Geology  Unit 2  Rubric
Geology  Unit 2  Rubric

Doing World Builders  in PowerPoint

This assignment should be done with the group working together.

If desired, this geology unit may be combined with the unit on Climate and Weather.

Use Designing Your Planet's Geology to help you with this page.

Download:  Fractal Terrains from http://www.profantasy.com/ and use this program to illustrate some of your your slides.  Be sure that everyone in your group knows how to download and install this program.  Work with it together so that you can all learn what it can do.  Once you have downloaded the program from this site go to the page Create a World.  it will show you how to get started.  Note:  You can use this program free for two weeks.  Do your reading before you download it.

Lay out the text of your  PowerPoint presentation something like this:
 Slide 1

     This slide is the title of your Geology or  combined Geology/Climate and Weather unit.

     It should be beautiful and suggestive of a world before life begins on it.

     Make your reader want to read this part!

Slide 2

     Describe your planet as it cools down from the molten state.  What does it look like?

     Is it being hit by asteroids and/or meteors?  (You can use animation here!)
Are there craters?
Does your world have volcanoes?
What is it made of?   

Slide 3

Here you can show what your planet looks like inside.

Terrestrial planets (planets made of rocks) have iron cores, as iron is plentiful and has a density of 8.  Iron would sink toward the center in a molten planet.

Slide 4
     Download Fractal Terrains and make your maps.  Play with the program to get the effect you want. Begin by working with elevations.  Choose high mountains or low ones, deep or shallow seas.

    Save your map as a .jpg file,  Open it in a program that will do paint.  Put the rivers in and label your oceans and continents.  Put the map on this slide.

Slide 5

   Study your map again.  Where are the tectonic plate borders?  Hint: Look at your mountains and figure out why they are where they are.  Will some of them be volcanoes?  Where is the sea floor spreading?   Make your best guess about where the tectonic plates are and draw them in.  Put in arrows to show which way they are moving.  Put this picture on this slide with some written description. 

Slide 6

     Draw a line across your world and make a landscape picture from your contour map to get some idea of what your planet would look like.

     Add comments to your diagram.

Slide 7

     Use this page to summarize your thoughts on the formation and general layout of your world.  This should be a text narrative, perhaps with pictures.

     If you are going to combine Geology and Weather go on to the rubrics for Weather and Climate.  You will continue to use the same maps.
Once you have your text all laid out, select a background for your slides and add graphics as appropriate.  Attractive appearance contributes to your grade, as does demonstration of understanding of the scientific concepts involved. You may include additional material if you wish.
 Grading will be for these qualities:
  A  neat, complete, attractive, good written introduction, links work, turned in Week 2.
  B complete, links work, turned in Week 3
C  problems: incomplete, links don't work, turned in by Week 4.
Return to Top
© 2000, 2002,2003, 2004.   Elizabeth Anne Viau. All rights reserved. This material may be used by individuals for instructional purposes but not sold. Please inform the author if you use it at eviau@earthlink.net.