Handout: Biology Presentation Handout
Rubric: Biology Presentation Rubric
For this project, you and your group will be leading a class investigation into one of the five major plant phylum that we will be covering (algae, moss, ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms).
Your main objective is to teach the class about your group of organisms by providing examples, preparing a presentation, lead a class field trip… whatever you decide! The total presentation should be 30 – 40 minutes.
Algae
April 11th
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Focus on:
· Characteristics of Algae (pp. 433 – 434) · Adaptations of Algae to Life Under Water (pp. 434) · Chlorophyll and Accessory Pigments (pp. 434 – 435) · Chlorophyta (pp. 436 – 438) · Reproduction of Chlamydomonas and Ulva (pp. 440 – 41) |
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Moss
(focus on Bryophyta)
April 12th |
Focus on:
· Demands of Life On Land (pp. 450 – 451) · Physical characteristics of Bryophytes (pp. 452 – 453) · Alternation of Generations in Mosses (pp. 453 – 454) |
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Ferns
April 13th |
Focus on:
· Demands of Life On Land (pp. 450 – 451) · The Ferns and the First Vascular Plants (455 – 56) · Physical Characteristics of Ferns (pp 457) · Alternation of Generations in Ferns (pp 458 – 59) |
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Gymnosperms
(focus on Conifers)
April 14th |
Focus on:
· Demands of Life On Land (pp. 450 – 451) · Seed plants – designed for life on Land (467 – 68) · Roots, Stems, and Leaves (468 – 69) · Vascular Tissue (469) · Conifers: Cone Bearers (472 – 73) |
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Angiosperms
April 15th |
Focus on:
· Demands of Life On Land (pp. 450 – 451) · Seed plants – designed for life on Land (467 – 68) · Roots, Stems, and Leaves (468 – 69) · Vascular Tissue (469) · Angiosperms: Flowering Plants (473; excluding monocots and dicots) |
Assignment
All groups are responsible for delivering the following components
- Structure and Function
Identify the key structures of your group of organisms. What are the structures which almost all members of the group share? What functions do these structures serve? What purpose do these structures serve (e.g. to transport water? To attract animals to help them pollinate?).
- Specimens
Groups must provide specimens for the class to look at. The purpose of specimens is to give students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with examining the structures, and familiarizing themselves with them. In other words, the specimens should be used to enhance our understanding of structure and function.
Please make sure you provide enough specimens so that each group may have at least one specimen to observe.
You may choose to
- Bring specimens into the class
- Lead the class on a field trip outside to observe live specimens
- Reproductive Cycle (Poster Board)
Each group is responsible for creating a poster board that illustrates the general reproductive cycle of the group you are representing. There may be multiple reproductive cycles in your group. Your job is to choose one (or two) that are representative of the general trend.
Please do not copy and paste a picture onto your poster board and leave it at that. Provide some explanations or re-represent it in a way that is easier to understand. Reproductive cycles are complex and can be very complicated, try to make it easier to understand!
- Class Activity
Each group is responsible for designing a short class activity (about 15- 20 minutes, including de-briefing) that helps your students (your peers) to better understand what they are learning. The activity can focus on structure/function, reproductive cycle, or both.
Examples of what your group might do:
- Game: kahoot or jeopardy
- Acting out the reproductive cycle in a role play
- Arranging the steps of the reproductive cycle
- Field trip (if you take the class out on a field trip, you do not need to add a class activity)
- Finding the steps of the reproductive cycle and being the first group to “catch them all” (Easter egg hunt style)
- Review Sheet
Each group will also be responsible for making one FULL 8.5” x 11” sheet of review material. The review material should draw the presentation to a close and provide a comprehensive summary of what was learned in class. Think of it as a cheat sheet. You may use the backside of the sheet if there is lots of material.
Assessment
This assignment is marked out of a total of 60. The mark will count towards the Project component.
- What am I being assessed on?
Structure and Function | /8 |
Specimens | /8 |
Reproductive Cycle Poster Board | /8 |
Class Activity | /8 |
Review Sheet | /8 |
Pedagogy | /8 |
Total | 48 marks |
Please see the back of this package for a comprehensive rubric.
- Who is assessing me?
For every ONE presentation, each group will receive a total of five assessments: one from every group (4) and one from me (1). Each group is responsible for marking one rubric. The final mark is an average of the five assessments.
For example, if for structure and function, you received 9 from two groups, 6 from one group and 8 from two others, your final mark for this component is the average of all of these marks (8/10).
- What if there is one group member not pulling their weight?
At the end of the presentation, each group member is responsible for assigning a mark for their group member out of four.
4
Contributed to the best of their abilities |
3
Contributed somewhat below the best of their abilities |
2
Made little effort to contribute |
1
Contributed little to nothing |
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Name of Member | ||||
Name of member |
Generally if there are no problems, than the default mark allotted should be a four. However, should there be any concerns that a member is not pulling their weight you may indicate on this sheet. If there is significant consensus amongst group members that a member is not contribute as much as they should, I may adjust the marks accordingly. Up to half the marks may be deducted if the member has seriously underperformed.
Please note: assess your members according to the “best of their abilities”. Keep in mind that your group members will vary in terms of their ability to contribute (for example, work outside of school, workload from other classes, etc.). Use your best judgment to determine if a member has tried their best.
Group Plan
(Due Friday April 1st 2016)
Group members:
What do you plan to do? | Who will be responsible? | |
Structure and Function |
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Examples |
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Reproductive Cycle |
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Class Activity |
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Review Sheet |
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Rubric
8
Exceeds expectations |
6
Meets Expectations |
4
Approaching Expectations |
2
Not yet meeting expectations |
0 | Mark | |
Structure and Function | Both structures and function thoroughly covered
Clearly connects how structure helps plant to adapt to environment. |
Both structures and function covered
Some attempts to connect how structure helps plant to adapt to environment. |
Some component of structure or functions missing.
Little to no attempt to connect how structure helps plant to adapt to environment. |
Significant components of structure of function missing. (e.g. may have covered structures but none of the function) | No structures and function covered. | |
Specimens | Specimens are effectively used to enhance understanding of structure and function | Specimen are used to provide some level of appreciation for structure and function | Specimen are seldom used to illustrate structure and function | Specimen are present, but not used to illustrate structure and function | Specimen not provided. | |
Reproductive Cycle Posterboard | Clearly illustrates reproductive cycle in a way that is easy to understand | Illustrates reproductive cycle with sufficient explanations | Reproductive cycle illustrated, but explanations are insufficient to help with understanding | Reproductive cycle may or may not be illustrated, with few explanations to help with understanding | No explanations, or lacking component completely. | |
Class activity | Activity is effective, engaging and enhances understanding of content. | Activity helps to enhance understanding in most areas of content. | Activity covers some areas, does not seem to relate to content in others. | Activity fails to relate content. | No activity is provided. | |
Review Sheet | Review sheet covers all key components.
Provides excellent review of material.
Reflects appropriate level of understanding |
Review sheet covers most of key components.
Provides sufficient review of material.
Reflects appropriate level of understanding |
Review sheet seems incomplete.
Does not provide sufficient review of material.
May reflect an inappropriate level of detail. |
Review sheet covers little to none of the critical parts.
Reflects inappropriate level of detail and content. |
No review sheet provided. | |
Pedagogy
(How effectively was the content delivered?) |
Delivery is clear, effective and engaging.
Group is well prepared and knowledgeable |
Delivery is clear and somewhat engaging.
Group demonstrates good level of preparedness and knowledgeability |
Delivery is unclear in some parts.
Group demonstrates some level of preparedness and knowledgeability. |
Delivery is confusing and unclear.
Group demonstrates insufficient level of preparedness and knowledgeability. |
Delivery is incomprehensible or severely lacking. | |
Total |
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