The Century Research Project

Choose a topic from the 1880s – 1980s

Ø      World Leader

Ø      Political Activist

Ø      Sports Personality

Ø      American Author

Ø      Inventor/ Scientist

Ø      Person of the arts-from the theatre, a dancer, a musician, a painter, photographer, director, etc.

• Essential Question: What forces shape people’s lives?

• Unit Questions:

1. How did childhood experiences and circumstances affect the person you chose?
2. What part did emotions play in the person’s body of work?
3. How did the events of her/his time period affect or drive the person’s life?
4. Who influenced the person you chose, and what part did she/he play in the person’s life?
5. Why does this person’s life and work continue to be of importance today?
6. In what ways was the life extraordinary, highly regarded and/or deplorable?
7. What personal qualities or traits were most influential in shaping the way this person lived?
8. Which qualities or traits hindered the person?
9. Which qualities or traits were most helpful to the person?
10. What are the two or three most important lessons you or any other person might learn from the way this person lived?
11. What questions do you have?

Task: Investigate a person and share your findings by creating a web site or power point presentation.

Audience: Teacher, classmates, school website

Purpose: To practice research skills, synthesize information from different sources and to learn to use technology

Form: Create a website or PowerPoint presentation

 Other requirements:

• Use minimum of three sources-one book, one website, and one magazine or reference
• Minimum of three footnotes-one for each different source
• Note cards and bibliography cards
• An outline
• Bibliography as part of the PowerPoint or website project
• Presentation to the class

Power Point: Century Research 1880-1980

 Helpful reminders and hints:

• Power point is a presentation tool; it is support for your speech and a way to showcase your work
• Choose one background and layout for the entire presentation (each slide basically looks the same)
• Don’t overwhelm your audience with graphics, color, animation, etc.
• “Simple, yet powerful” is the rule of thumb
• Spelling and grammar count
• Word choices are important
• Practice before you have to present—know the material

 Following are some helpful guidelines:

Title Slide must include:

• Essential Question (What forces shaped                                                 ‘s life?)

• Birth and Death (if applicable) statistics
• List the person’s claim to fame or for what s/he is known
• Picture or graphic

Each slide should

• Deal with only one question—you decide the order to put them

• Include a variety of content (text and pictures/graphic elements)

• Include very little text—bullet your information (orally you will “fill in the blanks”)

• Concluding slide is the bibliography done in MLA form

• Last slide must include

• Your name
• Submitted to Mrs. Farrar for English II
• Date

Daily Participation Rubric (click to view the rubric)

Making the Presentation (click to view the rubric)