California Wonders
Your team becomes the expert guides to one corner of California — a place, a landscape, or a piece of its history. You'll research it from sources you can trust, then present it to the class as a team.
What you'll do
California is huge — from giant redwood forests and the desert of Death Valley to the wine country of Napa and the streets of San Francisco. Your group will take one of these wonders and become its expert guides.
You'll research your topic using sources you can trust, choose the most interesting facts, build clear visuals, and present together for 5–7 minutes, finishing with questions from the class.
This is a team project, so how well you work together matters as much as the facts. The best presentations feel like one smooth story, even though several people are speaking.
How to do the project
Work through these six steps as a team. Agree on who does what early — the groups that plan together at the start are the ones that present smoothly at the end.
Get your topic and split the work
Your group is given one wonder of California — for example its history, wildlife, coast, Napa Valley, San Francisco, the redwood forests, or Death Valley.
- Break your topic into parts (for example: location, history, what to see, why it's special).
- Give each member a part they'll research and present.
- Choose one person to keep the slides consistent and one to watch the time.
Find information you can trust
This is a research project, so where your facts come from really matters. Use good sources and always check important facts twice.
- Use reliable sources — official park or city websites, museums, and encyclopaedias.
- Don't use Wikipedia as your only source. It's fine to start there, but confirm facts somewhere else too.
- Collect specific facts: dates, numbers, names — not just "it's very big".
- Write down where each fact came from in case you're asked.
Choose what matters
You'll find far more than you can share in a few minutes. A good researcher chooses the few facts that are clearest and most surprising.
- Pick the 3–4 most interesting points for each part — not everything you found.
- Prefer facts that are easy to picture or that make people say "wow".
- Put your facts in your own words — don't copy and paste.
Create your slides or poster
Your visuals help the audience picture a place most of them have never seen. Make them clear and easy to read.
- Include a map so people know where in California your wonder is.
- Use big photos and a chart where it helps (for example, visitor numbers or temperatures).
- Put keywords on slides, not full sentences — you speak the details.
- Keep one shared style across the whole group's slides.
Plan and rehearse together
A group talk only feels smooth if you practise the joins. The handovers between speakers are where most groups lose marks.
- Decide the order of speakers and how each one passes to the next.
- Practise the whole talk out loud, as a group, at least twice.
- Time it: aim for 5–7 minutes in total.
- Agree who will answer which kind of question at the end.
Present and take questions
Now share your wonder with the class. Speak clearly, support each other, and enjoy being the experts.
- Speak slowly and clearly, and look at the audience, not the screen.
- Support your teammates — look interested while they speak.
- End with a short conclusion and invite questions.
- If you don't know an answer, say so honestly and offer your best idea.
Your presentation must include
Use this as a final team checklist. Go through it together before you stand up to present.
Grading rubric
Your group is marked on four areas, each from 1 to 4 points. Read the "4 points" column first — that's exactly what a top presentation looks like.
| Criterion | 4Excellent | 3Good | 2Developing | 1Needs work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content AccuracyCorrect & in your words | All facts are accurate and clearly explained in your own words. | Mostly accurate, with only small slips. | Some errors, or phrasing copied from sources. | Several errors or large parts copied word for word. |
| Research DepthSources & detail | Several reliable sources, specific detail, key facts cross-checked. | Good sources and a solid level of detail. | Thin research, or only one source used. | Very little research; relies on Wikipedia alone or unclear sources. |
| Presentation SkillsDelivery & visuals | Clear, confident speech and strong visuals — map, photos, and a chart. | Clear delivery with helpful visuals. | Hesitant delivery, or cluttered/limited visuals. | Hard to follow; few or unhelpful visuals. |
| CollaborationTeamwork | Everyone speaks, handovers are smooth, the work is balanced. | Good teamwork; speaking is mostly balanced. | Uneven — a couple of members carry the group. | One or two people do almost everything. |
Everything you need to succeed
A model talk you can open part by part, the vocabulary to describe California, and the phrases that hold a group presentation together.
Sample part of a talk — Redwood National Park
This is how one speaker might present their part of a group talk. Notice how it opens, gives checked facts, says why it matters, and hands over to the next speaker.
Open your part Introduce the topic
"Now I'm going to tell you about Redwood National Park, in the north of California. It protects some of the tallest trees on Earth — and once you see the numbers, it's hard to believe."
Key facts Give checked information
"According to the U.S. National Park Service, the tallest tree is about 116 metres high — taller than a 30-floor building. Some of these redwoods are over 2,000 years old. What I found most surprising is that they survive partly by drinking fog from the ocean."
Why it matters Add meaning
"This matters because these forests are now protected, after most of California's old redwoods were cut down in the past. The park shows how a country can save a natural wonder before it's too late."
Handover Pass to a teammate
"That's the forest — and now Lucie will tell you about California's coast."
Useful vocabulary
Words to describe landscapes, history, and to present as a team.
Landscape & nature
History & culture
Presenting facts
Useful phrases for a group talk
Learn one or two from each group — these are what make several speakers sound like one team.
Opening your part
- "Now I'm going to tell you about…"
- "My part of the topic is…"
- "Let's take a look at…"
Giving facts & sources
- "According to [the park service / a museum]…"
- "Research shows that…"
- "What I found most surprising is…"
Handing over to a teammate
- "Now [name] will tell you about…"
- "I'll pass over to [name], who looked at…"
- "That's my part — over to [name]."
Concluding as a group
- "To sum up, our wonder is special because…"
- "The thing that surprised us most was…"
- "Thank you for listening. Do you have any questions?"
Become a better presenter and researcher
This project grows two skills you'll use everywhere: presenting as a confident team, and finding information you can actually trust. Here's how to build both.
Present as one team
A group talk is harder than a solo one — but done well, it's far more impressive. The secret is in the joins.
- Hand over by name. "Now Eva will tell you about the coast" turns four mini-talks into one smooth presentation.
- Share the talking evenly. Examiners notice when one person does everything. Make sure every voice is heard.
- Don't read your slides. Slides are for the audience's eyes. Your job is to add the story they can't see.
- Stay "on" when you're not speaking. Look at your teammate, not your phone. The audience watches the whole group.
- Look up and slow down. Find three friendly faces and talk to them. Eye contact makes you look like you know your stuff.
Time your run-through
Rehearse the whole group talk out loud and press start. Aim for the green zone: 5 to 7 minutes.
Time the handovers too — they always take longer than you expect.
Find facts you can trust
Anyone can find information. A good researcher checks whether it's actually true — and these habits work for any subject, not just California.
- Go past the first result. Wikipedia is a starting point, not the finish line. Use it to find better, official sources.
- Cross-check the big facts. If two reliable sources agree on a number, trust it. If they don't, find out why.
- Prefer the people who know. A national park's own website beats a random travel blog every time.
- Put it in your own words. If you can explain a fact simply, you understand it. Copying means you don't — yet.
- Keep your sources. Note where each fact came from, so you can credit it and answer questions about it.
Can I trust this source?
Found a website for your topic? Tick everything below that is true about it. Your verdict updates as you go.
Go and explore California
You've got the steps, the language, the research tips, and the rubric. Split the work, dig into your wonder, and present it like the experts you've become.