Review This!

A Learning Website for Middle School Students

 

Use Only Quality Websites

The information that you gather about the Rainforest must be true and it must be accurate.  

 

If needed, look at these sites before you begin your research:

How To Evaluate A Website:  Form #1

How To Evaluate A Website:  Form #2   (Here's the print version.)

 

Some Search String Strategies

Search Engine

Google, AskForKids, and Yahooligans  are search engines.  A search engine is a tool that lets you search the Internet for information about a specific topic.  For example, you might search the Internet for a recipe on how to make chocolate chips cookies.

 

Search String
A search string is one word or a string of words that you ask a Search Engine to use so it can find that specific piece of information out on the Internet.

 

How To Write A Citation

The Format...

The author's name – last name, then first name.

The title of the website in italics.

The date the website was posted or updated.

The website's URL inside of brackets [  ] 

The date you visited the website.

You will always know the title of the website, the URL of the website, and the date you visited the website.  

However, sometimes the author's name and the date the website was posted or updated is missing.  When you cannot find the author of the site, write down Unknown for the author's name.

If you can't find the date the website was posted or updated write down Unknown.

An Example...

Brown, Joan Marie.  Online Resources For Middle School Students.  9/20/06.
[http://students.resa.net/stoutcomputerclass/kids.htm].  10/20/06.

Notice that there is a period after each piece of information. 

 

Points To Remember When Designing A PowerPoint Slideshow

1. Limit your slideshow to 5 or 6 slides.  Avoid a long, boring, pointless PowerPoint Slideshow.
2. Easy To Read Color Schemes – Up Close and From A Distance: a dark sky blue background with dark yellow text, or a medium to dark yellow background with dark sky blue text, or Soaring in the Design Templates.
3. Fancy fonts are difficult to read.  Arial is a font that's easy to read. 
4. Title Text should be between 36 - 40 points. 
5. Bulleted Text should be at least 24 points. 
6. The subject matter that you include in your slideshow must be meaningful.
7. Avoid long paragraphs.  Oftentimes, people won't read them.  Instead, bullet your information.  Write short phrases or short sentences.
8. Type no more than 8 lines of text on a slide.   Type no more than 8 words on a line. 
9. Bold, italic and/or underline only those words that are important.
10. Use graphics when you want to make a point.
11. Use animation when it helps you to make a point.  Animation can be distracting. 
12. Stay legal.  Cite your resources. 

Points To Remember When Writing A Speech for Your PowerPoint Slideshow

1. Make your speech interesting, meaningful, and to the point.  
2. Practice your speech out loud with your slideshow running.  Remember, your audience can read  - do not read your slides to your audience - just refer to them as you give them additional information about your topic.  
3. Face your audience.   
4. Make eye contact.  
5. Speak clearly and with confidence.  
6. Don't race through your speech.  Talk slow enough so people get what you are trying to say. 
7. Talk loud – don't shout – but make sure the person in the back of the room can hear you.

10-18-06

© Joan Marie Brown 
Mrs. Brown, a Technology Educator, is the author of this website.
Updated September 2006.  
This website is hosted by Wayne RESA.

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