Every year, the Grade 9 students at Island Pacific School complete a compulsory Masterworks Project on a topic of personal interest. Students research their projects extensively, write an extended paper and defend their work at a public presentation in June. For many students, masterworks is the seminal academic remembrance of their middle school experience.
Students are supported in the masterworks process by an advisory committee that consists of one IPS faculty member and two external advisers. The advisory committee meets five times throughout the school year to review the student's work-in-progress and to offer suggestions, guidance, and support. Members of the advisory panel attend their student's presentation and public defense in June. Although every student submits a final paper relating to their topic of interest, the final product may take different forms like, for example, a documentary film, an original composition, or the building of a boat. The school is now looking for external advisers to sit on the advisory committees.
Here are some of the questions that are investigated by students this year:
How can I create social change through black and white photography?
What triggered change and rebellion in music?
How can I make a quality guitar?
How can I run an engine without emission?
How does acting influence who we are as people?
How can astrology influence people's lives?
How do the styles of various composers influence the content and feeling of their music?
What are the technical and practical aspects of macro photography?
Can we use neuropsychology to understand how physical brain functions determine thought processes and emotions?
What are the essential components of fantasy writing and what makes one type of fantasy more popular than another?
How can I write a short novel that seems realistic to the reader?
How can pressure of being an enforcer lead to suicide in the NHL?
How can I master the art of cooking in one year?
Why does engaging in physical activity have a positive effect on your emotional stability?
External advisers have either specific expertise or a keen general interest in the topic being investigated. If you (or someone you know) is interested in helping, please contact Tania Krumpak by email at [email protected] .
For more info, see www.islandpacific.org.
