Introduction

Warning!

Last update: April, 2025. Make sure to follow your school’s up-to-date instructions

What is this guide?

This is a guide I wrote (in high school) and published (in September, 2024) to help Egypt STEM Schools’ students perfect their Capstone Projects.

What is the Capstone Project?

The Capstone Project is a part of the Egypt’s STEM school’s curriculum. It is one semester long; you must do a Capstone Project every semester. Students collaborate in small groups and go through the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to solve real-life problems related to Egypt’s Grand Challenges (learn about the EDP). More on the Grand Challenges below.

A completed Capstone Project Prototype

The Capstone Project makes up 60% of all school subjects, and it is further divided into four categories: Personal Journals (40%), Prototype (10%), Capstone Portfolio (10%), Capstone Exhibition Poster (30%), and Capstone Log Book (10%), as shown in Table 1. Personal Journals are assessed by teachers (outside the school) using the Personal Journal Rubric, Capstone Log Book is assessed by the Capstone teachers (inside the school), the three other categories are assessed by external evaluators using the Capstone Exhibition Rubric*.

*There have been rumors that the Capstone Portfolio is assesed by the teachers of the student’s school, similar to the Capstone Logbook.

Category Assessment Tool Evidence
Personal Journals – 40% Personal Journal Rubric Highest four of the five Personal Journals that are administered biweekly in the Capstone session.
Prototype – 10% Capstone Exhibition Rubric Capstone Prototype
Capstone Portfolio – 10% Capstone Exhibition Rubric Capstone Portfolio
Capstone Exhibition Poster – 30% Capstone Exhibition Rubric Capstone Exhibition Poster
Capstone Logbook – 10% Capstone Logbook
Table 1: Assessment and grading of the Capstone Project

What is the Capstone Challenge?

The Capstone Challenge is a detailed explanation of the project you’re tasked to do. It is specific to each semester. See recent Capstone Challenges here.

It includes:

  1. Theme: e.g., energy, matter, feedback, etc.
  2. Recommend Grand Challenges (GCs): See the next section.
  3. Big Idea: Detailed explanation of the idea behind the project.
  4. Essential Question: A broad question that shows the project’s purpose.
  5. Design Challenge: Design instructions, limitations, and advice.
  6. Design Requirements: Measurable design benchmarks you should set and aim to pass.
  7. Constraints: Self-explanatory.

Here is a table summarizing the Capstone Challenges of each semester.

Semester Theme GCs Big Idea Design Challenge
Semester 1 Matter & Materials 3 Construction Dam, bridge, tunnel, etc.
Semester 2 Energy & Power 1 Eelectricity generation Energy-capturing device
Semester 3 Treatment 6, 8 Water/air treatment Physical, chemical, and/or biological treatment
Semester 4 Feedback & Sustainabiltiy 5, 10, and 11 Smart sustainable system Varies
Semester 5 Communication 5 ICT Varies
Table 2: All semesters’ themes, grand challenges, big ideas, and design challenges.

See the numbering of Grand Challenges in the next section to identify the GCs in the table. Semester 1 and 2 are during grade 10; 3 and 4 during grade 11; and 5 during grade 12.

What are Egypt’s Grand Challenges?

Egypt’s Grand Challenges (GCs) are the 11 most threatening challenges to Egypt’s development. Any of them are “too grand” to be solved by one group project; hence, students must aim to solve a specific sub-problem of the GCs (known as the Problem to Be Solved). The GCs help with finding and defining the Problem to Be Solved, as it is closely related to more than one GC. Egypt’s Grand Challenges are

  1. Improve the use of alternative energies.
  2. Recycle garbage and waste for economic and environmental purposes.
  3. Deal with urban congestion and its consequences.
  4. Work to eradicate public health issues/disease.
  5. Increase the industrial and agriculture bases of Egypt.
  6. Address and reduce pollution fouling our air, water and soil.
  7. Improve uses of arid areas.
  8. Manage and increase the sources of clean water.
  9. Deal with population growth and its consequences.
  10. Improve the scientific and technological environment for all.
  11. Reduce and adapt to the effect of climate change.

What is the Capstone Portfolio?

The Capstone Portfolio represents the biography of the Capstone Project organized around the EDP components. It is used as a source of information to prepare for the Capstone Exhibition Poster and contribute to the Capstone Exhibition. Using Microsoft Word, one of the capstone team members sets up the Capstone Portfolio following the Capstone Portfolio Template and ensures that all team members have access to it; you can use Microsoft OneDrive for uploading and sharing the Capstone Portfolio. (You can use this complete guide or the Capstone Portfolio Template; both will guide you well.)

What is the Capstone Exhibition Poster?

The Capstone Exhibition Poster is the primary tool used to communicate the project’s progress, research, scientific base, and results to the external evaluators during the Capstone Exhibition. Being a scientific poster, it is often regarded as the “summary” of the entire Capstone Project.

It consists of the Capstone Portfolio‘s Chapter III and Chapter IV. However, some parts of Chapter III and Chapter IV are not included in the Capstone Exhibition Poster; read Generating and Defending a Solution (for Chapter III) and Constructing and Testing a Prototype (for Chapter IV) to learn what parts are in the Capstone Exhibition Poster. One of the Capstone Exhibition Poster‘s requirements is to be clear and look appealing; you will learn more about this in the Poster Layout section.

Timeline and Summary

We now understand the Capstone Project‘s different parts, but it’s still unclear what you’ll be doing exactly. Here’s a simplified 20-step of the whole process:

  1. Read the Capstone Challenge (specific to your semester).
  2. Choose 4โ€“5 related Grand Challenges.
  3. Specify a Problem to Be Solved.
  4. Write the Capstone Portfolio‘s Chapter I.
  5. Brainstorm and reach a solution (concept).
  6. Convert that into a designed prototype.
    • Document reasons for any and all choices (e.g., dimensions, mechanism, etc.).
  7. Create a 3D design for the prototype.
  8. Write the Capstone Portfolio‘s Chapter II.
  9. Get/buy the prototype’s materials.
    • Document each material’s picture (online or taken), quantity, description, and price.
  10. Build the prototype.
    • Rcord every step along the way through pictures and videos.
  11. Test the prototype and video it.
  12. Generate results.
  13. Write the Capstone Portfolio‘s Chapter III and Chapter IV.
  14. Design the Capstone Exhibition Poster. See how here.
  15. Convert Chapter III and Chapter IV into the Capstone Exhibition Poster.
  16. Write the remaining few parts of the Capstone Exhibition Poster .
  17. Convert the Capstone Exhibition Poster into an A4 version with double line spacing.
    • You will submit this version as a DOCX and PDF.
  18. Design covers for the Capstone Portfolio and Capstone Exhibition Poster‘s A4 version.
    • They must include project name, group number, logos (school and Ministry of Education), school name, members’ names, school year, grade, and semester. The Capstone Exhibition Poster‘s A4 version has keywords in addition.
  19. Create a PowerPoint presentation, summarizing the Capstone Exhibition Poster.
    • You will use this when presenting.
  20. Attend the Capstone Exhibition.

If things still aren’t super clear, finish reading the guide then come back to this. In a general sense, you understand the problem, find a solution, build a prototype, test it, generate results, and convert your project and findings into something presentable before actually presenting. You also document everything (ideas, reasoning, construction, testing, results, etc.) as you do all of that.

Writing Tips

Throughout writing the Capstone Portfolio and Capstone Exhibition Poster, some tips will help you:

  1. Generally, you want to be implementing academic writing. Learn that skill from whatever source you like.
  2. Use Microsoft Word. When submitting your project, they’ll request both a PDF and a DOCX.
  3. Follow the Capstone Portfolio Template and include a Table of Contents at the start.
  4. Justify (as in “to click Ctrl+J“) all body paragraphs.
  5. Use Times New Roman as the primary font for the Capstone Portfolio and Capstone Exhibition Poster.
  6. Set the body font size to 14 points in the Capstone Portfolio.
  7. Some headings are more heading than other; correctly format them, giving them different font sizes.
  8. Avoid using personal pronouns (e.g., I, you, he, she, we, us, him, her, his, hers, its, theirs, our, and your).
  9. Use punctuation marks (e.g., semi-colons, colons, hyphens, en-dashes, and em-dashes) correctly.
  10. Make use of online grammar checkers (see Grammarly, which you can get as an add-in for Microsoft Word) to ensure the quality of your writing.
  11. Use the American Psychology Association 7th edition (APA 7) correctly (see this guide or this guide). Visit and read the two linked guides. Also read the following tips that you might not notice/find from reading the guides:
    • Visuals in APA 7 are either figures or tables (yes, there are no graphs).
    • There are also non-visual equations, which you need to mention, too.Have descriptive captions for all figures, tables, or equations. Always mention figures, tables, or equations in your text at least once. Also, cite them.
    • When mentioning figures, tables, or equations, write Figure N, Table N, or Equation N with a capitalized F, T, or E, where “N” refers to the number of the figure, table, or equation.
    • In the figure, table, or equation captions, there are no periods (.) at the end (e.g., “Figure 1: Egypt’s population growth from 1990 to 2012”).
    • Make use of citation machines; make sure you choose APA 7 and review the generated citation before putting it in the Capstone Portfolio (see Scribbr Citation Machine).
    • Do not remove the indent or unitalicize words in the bibliography (see this journal article citation example or this book citation example).
    • ADVANCED: Use in-text citations before the sentences’ periods (for sentences) or after the paragraphs’ periods (for paragraphs) to direct the reader to the exact source of the information.
  12. Do NOT plagiarise (see this infographic) and make sure your writing is original by using a plagiarism checker.
  13. Be clear, concise, descriptive, and cohesive (yes, each one has a different meaning). Avoid redundancy as much as possible.
  14. IMPORTANT: Use evidence like figures, tables, equations, facts, and statistics to prove, explain, or show points. Avoid solely relying on “logic” or “common sense.”

Present and Justify a Problem and Solution Requirements

This is the first chapter (AKA Chapter I) of the Capstone Portfolio. In a general sense, it is about the problem you’ll be solving.

Egypt Grand Challenge(s)

Introduce Egypt’s Grand Challenges, explain what they are, and explain why they are critical to address and solve.

In one small introductory paragraph, you should explain what Egypt’s Grand Challenges are. List the 11 Grand Challenges after clarifying why they greatly threaten Egypt’s development and impede its economy, agriculture, and industry. Write the paragraph under the title “Introduction.” This section should be right before the first Grand Challenge.

Which Egyptian Grand Challenge(s) are you addressing, and why are they important to address?

Specify (four to five) Grand Challenges that are related to the Capstone Challenge (specifically, the big idea). Each Grand Challenge consists of three sections: Overview, Causes, and Impacts. The “Overview” section answers the question above using evidence (statistics, figures, tables, etc.) and not just using logic or common sense (which applies to the entirety of the Capstone Portfolio).

You can have multiple paragraphs, figures, or tables in the “Overview” section. The “Causes” and “Impacts” sections contain three to four causes and three to four impacts; each cause is a paragraph, and each impact is a paragraph. Make sure to mention at least one piece of evidence for each cause or impact. Avoid using multiple figures, tables, or equations in a single cause or impact.

Note that the Causes and Impacts sections should discuss the causes of the Grand Challenge’s emergence and the negative impacts of the Grand Challenge‘s unstoppable existence. For example, the causes and impacts of the “Improve the use of alternative energies” Grand Challenge should discuss why there is a lack of alternative energies and emphasize the negative impacts of having a lack of alternative energies.

Problem to Be Solved

What specific problem are you addressing?

You answer this question in the first section of the Problem to Be Solved, the “Overview” section. Make sure that the Problem to Be Solved you chose is more specific than the Egypt Grand Challenges and is more specific than just connecting those Grand Challenges. You can use multiple paragraphs in the “Overview” section; however, you should avoid writing figures, tables, or equations in it.

NOTE: You theoritically can include figures, tables, or equations โ€” there’s no rule that prevents you. It’s just that it’s customary not to do that. However, both options are supposedly valid.

Try starting with the broad idea of two or three main Egypt Grand Challenges and then arriving at a more specific idea by mentioning the main connection between these Grand Challenges. Then, you would try to make this connection more specific to reach the Problem to Be Solved. Your goal is to achieve coherent interconnected paragraph ideas that would make up an essay for the Problem to Be Solved‘s Overview section.

What are the impacts or consequences related to dealing with that problem?

Explain the major positive (if the problem is solved) and negative (if the problem is not solved) consequences, listing three to four negative consequences (each in a paragraph) and three to four positive consequences (each in a paragraph).

Hence, the Problem to Be Solved consists of three sections: Overview, Positive Consequences (If Solved), and Negative Consequences (If Not Solved). Avoid using multiple paragraphs, figures, or tables in a single consequence. Avoid redundancy: for example, do not mention “Reduced Greenhouse Emissions” as a positive consequence and then mention “Greenhouse Effect” as a negative consequence.

Research

Which topics did you research about the problems?

Explain different topics that will help in a deeper understanding of the problem. This section is called “Topics Related to the Problem.” It consists of further researched topics that lead you to understand the specific problem better. They include but are not limited to the specific problem, its causes, impacts, and related aspects. They should be addressed as negative topics related to the continuity of the problem without being dealt with.

One possible example is Photochemical smog’s rise as an impact on the usage of building materials that are not environmentally safe (where their industrial processes have greenhouse gas emissions) to build pedestrian tunnels.

Lastly, the section consists of three to four topics addressed according to an Egyptian perspective (avoid broad definitions and statistics). The three or four topics can contain multiple paragraphs, figures, or tables.

Which topics did you research about the solutions?

Explain different topics related to the possible approaches to solving the problem. They’re often scientific concepts that are to the solution. This section is called “Topics Related to the Solution.” These are considered subtopics of your solution. They’re supposed to be ideas that helped you better understand and apply your solution.

For instance, if the Capstone Challenge is to build a tunnel, the modulus of elasticity, stress, and strain are physics concepts that will help in choosing reinforcement bars materials for the tunnel.

Other Solutions Already Tried

What prior solutions have been applied to try to solve this problem?

Mention and explain four past solutions you have found when researching how you can solve this problem yourself. These solutions should be actual engineering projects that had the goal of attempting to solve the problem and not just projects that can be interpreted as a prior solution to the problem. In each of the four prior solutions, you have four sections: Overview, Mechanism, Points of Strengths, and Points of Weaknesses.

In the Overview section, you will answer, “What prior solutions have been applied?” Mention essential details: who is responsible for the solution; where the solution is based; when the solution was built; and what exact problem the solution was trying to solve.

How do these prior solutions work? What are their mechanisms?

In the Mechanism section, you will answer this question in detail. Utilize figures to explain better how each solution works.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of those solutions?

In the Points of Strengths and Points of Weaknesses sections, you will answer this question using three or four points of strengths and three or four points of weakness. Avoid using multiple paragraphs, figures, or tables for each point of strength or weakness.

Generating and Defending a Solution

This is the second chapter (AKA Chapter II) of the Capstone Portfolio. In a general sense, it is about your solution (as a concept).

Solution and Design Requirements

What characteristics (Solution Requirements) should a successful solution have, and how each of these characteristics could make the solution successful?

In the first “Solution and Design Requirements” section, Solution Requirements, you answer this question with general solution requirements that must be in any effective, efficient, and successful solution. Examples of solution requirements are availability, durability, eco-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. Each solution requirement consists of one paragraph and no figures or tables.

Which Design Requirements did you choose, and why did you choose them?

In the second “Solution and Design Requirements” section, Design Requirements, you answer this question with design requirements that resemble your prototype’s benchmark of acceptance and rejection, where there should be one or more distinct aspects that will test your prototype’s effectiveness to be considered applicable in real-life projects. The design requirements are predetermined in the first semester of grade 10, but later on, you should choose your design requirement(s) and justify why you chose them.

Also, explain how each design requirement relates to the solution. Remember that a design requirement must be measurable. This section (Design Requirements) should be only one paragraph that includes an ending sentence referring to how your prototype will attain these requirements after being tested.

Selection of Solution

Describe the solution you decided to pursue and why you chose it.

Explain the solution in detail using multiple paragraphs. Remember that in this section, you demonstrate the idea of the prototype you will build to solve the problem and not the prototype itself.

Selection of Prototype

Describe in detail the prototype (design and construction) you have decided to construct and how it will meet the Design Requirements that you have chosen.

Add a SketchUP 3D design as a figure and describe your prototype in detail. Try to clearly show why you have chosen the dimensions of your prototype; justify all dimensions. Explain the methodology of your prototype in detail. Note that 3D designing using another computer program other than SketchUP is acceptable.

Constructing and Testing a Prototype

This is the third chapter (AKA Chapter III) in the Capstone Portfolio and the first half of the Capstone Exhibition Poster. In a general sense, it is about the prototpe you built.

Abstract

The Abstract is a brief 150โ€“250 words paragraph describing the work described in the poster. The Abstract must give the reader a clear understanding of the project without needing to read the entire poster. Tie the entire project together by summarizing the two or three main Grand Challenges, the Problem to Be Solved, chosen solution, Design Requirements, the prototype, Results, and Conclusions.

The Abstract includes (1) the purpose of the study, (2) a brief statement of what was done without going into (the methods’) details, (3) a brief statement of significant findings, and (4) major conclusions. The Abstract should generate excitement and desire to learn more about the topic; put great effort into writing it. Lastly, it does not include any visuals.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the “Abstract” title but NOT INCLUDED in the Capstone Portfolio.

Introduction

In the 250โ€“400 words Introduction paragraph, a connection is made between two or three main Grand Challenges,the semester’s Capstone Challenge, the Problem to Be Solved, two prior solutions (mentioning their strengths and weakness), chosen solution (and how it was chosen), and the Design Requirements. The Introduction must include a figure that highlights/explains the significance or impact of the two or three main Grand Challenges or the Problem to Be Solved.

The Introduction should move clearly from a broad view of the Grand Challenges to an increasingly narrow focus on the team’s chosen solution, Design Requirements, and prototype, justifying each choice (see the Funnel Technique). It should also provide smooth transitions from “what” choices were made to “why” they were made to the next section. At the end of the paragraph, you must transition to the next section, Materials and Methods, by mentioning that certain materials and methods were used to construct and test the prototype.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the “Introduction” title but NOT INCLUDED in the Capstone Portfolio.

Materials and Methods

What materials did you use to build the prototype?

Add a table that contains the Item (as in the name), Quantity, Description, Usage, Cost, Source of Purchase, and Picture of all the items you have used in your prototype. Remember to add the correct measuring units in the Quantity column. Do not forget to add a caption to this table and mention it. This table is included in the Capstone Exhibition Poster; however, the table would only include the Item, Quantity, Description, and Usage of the items. Remember to check the Capstone Challenge to ensure the prototype does not exceed the maximum cost (varies).

Materials table from a portfolio (hence the inclusion of price)

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the “Materials and Methods” title.

How did you construct this prototype using the materials mentioned above?

This section is often referred to as the “Methods” section; however, both Materials and Methods are inseparable as sections but rather one section named Materials and Methods. Mention the “Materials” table (e.g., “As shown in Table N, the materials were used toโ€ฆ”) and explain all the construction steps you took to build the prototype. Include Figures of the most crucial construction steps; that is why you should always document your construction using images and videos.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the “Materials and Methods” title.

List the safety precautions you took to ensure your team is being safe.

Moving on from the construction steps, you should write a separate paragraph about all the safety precautions your team took to ensure safety and prevent danger. These precautions include but are not limited to wearing protective clothing. Mention all types of protective clothing you have used.

This part IS NOT INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster.

Test Plan

List the Design Requirements you have chosen to test with your prototype.

This is considered a summary of the Design Requirements section in Chapter II‘s Solution and Design Requirements. Do not mention any justification or reasoning here.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster.

List the steps for each test plan on the prototype associated with each design requirement.

This is the Test plan part; it is very similar to the beforementioned “construction steps.” Explain all the steps you took to conduct the test plan. Like the construction steps, you should include figures of the most crucial test plan steps, so always document your test plan steps using images and videos. Address how the test plan addresses the beforementioned Design Requirements. During the Capstone Exhibition, you will be asked to show your test plan video and the images, so document your test plan(s).

This part (in addition to the Design Requirements part) IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster; however, both the Test Plan and Design Requirements parts are parts under the “Materials and Methods” title.

Data Collection

What measurement tools or instruments did you use? What level of precision, as well as the error, did you use in measurement?

These tools or instruments include but are not limited to sensitive balance, vernier caliper, and voltmeter. There is no limit to how many tools or instruments you can include. Write only one paragraph that answers these two questions together.

This part IS NOT INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster.

List all data collected in each test plan.

This part has two sections: Negative Results and Positive Results. In the Negative Results, you explain all the failed test plan trials and their reasoning. In the Positive Results section, you explain the positive thoroughly. Use visual data representation using tables or graphs. Also, avoid pie charts, which are often misleading (as angles are not easily estimated and compared by humans). Remember to include the correct measurement units and quantities for the inaccuracies/errors (ยฑ). The visual representation of the results alone (without the words) should lead the reader to a conclusion about the results. The results should be authentic and replicable.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster but with a different title: “Results.”

Evaluation, Reflection, Recommendations and Discussion

This is the fourth and final chapter ((AKA Chapter IV) in the Capstone Portfolio and the second and final half of the Capstone Exhibition Poster. In a general sense, it is about the science behind your project and its results.

Analysis and Discussion

What is the analysis of the prototype behavior? What is the analysis of the test plan results?

You answer this question by dissecting it into different ideas, with each consisting of a paragraph or figure. Tie performance results (positive and negative) to the original challenge or problem being addressed and to the Grand Challenge. Tie the prototype testing results to the Design Requirements. The prototype test results, pictures, graphs, charts, and other visuals must support the analysis. The analysis must be supported by scientific laws and theories.

Also, it should provide evidence of learning transfer of discipline Learning Outcomes (LOs). It must be clear, organized, and well-developed. It should use explanation and justification to persuade the reader that you have a good understanding and strong scientific base for the whole project. It is written to meet the needs of the intended audience.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the title “Analysis.”

What conclusions do you reach from the data you collected?

The test and measurements should be accurate enough to draw conclusions. The data should authenticate that the prototype met the identified Design Requirements. Conclusions must be drawn from the prototype test results and analysis. Conclusions drawn from prototype test results and analysis should be compared with the team’s research on other solutions.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the title “Conclusions.”

Recommendations

What recommendations do you have for future work in this area?

This includes recommendations on the prototype and the project idea’s real-life application. Recommendations must be specific; mention ways the project could be improved in the future. Recommendations should be practical and directed towards a future research, engineering, or policy group. Recommendations should clearly be informed by the problem and their proposed solutions.

Avoid recommending something that you could have done. With each recommendation (a way that the project could be improved), you should explain why you were not able to achieve this improvement (e.g., the price was high, it was unsafe, the required tools were not available, etc.).

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the title “Recommendations.”

Tell another team, who wanted to start where you stopped on your solution, what they should work on and consider improving.

This part is written as a small paragraph using active voice and personal pronouns (such as I, we, etc.) with no figures or tables. Include this in the Capstone Portfolio under the title “Recommendations to Other Teams” or “Recommendations to Future Teams.”

This part IS NOT INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster.

How did working on this project help you and your team to become better STEM School students?

This part includes the scientific, engineering, and social impacts. Include this in the Capstone Portfolio under the title “Project’s Positive Influence” or “Project’s Benefits.”

This part IS NOT INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster.

Learning Outcomes

Which ten discipline learning outcomes did you identify as related to your Design Challenge? Explain how each identified learning outcome was transferred to your Capstone.

Add a table containing ten rows (for ten discipline Learning Outcomes) and four columns: Learning Outcome (LO), Concept, Content, and Relation. When writing an LO in the LO column, first write the name of the subject and the LO code in brackets: e.g., Physics (PH.1.01). Remember that each subject has respective initial letters in its codes: Math is MA, Mechanics is ME, Earth Science is ES, Chemistry is CH, Biology is BI, and Technology is CS. The Relation column must contain a short paragraph that explains how the LO was helpful during the Capstone Project. Do not forget to add a caption to this table.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster in the “Analysis” with a requirement of six LOs โ€” no more, no less.

List of Sources in APA Format

List all research sources you used while writing the Capstone Portfolio using APA 7 format.

This part IS INCLUDED in the Capstone Exhibition Poster under the title “Literature Cited.” However, in the Capstone Exhibition Poster, you should only include five to seven (rather than all) credible and peer-reviewed sources (papers, books, or encyclopedias) that were used as references to the Capstone Exhibition Poster (or the Capstone Portfolio‘s Chapter III and Chapter IV).

Capstone Exhibition

Poster Layout

When designing the Capstone Exhibition Poster, there are things to look out for to ensure the poster looks pleasing:

  1. Columns: Use four columns for your poster
  2. Body text: must be readable from a distance of one meter. I found 20.5โ€“22.5 points to be the best (from experience and calculations).
  3. Images: must be an appropriate size relative to the body text. The should be clear from a distance of one meter, too.
    • ADVANCED: Create original figures, whether they’re graphical or visual, to accurately show your point.
  4. Project title: at the top, short, descriptive , and easily readable from two meters (words must be 1.5โ€“2.5 cm tall or 43โ€“71 points). The title must not be just an acronym (e.g., “BPE”); however, adding an acronym next to the full title is acceptable (e.g., “Best Project Ever (BPE)”).
    • WARNING: Don’t name your project “Best Project Ever” or any similarly undescreptive names. This is just an example of acceptable usage of accronyms in the title.
  5. Sub-titles: student names. Their size ranges from sub-sub-titles or more to less than the project title. You have freedom here.
  6. Sub-sub-titles: school names, grade, semester, academic year, group number, and keywords. In a section that is 20-30% smaller than the title (basically 30โ€“57 points, but depends on the title). Here’s an example: “STEM High School for boys – 6th of October | Grade 11 | Semester 2 | 2022โ€“2023 | 10210.”
    • NOTE 1: the group number has 5 digits. The first two are the school (e.g., “10” for STEM October) and the last three are for your group within your school.
    • NOTE 2: I didn’t include keywords in the example because they have to specific to your project. Use 5โ€“7 keywords.
  7. Logos: You must add the logos for your school and the Ministry of Education in the two top corners.
Capstone Exhibition Poster

Presentation

When presenting during the Capstone Exhibition, there are things to look out for to make sure the presentation goes well:

  1. The Capstone Team should present the entirety of the poster in 15 minutes; the Capstone Exhibition is divided into 15 minutes of presenting and 5 minutes of answering the evaluator’s questions. However, if the evaluator wished to ask during the first 15 minutes, the team should use the entire 20 minutes to present and answer questions (at the same time) mid-presentation.
  2. Starting from the Introduction, you should introduce yourself and your team.
  3. Show that the materials are student-purchased, the prototype is student-built, and safety precautions were followed.
  4. Respond to all of the evaluator’s questions, comments, or requests. Never make them wait. Always answer their questions (at least in a concise way).
    • Example of making them wait and hurting your score: “Oh, we will talk about that in the end.”
  5. Use formal, professional, and appropriate language.
  6. Never speak in Arabic unless you are directly asked to do so.
  7. Speak with appropriate loudness and speed. Avoid speaking with the same tone. Change your tone when you want to emphasize key points.
  8. Use gestures and body language. Demonstrate enthusiasm for the subject and show interest in evaluation. In short, act happy and energized.
  9. Provide materials and handouts.
    • I occasionally provided a two-page explanation for the calculations we did for the real-life application because neither the portofolio nor the poster have space to include such intricate and detailed calculations.
  10. Have your test plan video(s) ready to roll. This is super important.
  11. Have all your Literature Cited open on your laptops.
    • Highlight everything (facts, statistics, figures, tables, equations, etc.) that you have used in your poster in preparation to answer any “Where did you get this information from” evaluator questions.
  12. Have confidence, stay respectful, and NEVER raise your voice.
  13. Be ready to start the test plan on command. If the test plan is too long, be ready to at least show parts of it, and make sure you explain why the entirety of the test plan would not take less than 20 minutes.

Personal Journals

This makes up 40% of your Capstone Mark. In short: very important.

FAQs

When are the Personal Journals (Journal Assessments) done?

Every two Mondays (or Wednesdays), all STEM School students of a certain grade (10, 11, or 12) sit in their Capstone Sessions and answer the Journal’s questions. During the 60 minutes, all students are proctored by their school’s teachers. Google Forms is (often) used to collect the answers; sign in using your school-issued email (the one ending with “@stem[branch].moe.edu.eg”).

How many Personal Journals are there?

There are five primary Personal Journals per semester. Additionally, a sixth Personal Journal Makeup is held at the end of the semester for all students that missed a primary Personal Journal due to some excuse.

How many Personal Journals are used to calculate the Capstone Mark?

Only the best four of five Personal Journals are considered when evaluating the Personal Journals‘ grade, which is 40% of the Capstone Project total grade.

What is the number of questions in a Personal Journal?

For grade 10 students, there are only three questions. For grade 11 and grade 12 students, there are four questions.

How many words must be written in each prompt?

You must write 150โ€“250 words as an answer to each paragraph. Writing less than 150 words might result in a Red or Yellow score (see below), while writing more than 250 words may result in an inability to submit your response. Keep in mind that the Google Form typically has a maximum limit on the overall amount of characters you can submit (when all answers are summed).

Prompts’ Categories

There are four main categories for the questions/prompts in Personal Journals: Personal Reflection; Team Collaboration; Using the Engineering Design Process; and Learning Transfer.

Personal Reflection

Personal Reflection questions ask about your viewpoints, interpretations, and personal growth as a person, STEM Student, Capstone Team Member, or Capstone Team Leader. Yes, they expect all of you to be leaders.

Team Collaboration

Team Collaboration questions ask about your role in the team setting and your opinions about how collaborative behavior would solve conflicts and problems. Personal Reflection and Team Collaboration are sometimes merged or interchanged, as they both inquire about personal aspects and opinions. The first prompt is always a Personal Reflection or Team Collaboration question.

Using the Engineering Design Process

Using the Engineering Design Process questions ask about your progress doing the Capstone Project; the EDP steps you have taken; and justification for your choices (for materials or solutions). It’s useful to review your Capstone Project Calendar to expect which stage in the EDP and which chapter in the Capstone Portfolio they’ll be asking about.

Questions of this category require you to provide a clear, insightful reflection. To know if your reflection is good, ask yourself this question: “Is this reflection well-developed enough that others attempting the same or similar project would find it useful?” The second prompt is always a Using the Engineering Design Process question.

Learning Transfer

Learning Transfer questions require a basic understanding of the Learning Outcomes (LOs) of the subjects that are related to your Capstone Project. They ask about how a specific concept, idea, or notion in an LO might help advance or help you in solving the problem.

The connection between the Capstone Challenge and LO is often unclear at a first glance. In fact, this category reguarly asks impossible questions, so use your wild creativity to answer โ€” and good luck (you’ll need it). The third and fourth prompts are always Learning Transfer questions. Note that Grade 10 students do not have a fourth prompt.

Grading System

Answers are evaluated based on a color-based grading system. Each answer is evaluated and given one of four colors: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue.

Red

A Red score indicates that the response did not answer the prompt or that it did not display a correct understanding of the topic being addressed. A Red score is rare. Note that plagiarizing will result in getting a Red score.

Yellow

A Yellow score indicates that the response does not address every aspect of the prompt question. Questions have multiple parts, and all (not some) parts must be addressed. A Yellow score is uncommon.

Green

A Green score indicates that the response addresses every aspect of the prompt question. If all the parts of the prompt are answered accurately, a Green score is given. A Green score means that the response showed a very comprehensive and complete understanding of the topics in the prompt. A Green score is the most common.

Blue

A Blue score indicates that the response meets the Green criteria and demonstrates an even deeper understanding. It is the highest score; it is given when you “go above and beyond” by showing creativity and mentioning specific, accurate examples in your response. A Blue score is uncommon.

Rules

Some mandatory-to-follow rules that govern Journal Assessments:

  1. Students must take the Journal Assessment during a Capstone Session (that’s typically on Monday or Wednesday).
  2. Students in the same grade at all schools must take the Journal Assessment simultaneously.
  3. Students shall not work in groups but rather individually.
  4. Students shall not use the internet to look up information.
  5. Students shall not use the Capstone Portfolio for information.
  6. Students shall not use unauthorized prepared responses.
  7. Students shall not use other students’ answers.
  8. Students shall not use AI-written answers or any work that’s not their own. (Not an “official” rule but rather a de facto rule).
  9. Students shall not purposefully allow other students to see or use their answers.
  10. Students with an excused absence are allowed one Personal Journal Makeup.
  11. Every student has the right to take all five Journal Assessments, and the lowest score is dropped.

Tips

Since 40% of your Capstone Project‘s grade relies on your Personal Journal scores, you must ensure the quality of your responses. Here are a few tips:

  1. Although it is acceptable to only write 150 words, I personally advise you to write 200โ€“250 words in each answer. This is because, unfortunately, quantity matters more than quality in some circumstances, and the Journal Assessment is oftentimes such a circumstance.
  2. When answering Personal Reflection or Team Collaboration questions, your response should be about what you (singular) think and feel rather than the entire team. Avoid saying “we” or “us.” Keep the answer about yourself.
  3. Divide your answer into a brief introduction, detailed body paragraph, and summary conclusion. Ensure the main points you want to get across are noticeable.
  4. Do not spend much of your time fixing grammar and punctuation mistakes. Poorly-written, great, unique ideas will score higher than perfectly-written generic, bad ideas.
  5. Use examples that help the reader understand your statements. This is super important.
  6. Use equations when answering Learning Transfer prompt. There is at least one equation that is relevant 90% of the time. You can be sure there’s a certain equation in their rubric. They will try to find it. If they do, you’re good. If they don’t, you’re cooked.
  7. The teacher who is going to assess your response is not an engineer or scientist. Do not assume that they will have a complete understanding of the EDP or literally any scientific concept you are using in your Capstone Project. You might imagine that a chemistry teacher would not need detailed explanations in your answer to a chemistry-related Learning Transfer, and that is true. However, any evaluator grades anyone’s three (or four) answers at once, even if an Learning Transfer question is unrelated to their subject. For example, a CS teacher can and will grade your answer to a chemistry-related Learning Transfer question, so ensure your answer is understandable by any teacher that teaches a completely unrelated subject.

Capstone Logbook

In 2025, the Central STEM Unit added the Capstone Logbook, which makes up 10% of the Capstone Mark. The Capstone Exhibition Poster‘s percentage was decreased from 40% to 30% as a result.

FAQs

What is the Capstone Logbook?

It is a cloud-based document where each student must write at least one page per week, detailing their contributions and providing evidence (e.g., receipts, resources found, screenshots of written sections) for that week.

When does the Capstone Logbook start and end?

It starts on the day the Capstone Challenge of the semester is officially announced. It ends on the day of the Capstone Exhibition.

How is the Capstone Logbook assessed?

There is no official rubric (yet); however, it is said to be based on an “all-or-nothing” basis, where if you contributed, you receive the full mark, and if you didn’t (or didn’t write the week’s entry), you do not.

Who assesses the Capstone Logbook?

The assigned Capstone teacher for your class is responsible for assessing your logbook on a weekly basis; however, this does not always happen.

Rules

Some (unwritten) mandatory-to-follow rules that govern Capstone Logbook:

  1. Students submit a link for viewing the live cloud-based logbook document at the start of the semester.
  2. Students must complete the week’s entry by one of the two Capstone Sessions that happen every week (depends on the school, class, teacher, etc.).
  3. Students should (arguable) not work in groups except for one exception (see 4).
  4. If two or more members collaborate on a contribution, they must write it together and credit each other to receive the mark.
  5. Students shall not use unauthorized prepared responses.
  6. Students shall not use other students’ answers.
  7. Students shall not use AI-written (arguable) answers or any work that’s not their own.
  8. Students shall not purposefully allow other students to see or use their answers.

Closing

I hope you find the guide helpful

Because the Capstone Project is ever changing (see the Warning!), please email me with updates. Use an email title like “Capstone Guide – Updates” or “Capstone Guide – Critiques”. I will probably respond within days (thanking you!) but take weeks to update it โ€” sorry!

Ace that project!
Hazem Moghni
STEM School Graduate Who Cares