The Final Presentation

The final presentation will give students an opportunity to develop their own eco-mystery by exploring familiar eco-systems and learning about them. Students are given the following instructions for completing their presentation:

CREATE YOUR OWN ECO-MYSTERY
As a wetland detective, your first investigation is to create a mystery of your own about a special ecosystem where you live!

Here is what to do:

Find and identify an ecosystem near you that you would like to explore for your mystery.

Research the plant and animal organisms in the ecosystem to find out how they live, grow, and relate to each other. What are the special features that make the ecosystem unique from other ecosystems?

Review the procedures for Solving an Eco-mystery, use them to create your eco-mystery.

Write up your mystery as a question that invites someone else to solve.

Turn your eco-mystery into a presentation that others can follow and do. Make it as inviting as you can! Be sure to include:

• The mystery Question.

• Activities to help someone new understand your ecosystem, all about who lives in it and how it works.

• Information on the plants and animals and their relationships for others to learn about.

• Clues - important facts someone needs to understand so they could solve your mystery.

Your eco-mystery presentation should answer the following questions:

• What is the question that your mystery solves?

• What ecosystem are you investigating?

• What activities must someone do to understand the mystery and solve it?

• What research did you do to find your mystery question?

• What data and information must someone collect to solve your mystery?

• Did you talk to anyone or any specialists about your mystery? What information did he or she provide?

• What conclusions did you make about your ecosystem that helped you identify a mystery question?

• What is the solution to your mystery?

Using Power Point or Hyper Studio, students will then develop a presentation that they will present to the class. This activity can be done in small groups or individually.

Students will need to know how to use the above programs and should be instructed on their use prior to beginning the unit. The following Rubrics may be used to assess student's work.

Presentation Rubrics

PowerPoint Evaluation Rubric

PowerPoint (Student Presentation)

HyperStudio Evaluation Rubric

Hyper Studio Evaluation Student Work

For additional Rubrics see the Resource Page