Mastery Projects (beta)

It can be even more challenging to settle arguments or solve problems collaboratively when passionate, opposing viewpoints do not see eye to eye on an issue. In this project, you will review the concept of contradiction and define synthesis, explore this dialectic by studying the historical context of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, and generate your own synthesis by engaging with an opposing perspective about the issue that matters to you. Learn how arguments might be resolved by synthesizing different points of view by investigating Argument Synthesis.

Knowledge of human anatomy is key to understanding how disease affects the body. In this project, you will examine the impact of disease through a case study on cancer, interview an individual who has been affected by disease, and create a life-sized map of the effects of disease on the body. Learn about the relationship between body systems and disease by investigating Body Mapping.

Beloved by readers across space and time, the “great books,” or literary classics, continue to be used in schools and by individuals as master texts for teaching and learning. In this project, you will explore different perspectives on reading, past and present, and learn about the literary canon, conduct interviews with individuals about their own experiences reading the classics, and argue for a text you’ve selected to be included in the canon and used as a teaching tool. Learn more about your relationship to reading and how books become classics by investigating Canon Defense.

Even as writers collectively represent diversity in their work, they have sometimes found their books challenged, censored, or banned by those who find the content unacceptable. In this project, you will re-define diversity and identify examples in literary texts, conduct an interview on the censorship debate, research the censorship history of a single novel, and compose a well-supported essay demonstrating the book’s promotion of diversity. Learn about why certain books have been censored for promoting diversity by investigating Censorship Presentation.

The purpose of this investigation is to explore water's different states and how they influence climate. You will learn about the difference between weather and climate, and how irregular weather offers clues about what to expect in the future. You will learn to explain the greenhouse effect, convert between different temperature scales, research safe CO2 levels in the atmosphere, and examine the visual images and global impact of receding glaciers. You will go outside to observe and classify different cloud formations and use your observations to predict upcoming weather. You will close your Mastery Project by creating a weather forecast for a chosen city or region around the world 50 years from today, and presented your findings in a video.

The purpose of this Mastery Project is to understand and manifest the fundamentals of urban planning by improving a physical community space. Before localizing your investigation, you will begin by pursuing big picture questions, such as: Around which principles do cities form and change? What are the essential elements of a city, and why are many deemed “good” or “bad?” In Community Block, you will be introduced to cities from around the world, each which represents a unique case study in the history and future of urban planning. Your goal is to select a community space that needs help, identify the symptoms and causes of the problems, and design a solution. You will be asked to prepare an analysis of the current conditions, a sketch with blueprint or 3-D model of your redesigned area, and to support your design with an explanation of your creative process.

From empty abandoned plots to parking lots, community gardens are popping up everywhere. In this project, you’ll explore how to plan and plant a successful garden by learning about healthy ecosystems, conducting a soil fertility test, and designing a garden that will feed both your stomach and your community. Investigate the challenges and rewards of growing your own food through Community Garden.

As we go about the day, the Supreme Court and its work may seem distant or invisible; nonetheless, its judicial rulings regulate some of our most basic decisions and provide standards for future actions. In this project, you will review the structure of the judicial branch of the U.S. government through key vocabulary and cases, research a Supreme Court decision that interests you, and uncover its impact, and present and explain your own ruling on an historic case. Learn about the purpose and function of the judicial branch by investigating Court Ruling.

Nations, like arguments, are founded upon a set of basic principles or claims; they are the assertion of sovereignty made by a collective. In this project, you will outline the structure of arguments, analyze key elements of a nation’s founding document (U.S. Declaration of Independence), test the premises of a nation’s argument through an interview and reflection, and craft your own argument for “independence”. Learn about the anatomy of argument and the claims of nationhood by investigating Declaration of Independent Study.

For thousands of years, drama has been used to communicate the comedy and tragedy of life, often making astute observations about society and contemporary issues. In this project, you will draw from the example of Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, to consider the modern role of women, facilitate a conversation about societal roles and values in your own community, and write a script featuring a dramatic chorus remarking on a current issue of your choice. Learn about how drama can be used for staging social commentary in Dramatic Chorus.

From ancient times, theater has provided an opportunity for communities to stage their challenges and rehearse ways of dealing with them. Drawing from the example of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, this project will guide you in an exploration of how social roles have evolved over time and space, allow you to identify women from history who have challenged female stereotypes, and write a script for an imagined dialogue about how society has shaped our concept of gender. Travel back in history and use your imagination to stage a vibrant dinner conversation in Dramatic Dialogue.

Incomplete, fantastical, or frightening as they may seem, your dreams may tell you much about yourself, if you have the tools to interpret the symbols and metaphors they present. In this project, you will explore the meanings of dreams through the fields of art and psychology, engage in your own dream analysis by sharing with a trusted listener, and design a dream catcher to identify and better understand your hopes and fears for the future. Learn how to strengthen your analytical skills as you unpack metaphors and symbolism by investigating Dream Catcher.

If you aspire to achieve your dreams and goals, life is sure to be filled with twists and turns that test your mental and physical endurance. In this project, you will learn from others who have overcome obstacles to achieve a life mission; gathered words of wisdom from your trusted advisors; and articulated your life plan through a survival manual that includes a timeline, inspirational quotes, and strategies for prevailing over any roadblocks you meet along the way. Create your life’s action plan in Survival Manual.

Do you have the skills necessary to achieve your goals? In this project, you will learn the techniques and methods developed by ambitious individuals who have achieved the impossible, identified a key skill you need to practice to execute a specific goal, and documented yourself developing that skill through a video diary. Challenge yourself, endure, and take the first step in achieving a personal dream by creating your own Endurance Video.

The discovery of a cure depends upon understanding the disease, its context, and its lifespan, both within the body of the affected patient and across communities and time. In this project, you will study data, probability, as well as quadratic and exponential functions to model the life-cycle of epidemics. You will conduct an interview with someone who has had experience with an epidemic, and you will chart the path of an epidemic using statistics and graphing. Learn about the spread and evolution of disease and how this information helps in the development of cures by investigating Epidemic Map.

Although the president may embody the authority of the United States, the government was founded upon a system of checks and balances that limit the power of any one branch. In this project, you will review the powers bestowed on the executive branch and study examples of how and when those powers have been tested; conduct a popular opinion poll; and determined when and how an executive order is produced by the president. Learn about the purpose and function of the executive branch and exercise your own leadership by investigating Executive Order.

Spread and adapted around the world, fables are stories with a very specific purpose — they are intended to teach lessons about human nature and strengthen morals. In this project, you will read and compare fables from ancient Greece and India, discover the significance of character and symbolism in these narratives, and craft an original, illustrated fable teaching others the values that form your own life code. Learn about how stories have been used since ancient times to teach life lessons and develop personal character by investigating Fable.

Early farmers sowed the seeds of the future, but the crops they planted had little resemblance to the foods we eat today. In this project, you will learn where and when common foods originated, uncover your family’s culinary roots, and trace the history of your favorite ingredient across time and space. Discover the origins of our modern diet by investigating Food Autobiography.

Going to the grocery store can be an overwhelming experience today, filled with dozens of options for each product and coded food labels that take an expert eye to decipher. In this project, you will learn about our modern food system and how it evolved, identify and interpret different food certifications, and spend some time in the kitchen preparing and comparing your favorite dish. Develop your palate and indulge in unusual taste tests by investigating Food Critique.

Famous for leading the nonviolent independence movement against the British in India, Mahatma Gandhi’s methods have been studied by civil rights activists for decades. In this project, you will learn the philosophy behind Gandhi’s strategy, speak with someone who has endured or witnessed segregation, and draw inspiration from your role models to write your own song for freedom. Learn about nonviolent campaigns and how to organize your own movement by investigating Freedom Song.

Autobiographies transport us into someone else’s world and allow us to experience life from another perspective. In this project, you will tell your own story by crafting your life mission and vision, identifying the strengths and weaknesses that will help and hinder the completion of your mission, and writing Chapter 1 of your own autobiography, from the perspective of your well-accomplished future self. Investigate your life purpose and design your path to achievement in Future Autobiography.

Analyzing the current state of race, gender, and class relations is crucial in the ongoing fight against inequality, and useful for measuring social progress. In this project, you will explore the status of equality in the U.S. today and the example of affirmative action in addressing racial discrimination, conduct an interview that teaches you about another country’s efforts to promote equality, and produce a time capsule from the future with specific documentary evidence of progress toward achieving equal rights and justice for all. Learn how assessing different forms of discrimination within a society can lead to a compelling vision for eradicating inequality by investigating Future Time Capsule.

Despite global movements for gender equality, there is no country on Earth that pays women the same as men. In this project, you’ll learn about the gender pay gap and other statistics, explore what gender inequality looks like in your community, and prepare a global comparison that identifies countries making the greatest strides towards gender equality. Consider how to make the world more equitable by investigating Gender Equality Comparison.

As our world becomes more connected through trade and technology, responsible global citizenship and awareness are increasingly essential. In this project, you will define and examine examples of global citizens, identify and research an international issue important to you, and create an infographic that raises awareness and inspires others to take action. Embrace your responsibility as a citizen of the world in Global Awareness Infographic.

Genetically modified organisms continue to be a topic of intense public debate, extending beyond laboratories and into the public sphere. In this project, you will examine the science of genetics and genetic modification, conduct an original survey of the pros and cons of GMOs, and present an evidence-based argument supporting one side of the debate. Learn about the science of GMOs and the ongoing controversy surrounding them by investigating GMO Debate.

Crafting the right questions catalyzes a process of meaningful self-discovery. In this project, you will define key concepts for inquiring into the nature of doubt and Cartesian philosophy, practice formulating strong guiding questions in order to conduct an interview with an expert on doubt, and present your own philosophical journey based on a guiding question you formulate. Learn more about how forming and pursuing questions can help forge and challenge your identity by investigating Guiding Question.

Scholars have identified remarkable and shared patterns in the plot structures of heroic tales across time and place. In this project, you will study the concepts of the monomyth and hero’s journey in literature, conduct interviews with personal heroes and uncover their journeys, and produce a comparative analysis of heroes’ journeys to inspire yourself and others. Learn about literary archetypes and the path you share with other heroes, real and imagined, by investigating Hero's Journey.

You may have heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what about history? Your interpretation of history depends on who the storyteller is and what point of view they are trying to preserve. In this project, you will take on the challenging role of a historian by studying seminal works on race, gender, and class, gathering the perspective of an individual who witnessed or participated an historical event and using all your discoveries to write an accurate historical account of a specific time in history. Use research and personal stories to retell history by investigation History Book Revision.

In this Mastery Project your challenge is as real as it gets: your life. The purpose of M.A.G.I.C. Plan (Mentoring Achievement of Goals and Inspiring Champions) is for you to identify a guiding light, and to learn from his or her example to create the life of which you dream. Your research and investigation will inspire you and help you clarify your goals, make a plan, and put it into motion. Highlighted throughout your M.A.G.I.C. journey are real people who demonstrate leadership, collaboration (teamwork), strategy, and endurance. You will use their lives — including their very public and scrutinized successes and failures — to reflect on your own challenges and successes, and to determine the pathways to your ideal future. You will discover to what extent you admire and learn from the experiences, failures, and wisdom of others. This will not be easy. No one can do the work for you. But this Mastery Project is all about you. The case studies are merely a starting point.

Photographic images are used by journalists to illustrate real-life stories of the here and now and can affect a reader’s understanding and interest in the news. In this project, you will learn skills and concepts that guide the work of photojournalists, interview and photograph an individual you believe has an interesting perspective on the meaning of life, and produce a finished piece of photojournalism based on your philosophical discussion. Learn essential skills of photography and the critical thinking behind the composition of images that daily shape the way we see the world by investigating Meaning of Life.

Mining your unique consciousness and exploring memories are ways to help tell the story of who you are. In this project, you will reflect upon your past and present, conduct an interview about a shared experience, and write a short story based on one of your memories. Learn more about your identity and how personal history can be analyzed and shared by investigating Memory Short Story.

In this Mastery Project you will be introduced to the anatomy and purpose of the brain. You will research a disorder that affects the brain’s ability to thrive. You will learn about the nervous system and both sides of the brain; watch and listen to stories of people who have autism; classify different mental disorders; and investigate the criteria to diagnose mental disorders. Most importantly, you will be asked to see the world through someone else’s eyes. You will map the impacts of a disorder you select in order to create a sensory lesson that exposes someone else to the experience of living in the world with a specific mental disorder.

Some of the earliest messages from our ancestors have been communicated visually, in the form of murals and paintings. In this project, you will examine the messages and materials of the earliest artists across the globe, document and analyze the role of murals in your own community, and design a mural that tells the story of your time and place. Explore humanity’s visual history by investigating Mural Design.

Questions about the origins of the universe and our place here have always been on the minds of human beings, and, across time and place, we have developed stories to help explain these phenomena. In this project, you will read and compare creation myths from different cultures around the world, discover the significance of setting, descriptive and figurative language in these narratives, and craft your own original, illustrated creation story about an element within your environment. Learn about how and why peoples around the globe have used mythological stories to make sense of the world by investigating Creation Story.

Biomimicry, whose name captures its purpose, is a way of thinking about human design with tools inspired by nature. In this project, you will explore environment-based, sustainable approaches to innovation, observe and analyze plants in your surroundings, and apply your knowledge to solve a problem through biomimetic design. Learn about biomimicry and plant biology by investigating Plant Mimicry.

Poetry has a reputation for being mysterious, difficult, and even uninviting, which may cause you to resist engaging with the literary genre. In this project, you will uncover the ancient origins of the poetic tradition as you and explore different forms. You will, find inspiration to craft and perform your own original poem, and produce a recording of your poetry reading framed by a reflection on your work. Learn about poetry by investigating Poetry Reading.

Although you may be removed from the halls of legislative assemblies, the impact of government policy can be felt in numerous ways as you go about your daily life. In this project, you will review key events, documents, and methodologies of the legislative branch of the United States government, identify a policy that matters to you and the legislators who work on this issue, and engage in the civic process by writing a letter to your local representative. Learn about the purpose and function of the legislative branch and activate your role in the civic process by investigating Policy Letter.

Language can bring unity or division in our personal and public lives, but there are tools to help us better understand why certain speech works or fails. In this project, you will examine rhetoric through historical and contemporary examples, analyze the rhetorical appeals and devices utilized by a speech-maker within your own community, and apply these techniques by composing a persuasive speech about a major political issue today. Learn about how language has been and can be used to communicate effectively and persuade an audience by investigating Political Speech.

Like expert advertisers, segments the ruling classes of society have used strategic methods for promoting their beliefs, including deliberately spreading misleading or biased information. In this project, you will define “propaganda” by studying historical and contemporary examples, identifying and analyzing different forms of propaganda in your own environment, and designing an artistic response - a remix - to a specific example of propaganda targeted at you. Learn about how information is manipulated to control public opinion and discover a creative strategy for confronting propaganda by investigating Propaganda Remix.

It is the science of life, and as such, biology is one of the most important, innovative, and exciting fields of study. In this project, you will define key concepts of scientific inquiry and study the language of biologists, conduct a scientific experiment on a select population, and present the data you collected as you reflect upon your work. Learn about biology by investigating Scientific Method.

This propject introduces the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to students by exercising fundamentals of geography and social studies.

In March 2012, the world population topped seven billion people. As our population continues to grow, natural resources are dwindling due to human consumption, and the resources that remain are unequally distributed. More than ever, our world needs thoughtful, engaged, global citizens to address the world’s growing crises.

The UN SDG Map project will ground you with fundamental reading, research, and writing skills necessary to enter into the global conversation. Through project-based inquiry, you will study the greatest challenges facing our planet, practice the principles needed to achieve the SDG targets, and create a map that communicates your discoveries and encourages viewers to question their assumptions about the world.

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In Self-portrait, you will examine a range of self-assessments and use them to better understand yourself and your lifelong journey of change — personal, academic, and professional. You will learn to consider each assessment’s psychological verifiability. You will critique these assessments, identifying benefits and limitations, so you may better understand both their power to assist human interaction and their potential to create barriers. You will channel your self-discovery into the creation of a self-portrait, which is explained through an artist’s statement.

You are a social entrepreneur seeking to positively impact the world. You are pitching your business to an audience with the potential to dramatically influence your ability to bring your product/service to market and build a sustainable organization. Your goal is to produce a video pitch because your audience is global. To prepare for your pitch, you will dive into the concepts of mission and vision, discover your “hedgehog concept”, create budget projections, and craft a marketing and sales plan that can be executed through your proposed organizational structure. But in the end, social entrepreneurship hinges on YOU; will you be able to convince investors to support you and consumers to buy your product?

Throughout history, people and ideas have been banned for being perceived as threatening or dangerous. In this project, you’ll learn to ask effective and thought-provoking questions that challenge the status quo, pursue the true meaning of a common concept or idea and use the Socratic method to examine the world around you. Learn about the history of dangerous ideas in Socratic Dialogue.

The purpose of this Mastery Project is to explore the relationship between matter in its different forms and the energy that can be produced by converting matter into fuel. You will review various types of matter, revisit kinetic and potential energy, follow the path from energy source to fuel in your home/business, practice reading energy bills from local utility companies, and interview a representative from a utility company serving your community. You goal is synthesize what you learn and to present your case for investing in a specific renewable energy source to more than 20,000 attendees at a global energy conference. You will research the cost of implementing a renewable energy source in your home, calculate the cost savings over time, determine the break-even point for your investment, and produce a video that summarizes your findings.

The purpose of this Mastery Project is to behave as an organizational consultant by performing a SWOT Analysis. Your goal is to improve your school’s ability to bring out the best in each individual to fulfill its mission.

Faith, tradition, and reason often serve a lessons are often sources of beliefs, and provide a lens through which one views the world. In this project, you will inquire into the nature of truth and reality. You will, and reflect upon Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and, conduct an interview testing key concepts with someone who holds an opposing viewpoint. You will use these experiences to , and produce a podcast sharing your beliefs and how they have developed. Learn about how exploring your truths can lead to a deeper understanding of who you are by investigating This I Believe Podcast.

This Mastery Project requires big picture exposure to the field of I-O Psychology — its history, fundamental psychological relevance, and systems dynamics (an organization's ability to attract and serve its employees symbiotically). Upon completion of the Mastery Project, you will be of greater value to every community in which you meaningfully engage, and you will experience a shift in your relationships with yourself, others, and the world.

Year-round access to fresh vegetables and tropical fruits is evidence of a global food system that has taken centuries to develop. In this project, you will explore the human and environmental costs of our modern food system, observe local plant life, and examine the threats to our current way of eating. Grapple with how to feed the world nutritiously and sustainably in United Nations Speech.

Political speeches can be used to inspire and mobilize individuals, and provide valuable lessons in effective rhetoric. In this project, you will identify elements of rhetoric that promote unity and analyze these at work in a historical example, study the unifying force of political art in your community, and create your own rhetorical piece to inspire unity around a cause you deem important. Learn about how to unite an audience using effective rhetorical techniques in Unity Poster.

In addition to television and print, journalism is also produced and shared in purely audio form through radio broadcasts and digital podcasts. In this project, you will learn skills and concepts that guide the work of radio-journalists, interview an individual about the most influential voice of their time, and produce a podcast that presents the story of that voice by creatively integrating different interview and sound elements. Learn about the role of a radio-journalist and produce your own podcast using the essential skills of interviewing, script-writing, and sound-editing by investigating Voice of a Generation Podcast.

Water Why do some people in the world have access to clean water and not others? How can mathematics help you understand global water resources, and how can this understanding empower you to take action and persuade others to create a more equitable and sustainable world?

In this project, you will review basic Algebraic concepts contextualized by a resource essential to all life on Earth: water. After learning basic skills, statistics and concepts, you will create an awareness campaign that informs people about global water usage and access to this fundamental resource.

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Placing an emphasis on wellness and prevention is a critical way of thinking about disease and developing cures. In this project, you will study the history of vaccination and developments in nutrition science, conduct an interview with relatives to better understand medical history, and produce your own well-researched prevention health and wellness plan. Learn about nutrition and the role it plays in maintaining a balanced body by investigating Wellness Plan.