You have studied several different biomes/ecosystems recently.
During this school year, you have also learned how to do research
from books and the Internet and to produce presentations using the
PowerPoint software. Now it is time to use all of those skills to make
your final PowerPoint presentation of the seventh grade. You are
going to make a presentation about one biome/ecosystem which can
be found in Texas. You will use this multimedia presentation to
demonstrate your understanding of research, biomes, and
PowerPoint to your classmates and your teacher. It will be like a final
exam on these basic skills. It will count as several grades – some
formative, some summative.
You will be given step by step instructions to accomplish this. You
will receive each step of the instructions as you finish the previous
step. This sheet will serve as your grade sheet during this project.
All of the instructions sheets must be turned in as one packet at the
end of the project.
Step One Planning Your Presentation will be completed at home
before Friday, April 20,/Monday, April 23. Having this assignment
completed when you come to class on Friday/Monday will be a 100
formative grade.
Step Two Research will be done in class on Friday, April
20/Monday, April 23. The basic requirement of 20 notecards from
three different sources must be completed by the end of the period on
Friday/Monday. This includes having a bibliography card for every
resource. Completing this assignment on schedule will be a 100
formative grade.
(Further research may continue throughout the project.)
Refer to ;your rubric to know the required topics.
Step Three Story Board will be done both at home and in class.
You will receive the instructions as soon as you have completed your
basic research. You will work on it in class on Tuesday, April
24/Wednesday, April 25. Those days will have shortened periods
due to TAAS testing. The rest of the work will be done at home.
The story board must be completed before you may begin working on
the PowerPoint software in the computer lab. Your first day in the
computer lab will be Thursday, May 3/Friday, May 4. To receive a
100 for this assignment, your story board must be completed
according to ALL of the instructions when you come to class on that
day. You may get it checked whenever it is complete. Because this
is the third storyboard you have done, this will be a summative grade.
Refer to your rubric to know the topics and other requirements you
must do.
Step Four Making Your Slides will be done in the computer lab on
Thursday, May 3 – Thursday, May10. Each class will spend three
days in the computer lab. This should be plenty of time, but you may
come to tutorials on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
There will be a formative grade based on your progress on each
class day in the computer lab.
By the end of the period on Thursday, May 3/Friday, May 4, you
should have completed typing your text on all of your required slides.
Refer to your rubric to know what topics must be covered.
By the end of the period on Monday, May 7/Tuesday, May 8, you
should have completed all required clip art and drawings. Refer to
your rubric to know what the requirements for clip art are.
By the end of the period on Wednesday, May 9/Thursday, May 10,
you should have completed all changes, transitions and other
required additions to the slides. This includes all checklists and
forms. Refer to your rubric to know the required items.
Step Five Presentation You will teach your class about your
biome/ecosystem during the week of May 14. You will be graded on
your ability to communicate your knowledge of your biome/ecosystem
with your words, your actions and your slides. This will be a
summative grade.
Step Six Final PowerPoint Grade Your set of slides will be
checked to determine how well you have met all of the requirements.
This will be done beginning on Friday,
May 11. The grading will be done based on the following rubric.
This will be a summative grade. It will be the largest grade of the
project. It will count as a big test.
BIOME POWERPOINT RUBRIC
Requireme
nt
Storyboards
Possi
ble
Point
s
4
SelfEvaluatio
n
Look at this Points
slide(s)
Earne
d
Teacher’s
Comments
20 slides
4
8 Different
Layouts
Used
Title Page
6 Slides with
Clip Art
4 Slides with
Drawn
Pictures/Obj
ects
Bullets
Dimmed on
One Slide
Color Added
or Changed
on10 Slides
Slide
Timings
8
Transitions
on all slides
Sound on 3
Slides
5
Resources
Cited
Slide(s)
Chart/Graph
/Table on 2
Slides
Biotic
Substances
10
Abiotic
Substances
8
Food Chain
6
3
6
4
3
5
3
3
4
8
Adaptations
of
Organisms
Environment
al
Conditions
(including
weather)
Total
8
8
100
STEP ONE
Planning your Presentation
This step needs to be completed before you come to class on Friday,
April 20, or Monday, April 23.
1. Select your biome/ecosystem. You may make your presentation
about one of these ecosystems: Ocean
Deciduous Forest
Desert
Wetlands/swamp/marsh
Grassland/prairie
Seashore/beach
Lake
Write the name of your biome here:
_____________________________________
2. What do you already know about the environmental/climate
conditions of your biome?
_____________________________________________________
___
_____________________________________________________
__________
_____________________________________________________
__________
3. What organisms live in your biome?
_________________________________
_____________________________________________________
___________
_____________________________________________________
___________
4. What do you need to find out about your biome in order to be able
to make your presentation?
_____________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________
_____________
You may bring resources, books, notes, etc., to class on
Friday/Monday if you have some you want to use. That entire day
will be spent doing research in the computer lab.
Name_____________________________
STEP TWO
Research
Pre AP
The minimum requirements for this step should be completed by
the end of the class period on Friday, April 20, or Monday, April
23. You may continue to do research as you work on future steps.
Refer to your rubric to know the topics that must be covered.
You will find information from at least three sources. At least two
of these must be Internet web sites. You will make a bibliography
for each resource you use.
You must make at least 20 note cards.
You have already learned how to make bibliography cards and
note cards. However, there is a copy of correct format to help you
remember.
There are books available in the computer lab. If you choose to
use books, you must get permission to go to the book cart. You
may take only one book at a time to your desk at a time.
You may also use books or encyclopedias at home.
Specific web sites have been found and marked for you. You may
not use other sites at school without specific permission.
To access these web sites:
1. Double click on the Internet Explorer Icon
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Find Staff Web Pages – click
Choose Carroll – click
Select unit/projects
Scroll down to Biome Project – click
Scroll to the end of the page, click on “click”
7. Scroll to the end of the page and you have several choices:
You may click on Desert, Grassland, Forest or Ocean. Then
click on one web site listed for your topic.
In the grassland or forest choice, one of the web sites listed will
be “NetLessons”. In NetLessons, you will find links to other
biomes – wetlands, grassland, deciduous forest, desert. Do not
use the Taiga listed. The taiga is a cold coniferous forest. This
forest is too different than Texas forests to help you.
Or
You may click on Biomes. Then
Pick a picture of an organism – click
Scroll down to Advanced Search – click
Scroll down to Habitats – Click the box next to your
selected biome.
Scroll down to Region – Click on the box next to Texas.
Scroll down to Search Now – Click. Avoid “Clear Search
Form”.
You will have several organisms to choose from – click on
one.
You should now have information to read and use.
If you want to return to the choice pages at any time, simply
click on “back”. Each time you click “back” you will be taken
back one step to where you were previously. Keep clicking
back till you get where you want to be.
If you want to use these web sites at home:
Go to www.cfbisd.edu
Scroll down to the list of choices. (You may have to click
on a blank
screen to get the list of choices.)
Select schools.
Select school home pages.
Find middle schools.
Select Dan F. Long
Select visit our web site
Follow the above instructions to Ms Carroll’s web page.
Keep going as above.
7. As soon as you finish your required cards, get them
checked. You will then be given the instructions for Step
Three. At this point, you may choose to work on your story
board or continue your research.
STEP TWO
Research
The minimum requirements for this step should be completed by
the end of the class period on Friday, April 20, or Monday, April
23. You may continue to do research as you work on future steps.
Refer to your rubric to know what topics must be covered.
You will find information from at least two sources. At least one of
these must be Internet web sites. You will make a bibliography for
each resource you use.
You must make at least 10 note cards.
You have already learned how to make bibliography cards and
note cards. However, there is a copy of correct format to help you
remember.
There are books available in the computer lab. If you choose to
use books, you must get permission to go to the book cart. You
may take only one book at a time to your desk at a time.
You may also use books or encyclopedias at home.
Specific web sites have been found and marked for you. You may
not use other sites at school without specific permission.
To access these web sites:
1. Double click on the Netscape Icon
2. Find Staff Web Pages – click
3. Choose Carroll – click
4. Select units/projects
5. Scroll down to Biome Project – click
6. Scroll to the end of the page, click on “click”
Step Three
Story Board
You will now make your “rough draft” of how you expect your
PowerPoint to look. It must be completed before you can work at
a computer. If you are not finished when you come to class on
May 3 / 4, you will work on your story board at a desk until you
achieve this step. This means you will lose important computer
time.
Being finished means every slide has the words, colors, drawings,
and other “do-dads” that you plan to use on that slide. Refer to
your rubric to know what specialized items are required.
Step Four
Making Your Slides
You are now ready to actually make your slides on the computer.
These instructions will also be given in steps. You will be referred
to the “PowerPoint Class
Directions – 7th & 8th”. Be sure to keep your copy in front of you
as you work. This page should be returned at the end of every
period.
1. Follow #1-3 in the PowerPoint Directions. Be sure to include
your name, date, and teacher’s name.
Save your document as s-biomes-your last name/first name in
your folder under
users 06. Do not use capitals, spaces or any variation of the
instructions as you do this.
2. Type your text onto every slide. Do not change colors or put in
any clip art until this step has been checked. Use steps 4 - 6 in
the PowerPoint directions to help you with this. Refer to your
rubric to know your content requirements. Avoid using layouts
M – X.
Get this step checked. If you have anything on your slides
other than text, you will be asked to remove it before you
receive credit for this step. To receive full credit for this step,
it must be completed by the end of your first day in the
computer lab.
3. Add clip art and drawings to the slide where you have planned
them. Use steps 10-13 in the PowerPoint directions to help you
do this. Refer to your rubric to know your clip art requirements.
Get this step checked. To receive full credit for this step, it
must be completed by the end of your second day in the
computer lab.
4. Add the other requirements: dimmed bullets, color changes,
timings, transitions, sound, etc. Use steps 7 – 10 and 14 –
19 to help you do this. Refer to your rubric to know what is
required.
5. Complete the column “Self-Evaluation” on your rubric.
6. Get steps #4 and #5 checked. To receive full credit for this
step, it must be completed by the end of your third day in the
computer lab.
7. Follow the directions for saving your slides into the Core 7-2
folder. Do not do this until the class is given the directions.