As the culminating experience for Beacon students, the Capstone Course meets many standards across several content areas. The following list includes many of these standards:
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RI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S GRADE SPAN EXPECTATIONS
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W-12-10 Students use a recursive process, including pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and critiquing to produce final drafts of written products.Â
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W–12–11 Students demonstrate the habit of writing extensively by…
- W–12–11.1 Writing with frequency, including in-school, out-of-school, and during the summer
- W–12–11.2 Sharing thoughts, observations, or impressions
- W–12–11.3 Generating topics for writing
- EXAMPLES: Journal writing, free writes, quick writes, viewing/reading response journals, reflective writing, short plays
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W–12–1 Students demonstrate command of the structures of sentences, paragraphs, and text by…
- W–12–1.3 Recognizing organizational structures within paragraphs or within texts
- EXAMPLES (of text structures): description, sequence, chronology, proposition/support, compare/contrast, problem/solution, cause/effect, investigation, deductive/inductive
- W-12-1.4 Applying a format and text structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context
- EXAMPLES (of formats): academic essay, screenplay, critical analysis
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W–12–2 In response to literary or informational text, students show understanding of plot/ideas/concepts within or across texts by…
- W–12–2.1 Selecting and summarizing key ideas to set context, appropriate to audience
- W–12–2.3 Connecting what has been read (plot/ideas/concepts) to prior knowledge, other texts, or the broader world of ideas, by referring to and explaining relevant ideas, themes, motifs, or archetypes
- W–12–2.4 Explaining the visual components (e.g., charts, diagrams, artwork) of the text, when appropriate
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W–12–3 In response to literary or informational text, students make and support analytical judgments about text by…
- W–12–3.3 Using specific details and references to text or relevant citations to support thesis, interpretations, or conclusions
- W–12–3.4 Organizing ideas, using transitional words/phrases and drawing a conclusion by synthesizing information (e.g., demonstrate a connection to the broader world of ideas)
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W-12-4 In written narratives, students organize and relate a story line/plot/series of events by…
- W–12–4.1 Creating a clear and coherent, logically consistent structure
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- EXAMPLES: Biographical or historical accounts, fiction or non-fiction stories, personal narratives, narrative poems or songs, parodies of particular narrative styles (fable, soap opera)
- W–12–4.2 Establishing context, character motivation, problem/conflict/challenge, and resolution, significance of setting, and maintaining point of view
- W–12–4.3 Using a variety of effective transitional devices (e.g., ellipses; time transitions: such as flashback or foreshadowing; white space; or words/phrases) to enhance meaning
- W–12–4.4 Using a variety of effective literary devices (i.e., flashback or foreshadowing, figurative language imagery) to enhance meaning
- W–12–4.5 Establishing and maintaining theme
- W–12–4.6 Providing a sense of closure
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W–12–5 Students demonstrate use of narrative strategies to engage the reader by…
- W–12–5.1 Creating images, using relevant and descriptive details and sensory language to advance the plot/story line
- W–12–5.3 Developing characters through description, dialogue, actions (including gestures, expressions), and relationships with other characters, when appropriate
- W–12–5.4 Using voice appropriate to purpose
- W–12–5.5 Maintaining focus
- W–12–5.6 Selecting and elaborating important ideas; and excluding extraneous details
- W–12–5.7 Controlling the pace of the story
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- EXAMPLES: Developing tension or suspense
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W–12–14 In reflective writing, students explore and share thoughts, observations, and impressions by…
·        W–12–14.1 Engaging the reader by establishing context (purpose)
·        W–12–14.2 Analyzing a condition or situation of significance or developing a commonplace, concrete occasion as the basis for the reflection
·        W–12–14.3 Using an organizational structure that allows for a progression of ideas to develop
·        W–12–14.4 Using a range of elaboration techniques (i.e., questioning, comparing, connecting, interpreting, analyzing, or describing) to establish a focus
·        W–12–14.5 Providing closure - leaving the reader with something to think about
·        W–12–14.6 Making connections between personal ideas and experiences and more abstract aspects of life, leading to new perspectives or insights
o       EXAMPLE: In a reflection upon a personal friendship, a student identifies a new insight about the relationship.
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W-12-9 In independent writing, students demonstrate command of appropriate English conventions by…
·        W–12–9.1 Applying rules of standard English usage to correct grammatical errors
o       EXAMPLES: subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent, consistency of verb tense, case of pronouns
·        W–12–9.2 Applying capitalization rules
·        W–12–9.4 Applying appropriate punctuation to various sentence patterns to enhance meaning
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OC–12–1 In oral communication, students demonstrate interactive listening by …
§        OC–12–1.1 Following verbal instructions to perform specific tasks, to answer questions, or to solve problems
§        OC–12–1.2 Summarizing, paraphrasing, questioning, or contributing to information presented to advance understanding
§        OC–12–1.3 Identifying the thesis of a presentation, determining the essential elements of elaboration, and interpreting or evaluating the message
§        OC–12–1.4 Participating in large and small group discussions showing respect for individual ideas
§        OC–12–1.5 Reaching consensus to solve a problem, make a decision, or achieve a goal
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OC–12–2 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by …
- OC–12–2.1 Exhibiting logical organization and language use, appropriate to audience, context, and purpose
- OC–12–2.2 Maintaining a consistent focus
§        OC–12–2.3 Including smooth transitions, supporting thesis with well-chosen details, and providing a coherent conclusion
o       EXAMPLES (of support and elaboration): Using anecdotes, analogies, illustrations, visuals, detailed descriptions, restatements, paraphrases, examples, comparisons, artifacts
- OC–12–2.4 Effectively responding to audience questions and feedback
- OC–12–2.5 Using a variety of strategies of address (e.g., eye contact, speaking rate, volume, articulation, enunciation, pronunciation, inflection, voice modulation, intonation, rhythm, and gesture) to communicate ideas effectively
- OC–12–2.6 Using tools of technology to enhance message
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APPLIED LEARNING STANDARDS
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The four applied learning standards will be met through this project:
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1.                 The student-artist must design a product (their film). (A1a)
2.                 The student-artist will prepare an oral presentation and formal written components of their film, including a written report, and complete script. In addition, the film itself will serve as a multimedia demonstration of their work. (A2a, A2b)
3.                 The student-artist will gather information on themselves, their chosen content area (visual, performing or culinary arts), their career goals and filmmaking techniques in order to complete their project. The student-artist will use word processing software to complete written components of the project. (A3a, A3c)
4.                 As part of a thorough evaluation process, each student-artist will use journal entries to reflect on their progress throughout the course and will adjust their priorities as needed to meet deadlines. At the conclusion of the project, student-artists will evaluate their own performance. (A4b, A4c)
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CONTENT STANDARDS
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The following content standards have been adapted from the Rhode Island Department of Education’s State Frameworks as well as the Content Standards developed by the National Arts and Education Network, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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1.                 Student-artists will conceive and create a film that demonstrates an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media techniques and processes they use. (RI Visual Arts 1)
2.                 Student-artists will write a film script that includes original characters with unique dialog and/or narration that motivates action. Student-artists will improve their scripts through improvising, writing and refining their scripts. (RI Theatre 1,National 1)
3.                 Student-artists will integrate other arts and/or media in their film production. (RI Theatre 4, National 6)
4.                 Student-artists will analyze the effect of their own personal, social and cultural experiences on their film production.(RI Theatre 3, National 8)
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