Planning and Creating a Presentation

In this activity, you will prepare a 10- to 15-slide presentation using presentation software. You will describe Earth's magnetic field and how it interacts with the solar wind. Your claims should be supported by scientifically complete evidence.

Follow the links provided throughout the activity. They will help you plan and research your presentation. This guide about the research processprovides a helpful overview of the steps you should take.

The Research Process Research is an important part of academic life. In fact, research is an important skill for everyday life. Research skills such as finding background information, locating credible evidence to support viewpoints, and evaluating information are useful in fields from politics to advertising. Let's go over the steps for conducting research. Choose a good topic. This is the first stage of research. You may start with a broad subject for research, but you eventually need to narrow your focus to a more specific topic. To shortlist a good topic, you can choose to brainstorm, read up, or prepare a list of questions that you want to answer with your research. Most important, choose a topic that interests you. Find background information. The next step is to find general information about your chosen topic. At this stage, you can conduct a light Internet search or read encyclopedia articles about your topic. Your goal is to read the most general information you can find just to get some background on your topic. This will help you became familiar with the topic and help you decide what aspect seems most interesting to you personally. In other words, this step helps you narrow down what you would like to work on. Identify key sources. At this stage, your research will become more focused as you explore your chosen aspect in more detail. Make a list of key questions you want to answer through your research. Collect as many sources as you can that have information to answer your questions. Evaluate your sources. At this point, you will check your information to see if it is relevant and reliable. You can make sure that your sources are reliable taking a few simple actions:. Make sure that any books or journal articles you refer to are written by experts on your chosen topic. Make sure that your information is from academic journals as much as possible. . You can interview experts on your chosen topic for more information. If you are using online sources, remember these guidelines: . Only use sources that end in .edu (school and college websites) and .gov (government websites). . Use .org sites (not-for-profit organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank) if they are reliable. . Check the reliability of the page. You can do this by looking for the author's name and credentials. . Check the site for accuracy. Is it biased? How does the information compare with information from sources such as books and newspapers? . Try to use sites that have no advertising. If there is advertising, check whether it is related to the content. Is the site trying to sell you something? Is its information geared toward selling you something? If this is the case, find some other source. . Make sure that the information and the page are current. If the site hasn't been updated, the information may turn out to be irrelevant to your research. Use strong sources as supporting evidence. Once you have decided on the arguments you will make in your essay, use your strongest sources to support them. Select the sources that are most relevant to your research questions. Cite sources correctly in your paper. When you use evidence from external sources to support your thesis, you need to properly credit the sources. Look at the following examples for citing online sources based on the MLA (Modern Language Association) style: Website Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.Cite sources correctly in your paper. When you use evidence from external sources to support your thesis, you need to properly credit the sources. Look at the following examples for citing online sources based on the MLA (Modern Language Association) style: Website Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access. Jim Wilson. NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2015. Article from a Website Author's name (if available). "Article title." Website title. Publisher name, date published. Page number(s) (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access. "How Do We Know that Humans Are the Major Cause of Global Warming?" Union of Concerned Scientists: Science for a healthy planet and safer world. Union of Concerned Scientists, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.Reading Strategies for Complex Texts 1. Number the paragraphs. A simple way to cite and refer to the text is to number each paragraph in the left-hand margin. When you refer to the text again and need to jot down notes, you can easily locate the information in the text. 2. Separate the text into easy-to-read sections. Breaking up the text into smaller sections helps to organize the ideas and information. One way of grouping paragraphs that contain the same or similar ideas is to use horizontal lines to separate them from the rest of the text. (See the sample text at the end of this document.) When you read the text again, this chunking technique will help you better understand the structure and elements. 3. Underline or circle important text. Think about the information you want to take from the text. Look for that information in the text and underline or circle those areas. Look for these key types of information: . definitions the main idea . repeated ideas . names of people or places, action verbs, and figurative language 4. In the left margin, jot down the meaning of each paragraph. In the left margin, briefly summarize each chunk of text (typically, in 10 words or fewer). 5. In the right margin, write down your analysis of each paragraph. In the right-hand margin, analyze the information in each chunk of text using one of the following techniques, depending on text content: . Use an action verb to describe what the author is doing. Be specific. . Represent the information using a visual organizer. . Ask questions about the text. Use the following example as a guide:. Represent the information using a visual organizer. . Ask questions about the text. Use the following example as a guide: The Lure of Long Beach Island The sun Shines off theAtlantic as Iwalk along the inlet at Long Beach Island The lighthouse lowery above me. while waves lap against the Author flies Description Barnacle-covered rocks. It's difficult to imagine that 70 feet below these to grab Of a beach calm waters hundreds of ships lie at the bottom of the sea. I walk the fong stretch. passed the lighthouse, and it on a bench toCare? the boats seadu's Scene passing in and out of the harbor. Where the sidewalk ends, a jetty(begins) attention stretching to the horizon and disappearing into the sea by a trick of light. 2 At one time. (Long Beach Island had one of the most dangerous inlets Inlet was importantalong the(East Coast? The island was settled in 1690. The inlet was Beief history for trade but also important for freight shipments and whaling from the 17th century OF Long Beach Very dangerous so throughout the 20th century. Due to tumultous waters and strong currents. Is land and Guilighthouse congthe islander builta lighthouse in 1835. hut erosion Claimed the structure in 1857. Two years later. the Barnegat lighthouse ywas built. lighthouse 3 1 (quint jit the tall structure. the beacon of which must have created a Author imagines sense of hope for so many men during those long days at sea. Imagine Author describes what it must stormy night. The sun disappears ybehind a billow of dark clouds, I am no longer safely onshore but on an old whaling ship caught in a storm. The the importance have been like wind picks up and waves roll onto the deck. Thunder(rumbles )werhead, and flashes of lightening cut through the clouds. I hear the water mashing of lighthouse for Sailors against the heat, and I can feel her caught in the fury of its current. make in both 'in the olders day but the outline of the island as our ship is carried closer and closer to who depended shore. Then, in the distance, I see a ray of light and then a shape. a practical building perched on the edge of land. on the lighthouse and emotional I open my eyes. Welcoming her children home, the sun is bright, the waves are calm. and the lighthouse sits as she always sits. It doesn't matter whether you're an islander or not. Sheembracesyou to step safely ashore. The inlet has become 5 Years ago, those currents would catch ships and smash them against the less dangerous that it rocks. Today, the inlet is not nearly as deadly, Currents are still strong and Gives modern cas in orden times accidents still happen, but technology, the jetty, and the decrease of day conditions thanks to modern freight shipments and whaling has all but stopped the large number of Of the light house technology shipwrecks and intel 6 The afternoon sun( sink, lower in the sky, and Iwave us a large fishing Author again vessel passes through the inlet. A few of the fishermen wave back. ICland) Author from the bench and glance cut again at theAtlantic) She is calm now. with describes the her secrets hidden in the dark below. glanceover my shoulder at the jetty ends on stretching to the horizon, and I feel a warm breeze. I am safe here. with peaceful beach my feet on solid ground. I smile. then turn and head home. a peaceful sight Scene Conclusive hoteThe Five-Paragraph Essay The Five Paragraph Essay format is one of the most basic essay writing formats. It's important to keep the ve paragraph structure In mind as you write your essays. The Five Paragraph Essay consists of five basic components: - an Introduction [pa ragraph 1) - a body (paragraphs 2. 3. and 4} - a conclusion (paragraph 5} Introduction In the introduction you will briey describe your topic. Your introduction paragraph will have these main elements: - Hook it an Interesting fact or line that grabs your readers attention and makes one to read your essay 0 Topic make sure that the topic ofyour paper Is clearly mentioned In your Introduction. 0 Thesis statementthis Is the sentence that shows the main purpose ofyour essay. it ensures that your reader immediately knows your opinion or point of View. Your thesis statement will include key words from your three body paragraph topics. Body paragraphs These are the paragraphs that will contain most ofyour arguments and the evidence you use to support them. 0 Paragraph 2Thls paragraph should discuss the first and strongest ofyour three supporting arguments (details). Begin by stating your argument and then following up with the evidence to support or expand It. These supporting sentences may consist of specific details, evidence. or examples that prove the point you are making. - Paragraph 3Thls paragraph should discuss your second supporting argumenttdetail]. It will follow the same approach as your first body paragraph. It will state the supporting argument followed by evidence or details to back It up. - Paragraph 4Thls paragraph will discuss and expand your third supporting argument [detail] with evidence or details to back It up. conclusion Main ideaat the start ofyour concluding paragraph you will restate your main purpose, argument or Idea Summaryyou will then summarize the Important points you have discussed In your body paragraphs. Don't Introduce any new ideas you have not discussed before the conclusion