The Ring of Fire
ASSESSMENT TASK ONE
Group Presentation
Overview:
Your group has been given the task by your head of government to investigate the
relationship between seismic activity in your location and tectonic plate boundaries.
You will be working with other groups of geologists from around the world who are
conducting the same research. Using the data collected, and the knowledge you have
gained during this unit, your group will create a presentation outlining your findings.
Aim:
Present a 5-6 minute PowerPoint presentation discussing the occurrences of
geological activity in your group’s location. You will collect data each day using the
Earthquakes@GA website and record any earthquakes that occur within your region
during the 3 weeks of this unit. You will record this activity both in an excel
spreadsheet and on a world map in the classroom. At the end of the 3 weeks, all the
data will be collated, and a global picture of seismic activity will be revealed.
Presentation:
-
-
Briefly discuss plate tectonics
o The history behind its discovery
o How has our understanding of this theory changed our understanding of
geology and geological phenomena?
Discuss the data which the class collected
o Is there a pattern to/correlation between the recorded earthquakes and
tectonic plate boundaries?
Discuss how tectonic plate boundaries influence your group’s chosen location
o Is there regular seismic activity? Why/why not?
o How does this relate to what we have learned?
Include at least 5 appropriate references
o NO Wikipedia
o Access resources from the school library, online and from class
resources
Marking:
This task will form a significant portion (50%) of your academic mark for this unit.
Students will be graded on the quality and detail of the report, including their spoken
and visual presentation AND their participation in class discussion (asking questions)
between other presentations.
Please see the Assessment Rubric for a more detailed marking criteria.
RING OF FIRE- MARKING RUBRIC
Criteria
Subject knowledge
(8 Marks)
Teamwork
(8 Marks)
Presentation- Delivery
(8 Marks)
Presentation- Visual
(4 Marks)
Class Participation
(4 Marks)
Organisation/ Time
management
(4 Marks)
References
(4 Marks)
Strongly meets or exceeds
requirements
The group demonstrated an
understanding of both the major
and minor concepts of the unit
and showed evidence of
extensive research into the
topic.
The group demonstrated
exceptional teamwork and
communication, distributed
tasks evenly and ensured every
member contributed to the final
project.
The group showed evidence of
rehearsal and spoke clearly and
evenly. Each member spoke
confidently, interacted with their
visuals, and did not have to
refer to notes.
The group’s slideshow was
excellently presented,
conveying information clearly
and providing an engaging
visual aid.
The group was able to give
detailed answers to questions
following their presentation and
each member asked questions,
including follow up questions,
after other presentations.
The group demonstrated
excellent preparation and
organisational structure, their
presentation allowed time for
appropriate questions and
answers.
The group used an exceptional
variety of high-quality
references, exceeding the
minimum requirements.
Meets Requirements
Meets Limited Requirements
Does Not Meet Requirements
The group demonstrated an
understanding of the major
concepts and showed evidence
of research into the topic to
support their presentation.
The group demonstrated a
basic understanding of the
major concepts and limited
research effort.
The group did not demonstrate
knowledge of the major
concepts or evidence of
research effort into the topic.
The group cooperated well, and
all members contributed to the
project evenly.
The group cooperated on a
basic level to complete the task;
however, the workload was not
shared evenly among members.
The group did not collaborate or
communicate well. Members
worked independently without
coordination and their
contributions were not even.
The group demonstrated
preparedness for the
presentation, spoke evenly
throughout and rarely referred
to notes.
The group presented their ideas
clearly however they did not
maintain a clear voice or
volume and regularly referred to
notes.
The group did not demonstrate
preparedness. The presentation
was difficult to understand or
follow, members spoke poorly
or read entirely from notes.
The group’s slideshow
connected with their
presentation visually and
provided clear information.
The group’s slideshow was
unhelpful to their presentation,
visuals were unconnected to the
topic or poorly organised.
The group could answer
questions posed by other
groups, and each member
participated in asking questions
following other groups’
presentations.
The group demonstrated
organisation through their
presentation and finished within
the allotted time.
The group’s slideshow included
topical visuals however was
cluttered with unnecessary
material that distracted from the
presentation.
The group asked few questions
following other groups’
presentations and did not
demonstrate preparation when
answering questions of their
group.
The presentation was generally
organised but lacked clarity.
The presentation was too short
or long.
The group provided an
adequate number of references
correctly.
The group provided appropriate
references, however fell short of
the minimum number required.
The group provided a poor
selection of references or
included inappropriate
references.
The group were not able to
adequately answer questions
on their presentation and did
not ask questions following
other groups’ presentations.
The group was poorly organised
and did not manage their time
appropriately.