6th Grade Country Research PowerPoint Project

All 6th grade students will be creating a research based PowerPoint on a country. Every student in the class will be assigned a different country. This PowerPoint project will be explained, organized, and worked on in class; however, some parts will be done at home. It will be counted as a Social Studies grade, Language Arts grade, and will also count towards fulfilling our district technology standards.

Students will first research their country using information gathered from books, magazines, encyclopedias, tourism offices, and the internet. They will research the geography, history, social structure, economy and government of that country. They will then prepare a PowerPoint, which will include a title page, introduction, country information, maps, graphs, conclusion, interesting facts and a bibliography. The final project will include 13 slides and the graphics will be computer-generated. Please see the attached information for more specific requirements. In February each student will give an oral presentation on his or her chosen country using the PowerPoint project.

This is a long-term project and there will be various due dates to complete each of the stages of the project. However, the final report will be due on:

______

This packet is very important. Do not lose this information!

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Dear Parents,

Please let us know that you have read this assignment. Thank You!

______

Student’s Name Parent Signature

Steps for Completing

PowerPoint Project

  1. Collect resources and read about your country (you must have at least 3 different resources and at least one must be a book.)
  • Write to tourism offices or embassies for information (done in class).
  • Use library books, encyclopedias, magazines, computer CD-ROMs to search for information.
  • Search the internet for information (you will create a hyperlink on one of your slides to a website pertaining to your country).
  • Be sure to cite your references on the bibliography worksheet.
  1. Take Notes (to be done at home or in class independent time)
  • Use a separate index card for each sub-topic (supplied in class).
  • Write notes (words and phrases), not complete sentences.
  • Be sure not to plagiarize (copy other people’s words and use them as your own). You must rewrite information into your own words. If you do plagiarize, you will receive a zero or complete the entire project again on another country.
  • You will need to find at least five facts for each of the following categories: Geography, Social Structure, Economy, Government, and History. Keep track of other interesting facts as you research. You will include a slide of interesting facts that don’t belong in the other five categories
  • Index Card Due Dates
  • Geography: ______
  • Economy & Government: ______
  • Social Structure & History:______
  • Interesting facts ______

  1. Format the PowerPoint slides
  • Create all slides, titles and PowerPoint functions (see PowerPoint directions for details).
  1. Proofread first draft of slides
  • Write a one paragraph introduction to your country on the introduction slide (should be in paragraph form).
  • Take the research on your note cards and write the information in complete sentences on the appropriate slide.
  • Complete a world map and country map and put on the appropriate slides. (See PowerPoint directions for details.)
  • Complete an excel graph of the population of your country and put on the appropriate slide. (See PowerPoint directions for details.)
  • Write a one paragraph conclusion for your country on the conclusion slide (should be in paragraph form).
  1. Animation
  • Animate the bullet point information (should not distract from presentation).
  • Add a hyperlink to an internet website that is relative to your country.
  • Add slide transitions (should not distract from presentation).
  1. Bibliography
  • Go to
  • Click on MLA
  • Select the type of resource you used.
  • Fill in the information from your “Bibliography Worksheet”
  • Click on submit
  • Cut and paste into PowerPoint document.
  • Resources should be in alphabetical order.
  1. Edit
  • Double check to see if you have completed all of the requirements (country information, links, animation…)
  • Look over to correct all spelling and grammar errors.
  • Make sure all links work correctly.
  1. Oral Presentation
  • Prepare a five minute presentation on your country using your PowerPoint.

Information on PowerPoint Slides

Research all the following information for your country and put facts (in notes form) on your index cards. Choose five of the most interesting facts in each category to include in your PowerPoint. Must have five bullet points per slide.

Geography

  • Continent
  • Plate
  • Longitude/ Latitude
  • Nearest oceans and other countries
  • Capital and major cities
  • Size (total area)
  • Landforms (mountains, plains, desert, glaciers, rivers, lakes, seas …)
  • Natural Hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons, floods, tornadoes)
  • Climate (rainfall, temperature ranges…)
  • Natural resources (what the land produces)
  • Environmental issues

Economy

  • Describe the major industries (labor force) that people work in (agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, fishing …)
  • Trade (products they import and export)
  • Currency

Government

  • Present type of government (democracy, monarchy, republic …)
  • Head of government (current president, king …)
  • Branches of government
  • Military
  • Foreign policy

History

  • Native people and ancient civilizations
  • Middle history (anything that led to the countries growth)
  • Current history to present (last 100 years)
  • Important wars, events, leaders, colonization, exploration

Social Structure

  • Class system
  • Religion
  • Ethnic groups
  • How many people live there
  • How is this number growing over time
  • Life expectancy – how long they live
  • Languages spoken
  • Education