Research Presentation How to plan, create, and deliver your presentation
Research Once you ve chosen your topic, consider the following: Keeping track of your information Note cards Properly identifying sources Websites, magazines, newspapers, etc. Which angle you re going to take Thesis How you re going to organize your research Outline
Keeping Track of your Information Word Documents Copy/Paste website addresses along with description of the information. Helps you find your sources again Note Cards Authors, titles, publishing information, brief descriptions Works best for print sources Information-Documenting sheets Keeps all of your sources in one place Takes the guess-work out of Works Cited pages
Properly Identifying Sources Web/Online Encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, reputable websites Print Encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, novels, anthologies, atlases Choose wisely You must choose reputable sources (what s the difference between the New York Times website and Dave s Daily Update?)
Choosing an Angle Once you ve decided on a topic, you must conduct your research. Based on your research, decide on a stance to take for your presentation Create a thesis statement this will guide the rest of your work. If you don t light the fuse, I can t see the fireworks!
Thesis Statements Don t try to tackle too much Narrow your topic; be specific Do not repeat common wisdom; look for the depth of an issue Be arguable; prove something that is not already taken as fact FIO: Focus Insight Opinion
Weak Theses Lord of the Flies is a book about human nature. Lord of the Flies is a novel about British schoolboys. The Second World War was caused by many factors. Hitler was the worst leader ever. Yawn
Strong Theses In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the downfall of innocent children to show the inner depravity of human beings. The characterization of Simon in Lord of the Flies supports Golding s belief that humans have moved away from spiritual beliefs. Although the Second World War brought about the extermination of millions of Jews and marginalized groups, the genocidal lesson has not been learned.
Organizing your Research Create an Outline This may be passed in on the day of your presentation (May 24 th or 25 th ) Connect your research with knowledge of the novel I recommend (but do not insist) a data chart to keep track of your information See the data chart on the next slide
Data table: sample Research Source Research Information Tie to Novel Novel Page/Section The Huffington Post Online Liberalism purports that fundamentally, people should be maximally free; requiring government intervention only when threatened by enemies. Ralph believes that people should have roles and take care of themselves, until the threat of bodily harm is exerted by the free will of others. Page 75 The hunters let the fire go out, Jack smacks Piggy, Ralph becomes furious
Organize yourself get your bearings about you
Suggestions for Slideshow: General Avoid long chunks of text Use images Choose an appropriate background
Suggestions for Slideshow: Content Slide 1: Title Page Slide 2: Introduction to topic Thesis and angle Slides 3-5: First topic sentence Research supporting first point Slides 6-8: Second topic sentence Research supporting second point Slides 9-11: Third topic sentence Research supporting third point Slide 12: Conclusion Slide 13: Works Cited Extras in Between: Photos and graphics
Making Your Point Your body paragraphs or content slides should develop each of your main points. You could organize as follows: Slide A: Researched Point Slide B: Point from Novel Slide C: Connection between Research and Novel
Class Ideas: Public Speaking Tips
Tips for Public Speaking Look up Speak slowly (at a good pace) and clearly Be calm, cool and collected Avoid fidgeting (playing with hair, pacing back and forth, twitching, shuffling feet, hand gestures, scratching/pulling on ear, tapping, biting your nails, weird eyebrow movements) Avoid awkward phrases (um, like, I mean, yeah, and so ) Use inflections (no monotone) Do not cover your face Pause at key moments Maintain eye contact Practice, practice, practice!! Don t let the puppy fall asleep
Extras Use a bold image or photo to make your audience think about your topic Use humor or sarcasm when speaking to drive a point home Change your accent or tone of voice when reading quotations to bring life to the words
Example: Totalitarianism vs. Liberal Democracy
Good Luck! You ve got at least 5 minutes to fill. Be prepared. Relax.