful narrative that addresses one of the “why” questions that arose from the frog poetry read earlier in the unit (Why do pollywogs wiggle? Why do some frogs live in trees?). Expanding on a planner completed in class, students draft a narrative to “explain” a characteristic of an animal and demonstrate an ability to use rich language and descriptive detail to develop characters and events.
Link to Rubric
Final Products:
Charlotte:
Draft Narrative Template
Narrative Planning Graphic Organizer
Final Book
Emely:
Draft Narrative Template
Narrative Planning Graphic Organizer
Final Book
3rd grade: Frog Adaptations Essay
Project Name: Frog Adaptations Essay
Grade(s): 3rd
Project Description: In the second module unit, students had to write an informational essay that describes a frog and at least 2 adaptations that help that frog survive. The assignment was done over a week. On Day 1, students worked on writing just the introduction. Day 2: Proof Paragraph 1 (describe a physical adaptation that helps the frog survive in its habitat). Day 3: Proof Paragraph 2 (describe a behavioral adaptation that helps the frog survive in its habitat). Day 4: Conclusion (write an ending reminding the reader of the focus statement and that wraps up the writing). Day 5 was dedicated to editing and revising their entire essay (making sure it made sense, that it included relevant information) and receiving peer feedback.
Learning Target: I can write an informational essay that outlines how a frog’s adaptations helps it to survive.
Standard: Module 2
Link to Standards Based Rubric
Final Products:
4th grade: Animal Defense Mechanisms
Project Name: Animal Defense Mechanisms
Grade(s): 4th
Project Description: Students wrote essays and gave presentations about an animal they researched (armadillo, ostrich, springbok gazelle, monarch butterfly) and how that animal uses its defense mechanisms to protect itself. Students researched about the animals habitat, physical description, and other aspects of their animal.
Learning Target: I can write an essay about an animal I’ve researched to describe their defense mechanisms and how they keep the animal alive.
Standard: Module 2
Final Products:
5th grade: Monologues
Project Name: Monologues
Grade(s): 5th grade
Project Description: Performance task required students to analyze character reactions to the same event and write a monologue from the perspective of one of the characters. They worked in groups all focused on the same event from the book. Students each took the side of a different character and wrote a monologue that encapsulated the character’s experience in that moment in the book. They had to plan, write multiple drafts, and then publish their monologue copies, which they read at a culminating performance.
Link to Learning Targets
Standard: Module 1
Link to Rubric
Final Products:
5th grade: Water Cycle Posters
Project Name: Water Cycle Posters
Grade(s): 5th grade
Project Description: Students completed an end of year project in which they had to develop a model of the water cycle. In their model, they had to explain the water cycle, including key vocabulary such as condensation, evaporation, and precipitation. They also had to include a molecular model of water and describe how energy and temperature affect water molecules.
Rubric and Learning Targets
Final Product:
7th grade: Rare Genetic Diseases Project
Project Name: Genetics
Grade(s): 7th
Project Description: As part of the genetics unit in 7th grade, students learned about rare genetic diseases, including some that affect people within our community. The culminating task for the unit was to spread awareness of these diseases during a Rare Disease Day conference at our school. Students had to research the epidemiology, mutations, inheritance patterns, and treatments for rare diseases, as well as summarize findings from primary source scientific research. They organized their findings into a scientific poster, which was presented at our schools Rare Disease Day conference. Members of the community were invited; they learned from students, and students learned from each other, about the impact that these rare diseases have on our community.
Learning Target: I can identify and explain the symptoms, treatments, modes of inheritance, current research projects, and epidemiological statistics related to a specific genetic disorder; I offer and accept specific, kind and helpful feedback
Link to Rubric
Final Products:
8th grade: The Folklore of Latin America Webpage
Project Name: The Folklore of Latin America Webpage
Grade(s): 8th grade
Project Description: Students read the book "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe Garcia McCall in Humanities class. They conducted independent research, learned how to use figurative language, cite properly, identify the author’s point of view and theme. Along the way, students immersed themselves in the vibrant world of Latin American Folklore, gaining insights and inspiration. They crafted and revised a new scene for "Summer of the Mariposas" in which students modernized a monster from Latin American folklore (narrative). They also wrote a compare/contrast essay about a monster in folklore from Latin America and in their modernized narrative. Their final product was to create a Webpage to display those two major assignments, the narrative, and the compare and contrast essay. Students created their webpage under the guidance and support of their Humanities teachers and the Middle School Academic Technology Coordinator. The webpage is an artifact that they will show to a group of panelists during their 8th-grade portfolio presentation.
Learning Target: Module 1, Unit 3, lessons 13-14
Final Products:
Israel self reflection
Keyri self reflection
Narrative Writing reflection
Israel Final Webpage
Keyri Final Webpage
8th grade: Spanish and Art
Project Name: Spanish and Art
Grade(s): 8th Grade
Project Description: Students were tasked to read, analyze and summarize a text in their Spanish class using their artistic skills.
Learning Target: I can read, analyze, and summarize parts of a novel in Spanish, I can use vocabulary to modify the ending of a chapter of a book in Spanish, I can use words and images to describe the events from a chapter of a book.
Link to Reflection
Link to Rubric
Final Product:
8th grade: Researching Historical Figures
Project Name: Researching Historical Figures
Grade(s): 8th Grade
Project Description: Students wrote a 5-paragraph essay on a research topic to support their understanding of major historical figures in science.
Learning Target: I can compare and contrast the ethical and moral dilemmas that often accompany scientific discovery, I complete and submit work on time.
Link to Self Reflection
Link to Rubric
Final Product:
9th grade: Blue Crab PSA
Project Name: Blue Crab PSA
Grades(s): 9th
Project Description: In the Blue Crab Expedition students will learn about the decline of the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay. Through fieldwork and mini-lessons students will discuss the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, learn the anatomy of a blue crab, and discuss the issues that are facing the blue crab population. Students will also learn about the economic impact of blue crabs and human practices that can restore the blue crab population. Finally, students will produce a short video that provides a solution that humans can take to help the blue crabs. The videos will be presented to an outside audience.
Link to Rubric
Final Products:
Fieldwork Pictures to Maritime Museum
Group 1 Completed Blue Crab PSA Overview and Script
Website with Public Service Announcements
9th-10th grade: Geometric Pattern Project
Project Name: Geometric Pattern Project
Grade(s): 9-10
Project Description: Students created a repeating pattern using the geometric shapes they learned in Unit 3 of Geometry class. They used their selected shape and performed each kind of transformation several times to create a pattern.
Final Product:
11th grade: Algebra II Winter Wonderland
Project Name: Algebra II Winter Wonderland
Grade(s): 11th
Project Description: Math is everywhere around us. How can we use functions to create beautiful pieces of artwork that show attention to detail and creativity? Students will create a winter wonderland right here in our classroom, using their knowledge of functions and function notation. Students task is to design and create a snowflake or snow globe scene using functions and function transformations on Desmos. Once students’ Desmos design is complete, they will create a physical version of their creation to display in the classroom.
Link to Rubric
Final Products:
Snow Globe Sketch
Final Creation Display
Desmos Final Product
11th grade: Fences Playwriting Project
Project Name: Fences Playwriting Project
Grade(s): 11th
Project Description: Students were asked to apply their learning of playwriting conventions (Q2) with narrative writing skills (Q1) to write a "deleted scene" from the play Fences.
Link to Assignment Sheet - Includes all of the graphic organizers for each prompt.
Final Play Scene Rubric
Final Product:
Final Draft Sample 1 (rough drafts in the history of this document)
Genesis Sanchez Ramirez - Fences Playwriting Scene
11th grade: Teaching a class
Project Name: Teaching a class
Grade(s): 11th
Project Description: GRASP1 - research paper HF 23-24
Rubrics:
Rubrica evaluacion clase.pdf
RUBRICA PARA EVALUAR UN ENSAYO.docx
Final Products:
Student presentation
Student reflection
Student essay
Student presentation
9th-12th: Percussion Ensemble and Band
Project Name: Percussion Ensemble and Band
Grade(s): 9-12
Project Description: Performance pieces for first semester. Both ensembles consist primarily of first year musicians.
Learning Targets & Standards:
First Semester COL Performances 2023-2024 School Year
Final Products:
9th-12th grade: Who Am I
Project Name: Who Am I
Grade(s): 9-12
Project Description: Students were given the task of creating a Google Site showing audiences who they are, what are some of their motivations, personal strengths, goals, and achievements.
Learning Target: I can develop a personal narrative explaining "who I am" through creating and publishing a Google Site.
Final Products:
Junior:
https://sites.google.com/ccpcs.org/who-i-am/home
Claudia:
https://sites.google.com/ccpcs.org/cgp-fitness-project/home