For the next week or so we will be working on a new research project in the Calc. Room. Each of you will choose a person or event from the Civil War, conduct research on that topic, and then incorporate your findings into an electronic posterboard that will be posted on MS history website. Our first two days in the Calc. will be spent researching, reviewing multi-tasking, and learning how to take images from the web and save them into a personal file. Next, you will learn how to use the application Fireworks which will allow you to create a professional-looking electronic posterboard. Finally, you will have a day or two to put everything together and complete your project.

If you are studying a battle you should write a one-page summary of it describing where it was fought, who the generals were, the objectives of each side, the outcome, and how the battle affected the war. (over)

If you are studying a person, you should write a one-page summary providing general background information such as date and location of birth, interesting family information, education, prior military experience, etc. In addition, you should describe this personÕs involvement and impact on the war. It would probably be possible to write books about your person, but it is important to limit this biography to one page, so be sure to stick to the highlights.

Everyone must include at least three images that help describe your topic. Photographs, battlefield maps, flags, and portraits are a few of the possibilities. Under each image, there must be a caption explaining what is being depicted.

Finally, you should include a title with the name of the person or the name and date of the battle.

Due January 24, 2001

  1. Students will choose a person or event from the Civil War which they would like to learn more about.
  2. Students will research their topics using the Internet.
  3. After logging into the GA Filer area of your server account, go into Curricular Projects, then the Civilwar folder and your period. Now make a folder with your name. In here you will save your work.
  4. You will spend two days finding the information and collect images on your topic
  5. Select at least 3 pictures from any web site on your topic that you will use to illustrate your your information. You may need to ask for permission in certain cases.
  6. You will follow the instructions on multitasking to take notes using a word processed document and Netscape.
  7. Once you have all your information you will write a one page summary of your topic using Microsoft Word, saving the document to the Curricular area of the server in the folder called civilwar.
  8. You will spend five class periods working in the MSCALC. You will create your poster using Macromedia Fireworks and you will publish your poster using Adobe PageMill. To begin you will make a folder in the "CivilWar" folder in curricular to hold all your work.
  9. After a brief introduction to Fireworks, following the step by step instructions, you will create your poster using the "Text" tool and the "drawing" tools available in Fireworks.
  10. You are to enhance your text using the stroke, fill end effects options. They can incorporate illustrations from the 525,000 graphics available from the"Art Explosion" CDs or download online graphics from free clip art sites.
  11. You will remember to save your work in two formats: the PNG format, so that you can alter your work if correction is needed, and in the GIF format to be placed on their web page.
  12. Once the poster is completed you will open Page Mill, and following the step by step instructions furnished, you will place the graphic on the page, and make a link back to the student index page.
  13. You may also enhance your page with color in the background, etc.

 

You will be graded based on the following:

content Ð 50 points

creativity Ð 20 points

satisfying requirements Ð 20 points

mechanics Ð 10 points

This project designed and implemented by Jamie Murray, History teacher for the students of Germantown Academy Middle School. Page design and technical assistance furnished by Carol Siwinski, Curricular Technology Specialist.

January, 2001