IPS Masterworks
Can a 14-year-old be expected to conduct a public presentation similar to a TED talk? IPS students have been doing so for over 20 years through a program called Masterworks.
Our middle school curriculum recognizes the importance of independent study. Self-selected, self-directed, and self-presented, this Masterworks independent study project is compulsory for every Grade 9 student and marks a significant academic achievement at IPS.
Masterworks projects include big, guiding questions such as, “What is peace?”, “How to make a positive difference in the world?”, “Flying in Tune: Bridging the Gap Between Computers & Humans”, “Fruit of the Forbidden Tree: Power, Morality and Personal Choice” or “Growing North: Food Security in the Arctic”
Masterworks Project Requirements
The project requires that students:
+ Produce work that surpasses their previous accomplishments
+ Conduct in-depth research
+ Communicate their understanding to academic advisors and the general public in an oral presentation that also serves as a defense of their scholarly and creative pursuits
+ Critically reflect on input they receive throughout the school year by experts and mentors who serve as external committee members.
External Advisors
Students are mentored through the process by expert advisors—leaders in their respective fields—who act as external advisors.
Working collaboratively with IPS faculty, advisory committees guide Grade 9s through the Masterworks process that puts students at the centre of their learning and that provides a foundation for academic achievement.
Interested in becoming an external advisor? Contact us!
Project Topics
In past years, students have made documentary and animated films, created original works of art, written extensive research papers, written and published a novella, and built an actual boat. These middle school activities and projects reflect the uniqueness and interests of our individual students.
We love the diversity of projects the students come up with and, while each project is unique, what is common among them is that a highly focused level of scholarship, academic inquiry, and creativity underpin original questions asked by our students about the world in which they live. This diversity is reflected in our middle school curriculum.
2019 Masterworks Presentations
| Date & Time | Presentation | Presenter | Faculty Advisor | External Advisor(s) |
|---|
| Monday, June 10 |
| 9:00am | 48 hours: A Critical Timeframe in Solving a Homicide | Lola Massey | Victoria van Schouwen | Neil Boyd, Jodi-Anne Warren |
| 10:00am | What is the Meaning Behind our Dreams? A Cultural and Historical look at Dream Analysis | Nia Davis-McGregor | Anthony Doiron | Mary Doherty |
| 11:00am | Make up Effects - Transformation for Film and Television | Leelee Young | Diana Ray | Sarah Elizabeth |
| 1:00pm | Celtic Music - My Journey Through The Process of Composing A Celtic Song | Ursula Frid | Jennifer Henrichsen | Claude Giguere, Elaine Taylor |
| 2:00pm | How Music can Affect your Personal Journey | Ava Bicknell | Victoria Van Schowen | Cecile Larochelle |
| Tuesday, June 11 |
| 9:00am | My Journey through Animation | James Wilson | Pam Matthews | Curtis Wright, Josh Mepham |
| 10:00am | 'Playing God' - the Ethics, Science and Legality of Gene Editing | Harrison Cormier | Pam Matthews | Dr. Christian Kastrup, Heather MacRitchie |
| 11:00am | Plastic Pollution in our Oceans | River Hooper | Charlotte Patterson | Nick Page, Bob Turner |
| 1:00pm | Time Dilation - An Investigation into the Theory of Relativity and it's Application in Theoretical Events | Twyla Frid | Jennifer Henrichsen | Jason Ford, Reed Bement |
| 2:00pm | Anxiety Disorders - Methods of Coping | Wyatt Durand | Anthony Doiron | Dr. Gayle Goldstein |
| Wednesday, June 12 |
| 9:00am | Jazz Music and Black Rights - Evolving Together in America | Grace Calder | Jennifer Henrichsen | John Stiver |
| 10:00am | Impressionism: Exploring the First Major Art Movement through Painting | Carmen Shea | Amanda Szabo | Janet Essevia, Ann Beaty |
| 11:00am | Mechanical Engineering of High End Bicycles | Viggo Henrichsen | Charlotte Patterson | Colin Kerr, Dan Cowan, Jeff Bryson |
| 1:00pm | Social Engineering - the Psychological Methods Hackers use to Steal your Information | Jessica De Connick | Adrian van Lidth de Jeude | Andrew Szabo, Kevin Ellsworth |
| Thursday, June 13 |
| 9:00am | Games, Fame and the Victorious Claim - an In Depth Analysis of Why we Play Games | Jake DeLuise | Scott Herrington | Edward Douglas |
| 10:00am | The Basics of Film Acting | Jasmine Farah | Jen Zdril | Anne Marie DeLuise, Michelle Harrison |
| 11:00am | Are Ghosts Real? - A study of the Paranormal | Jalen Hudda | Adrian van Lidth de Jeude | Edward Watchman, Lorraine Ashdown |
| 1:00pm | Video Games- A look at the Coding behind your Favourite Pastime | Callum Baker | Adam Ovenell-Carter | John White, Carmine Carpino |