Overview

Students will work in groups to prepare slide shows to review the settlement of the West, 1849-1909. The slide show will identify the major concepts related to the following topics:

Moving West
Rails Across a Continent
The Mining Frontier
Culture and Traditions of Native Americans (Plains Indians)
The Last Indian Wars
The Cattle Kingdom
The Farming Frontier

Concepts

• Students will develop skills in summarizing major concepts.
• Students will learn to set up a slide show format.
• Students will learn to use the flatbed scanner.
• Students will learn to transport pictures onto their disk and then into their slide show.
• Students will learn to employ different fonts, sizes, styles, colors, and graphics to add interest to their frames.

Indicators

• Review and identify major ideas related to their topic.
• Prepare and arrange events in sequence.
• Import pictures and graphics into the slide show.
• Plan three review questions covering the major concepts.
• Share information in an oral presentation.

Precomputer

• Assign groups and topics.
• Model assignment using teacher-prepared slide show.
• Set parameters for slide show including the use of only three fonts, three sizes, plain text, bold text, pastel background color, four dark colors for text, one picture for the slide show, one graphic per frame, and six frames.
• Review reading assignments, unit overview, objectives, notes and other reference materials to identify the date to include in the slide show.
• Organize information for each frame on a story board.
• Review information on storyboard with teacher. Make suggested changes and corrections.

On the computer

• Using ClarisWorks, students will create six slides organized as:
  • Title Page--include scanned picture on this frame.
  • Frames two, three, four, five--major concepts related to topic. Each frame should include one graphic imported from the library or clip art.
  • Frame six--conclusion and three review questions.
• Save slide show to disk.
• Teacher will review slide show and recommend changes or corrections.
• Students will edit slide show.

Postcomputer

• Students will present slide show to class.
• Using a rubric, students will evaluate other classmates’ presentations and their own.

Related resources

• Claris Works Slide Show Instructions