Keystone Design 8
Course Description
Students are agents of change. We learn as a result of action. Students in Keystone Design 8 will use critical thinking, inquiry, analysis, and communication to engage in deep conversations about race, culture, and identity in society. They will develop ideas and create solutions, evaluating the effectiveness of these solutions to affect change. Action and inquiry are the heart of how we learn as we solve problems on a personal and global level. Just as the "keystone" supports the entire archway, the leadership and design experiences that students have in this class will support their life as a whole.
2025-26 Course Overview - English
Park and Learn: Crafting Personal Identity and Purpose Through Keystone Design
Keystone Design Teacher Rob Hansen is preparing students for their journey beyond 8th grade – one that delves deep into identity and personal lived experiences. It's not often that students engage in deep conversation and thinking about their identity, and Keystone Design, offered for 8th grade students, allows space for reflection and action. Watch our video on Keystone Design and learn how individuals solving problems on a personal level can benefit everyone.
Design Cycle and Community Project
Students have been developing their racial literacy throughout their time at St. Louis Park Public Schools. Keystone Design 8 will allow students to extend their learning and culminate in the 8th Grade Community Project as part of the IB MYP.
Using the IB Design Cycle, students will inquire into a problem of their choice and identify their prior knowledge. Either working alone, as a partner, or a group of three, they will use critical thinking to conduct research and examine multiple perspectives. They will develop their own ideas and take action toward a solution. Finally, they will reflect on their learning and action and present to other students about their journey.
The Community Project has historically been an additional capstone project that was done during third quarter as part of the IB MYP, but will now be embedded into the Keystone Design 8 course.
Keystone: Then and Now
Keystone started at St. Louis Park Middle School with a group of students during the 2017-18 school year. This video includes interviews of those students from both 2018 and 2022 as they share their thoughts and reflect on their experience in the Keystone program.
Jackson Carter
Keystone Design 8 Teacher
carter.jackson@slpschools.org
Rob Hansen
Keystone Design 8 Teacher
hansen.robert@slpschools.org
Mehgan Setten
Keystone Design 8 Teacher
setten.mehgan@slpschools.org