| World Rivers Group Project
Weekly due dates; final presentation the week of Nov. 3
WORLD RIVERS GROUP PROJECT
Starting Date: Monday, October 6, 2008
In this unit, you will be working in a cooperative table group to explore the rivers and the
geography of one of the following continents (circle your group’s continent):
South America (Focus river: Amazon R.)
Africa (Focus river: Nile R.)
Europe (Focus river: Rhine R.)
SW Asia (Focus river: Ganges R.)
E Asia (Focus river: Yangtze R.)
Your group will have four weeks to create, write and prepare projects and a class presentation
on your continent. You will have class time each day for this preparation, but some of the work may
need to be done outside of class time. It is up to your group leader to assign homework tasks. The
project has been broken down into four sections. We will complete one section at a time.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS:
____ A. THE POSTER (25 points) Due: Friday, Oct. 10
____ 1. [10] Colorful Large Map of your continent. This should clearly show and label:
____the major rivers – emphasize your focus river!
____ mountains
____ bodies of water
____ other major geographical features that are part of, or border on, this continent
____ all of your continent’s countries
____ the capital for each country
____ 2. [2] Name of your continent in large letters.
____ 3. [2] A neat and colorful border around all four sides of your poster, made up of the
flags of all the countries on your continent. Label each flag with its country’s name.
____ 4. [2] First and last names of group members.
____ 5. [3] News articles and pictures about your continent, cut out from the newspaper,
magazines, etc. Extra points for articles about your river!
____ 6. [4] Lots of color throughout; poster should be bold, neat and eye-catching.
____ 7. [2] Poster size is 4 feet high and 3 feet wide.
____B. THE REPORT (25 points) Due: Friday, Oct. 17
First, research your focus river, and take notes on the information you learn about it. Include the
book that Ms. Bennett provides you, as well as at least three other sources. THEN,
____ 1. [20] Using your notes, write a report about your river. It should be at least four
typed pages in length. Include info about the issues that affect your river.
____ 2. [3] Write a bibliography that lists the titles, authors, publishers, copyrights, and page
numbers of the books/websites you used for your research.
____ 3. [2] Put the report and the bibliography together in a report folder with a creative,
colorful cover.
____C. THE PLAY (25 points) Due: Monday, Oct. 27 (No school Fri., Oct. 24)
____ 1. [15] Write a play that takes place along your focus river. Through this writing, we
should be able to understand the importance of the river to the people who live there. Develop a
strong plot -- action, suspense, conflict, resolution.
____ 2. [5] Proofread your draft and show evidence of editing in a different color ink than
the draft.
____ 2. [5] Neatly type the final draft. Proofread for errors and check spelling. Turn in your
edited draft AND your final draft.
____ F. THE PRESENTATION (25 points) Due: Mon., Tues., or Wed., Nov. 3-5
Must be in this order:
____ 1. [3] Take the class out into the hall and present your poster to them. Point out
important information they should know about your continent. Show them the rivers.
____ 2. [2] Take the class back into the room. Show them your continent on the world
map. Make sure they understand its location and color it in correctly on their world maps.
____ 3. [10] Next, present key facts about your continent, taken from the information you
gathered in your research. Decide what you want the cl ass to do: take notes, or fill in a worksheet
you have prepared for them.
____ 4. [5] Next, perform the play you wrote. This should be memorized and well-rehearsed.
____ 6. [?] Then, you should present your Extra Credit Options, if you did any:
___prepare foods from your continent for the class to sample.
___create a wordsearch or crossword puzzle for the class to solve.
___show part of a video about your continent, especially if it is about a river.
___play music from your continent in the background (tape or CD).
___play a quiz game with the class to help them learn the information about
your continent.
____7. [5] Finally, present a written quiz to the class over the information your presented
to them. The quiz should have 10 questions, and they should be valuable and meaningful. Be sure
to get them copied before your presentation day.
TOTAL POINTS FOR THIS PROJECT:
100 points: Team Score
50 points: Individual Contribution Score
50 points: Final Exam made up of general geography questions and the questions from each quiz
200 Total Points possible
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PROJECT SUMMARY SHEET:
Name_______________________________________
World Rivers Project Summary Sheet
My Continent: _______________________________________________
My Focus River: _____________________________________
My group leader: ______________________________________
Group members: _______________________________
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Key deadlines:
____ Poster: Friday, Oct. 10
____ Report: Friday, Oct. 17
____ Play: Friday, Oct. 24
____ Presentation: _________________________
My responsibilities for the poster:
My responsibilities for the report:
My responsibilities for the play:
My responsibilities for the presentation:
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WORLD RIVERS TIMELINE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
Introduce the entire project. Select teams, make new seating chart.
*C = Computer Lab 1; *L = Library; M = Ms. Merrigan
OCT. 6-10
Mon. – Go over the poster requirements. Fill out team planning sheet.
*L Tues. – Library @ 1:30 to locate materials, and check them out to team leader or to
Ms. Bennett. Use library Elmo to trace maps, if time.
Wed.-Fri – In class to work on the poster. Use Elmo to trace maps. Return materials to
library at the end of class. Display completed posters in the hallway.
OCT. 13-17
*M Mon. – Go over the report requirements. Discuss the note-taking sheet. Ms.Merrigan
in to go over correct ways to cite sources for research.
*L Tues.-Wed. – Library Research.
Thurs. -- In class to write the report. Sort information and decide how to put it together.
*C Fri. – Edit, then type final draft. Each person can type one page. Turn in edited draft
and final draft.
OCT. 20-23, OCT. 27
Mon. – Go over the play requirements. Group brainstorm ideas. Script-writing lesson.
Tues.-Thurs. – Write script. Edit script. Practice script and make any needed changes,
additions, etc.
*C Mon. – Type script. Turn in script. Make copies of script for each group member.
OCT. 28- 31
Tues. – Go over the presentation requirements. Fill out team planning sheet. Distribute
scripts.
Wed.-Fri. – Prepare for, and practice, presentation.
NOV. 3-7
Mon. – Teams 1 & 2 present
Continent: __________________________________
Continent: __________________________________
Tues. – Teams 3 & 4 present
Continent: __________________________________
Continent: __________________________________
Wed. – Team 5 presents; Test review
Continent: __________________________________
Continent: __________________________________
Thurs. – Final Exam
Fri. – Make-up tests; celebrate!
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RESEARCH NOTES
Name:__________________________________
River Research
(Complete one sheet for each resource you use)
River: ____________________________________
Resource:
Type of resource: _______________________________________
Title: _____________________________________
Author: _____________________________________
Publisher: ____________________________________
Copyright: ©___________________________
Page numbers________________________________, OR,
URL: ___________________________________________________________________
Notes, IN YOUR OWN WORDS – Do not copy word-for-word; summarize the information:
Location:
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History:
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(OVER)
Issues:
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Other facts:
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Research Reminders:
In addition to whatever other information you include, your report must include information on the
following:
Yantgtze: The effect of dams on the river
Ganges: Pollution, especially by human uses
Rhine: Castles. Also, Pollution
Nile: Hydropolitics
Amazon: Vanishing rainforest
**All groups should include info on the importance of the river to the people of that country, and
what the threats are to the river and its water. What is being done to protect the health of the river?
Use the links on our Humanities Homepage for quick and easy river info and pictures.
http://teacherweb.com/WA/ThurgoodMarshallMiddleSchool/Bennett/links1.stm
Remember to Google your river, and look at “images.”
Also, search for your river name plus the issue, like “Yangtze River dams” or “Ganges River human
pollution” or “Nile River hydropolitics”
Cite the websites you use! Write down the name of the page, the date you found it, the source, and
the address:
Yangtze River. [Map/Still]. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online:
http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-5520
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Name__________________________________________
River Play Worksheet
River: ____________________________________
Issues this river faces: ___________________________________________________________________
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Possible Plots:
Characters:
Titles:
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SCRIPTING SKILLS
1. Write lots of stage directions so people know where to move and how to say their lines. Put all
stage directions in parentheses. Go back later when the script is typed, and change them
to italics. Example:
(Fearfully) What will we do now? (Paces back and forth across the stage.)
2. Write character names in all caps, followed by a colon. Example:
ELLEN: (Fearfully) What will we do now?
2. Avoid using a narrator to tell what is happening. Use dialog instead so the characters tell us
and act it out instead.
Instead of this:
NARRATOR: Ellen wondered fearfully what they would do next. She paced back and
forth across the stage.
Do this:
ELLEN: (Fearfully) What will we do now? (Paces back and forth across the stage.)
3. Use lots and lots of dialog. Get your characters talking to each other! Also, have the
characters call each other by name a lot, so the audience gets to know their names, too.
Do NOT use quotation marks around the words they say.
4. When typing your script, skip a line when you change speakers. Example:
ELLEN: (Fearfully) What will we do now, Pete? (Paces back and forth across the stage.)
PETE: (nervously) I’m not sure, Ellen. (Timidly looking around) Maybe we should call your
dad. Or 911.
ELLEN: That’s a good idea. I’ve got my cell right here… (Digs in her pocket) Oh, no…
I just had it, I know I did! Did I give it to you?
PETE: No. And I left mine in the car. (A loud crash sounds stage left. Pete jumps) It’s
getting closer! (panicking) Quick! We have to hide! (Grabs Ellen’s hand and pulls her
stage right. They duck under a desk.)
Your turn! Write a short dialog between Joe and Katie. They are going to the movies. Katie is
impatient because Joe is taking too long to get ready, and they are going to be late. (Continue onto
the back as needed.)
KATIE: (impatiently) Joe! ________________________________________________________________
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Now, go back and check your work. Did you:
___ Use lots of dialog?
___ Have the characters call each other by name?
___ Use lots of stage directions?
___ Put the stage directions in parentheses?
___ Write the speaker’s name in all caps, followed by a colon?
___ Skip a line when you changed speakers?
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River of Life Project:
DUE TUESDAY, SEPT. 30th
Create a model or a poster of your own "River of Life," that shows how your life is flowing so
far,
and connecting the river vocabulary we have learned to your own life. In this project, you should
include:
____ 1. a visual representation of 12 river features, clearly labeled with the term -- this can be a
poster
with a drawing of your river, or an actual model you make out of clay, papier mache, or any number
of
other materials - use your imagination!
____ 2. an explanation of how each term relates to your life, clearly labeled (Example: label the
"banks"
of your river, and include the explanation that your parents are your banks, keeping you from
overflowing and keeping you on course.)
____ 3. color -- LOTS of color!
____ 4. dimension -- model or poster should not be flat -- model should have elevation; poster can
use pop-outs or flaps or...?)
____ 5. enough room to show all this -- size should be about 12” x 18” -- be sure you can get it to
school!
____ 6. your first and last names clearly visible on the front or top
____ 7. neatness, effort, and creativity
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