Google It! Medieval Europe PowerPoint Project

I'm sure you have heard the phrase "Google it!"  I was inspired by this phrase to create a project in which students created their own interactive PowerPoint presentation by recreating a Google logo and thematic slides on one standard of Medieval Europe.  For example, a student who researched the "bubonic plague" created a Google logo designed to imitate the disease and its devastating effects on Medieval Europe and then linked each letter of their "Google" logo to thematic slides including:  a VTS (Visible Thinking Strategy) slide (to invite group discussion), a map, a narrative (fairy tale or news story), an advertisement, a "How to..." technical directions, and a final slide of their choice (collage, diagram, quiz, cause-and-effect chart, point of view slide, etc.). Some students even used GoAnimate to create mini animated movies to insert into parts of their PowerPoint presentations (such as an introduction or summary). When finished with their PowerPoints, students also linked the "Google Search" button to the best web site they could find on their topic.  This week, students took turns teaching their peers what they learned as they presented their "Google It!" PowerPoint presentations, which included their own student-initiated VTS discussions.  Enjoy some impressive and quite creative work below!

Student PowerPoint Example #1:

Student PowerPoint Example #2:

Student PowerPoint Example #3:

Mixing Medieval & Modern - Samurai Facebook Pages!

Students enjoyed mixing medieval and modern times by creating Samurai Facebook pages!  Beginning with research using websites, textbooks, and nonfiction books and articles, student took notes on the life, duties, and goals of the samurai warriors of medieval Japan.  Then, using their creativity, students demonstrated their learning using a social media template--Facebook!  Enjoy examples below: