| Class Activity Sample |
Purpose
Students will gather information about environmental organizations and present it to peers and instructors during a poster session.
Learning Objective(s) Addressed by this Activity
Chapter 25:
General:
Class Size and Required Time
This activity works best with 20 - 50 students. In a smaller class the activity can be assigned to individual students. In larger classes, groups of 2 or 3 students probably work best. At least three weeks of preparation time needs to be provided for the students to prepare their posters. The poster sessions can be held in two fifty minute sessions, or one longer session depending on class size, the time given for students to present and share their work, and instructor's preferences.
Materials Needed
Students supply poster board and presenting materials (i.e., photographs, lettering, text, etc.)
Description
Students prepare a professional poster describing an environmental organization (e.g., The Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, Wilderness Society, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, etc.). If the instructor wants specific organizations included (s)he can construct a list of choices for students. For example, it may be interesting to have at least a few "anti-environmental" organizations included. Or, the instructor can give students complete control of their choices (i.e., organizations are chosen on a first come, first served basis). A signup sheet can be used to prevent duplication. Provide at least three weeks for the students to prepare their posters and let them know that a professional poster presents information in an attractive, readable (from a distance), manner. The poster can be an especially useful format for presenting colorful pictures and graphs along with text. It is important that students do not simply write a paper and then paste the pages to the poster board. Many students have never been to a professional poster session so providing a sample poster can be helpful.
On the day of the poster session, half of the class presents their posters to the instructor and other students in class. On the next day (or second half of class) the other group presents their posters. The required components of the poster are listed below. One important component of the poster is a walk-away summary sheet. As described below, the walk-away summary provides a one-page synthesis of the information contained on the poster. The students need to provide sufficient copies of the summary sheet for distribution to the rest of the class and the instructor.
The poster session setting, like that at a professional conference, provides opportunities for students to present their information to many different people in a personal and social setting (as compared to a formal presentation for a large group). Many presentations in a shorter time benefits both presenters and participants. An added benefit for students is that it can be a fun way to present their information. Many students have provided positive feedback with this activity.
Components of Activity
Assessment
Instructors assess the posters as they go around the room meeting with each student or student group. Since time is limited, the instructor should have a scoring guide including the criteria of quality and levels of performance against which the posters will be assessed (see simple sample below). The information provided in the walk-away summary sheets can also be used for test questions.
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High |
Medium |
Low |
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Attractive |
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Informative |
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Accurate |
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Required components included |
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