Capstone Project Proposal

Name of student: Zachary Steininger

Date: December 12
Teacher: Mrs. Lacroix
Capstone strand I have chosen is Project Strand
Proposed title for my project: Model House lit by LED lights

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that
you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

What is the best household design to ensure the least amount of energy usage from lighting.

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry
connect to your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

This inquiry is one that I have had ever since I have started to look into the electrical trade,
specifically into household electronics. It directly connects to the career path I plan to go
down.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this

area of inquiry?

I have so far, worked a bit with electrical circuitry in classes in school as well as in the
electrical trade program’s workshop that they set up last year.

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What
connections does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

My current intended career area is in the electronics trade. This capstone project will directly
connect with the concepts that I will be learning as I go into this field.
Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

Personal Awareness and Responsibility:

Strengths:
1. I understand my decisions and actions can affect me.
Every decision and action I do will affect what I am able or unable to do in the future. For
example, if I am not to do any work in my classes, I know I will fail. If, however, I do all the work I have
been asked of, I will most likely pass, if the work I have done is to what the teacher desired. I realise
that, in order to continue in life, one must take great care in the decisions and actions that they make
as, down the line, it will affect them. Much like a snowball starts out small at the top of a snowy hill
but grows as it rolls down to create a much larger ball.
2. I understand learning takes patience and time.
Last year, we had to learn a lot in what seemed to be a shorter time than years previously because of
the new half system. This meant that I had more time to practice than the year before, but not as
much as I may have had 2 years prior. So, I studied as hard as I could in the new subjects that I
struggled with and learned a valuable lesson, something I had been told, but I never actually gave a
proper look at, practice makes perfect. I wasn’t perfect in my classes, but I still gave them my best try.
Area of Improvement:

1. I can express my needs and seek help when needed.

When it comes to asking for help when I need it, I usually will try and find a way to solve a problem
first. It is usually my go to solution for this, as I haven’t always liked asking for help from others. This,
however, usually will not go as I may plan it. For example, last year, I didn’t seek out help for my
physics class, and so when tests did come, I would end up not doing well on them. So far, I have been
progressively trying to improve this by telling myself if I need help, I should ask for it.
Social Responsibilities:
Strengths:
1. I can identify and appreciate different perspectives on issues and use and evaluate strategies
to resolve problems.
Last year, in History, we had to look at a lot of different perspectives on issues that have happened or
are still ongoing and give our own takes on the said issues. As a class we learned about similarities
between Indigenous peoples here in Canada and the Palestinian people. We didn’t really create
solutions for either issue, but it helped me identify and appreciate the different perspectives people
had on these topics.
2. I have positive peer and intergenerational relationships.
I always try to have a positive mindset and attitude while around peers and colleges as it is an
important thing to do in order to maintain a healthy work or school environment. Whenever there is
a disagreement in this said environment, I usually want to stay out of it, in order to keep it from
escalating. In other cases, if a disagreement occurs between myself and another person, I will usually
try to deescalate the situation and come to an agreement.
Area of Improvement:
 1. I am aware of my community and environment and work independently and collaboratively
for the benefit of others.
For the most part, I am now aware of my own community and environment and try to work to create
a positive environment for all people in it. However, it is not always for the benefit of all others.
Usually, if I try to preserve a healthy environment, whether in school or otherwise, it requires
preventing people from fighting over small issues. However, it can be difficult to prevent further
conflicts if two or more people cannot themselves stop fighting. I will usually then ignore efforts by
either side in presenting their own answers as it may cause more fighting. I realise that this is not the
right way of handling such a situation and I consistently work to prevent such a issue from taking
place.
Critical Thinking:
Strengths:
1. I can analyze and make defensible judgements, draw conclusions and consider a variety of
perspectives
Last year, in History, as a final project for the World War 2 unit, we had to debate with other groups
whether it was justified that the nuclear bomb was used at the end of the war. Being assigned that it
was not justified, my group had to create an argument to convince other groups that it was not
justified. Using text we had on this topic, we created, what I believe to have been, a solid argument
that the use of the nuclear bomb was not justified, despite us agreeing that it was. This act required
me and the group to be able to consider the opposite side to what we believed.
2. I can assess my progress.
I can assess my progress easily when I set up the way of analyzing it first. If I want to be more effective
at what I done, I understand that it is not just about what I must do, but what I have done to get to
this point. For example, it is not just about what I must do to pass school, I know I need to pass my
classes in order to do that. I also know, that to even pass these classes, I need to show that I can take
what I have learned and use it for myself.
Area of Improvement:
1. I can analyze and critique my work and my learning.
While I can analyze my work and what I have done, it can be difficult for me to give any substantial
advice that could help. For example, for most of the work I have done so far in my classes, I can only
come up with some critiques for my own work. Something like, more detail or to show more work in
the cases of English and Math. I understand that I must work to look over my work in more detail and
see things that I may not be able to see with a quick look through.
Creative Thinking:
Strengths:
1. I can create new and unique ideas that may provide new perspectives that influence how
people think about topics.
If I know a certain topic, I will usually tell other people about it if they are also talking about said topic.
For instance, while with my friends, we usually have long conversations on certain topics or current
events and give our opinions. This is something that I find easy to do, talk about our own views on a
topic, and explain our own sides of the story. Most of the time, it will end with us all either coming to
an agreement or sticking to our own ideas.
2. I can persevere, and understand that failure can be productive
This year especially, I have learned that failure isn’t the end of a given path and just a part of it. I
didn’t pay much attention to assignments as I should have, and they piled up until I was faced with
the realization that if I didn’t do all of them, I would fail. So, after being told this, I picked up myself
and got to work, finishing, as of now, all but one assignment.
Area of Improvement
1. I can use the environment around me, including others, and my unconscious mind to generate
new ideas.
It is very difficult for me to come up with new ideas or ideas that I had a long time ago unless
something jogs my memory. For instance, I found that even for this assignment, it was hard to come
up with ideas that could help explain why I feel that I am good or bad at certain things. I find it
difficult sometimes to even come up with ideas or topics to research if I am asked because I over
analyze it. I have now learned that what I should do is look over an assignment first and do whatever
comes easiest and save the more difficult ones for later.
Communication:
Strengths:
1. I can listen, learn to contribute meaningfully to discussion and debate, consider different
perspectives, and build consensus.
Going back to the previous example of my debate project in History, I learned much about my own
side that my group researched, as well as a lot about the other side of the debate. I saw their
perspectives and they were able to see our side as well. This way, both sides agreed and disagreed
with others, but altogether acknowledged that both sides had some merit to them.
2. I can work with other students to plan, inquire, and solve problems.
This year, we looked in depth at communication and how it is important to succeed at your job, and in
life. We worked in groups to solve seemingly easy problems like putting nails on a string or drawing a
picture based on another person's description. Specifically, the nails on string one allowed us as
groups to plan together and solve a problem that was much harder than it seemed.
Area of Improvement:
1. I can reflect on the processes of learning and share what I have learned.
I have found reflections to always be the most difficult parts of most projects. It is usually because I
have a hard time finding all that I have learned about myself, and not just what we learned about a
topic. For example, in some of my classes, such as English or history, I had to highlight what I had
learned about myself after a project, like what I learned about my own learning or my own personal
opinions on a topic. I found that the looking back at the skills I had learned in a project was the most
difficult one to determine.
Personal and Cultural Identity:
Strengths:
1. I understand how what I value has and will shape my choices.
I understand that no matter how neutral to a decision I may be, I will always have a bias towards one
side or the other. For instance, going back to the conversations my friends and I have together, we
usually will come to agreements on most things, however, because we are all different people, we will
always have differing opinions on some topics. I always try to realize this, and thus is why some
debates end with us agreeing to disagree with a topic, in order to keep our friendships, and our own
 opinions.
2. I understand what is important to me.
When it comes to understanding what is important to me, it is easy to list what I know, rather than to
bring up a specific event that proves it. However, to find what is important to yourself, you need to
find out why they are so important to you. For example, my friends and family are important to me,
not just because of companionship, but because they are always there for me and are willing to
support my decisions.
Area of Improvement:
1. I understand how to use my strengths and abilities to my advantage, and I can explain how I
use them to contribute to my community.
For the most part, I know what my strengths and abilities are, the only issue being, for the most part, I
have not applied them enough to realize how they may contribute to the community. For example, I
know I can communicate with others well, and be able to empathise with others. However, I have
never been able to really use this to my advantage. I can realize that someone is not ok, but I have
never been able to really help anyone, as it has usually happened in the past and cannot be redone.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to
present your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once
completed. You may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o imovie presentation
o YouTube channel

I will be using a physical portfolio in order to display my capstone project. As well I will be
using a PowerPoint to present my progress in building and working on the project.

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what
will you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced
at the end of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your
proposal.

The final product of my capstone project will be a small house that will have lights and
switches in it, that will work independently from one another. I will have to look into the
specifics firstly on how the wooden house will come together, mainly what size the walls,
floors, and roof will be. My plan at the moment is to have a house that is 1ft deep, 2ft wide,
and 2 ft tall, with a shingled roof. The house will be open on the side, and will be able to be
looked at from outside. The light switches will be on the walls of the house, that will switch on
and off the lights on the ceilings of the rooms they occupy. Their will be 5 rooms, 2 on the
bottom and 3 on the top with at least 1 LED and switch in each. The lights and switches will
 be hooked up to the back of the building, where all the circuitry will meet and be powered by
the batteries. The entire building will be painted and decorated to look as though it is just a
miniature house’s cross section. The first step will have to be building the floor and ceiling
pieces. Then the 3 wall pieces will need to be cut out and nailed to the 1st and 2nd floors, as
well as the ceiling. Then, afterwards, the roofs crossbeam needs to be made to allow the
shingled roof to be added. The wiring comes after the frame is complete. The components will
be connected firstly outside the house to ensure that they work. Afterwards, they will be put
inside the house. The wall dividers and roof will be added last along with the final touches.
Finally, a last minuite check will be done to ensure everything is ready and complete.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and

skills you will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to
access/learn all of the resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail
your plans.

The resources I will need to achieve completion of this project will be, some kind of
lightweight wood, like thin plywood, thin electrical wiring, small electrical switches, electrical
resistors, led lights and 2 9-volt battery-packs.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will

you need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you?
What is your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this
project?

In terms of mentors/community connections, I would most likely need a mentor who knows
how to build basic electrical circuits, as well as how they work and would interact with each
other.

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee
that might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

Some possible capstone limitations that I may have might be time, as I only have half the
normal time due to me changing my capstone project halfway through the term. However,
probably a bigger factor, which ties into time, is the ordering and receiving of the items
required for this project. The main worry I have is that the items I have to order online, might
take longer than I expect them to. So, to prevent myself from being stuck without anything to
do, I plan on preparing the house first, with everything ready to go, before the electrical
 components are added, to give enough time to receive them.

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about
your project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

References:

Attach a REFERENCE LIST. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.
An example is provided on page 21 of your Capstone booklet.