Extremely detailed and Important! Do not reply w/o reading assignment first

The Final Project / Exam

Four Parts

1. The Word Section

2. The Excel Section

3. The PowerPoint Section

4. The Presentation

Research a topic of your choosing. Preferably, choose a current topic that is related to your major. Typically, very specific topics are much better than general topics. When in doubt, ask!

Write a short paper about your topic of choice.

· Aim for 4 – 5 pages

· One of these pages should be a cover page

· Another should be a Work Cited page

· That leaves 2 – 3 pages of content

About your research:

You do not need to do serious academic research for this assignment. If you would like to dive into academic journals and scientific articles, be my guest. However, the use of less academic, reputable resources is also acceptable. Remember what those Billionaires use! If it is okay for them, then it is OK for us.

The follow are the three key points when working on this project. Your ability to functionally use Microsoft Office. Your ability to gather reputable information on current topics. Your ability to present your findings and thoughts on that information in an interesting and engaging way through Word and PowerPoint.

The Word Section

On that note, do not use an academic writing style for your report. Consider:

· Bullets · Color · Graphics · Pictures

· Fancy Fonts · Borders · Smart Art · Tables

Don’t just fill pages with boring black text on a white background.

Having said that, I do expect you to use Word to properly site your work. This is a very important skill. You must have inline citations where appropriate, and a work cited. Review pages 112 – 113 if you need a refresher on adding sources and creating a work cited page.

The Excel Section

For your report, try to come up with some data that you can use to create an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet does not need to be large or extensive. You should use Excel to create two charts. Those two charts should be copied and pasted into your Word report. (You must still submit your Excel file).

The PowerPoint Section

Create a slideshow about your report using some of the techniques we learned in class. Use themes and styles to increase interest. Keep in mind that your slides should not have too much text. Just focus on the key points of your report, and try to make it pretty.

The PowerPoint should be at least 4 slides long, and should not be longer than… well, go ahead and make it as long as you want. Just keep in mind….

The Presentation – Onsite Sections only, Online n/a

You must do a short presentation using your slides. This presentation should be around two minutes long. You won’t be timed to the second with a stopwatch, but aim for 2 – 3 minutes. You will really be graded on your ability to use Office. Having said that, the point of PowerPoint is to give presentations, and how better to practice giving presentations with PowerPoint than to actually give a presentation using PowerPoint? (That has got to be one of the worst sentences ever written)

Due Date and Deliverables

Everything is due on the day of the Final Exam:

In Blackboard, there will be a section for you to upload:

· Your report (Word)

· Your spreadsheet (Excel)

· Your presentation (PowerPoint)

Your presentations will be given in class during the block of time for the Final. (Onsite Sections only, Online n/a)

This project may receive small modification between now and the day of the Final. Any changes will be minor, and for sake of clarity.

Cuyahoga Community College IT1010 Final Project