{"id":3356,"date":"2019-01-28T15:24:20","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T15:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resedblog.wpengine.com\/?p=3356"},"modified":"2021-03-29T00:38:24","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T00:38:24","slug":"high-school-seniors-present-college-level-theses-to-panelists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/responsiveed.com\/responsiveed-blog\/2019\/01\/28\/high-school-seniors-present-college-level-theses-to-panelists\/","title":{"rendered":"High School Seniors Present College-level Theses to Panelists"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Seth Morris proudly supports daughter Breanne before her presentation<\/p><\/div>\n

On Thursday night, January 17, the <\/span>Founders Classical Academy (FCA) of Lewisville<\/span><\/a> cafeteria was full of excitement and nerves as families and community members gathered in reception as students made the final preparations for their long-awaited presentations. <\/span><\/p>\n

FCA Lewisville seniors are expected to prepare a thesis as part of their capstone project. In this, they are encouraged to address a significant question of the Western tradition: \u201cWhat does it mean to be human?\u201d, \u201cWhat is a citizen?\u201d, \u201cWhat is justice?\u201d, \u201cWho is a hero?\u201d, \u201cWhat is beautiful?\u201d, and \u201cWhat is the good life?\u201d \u00a0Each senior writes, orally delivers, and then defends a 14-16 page thesis on a topic of their choosing that emerges from the school curriculum. <\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to the start of the school year, incoming seniors were given a list of authors who have books included in the existing school curriculum and were able to choose their subject of choice. Throughout the first semester, students were assigned a faculty advisor to guide their thesis development and give presentation feedback during practice. <\/span><\/p>\n

The students worked hard in the months leading up to Senior Thesis Night, in and out of the classroom. FCA Lewisville senior Breanne Morris says, \u201cThe teachers incorporated this project into multiple subjects so that we could spend more time organizing and developing our arguments.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am very proud of the hard work Breanne, my daughter, has put in. I\u2019m sure she\u2019s a little nervous, but I know she will do great,\u201d <\/span>Seth Morris<\/span>\u00a0goes on to say, \u201cFounders Classical Academy has made such an impact on my family. All four of our children have gone to this school.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Founders Classical Academy of Lewisville teachers serve as panelists.<\/p><\/div>\n

Founders Classical Academy strives to instill the pursuit of knowledge in their students and encourages them to do all work to the best of their ability. According to FCA Lewisville Headmaster <\/span>Jason Caros<\/span><\/a>, a thesis is more than just your typical research paper. It\u2019s an exercise in deep reading and critical writing with a clear theme and focus. In the written paper, students provide and defend a detailed argument concerning their themes, relying primarily on direct textual evidence from their chosen classic book. The writing standards are at the level of college undergraduates and each part must support their main idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breanne chose to focus on <\/span>The Hunchback of Notre-Dame<\/span><\/i><\/a>, a French Romantic\/Gothic<\/span> novel written by Victor Hugo and published in 1831. The title of her thesis is \u201cDelirium: The Progression of Claude Frollo\u2019s Fall.\u201d While focusing on the questions mentioned above, she unpacked the proof of Frollo\u2019s moral decay and how it affected the main characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Joshua Thomas presents \u201cLes Miserables: You Make a Life by What You Give.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

This year, 63 seniors presented their papers publically and defended their theses before a panel of faculty and in front of a classroom of peers and other attendees. Many attendees commented on how the ideas presented by the students proved that they are wise beyond their years. Hannah Scott presented an explanation of \u201cLove in Sense and Sensibility<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u201d <\/span><\/i>and how it relates to <\/span>The Four Loves<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>written by C.S. Lewis. Joshua Thomas dove into \u201c<\/span>Les Miserables<\/span><\/i><\/a>: <\/span><\/i>You Make a Life by What You Give\u201d an in-depth look at the power of charity in our everyday life. Esther Kuykendall spoke on \u201cSin and Shame in <\/span>The Scarlett Letter<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u201d and answered tough questions from the panel regarding the meaning of \u2018true beauty\u2019 and the hypocrisy in society\u2019s judgment of the main character.<\/span><\/p>\n

Caros says, \u201cThe senior thesis presentation completes the thesis project and is an opportunity to celebrate our seniors\u2019 education accomplishments in the good, true, and beautiful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe thesis is a reflection of two things we aim to form in students: eloquence and wisdom,\u201d says Caros. \u201cWhile the students demonstrate deep knowledge of their topics, Senior Thesis Night was a celebration of their scholarly work and academic virtues, including courage and perseverance.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n