Multimedia Project Design

Yvonne Meyer

 

Project Title:

What is the Environmental

Health of Dundalk?

Grade Level:

8

Subject/Topic Area(s)

Environmental Science

Designed By:

Yvonne Meyer-Gabriel

Date:

8/1/00

School District:

Baltimore County Schools

School:

Dundalk Middle School

Goal:

Students will make an informed opinion about the Environmental Health status of their community and present this opinion with supporting evidence collected via the Internet, interviews, field observations, and discussion. This information will be presented to peers and community members through a group Power Point presentation.

Content Standards:
  1. Reading (MSDE 1.0) – Students examine, construct and extend the meaning of a variety of self-selected and assigned text (traditional and electronic) by applying a range of reading strategies and analytic techniques.
  2. Environmental Science (MSDE 6.8.5) – Analyze how human activities can induce hazards and accelerate or magnify many naturally occurring changes (erosion, air quality, population).
  3. Scientific Inquiry (MSDE 1.8.6) – Interpret and communicate findings through speaking, writing, and drawing using developmentally appropriate methods including technology tools and telecommunications.
  4. Scientific Inquiry (MSDE 1.8.7) – Apply concepts and processes of science to take and defend a position relative to an issue.
  5. Technology (ISTE 4,5) – Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
  6. Technology (ISTE 1) – Apply strategies for identifying and solving routine hardware and software problems that occur during everyday use.

Project Summary:

Students will gather data and record observations through a variety peripherals to prepare a Power Point presentation which will include scientific support for a conclusions and suggestions for the improvement of the environmental health of Dundalk.

 

Objectives/Desired Results

Students will conduct investigations via various multimedia and the local environment to evaluate the environmental health of Dundalk in order to form and support an explanation through an electronic presentation.

 

Plans for Facilitation:

  1. Teacher hooks students with health indices of Dundalk.
  2. Then teacher shows a model Power Point presentation of student final project.
  3. Students conduct Internet investigations to collect data about health indices in the community.
  4. Students conduct Internet investigations to collect information about local industry.
  5. Students develop questions, then conduct at least one interview with an environmental or health expert.
  6. Students begin organizing information on Power Point templates, for final presentation.
  7. Students develop a hypothesis with the variables of human health and human activities (industrial).
  8. Students conduct field investigations to determine air quality, water quality, and ecological impacts and human impacts from pollution.
  9. Students take digital pictures of their group while conducting investigations. They will learn how to upload and paste them into Power Point.
  10. Students draw conclusions in serious Think-Pair-Shares. Any conclusions drawn will be organized in a class graphic via Inspiration software.
  11. Students choose the conclusions suited best for their chosen audience. They place into Power Point.
  12. Students extend meaning of their conclusions by forming suggestions (decision-making) for the intended audience in order to improve the environmental health of Dundalk and its citizens. These suggestions will need support from investigations and will need to be clearly stated.

Instructional Resources:

Internet Computers

Scanner Digital camera

Video camera Microsoft Office software

Inspiration software Textbooks on Environment

Textbooks on Ecology Clip Art

 

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students will be assessed on skill and content proficiencies by incorporating by including the following pieces of information in their Power Point presentation:

  1. Clearly written introduction to their audience, including a purpose for the presentation and a summary of its contents.
  2. Health indices of the area, with a graph or table, appropriately referenced.
  3. Quote from an interview with an expert, appropriately referenced.
  4. Clearly stated hypothesis on these two variables: human health in Dundalk and possible man made causes impacting human health.
  5. List of human activities which could induce hazards and accelerate or magnify naturally occurring changes in local ecosystems, air quality, water quality, etc., with at least one digital picture representing an item on your list.
  6. Description of local industry with types, bi-products, emissions, and waste.
  7. Summary of field investigations, with a digital picture of yourself or your group working.
  8. Statement of conclusion.
  9. Extend meaning by making suggestions to your audience related to the introduction (purpose). Write suggestions for improving or maintaining health. This should provide evidence of making an informed decision.

 

Scoring Tool

See the attached rubric.

(Tricia, I will give this to you tomorrow, I am revising it at home.)