NORTHWEST COLLEGE
HISTORICAL GEOLOGY
EXTRA CREDIT PRESENTATIONS
1)
THE PALEOZOIC ERA:
Suggested Presentations
Paleogeography including the formation of the Appalachian, Ouachita Mountains, and Pangeae.
Evolution of Life including the Burgess Shale, development of the fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
Other suggested subtopics include selected periods of the Paleozoic Era such as the Carboniferous
Period (coal formation via cyclothems), the Permian Period of West Texas, or the Permian Extinction.
2)
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TOPIC
PRESENTATION DATE
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THE MESOZOIC ERA:
Suggested Presentations
Paleogeography including the formation of the Rocky Mountains and the rifting of Pangeae (Tethys
Seaway and the ancestral Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean Sea).
Evolution of Life including the development of the Dinosaurs (should include taxonomy), birds
(Archaeopteryx and Protoavis), and aquatic reptiles.
Other suggested subtopics include selected periods of the Mesozoic Era such as the Jurassic Period
(Louann Salt) and the Cretaceous Period (mass extinction of animals).
NAME
TOPIC
PRESENTATION DATE
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3)
THE CENOZOIC ERA:
Suggested Presentations
Paleogeography including current tectonic events (Himalayan Mountains, Mount Saint Helens, San
Andreas Fault, etc.).
Evolution of Life including the development of the Mammals and the Hominids (Human Evolution).
Other suggested subtopics include selected mammals (mammoths, whales, cats, dogs, etc.), and
epochs of the Cenozoic Era such as the Pleistocene Epoch (ice ages).
NAME
TOPIC
PRESENTATION DATE
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INSTRUCTIONS:
The presentation will be coordinated with the classroom lecture. The presentation will be in PowerPoint Format.
Supplement your presentation with outside references. Extra credit will be based on 1) the degree of subject difficulty, 2) new
information brought before the class, 3) quality of presentation, and 4) general preparedness. Public speaking finesse will not
be a factor in your grade. You are not required to turn in any written material.
The three cardinal rules of delivering an excellent presentation are;
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1) Be natural! Sit, stand and move about in your usual manner, just as you would if engaged in an animated
conversation with a friend. A self-confident presenter has an alert, erect, but comfortable posture.
Speak with energy in your voice.
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2) Look at your listeners! People tend to mistrust anyone who does not look them in the eye, and hence they
undervalue the speaker’s ideas.
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3) Communicate with your body as well as your voice. Keep your hands free, when you feel an impulse to
gesture do so easily and naturally. Let other movements of the body respond to impulse when appropriate,
however, do not force movement.
Remember, developing good presentation finesse is a process of habit formation; it does not happen overnight! I want you to
enjoy your experience and use it to build your own self-confidence. I will be glad to help you assimilate WEB research into a
PowerPoint Presentation.
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