Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! This year, we will jump right into the exploration of Modern Inventions. During this study, each child will be responsible for researching a product of his/her choice related to the study of Modern Inventions, mostly done outside of the classroom. Due to the various PARCC schedules, students will be presenting in January this year.
I have attached a list of suggested topics, timeline and rubric to assist the children as they progress through the project. The timeline will guide them through an organized and well planned preparation for their oral presentations and it must be adhered to. The length of the actual presentation should be approximately 5 minutes. Students should share a wealth of information with classmates. Please encourage your child to do extensive reading on his/her chosen topic.
During the actual presentation, the children may refer to notecards of bulleted notes to assist them in remembering names, dates, events, etc. but they may not read the information directly. The students are required to use a visual aid when presenting the report. Students will not be able to use Powerpoint, Google Slides or Keynote because they use that often in other subjects. Students are required to submit a paper bibliography of three sources on the day they present their oral report. It is recommended that at least one of the sources be a book. All Woodbridge Public Libraries are aware of this project and will provide a selection of books about inventions.
I hope this assignment will prove to be enjoyable as well as enriching. Please sign the attached notification form to indicate that you have received the packet of information and that your child clearly understands the project. Thank you for your cooperation and best wishes for a happy and healthy school year!
Sincerely,
Erica Azar
Inventors Project Timeline
Distribution of project packets Week of October 16
Parent Notification Form Week of October 23
and Choice of Topic due/finalized
Bulleted notes on Source #1 due Week of November 13
Bulleted notes on Source #2 due Week of November 27
Bulleted notes on Source #3 due Week of December 11
Oral Reports (with bibliography Starting the week of:
and visual aid) January 15th
Throughout the Inventions unit, there will be mini lessons about research/note taking, public speaking, presentation methods and bibliographies.
The actual date for individual presentations will be assigned as we get closer to that point in the project. Each part of the project will receive a grade and it is important that assignments are handed in on time. The major grade for the presentation and visual aid will be assigned when the report is given.
There should be 15 facts for each set of bulleted notes. The facts should be in complete sentences and submitted on Google Classroom. If there is a problem with Google Classroom, students can type and print out the notes. The Google Classroom code is j6hiwo. If students find more than 15 facts for one particular source, they are able to use those facts in another set. However, there must be at least 3 sources represented over the three assignments.
When researching, some topics to focus on include:
· The actual product (uses, features, etc.)
· Biographical information about the inventor
· Inventor’s noteworthy contributions and accomplishments
· Other inventions created by the inventor
· The inventor’s process of creating the product
· The product’s influence on society (positive or negative)
· Anything else you find interesting and important
POSSIBLE MODERN INVENTIONS TOPICS
· Nanotechnology
· Nanobots
· GPS
· E-Reader
· Segway
· Communication Satellites
· 3-D Printers
· Windows (Microsoft)
· Cellular Phones
· Artificial Heart
· MRI Machines
· Hoverboard
· Wireless Electricity
· Apple Watch
· Calculator
· Microwave Oven
· Vaccines
· LED lighting
· Lego Robotics
· Hot Air Balloons
· Google’s Driveless Car
Or any other invention that you may be interested in!
2018Inventions Rubric / 3 points / 2 points / 1 point / 0 points
TIMING / Student speaks for the 5 minute allotted time. / Student speaks for less than the 5 minute allotted time. / Student speaks for more than 6 minutes. / Student speaks for significantly more or less than the allotted 5 minutes.
VOICE / Student uses an enthusiastic, clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear the presentation. / Student’s voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can hear presentation. / Student’s voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation. / Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for a majority of students to hear
CONFIDENCE / Student exudes confidence and professionalism while introducing the topic in a dynamic and engaging manner. / Student is confident and looks professional but does not introduce topic in a dynamic and engaging manner. / Student is apprehensive, but introduces topic in a dynamic and engaging manner. / Student is apprehensive and does not introduce topic in a dynamic and engaging manner.
VISUAL ASSISTANCE / Student rarely refers to note card/presentation to help remember dates, names, etc. / Student occasionally refers to notecard/presentation to help remember dates, names, etc. / Student often refers to sheet of notecards/presentation to help remember dates, names, etc. / Student reads directly from note cards of presentation.
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE / Student demonstrates full knowledge of topic by providing a wealth of information. / Student demonstrates partial knowledge of topic by providing some information. / Student demonstrates some knowledge of topic by providing little information. / Student does not understand the topic and it is apparent from the lack of information.
APPEARANCE / Visual aid is neat, colorful and easy to read. Visual aid makes the subject “come alive” to the audience. / Visual aid lacks neatness and/or color, but makes the subject “come alive” to the audience. / Visual aid does not make the subject “come alive” to the audience. / Visual aid is nonexistent.
RELEVANCE / Visual aid is relevant to the topic and the information is accurate. / Visual aid is partly relevant to the topic, but is accurate. / Visual aid is inaccurate and somewhat relevant to the topic. / Visual aid is inaccurate and is irrelevant to the topic.
GRAMMAR/SPELLING / Grammar and usage are always correct and enhance the writing clarity and style. / Grammar and usage are satisfactory, but do not always add to the style of the writing. / Problems with grammar and usage are not serious enough to distort the meaning, but may not be correct or accurately applied all the time. / Errors in grammar and usage are very noticeable, frequent, and affect meaning.
ACCURACY / All sources are aligned with the Bibliographical Format Sheet in the packet. / Some sources are aligned with the Bibliographical Format Sheet in the packet. / Sources are not aligned with the Bibliographical Format Sheet in the packet. / Bibliography is not handed in.
AMOUNT / Bibliography includes 3 or more sources. / Bibliography includes 2 sources / Bibliography includes 1 source. / Bibliography is not handed in.
TIMING / Presentation is ready on the day it is due / Presentation is 1 week late. / Presentation is 2 weeks late. / Presentation is more than 2 weeks late.
Presentation Guidelines
Organize your presentation using the following outline. No matter what visual aid you choose, you will have to present your information orally to the class. Use notes to help you present your research and your product.
I. Introduction
A. Include an effective lead topic sentence.
B. Be sure to grab your audience’s attention.
II. Body
A. This will be the major part of your presentation.
B. Include important information.
C. Know your information so that you refer to your notes as little as possible.
D. Show visuals you have included
III. Conclusion
A. Summarize your presentation with one or two sentences.
B. Do not include any new material.
C. Be prepared to answer audience questions.
**New for 2018: Google Slides or Power Point will not be allowed this year.**
Vibrant Visual Aid Options
Non-Technological
Poster
Model
Timeline
Mobile
Book
Sculpture
Collage
Mini-museum
Game
Diorama
Scrapbook
Experiment
Interactive Websites
Nearpod.com
Prezi.com
Glogster.com
Powtoon.com
Storyjumper.com
Flippity.com
Blendspace.com
Kahoot.com
Other/Combination
Booklet
Brochure
Advertisement
Using Databases for Research
Gale Database Access
1. Go to http://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us//Domain/960
2. Click on the “Research Resources” tab on the left hand side of the screen.
3. Click “Gale Databases.”
4. If prompted, use the password: wood22249 (or lupo)
5. You will come to a list of databases, click on the name of the database you’d like to use.
6. Type your search terms in the search box (just like using Google).
7. Through Gale you have access to the following databases:
a. Custom Newspapers (Social Studies, current events, all subjects)
b. Literature Resource Center (English and literature)
c. Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Pros and cons)
EBSCOHost Database Access
1. Our access is through the Public Library. (http://www.woodbridge.lib.nj.us/databases)
2. Use the public library card number 29330002540852 and, if asked, the pin#: 4550.
3. Scroll down to the box labeled EBSCOHost (3/4 of the way down the page).
4. Through EBSCOHost you have FREE access to:
a. Academic Search Premier (All subjects)
a. Biography Collection Complete
b. Business Source Elite
c. ERIC (Education Resource Information Center)
d. GreenFILE (human impact on the environment)
e. HealthSource (health and wellness)
f. Literary Reference Center
g. MAS Ultra (All subjects, including magazines and primary sources)
h. MasterFILE Elite (All subjects, including magazines and primary sources)
i. Newswires (Worldwide news, but only from the past 30 days)
j. Newspaper Source Plus (All subjects, including television and radio transcript)
k. Teacher Reference Center (Resources for teachers)
l. WebNews (Top news feeds from around the globe)
There are even more databases you can access through the public library that are not a part of EBSCOHost.Use the public library card number 29330002540860 and, if asked, the pin#: 4550. This card number is good for online database access and eBooks but no physical book borrowing.
Grolier Encyclopedia
1. Go to http://auth.grolier.com/login/go_login_page.html?bffs=N
2. Username: wnj Password: wnj
Invention Websites for Kids
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Inventors_Inventions.html
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/technologyinvention.html
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/
http://tweentribune.com/frontpage?link
Please do not use Wikipedia for this project! Some content is inaccurate.
Invention Books for Kids
Parent Notification Form
My child, ______, has shown me the Invention Project Packet and we have reviewed the requirements. I am aware of the Timeline for this project and understand that all work is due on the date stated on the Timeline. The formal oral presentations will begin the week of January 15th.
My child would like to research the following topic:
Choice 1 ______
Choice 2 ______
** The topic may have to change if there is duplication in the class.
Parent/Guardian Signature Date
______
Student Signature Date
______