Teachers - student need ideas for "Killer Bees" project?

Question

My 10th grade daughter is failing biology and has to come up with a really good "story board" kind of presentation on the topic of "Africanized Killer Bees". I showed her all the good web sites and she has accumulated a lot of facts. What I want to know is - what would be the best way for her to put together a really good presentation, to wow her teacher and pull off a good grade? She hates this class and isn't interested in the topic. It was assigned, and is due next week. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Please don't give web sites, she already has tons of facts, just needs some suggestions on how to present it all. We also found a web site that has a recording of the actual sound of a swarm. Any ideas on how this can be recorded and included in the presentation? Thanks!

My daughter does not have the ability or tools needed to put together a power point presentation. It is assigned as a story board project (on a piece of posterboard or foamcore).

Answer 1

Maybe she could present it as sort of a mystery. Show the aftermath of a killer bee attack. Pretend like she is a detective and that she questioned several witnesses who provided her w facts, including the coroner, innocent bystanders, and the victim's friends and family (if victim was an animal then you can still pretend to question them, I think it would be even funnier). Perhaps one of the witnesses caught the sound on tape, which you could then play for the class.
Of course I realize that her classmates probably already know her topic so there is no "real" mystery, but if the presentation were entertaining she could suspend their disbelief.
You mentioned that she hated the class and was not interested in her topic. She needs to shape up and take control of her own success in school. You can encourage her, but you can't do everything for her. If she is going to get up in front of everyone and act sullen and bored, all the research and preparation in the world won't help her. She needs to practice her oral presentation skills at home. Speak clearly and audibly, act enthused and be prepared. I know kids this age get embarassed easily, but if she can polish her verbal presentation skills she'll be way ahead of the pack. Tell her that this kind of stuff will help you regardless of what career you choose in the future--everybody from the President to America's next top model needs to be able to speak w confidence and poise.

Answer 2

If you are going to do Power Point, I would suggest the following:
1. Don't put more than 2 main points on a slide
2. Keep your words at least 18 pt or larger
3. Do not read your slides to the audience
4. Set up a hyperlink so you can play the sound bite of the swarm (or better yet, have it playing in the background during the presentation for effect)
Go to Slide Show menu, Action Buttons and type in the website address
5. Bring samples (pictures or books) to pass around
6. Find a way to get the audience to interact....an intro with a quiz on bees, just some verbal questions on past experience with bees, etc.
7. Dress appropriately
8. Speak loudly and do not read from your notes; set yourself up an outline and know your topic
Hope this helps...good luck!

Answer 3

Sometimes students w/ different abilities are paired together so that they may learn from each other. You, as an A student, get the opportunity to "rub off" on the "slacker" student. Pairing of this sort allows the lower performing student the opportunity to learn from a higher performing student w/ the objective of encouraging him/her to perform at a higher level. I would caution teachers, however, not to use that system of pairing as a crutch especially if it has not been working. Have you tried talking to your teacher? It is definitely not fair to have to do all of the work on group work while the slacking partner benefits from doing nothing. Try thinking about it this way: If you were a lower performing student and wanted to do better but kept getting paired w/ other lower performing students, what would you learn from that? Probably nothing. However, if you were paired w/ an A student, that student may be able to teach you something or provide you with alternate insight.

Answer 4

Power Point can pull it all together.