PowerPoint (or Google Slides or other platform in 2024)
Friday, April 25, 2024--OUR DAY TO BEGIN!!

2022--WE FINISHED THE PRESENTATIONS BEFORE EASTER BREAK...AND THEN RETURNED AFTER BREAK AND SHOWED THEM FOR FOUR DAYS...AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!  I SHOULD CONSIDER DOING IT THE SAME WAY IN 2023 EVEN THOUGH EASTER IS A BIT EARLIER.

Get ready to work hard!

Hello…be sure to read all, not most, of these requirements!!! There is a quiz over this page that you need to take after you've read everything.
In 2009-2012 (except 2011), I gave each of my classes four full days to complete two PowerPoint presentations. In 2013 I gave all four classes FIVE days to complete the requirements due to the fact that I included a PREZI requirement.
From 2010-2013, I had all students complete a numbered outline on ONE of their two presentations--results were excellent.  In 2014-2017, I had students complete only one presentation and an outline was required.

NOTE: in 2020, we went around the room after I went over the available topics and at least 84% of all students had their topics selected BEFORE the end of class--I've never had this happen before!!

2024 Reminder:  You will get approximately three class periods to work on your presentation.  No one is allowed to work on his or her PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation during directed study nor homeroom (at least to begin with--I might open this up if your overall class seems to be on-task). That means you must get busy, stay focused, and get everything done in the 120+ minutes or so that you will have.  If you finish early, you will not be allowed to play any games and there will be additional requirements to your presentation.  I am expecting you to use the FULL time to complete your presentation.  ((I did allow more time in 2019 due to weather-related issues and the fact that the classes worked hard and were focused when given time.)) Requirements for 2019 (we started on Tuesday, March 5, 2019--keep in mind that we had 9 full snow days and many two-hour late starts and early releases...so we fell way behind where we were in 2018):

Choices for PowerPoint Presentation for a Maximum Grade of 94%:

     a)  A tribute to one of your parents

     b)  A presentation that lists your favorites (TV shows, songs, season, sports, etc.)

     c)  A day in the life of a middle school student (approximately 7:30 to end of day)

     d)  Average day at work for a parent (beginning to end of work day)

     e)  Favorite sports team (players, results, information, reason you picked the team you did, etc.)

     f)  A favorite trip that you took or will take (with or without your family)

     g)  Best Apps Available

     h)  Personal challenge in life: something you face, feel comfortable sharing, and how you deal with/overcome that challenge 

     i)   John Wilkes Booth/Lincoln assassination (I will limit this to one person per class: first come, first serve basis) 

     j)   Presidential Race--how it evolved, outcome, future, etc. A how-to skill

     k)  Ways to overcome nervousness when presenting

Any other presentation idea must be cleared by asking the teacher.
   ***Past ideas: Places I Have Visited; Favorite Memories with Friends, My Family, My Miniature Horse, Family Business, Camp, Somebody Who Has Inspired Me...
Note: One way to earn a maximum of a 97% on any of the ideas above would be to create your presentation on any other program besides PowerPoint or Google Slides (but the program MUST work in school).
   ***Remember, you must clear your presentation idea with me.  Do not assume I'll accept it.

Choices for PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Other Platform Presentation for a Maximum Grade of 100%:
(Note: these topics will require some research and/or a higher level of creativity to complete...one person per class for a given topic)

     a) Global Warming

     b) How to Handle Difficult People (note: would have to be taken seriously; has to be intended for employees at Valley Queen, State Auto Insurance, or Twin Valley Tire)

     c) History of Milbank; History of South Dakota

     d) Rules Students Break but Teachers Never Find Out About

     e) How Colors Affect Communication and Feelings

     f) Genetic Engineering

     g) Brain Sucking Amoeba (Naegleria Fowleri)

     h) Parts of the Human Brain

     i) Classroom of the Future

     j) What is Crossfit?

     k) Bullying in Middle School or Bullying at Home

     l)  Gun Control: Good or Bad? 

     m) Should Smoking/Vaping Be Banned?

     n)  The Top 6 Discoveries of the Decade (choose from 1980s, 90s, 00s, or 10s) [one student per class period can choose a decade)

     o)  History of the Internet 

     p)  Conserving resources (protecting our environment)

     q)  3D Printers

     r)  Why is it important to learn a second language?

     s)  IM22-Ethics 

     t)  What is skin cancer?

     u) Parts of Speech in English--review and/or teach us!

     v) What is CPR?

     w) How to read a nutrition label

     x) Virtual Reality--may it be the future of the media?

     y) What is the Israeli/Palestine conflict? (or) Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

     z) What is an education in Finland like?

      27) Ancient ruins (limit one specific ruins per grade)--be the tour guide and take us to one

     28) Diesel versus gas (idea suggested by two eighth graders in 2022, one being Carter Liebe) 

     29)  What to expect as a freshman in Milbank High School (would need to interview some current high school students) 

     30) Run an idea by me that requires a decent amount of research 

Your presentation may be from seven to 13 slides in length.  Be as creative as possible.  Sound effects and/or musican is expected.
1)  Pictures, text, and sounds must be school-appropriate.  I will not tolerate anything that is questionable.  I like my job too much!
2)  I will not help you with inserting or working with sounds, music, and videos. To me, this is a higher-level effect that will allow you to earn a higher point total.  To find a sound effect that you liked, you may have to search for it at home, save it to a flash drive, and then bring it to school.  I will offer NO SOUNDS NOR MUSIC!
3)  Your presentation is expected to include a variety of options (entrances, sounds, backgrounds, layouts, slide transitions, etc.).  Your sounds MUST relate to the presentation or points will be deducted (we had a problem with this seven years ago).  Note: somehow, some way, there must be at least one sound included within your presentation, whether that is a sound effect, a Youtube video, or whatever else. 
4)  Your presentations must include at least one chart or graph that YOU create (for example, this can't simply be a Google image of a chart or graph).
5)  You MUST present your presentation to the class.
6)  Your first slide must be a title page which includes the title of your presentation and your first and last name (date is optional).  You need to provide an explanation as to why you chose your topic at some point in your presentation.
7)  You must include a conclusion slide to your presentation (toward end of presentation).  Tell us what you learned...or tell us what you want your audience to remember most...or tell us why you picked the topic you did.
8)  Your final slide (or, second-to-the-last slide must be a “Sources Page” listing the web sites in proper MLA format from which you took information and/or pictures.  You must give credit to all sources using MLA citations.

Grading:

1)  You will be graded (35 TEST POINTS) on effort, creativity, spelling, grammar, appearance, whether or not your presentation sticks to the theme, clarity, and how well your presentation works.  You will need to present the presentation to the class (smile, have confidence, address questions and, remember, if something doesn't work, there is no turning back).  Yes, the way in which you present your presentation is a big part of your grade.

2)  Your presentation must be completed and saved to the T: Drive or shared with me by Tuesday, April 30, at 3:15 P.M.  (Stay after school until 3:40 or come in at 7:45 if you think you need more time.  Remember, no directed-study/homeroom time can be used for working on the presentation...no matter how awesome you are!)

Other Notes:

1)  Don’t include too many sound effects. Remember, choose wavs that relate to your topic.  Music/sounds CANNOT be taken from MTV.com, VH1.com, or any other music web site.  These songs are protected.
2)  Keep your slides “clean” (too much information on one slide can become distracting).
3)  Don’t pay too much attention to your classmates’ progress, as you are allowed only three full class periods to complete your presentation.
4)  Don’t spend too much time on any one area.  For example, you might be tempted to spend 20 minutes finding a single sound wav where someone says “Git –R- Done!”  Fight that temptation.
5)  Have fun!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Requirements from 2009-2013...
Reminder:  No one is allowed to work on their PowerPoint presentation during directed study (only those who missed class may come in).  That means you must get busy, stay focused, and get everything done in the 200+ minutes or so that you will have.  Also, do NOT finish early (Thursday, Friday, Monday, or Tuesday).  You will not be allowed to play any games this week/next week.  If you finish early, I will add additional requirements to your presentation(s).  I am expecting you to use the FULL week to complete both presentations.

New in 2013: If you want to earn an "A," you will have to create one presentation using PowerPoint and one presentation using Prezi.  If you don't do this, the highest grade that can be earned is a "B+."  I won't be teaching anything about Prezi; it will be your job to figure it out alone or with friends.  I view Prezi as an updated, creative way to present material.

PowerPoint Presentation Requirements:

1)  Choices for First PowerPoint (or Prezi) Presentation:
          a) Science topic covered in Mrs. Bastian's or Mr. Dahl's class anytime this year
                
                        Ideas:

                        1) Gemstones

                        2) Fossils

                        3) EROS Data Center

                        4) Glaciers

                        5) Soil Erosion

                        6) Ozone Layer Pollution

                        7) Conserving resources (protecting our environment)
***You may not create a presentation on planets.

          b) Social Studies topic covered in Mr. Upton’s class anytime this year
                
                        Ideas:

1)      Hudson River Art

2)      Weapons of the Civil War

3)      Lewis & Clark exploration

4)      Industrial Revolution (inventions; see your book, Chapter 13)

5)      Causes of the American Revolution (choose one)

a.       Boston Tea Party

b.      Boston Massacre

c.       Townshend Acts

d.      Bunker Hill

6)  Battles of the Revolution (choose one)

7)  Slave System

8)  Roaring 20s

9)  Oregon Trail

10) Three Branches of Government (new topic in 2011!)

11) Trail of Tears (new topic in 2011!)

12) Underground Railroad (new topic in 2011!)

13) California Gold  (new topic in 2011!)

14) Transportation Revolution (new topic in 2011!)

15) Obama's Cabinet.........Erie Canal.........Original 13 Colonies.........Civil War: spies, POWs, medical treatment (new topics in 2011!)

          c) Persuasive Letter (new topic in 2013!)
                
                        Persuade an intended audience through the use of a PowerPoint presentation!  This should be related to the letter that you chose to write for your English assignment.

The above presentation may be from five to 12 slides in length.  Be as creative as possible.  Sound effects and music can be added.   (35 TEST POINTS POSSIBLE if an odd number is rolled for your class.)

2)  Choices for Second PowerPoint (or Prezi) Presentation:

     a) A presentation that lists your favorites (TV shows, songs, season, sports, etc.)

     b) A day in the life of a middle school student (approximately 7:30 to end of day)

     c) Average day at work for a parent (beginning to end of work day)

     d) Favorite sports team (players, results, information, etc.)

     e) A favorite trip that you took (with or without your family)
Any other presentation idea must be cleared by asking the teacher.
   ***Past ideas: Places I Have Visited; Favorite Memories with Friends, My Family, My Miniature Horse, Family Business, Camp...
   ***Remember, no presentations are allowed to be made about a planet (or planets) this year!

The above presentation may be from five to 12 slides in length.  Be as creative as possible.  Sound effects and music can be added.  (35 TEST POINTS POSSIBLE if an even number is rolled for your class.)
1)  Pictures, text, and sounds must be school-appropriate.  I will not tolerate anything that is questionable.  I like my job too much!
2)  I will not help you with sounds and/or music.  To me, this is a higher-level effect that will allow you to earn a higher point total.  To find a sound effect that you liked, you may have to search for it at home, save it to a flash drive, and then bring it to school.  I will offer NO SOUNDS NOR MUSIC!
3)  Your PowerPoint presentation (or Prezi) is expected to include a variety of PowerPoint options (entrances, sounds, backgrounds, layouts, slide transitions, etc.).  Your sounds MUST relate to the presentation or points will be deducted (we had a problem with this four years ago).
4)  One of your presentations must include a diagram, chart, or table.
5)  You MUST present one of your presentations to the class.  This will be worth three points (not extra credit).
6)  Your first slide must be a title page which includes the title of your presentation and your first and last name (date is optional).
7)  You must include a conclusion slide to your presentation (toward end of presentation).
8)  Your final slide must be a “Sources Page” listing the web sites from which you took information and/or pictures.  You must give credit to all sources.  You will definitely need a sources page for your science or social studies presentation; some of you will not need a page with sources if you are doing the second presentation on your family or other personal facts.
9)  Remember, only ONE of your presentations will be graded; neither you nor I know which one it will be so you should spend equal amounts of time on your presentations.

Grading:

1)  You will be graded (35 TEST POINTS) on effort, creativity, spelling, grammar, appearance, whether or not your presentation sticks to the theme, clarity, and how well your presentation works.  You will need to present the presentation to the class (smile, have confidence, address questions and, remember, if something doesn't work, there is no turning back).

2)  Both presentations must be completed and saved to the T: Drive by Thursday, February 14, at 3:25 P.M.  (Stay after school until 3:40 or come in at 7:45 if you think you need more time.  Remember, no directed-study/homeroom time can be used for working on PowerPoint presentations...no matter how much I like you!)

Other Notes:

1)  Don’t include too many sound effects. Remember, choose wavs that stick to your topic.  Music/sounds CANNOT be taken from MTV.com, VH1.com, or any other music web site.  These songs are protected.
2)  Keep your slides “clean” (too much information on one slide can become distracting).
3)  Don’t pay too much attention to your classmates’ progress, as you are allowed only four or five full class periods to complete your two presentations.
4)  Don’t spend too much time on any one area.  For example, you might be tempted to spend 20 minutes finding a single sound wav where someone says “Git –R- Done!”  Fight that temptation.
5)  Have fun!

Milbank Public Schools Policies:

Mrs. Schwab (former high school Computer teacher) sent this message to me in 2004:

On the PowerPoint questions:

Yes, you can download sound wavs and other graphics off the internet.  I do spend considerable time explaining intellectual property and copyright law to my ninth graders. The first thing they need to know is that the Internet is a source just like a book, encyclopedia, etc.  I tell them as a student that they can claim Fair Use and use certain amounts of other people's property without asking permission. Here's the basic outline:

Music, sound, etc.-30 seconds (most wav files are no more than 30 seconds anyway)

Text-10% of a document

Graphics-Up to five graphics from one site (this is actually quite generous)

They still must credit the owner by citing their sources.  At the high school, we use the MLA citation format.  In a PowerPoint, I have the last slide be the Source Sheet.  At the 8th grade level, I would simply have them copy their URL's onto the slide, but tell them that in HS they will learn the proper format for citing these sources. As you may have noticed, the world is a little nuts right now about copyright, etc. with so many people using the Internet.  At least you will be getting them over to the idea that they will have to credit the creators of the music, image, etc.  Most HS teachers up here have gotten pretty tough on citations, so it is something all teachers need to start supporting even at a younger age.

Thank you for reading  this!

Mr. Cantine #84

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