Biology Paired
PowerPoint Presentations Ms.
Julia Fusco is a first year biology teacher at Leon M. Goldstein
High School for the Sciences in Brooklyn , NY . She teaches
Evolutionary Biology, Advanced Placement Biology and Regents
Living Environment. |
Created
by: Julia Fusco
Location: Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences
Grade: 11-12
Subject: Science/Biology If
you have any questions regarding this activity, please contact
Julia at: JuliaVFusco@aol.com |
Aim:
For
students to create PowerPoint Presentations that help teach Biology.
Instructional
Objectives:
1)
To incorporate technology in the Advanced Placement Biology classes
by training students in the use of Microsoft PowerPoint.
2) To
gather research on topics using legitimate internet sites.
3) To
prepare students for the Advanced Placement biology exam by having
them teach each other new material using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Procedure:
Day 1
The students
received two handouts:
1) Requirements
for Term Project (described below) and
2) How
to use Microsoft PowerPoint. (Available on http://catalyst.washington.edu/quick/ppt.html
) Students receive a handout as well as a sample PowerPoint
presentation to use as a guide.
A class discussion
of how to do a PowerPoint presentation in class, as well as how
to work with the PowerPoint program, takes place.
Day 2
- Time is scheduled
in the computer lab.
- A PowerPoint
presentation is demonstrated by the teacher using a projector.
(For this lesson, I created a PowerPoint presentation on DNA and
RNA, a topic we were finishing up that week.)
- Students
are instructed on the use of Microsoft PowerPoint and are asked
to create three slides on what they did that day to get them used
to using the program. Students experiment with various animation
techniques and slide formats, so that they become familiar with
the program.
- Students
are given time to research their topics online and print out information
for their presentations.
Activities
Project
requirements
Create
a PowerPoint presentation on any topic on the syllabus that we have
NOT covered in class yet this year. Your presentation must be 10-15
minutes in length and must answer the following questions:
1) What is your
subject and why is it significant in the study of biology?
2) How
does this topic relate to other topics we have discussed in class?
3) What
is still unknown about your topic?
4) How
does your topic relate to the world in general? (Economics, scientific
research, people, etc?)
5) How
is your topic historically significant? Who were the "major players"
in developing the theories and methods behind your topic? (For instance,
if you choose genetics, you may want to discuss Watson and Crick,
Rosalind Franklin, etc.)
6) Where
is the current research in your topic headed? Why is there an interest
in your topic among scientists?
7) What
other significant advances or points can you add concerning your
topic?
Students are
to work in pairs. Each person is responsible for ½ of the
presentation. Along with their slide presentations, students must
submit a bibliography of sources and an outline of the presentation.
This is due approximately one week before the scheduled presentation.
An outline consists of the major topics discussed, as well as a
brief description of each. The outline is a GUIDE for the presentation,
not the "meat" of the project.
- ***A Note
about PowerPoint Presentations:
- All slides
should have the same or similar backgrounds.
- Follow
the 7-7-7 rule- No more than seven words to a line, seven lines
to a slide and spend no more than seven minutes on any one slide.
- Do not
clutter your slides with words. Slides are meant to punctuate
your lecture, not carry it for you.
- After presenting,
each student is required to answer questions from the class
(and me) concerning their topic. Each student must ask at least
two questions.
Follow
up
After
each presentation, questions are asked concerning each topic, and
any points that were missed in the presentation are covered by the
instructor.
Homework
Compile
a list of resources and create an outline for your presentation.
Evaluation
Students
are evaluated using a rubric created on Rubistar.com. They are evaluated
in nine categories with a maximum of ten points given for each.
The tenth category is a peer evaluation form with a maximum of ten
points. The other nine categories are:
1) Length
of presentation
2) Slide
content
3) Creativity
of slides
4) Appropriateness
of content to subject area
5) Division
of labor, pair interaction
6) Presentation
presence (speaking ability, preparedness, dress)
7) Respect
given to other groups presenting
8) Thoroughness
of topic coverage
9) Overall
presentation
Students were
also given an essay test consisting of three questions from each
presentation. (There were four presentations)
Standards Addressed by This Unit
-
Designs
and conducts scientific investigations (e.g., formulates testable
hypotheses; identifies and clarifies the method, controls, and
variables; organizes, displays, and analyzes data; revises methods
and explanations; presents results; receives critical response
from others)
- Knows that
conceptual principles and knowledge guide scientific inquiries;
historical and current scientific knowledge influence the design
and interpretation of investigations and the evaluation of proposed
explanations made by other scientists
- Understands
that individuals and teams contribute to science and engineering
at different levels of complexity (e.g., an individual may conduct
basic field studies; hundreds of people may work together on a
major scientific question or technological problem)
- Knows that
creativity, imagination, and a good knowledge base are all required
in the work of science and engineering
- Knows how
to import, export, and merge data stored in different formats
(e.g., text, graphics)
- Understands
the relationships among science, technology, society, and the
individual students.
The
Students
The students who completed this project were mostly 12th graders
with a background in regents biology, chemistry and physics. They
are familiar with the Internet, and some have already completed
PowerPoint presentations in other classes. For some, this was their
first introduction to the program. By using pairs instead of larger
groups, there was less of a tendency to let one do all the research
or answer all the questions by themselves.
Overall
Students
have a range of topics they can choose from, so they get more excited
about reporting on those topics they have a genuine interest in.
Students reported that information they learned from their classmates
was explained in a way they could understand, because it came from
their own peer group.
This is a fun
lesson and really allows the students to show their creative sides
in a subject (Biology) that rarely allows them to express themselves
artistically. It can also be adapted to any other subject area.
Tips
If you choose to use this lesson, be aware that while your
back is turned, some students may be surfing websites they should
not be! To cut down on this, I took off one point from their presentations
each time I caught them on irrelevant websites. They quickly learned
not to go to them! Also, our school has brand new computers and
projectors, and yet we still experienced technical difficulties
using the equipment. Be prepared to work on other material if you
find your servers are down, as we did!
|