The Process
As you know, you will be creating a 10-slide
PowerPoint Presentation about a specific inventor and his/her invention. Your first
task is to view a short
presentation that outlines the requirements for that portion of the assignment.
Your second task is to choose
an inventor/invention to research. If
you already have someone or something in mind, you’ll be able to start with a
more direct search. However, if you’re
not yet sure of a topic, you’ll have to spend some time thinking of one that
will interest you. In either case, you
should start by examining some or all of the following resources:
Click here to go to the list of
resources.
Once you have chosen an inventor, you may begin
your third task. This involves conducting research to gain
specific information regarding the inventor you have chosen. You are required to use both on-line sources
(as many as you need) and a minimum of two
(2) library sources (books, magazines,
articles, etc.) Please remember to document
all of your sources as you progress through the
project.
Click here to view and print the Guideline Sheet.
Use the Guideline Sheet to your advantage. Check off each slide number as you obtain the necessary information for that particular slide. Use the provided index cards to make notes about the information you find. Store all materials for this assignment in your research folder so you have them each day when you come to class.
When you feel as if your research is complete,
have the teacher briefly evaluate it and give you the approval to move on to
the next task. **DO
NOT BEGIN YOUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS APPROVAL.**
The fourth
task is to transfer the
information from your research into a 10-slide PowerPoint 
Presentation. This presentation will be evaluated as
outlined in the sample presentation you viewed as part of the first task. But, in case you’ve forgotten, here’s a
brief reminder…
10 information-based slides, each containing
the information specified on the Guideline Sheet
backgrounds
animations
slide transitions
multi-media
insertion of related sounds music or video
(This media MUST complement your presentation—it SHOULD NOT just be something
that you think is cool!)
Your presentation must be aesthetically
pleasing (WHOA!! What does that
mean?) That means all of the elements
on each slide should be pleasing to the eye.
Spacing should be such that nothing looks jumbled, colors coordinate and
contrast so the text is easy to read, etc.
**ANY DEVIATION FROM THE ABOVE SPECIFICATIONS WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF POINTS**
Once
you have finished the PowerPoint Presentation, you will be paired with two (2) 
other classmates to complete the fifth task. You and your group mates will work together
to invent a product to improve a specific area (i.e. a product to make
household chores easier). The teacher
will assign each group an area for their invention (i.e. household, classroom,
playground, etc.).
Once
you’ve been placed in a group, you and your group mates should complete the
following steps:
BRAINSTORM…as
a group, develop 5 ideas that would fit into your assigned category. List and explain each idea on a piece of
loose-leaf paper (drawings may be provided to help explain).
DESIGN…make a technical, 3-view drawing of your
two (2) favorite ideas. Be sure that
all important aspects can be seen in your design.
DECIDE…after seeing both sets of drawings,
decide which invention you’ll actually create.
LIST…make a list of the materials you’ll need
to build the invention you chose.
BUILD…put together a model of your
invention. If the actual model would be
extremely large, building a small-scale model would be acceptable. Your model should match your drawings
exactly.
PREPARE…get ready to debate. When all groups have finished the building
step, we will engage in a class debate to determine which invention would
provide the best improvement on what’s currently available. Any and all information is acceptable. Here are a few examples:
interviews
from the type of person this invention would help the most,
newspaper or magazine articles supporting the
need for such an invention,
an explanation, in your own words, of why this
is so necessary and beneficial to those who would use it, etc.
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!
That
was your final task. The WebQuest is
complete!
The Main Page|The Introduction|The
Task|The Evaluation|The Conclusion