Powerpoint Presentations
The rubric for the powerpoint presentation is given to the students in September. It calls for ten slides. Details are given for the requirements for each slide. One idea behind this exercise is to offer an idea to the students for a powerpoint template that could be used in high school.
Some time is provided in the computer lab with the computer teacher as a resource. But some students will have to invest additional time.
Besides helping an eighth grader come to know their "Person of Interest" better this process helps a teenager understand the importace of creating a vision, creating a plan to achieve that vision, developing an appropriate sequence of activity, and then following through. Long term projects are the result of follow through on long term planning.