12th Grade · Full-year course · 4 units
Capstone science
Week 1 is free. Tap Week 1. The reading and the problems are on that lesson. Weeks 2–36 open with a Life Academy plan ($35/month per student or $69/month per family (up to 4 students)).
Unit 1: Foundations
Weeks 1–9Week 1Capstone launch: pick an NGSS investigation or an engineering problemWeek 2Write a testable question and name IV, DV, and controlsWeek 3Literature brief: three sources, one claim eachWeek 4Methods draft and safety plan (IRB-lite)Week 5Prototype or experiment cycle 1 — collect raw dataWeek 6Measurement error, significant figures, and a repeatable tableWeek 7Mid-capstone gate: does the question still match the data?Week 8Methods defense: why this design beats a weaker oneWeek 9Cycle 2 — change one variable only
Unit 2: Building fluency
Weeks 10–18Week 10Troubleshoot a failed trial, contamination, or a broken prototypeWeek 11Analyze: graph, pattern, outlier honestyWeek 12Quarter review: CER from your own notebookWeek 13Build week: apparatus, code, or model at credit qualityWeek 14Iterate: keep one change, kill one change, write whyWeek 15Near-peer review: someone else marks holes in your CERWeek 16Midyear gate: freeze the question — no topic-hoppingWeek 17Public demo prep: 3-minute oral plus one figureWeek 18Polish experiments or final prototype tolerances
Unit 3: Depth & application
Weeks 19–27Week 19Lock the dataset — no silent edits after this weekWeek 20Rehearse against a timer; answer two hostile questionsWeek 21Run the final protocol or stress-test the buildWeek 22Limitations: what your data cannot claimWeek 23Poster or board: title, figure, method, result, next testWeek 24Formal peer review on a rubric (not “looks nice”)Week 25Write the final report in IMRaD orderWeek 26Showcase prep: notebook on the table, safety visibleWeek 27Oral explainer: teach a 9th grader your result
Unit 4: Mastery & showcase
Weeks 28–36Week 28Transcript packet: hours, standards tagged, artifacts listedWeek 29Public demo A with an outside listenerWeek 30Demo B / repairs from demo A notesWeek 31Lab cleanup, inventory, and notebook archiveWeek 32Credit packet: scan, caption, and date every artifactWeek 33Seal the year: what a college or trade reader sees in 90 secondsWeek 34Narrative: the problem, the failed try, the resultWeek 35Bridge: AP, dual-enrollment, trade, or work — what this provedWeek 36Science credit locked: final teach-back and signature page