Grade 8 SY26 EOY Capstone · Week 3 of 4

Synthesis and Build

Grade 8 Science | Rosche

This week you bring everything together — look across your evidence collection, Portrait ratings, and scientist story to find your biggest insight and build a capstone product that makes one clear claim about the scientist or engineer you are becoming.

How to Use This Page

  • This capstone is paper-first and off-tech. Your printed packet is where the daily work lives. Work in your packet every day.
  • This Canvas page is a backup mirror — you only need it when you want to look something back up, find an online resource, or submit work digitally.
  • Text-to-Speech tip: In Chrome, right-click any paragraph and choose Read aloud to have the page read to you.

Open Your Packet

Use your printed packet. This week complete the Week 3 Synthesis and Build section: your synthesis claim, your capstone format choice, and your capstone plan table. Also begin filling in the Week 4 Capstone Presentation Plan.

Step 1: Synthesize

Look back at all your work from Weeks 1 and 2 — your evidence collection, Portrait ratings, scientist story, and Daily Plot Twist Warm-Up Log. Ask yourself:

  • What pattern shows up across my artifacts?
  • What scientist habit do I use most?
  • What science idea do I understand most deeply now?
  • What one sentence can I make that is bigger than any single artifact?

Write your synthesis claim in the packet before you choose a format.

Required line

Whatever format you choose, your capstone product must include this exact sentence, bridging your Plot Twist work to your evidence: "Looking across my evidence, I am becoming a scientist or engineer who ___ because ___."

Hint: What makes a strong synthesis claim?

A synthesis claim is bigger than one artifact — it explains a pattern you see across your whole year. Use this starter:

"Looking across my evidence, I am becoming a scientist or engineer who ___ because ___."

Step 2: Choose Your Capstone Format

Pick one format. Every format must include your synthesis claim, at least one artifact as evidence, and your scientist or engineer habit language.

Poster

A displayed visual with your claim, evidence, and scientist or engineer habit labels. Visitors will rotate and ask you questions.

Slides

3 to 5 slides with a clear opening claim and evidence. You will present to a small audience in Week 4.

Essay

A 1-page written argument using evidence from the year. You will read it aloud in Week 4.

Step 3: Build and Get Feedback

Use both meetings this week to build your capstone product. In your second meeting, a peer will review your draft using the claim-evidence-feedback frame. Use their feedback to finalize your product by the end of Week 3.

Peer critique frame:

  1. "I heard you claim that you are becoming a scientist or engineer who ___."
  2. "The evidence I see that supports this is ___." / "I don't yet see evidence for ___ — can you add it?"
  3. "One thing that would make your capstone clearer is ___."

Step 4: Draft Your Presentation Plan

Before Week 4, complete the Presentation Plan in your packet:

  • Will you present solo, with a partner, or with a small group? (Each person needs an individual speaking role.)
  • What is your opening sentence?
  • Which two pieces of evidence will you point to?
  • What question will you ask the audience?

Week 3 Checkpoint

Ready when… Evidence that shows it
Synthesis claim written in packet One sentence naming the biggest pattern across all artifacts.
Capstone format chosen Poster, slides, or essay selected and plan table complete.
Draft capstone product built Working draft with at least one artifact embedded.
Peer critique complete One revision made based on peer feedback before the end of Week 3.
Presentation plan drafted Week 4 Capstone Presentation Plan table filled in the packet.

Looking Back & Online Help

For the times you are on a device, here are three ways this Canvas page can support you:

Check your grades & feedback

Open the Canvas Grades area for this course to see checkpoint scores and teacher comments. This is the fastest way to know if you are on track.

Find online resources

Practice science vocabulary at the Vocabulary practice tool (opens in a new tab). Check Canvas for any other resources your teacher has posted.

Ask or search a question

Post in the Canvas course Q&A discussion, ask your teacher directly, or do a safe search to look something up. Remember: this page is a backup — your packet and your teacher are always your first stop.