Presentations: A Guide
Osborne High School Senior Project 2017- 2018
Three areas of consideration for your presentation should be I. Visual II. Content / Talking Points III. Delivery & Appearance
I. VISUAL A. The visual should be something that helps the audience understand the content of your presentation as well as a device to keep your speech organized and on track. B. The visual should focus on“ substance,” not“ show.” Since it functions to help guide both you and the audience, it should not in itself be distracting, nor should it take attention away from you. C. The visual should be an outline of your talking points, and could be in any number of forms including( but not limited to): 1. a flip-chart outline( minimal text) 2. overhead transparencies( again, minimal text) 3. a hand-out to be given to the judges to help them follow your speech. 4. a poster 5. a PowerPoint presentation( limited in number of slides, with minimal text on each slide). When using PowerPoint, care must be taken in the following ways: a. Student must be very familiar with the program so as to use it with ease during the presentation b. PowerPoint visuals must not distract from the speech itself c. Students should use no more than eight slides, and slides should contain graphs, charts, or photographs of your product and not serve as a script for your presentation. D. A secondary visual may include your own photographs documenting the creation of your product, a video( no more than 2 minutes in length), a demonstration of a skill, or display of a tangible product. However, these items--if used-- would further enhance your outline, and would not substitute for it. Your speaking time, regardless of visuals, must be 8 minutes.
E. Be aware that any type of technology used in your presentation( TV, computer, overhead) may fail, so reliance on such a visual should be minimal.
II.
CONTENT / TALKING POINTS
A. Your speech should attempt to anticipate questions that might be asked about your Senior Project, and to answer those questions before they are asked. Certain questions should be answered by ALL presenters; other questions depend upon your particular Senior Project. 1. Questions to be answered by all presenters Why did you pick this topic for your research? What did you hope to gain by researching this topic? What DID you gain from your research? How did you tie in your product to your research topic? What was your“ stretch” in doing this particular product? What role did your mentor play in your product? Explain the process you went through in doing your product. What challenges did you face in doing your Senior Project? What were the benefits you derived( if any) from doing this project? What costs did you encounter?
2. Considerations for presenters with specialized topics Be certain to define any technical or important terms for your audience. What equipment did you need for doing the product? What components made up this particular product that they audience should know? Discuss the benefits of your product or the attributes that attracted / helped you.
B. Imagine being in the audience for your presentation. Address those points that would be confusing or unusual, so that the audience fully understands your topic, your challenges, your triumphs, and your achievements. Be mindful that your audience may not be familiar with your topic; avoid using technical or topic-specific terminology without explaining it first.
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This guide has been adapted and revised from Hillgrove Senior Project Student Handbook for Osborne Cardinal Capstone Student Handbook.