Ecosystems of Texas

1. Teachers, use the Ecosystem PowerPoint Presentation, Ecosystem Website and the Destruction of Food Chain website for further explanations of an ecosystem.

2. Discuss the ecoregions that exist in Texas.

3. Students will work in groups of 2 - 4 to research the information about a Texas animal. Make sure each group has a different animal from a different region.

4. Designate one child to open and save either the PowerPoint Documentary template or the PowerPoint Brochure. It should be saved to the Scommon/Save/Campus folder/Desired folder so that all students in the group can have access to it. If desired, show them an example of the brochure or the documentary.

5. Give them a copy of the storyboard which will guide them in finding what is needed to succeed with this project. Print one copy and use the copying machine to make a class set.

6. Instruct the students to save images to their H: drive .Have them right-click on the picture, click Save Picture As, navigate to their home directory, and name the file with their initials (or whatever you want it to be as long as you can tell them apart).

7. Once they copy an image, have them write down the website address on their storyboard. Another way to cite the website address is to have them highlight it, press Ctrl + C , move to their credit page on the PowerPoint Credits page or the center back of their brochure, then press Ctrl+ V to paste it.

8. Use the storyboard to write the narrative which you will be recorded with a microphone for each picture in their documentary, or a witty narrative which will be typed in their brochure.

5. Demonstrate how to insert pictures, text, WordArt, (animation, transitions and background design for the PowerPoint Documentary) to their slide or brochure. If completing a PowerPoint documentary use a microphone to narrate each slide.

6. When they are finished with the slide show or brochure, have them save it in Scommon. Next, open the Save folder. Then, open your Campus folder. After that, open your grade level folder. Lastly, open the folder with your name. (Create grade level folders or teacher name folders if needed.)

7. Students can open the PowerPoint documentary and save it as a presentation show. Allow them to show it to the class.

8. For the brochure, print the first page. Then, put the paper back into the printer to print the second page on the back.