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A three-to-five minute presentation must be delivered before a panel of evaluators. A question and answer period should follow the presentation. The panel should be composed of educators and community members with knowledge or background relevant to the project area. The presentation should culminate the Advanced Studies course work.

• STUDENT PRESENTATION RATING SHEET

Presentation guidelines are as follows: 

1. Students should wait for a signal from evaluators before beginning the presentation or ask them if they are ready. 
2. Students should introduce themselves to the evaluators. 
3. Students should remember that this is a formal presentation. Dress appropriately. Consult a teacher/facilitator, mentor, or presentation rubric to ensure appropriate selection of attire. 
4. Students should not chew gum. 
5. Students should be aware of personal body language. Avoid nervous gestures that may adversely affect the presentation. 
6. Students should maintain eye contact with evaluators.
7. Students should not read the presentation. 
8. Students should be aware that a project is not required for the oral presentation. If a project is used, it should be used enhance the presentation. It should not constitute the entire presentation, or serve as the sole basis for the presentation. 
9. Students should practice the presentation several times until comfortable with its format and content. Time the presentation to be sure that the time limit is not exceeded. 
10. Students should practice imagining what questions evaluators might ask and plan answers that might be given. Evaluators may not ask these exact questions, but this will provide an opportunity to practice ahead of time. 

Note: Questions should address a clarification or extension of the topic. Evaluators may be trained as to what constitutes appropriate questions.

Preparing the Presentation:

Step 1: Identify the focus of the presentation.

The student should explore the following questions:

• How are the paper and project connected?
• What emotions were experienced doing the project (anger, excitement, pride, frustration)?
• What problems were encountered (money, time management)?
• What personal growth took place (self-knowledge, knowledge of topic)?
• How does the project affect future plans?
• What project advice can be passed on to others?

Step 2: Presentation strategies

• Organization
• Use 3x5 note cards
• Put blank cards in spaces where visual aid is needed
• Add blank cards for the introduction and conclusion
• Use a card to identify a display and photographs
• Add idea cards to fill in details, colorful anecdotes, and factual information
• Make sure cards are in order
• Introduction
• Grab attention
• Make the topic thesis clear (mention paper and project) - Use no more than 30 seconds
• Conclusion
• Restate the topic/thesis
• Leave the audience thinking - Use no more than 30 seconds
• Props
• Will it be an on-going, integral part of the presentation such as a slide show or will it be a part of the introduction, happen after the conclusion, wear it, or serve samples?
• Avoid passing items around during the presentation since it causes too much distraction.
• If using visual aids, plan the structure of the items.
• Order audio-visual equipment needed.

Step 3: Presentation techniques

• Eye contact
• Posture
• Voice
• Gestures
• Props

Step 4: Develop questions; make educated guesses.

The student should brainstorm the following questions:

• What would you want to know if you were judging a presentation?
• What questions would you like your audience to ask?
• Does the project contain unusual qualities that might spark interests?
• Will a particular part of the paper make people curious?
• Are there any controversial topics, if so, do you touch on them?
• Why did you choose this topic?
• Who was instrumental in helping you choose your topic?
• How did you finance the project?
• How much time did you spend completing the project?
• Does this project double as credit for any other class

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