Presentation Strategies

Objectives
Student will be able to:
  • identify ways to prepare for an oral presentation.
  • identify strategies for presenting information to an audience.

Introduction
Does the idea of giving a presentation in front of your class make you nervous? If so, welcome to the club! The truth is, most people get at least a little bit nervous in this situation. To help you keep your nerves under control, and to make sure your presentation is a success, keep the following presentation strategies in mind.
 
Before your presentation:
  1. Be prepared - gather and organize your information
  2. Take notes - jot down key words and ideas to refer to during the presentation
  3. Be organized - use main ideas and supporting details to share the information
  4. Think about the audience - make sure your presentation will be interesting and easy to understand
  5. Remember that practice makes perfect - do your presentation several times to become comfortable with it

During the presentation:

  1. Dress for success - wear something that gives you confidence
  2. Relax and be yourself - take a few deep breaths, speak slowly, and let your personality show so you can be most comfortable and believable
  3. Use show and tell - include visual aids such as PowerPoint slides, graphs and charts, diagrams, models, photos, posters, and videos to help yourself as well as your audience
  4. Take a look - look at the audience and make eye contact
  5. Finish strong - summarize any remaining points when you notice time running out, and provide a conclusion for your audience

Exercises
Use what you know about presentation strategies to complete the following items.
1.
How do you feel about making presentations?
 

Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers include:

  • I enjoy making presentations because I like to share information with my classmates.
  • Making presentations is uncomfortable for me because I do not like public speaking.
1.
 

2.
Name three things you can do on the day of a presentation to help it be successful.
 

Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers include presentation strategies to use on the day of the presentation, such as:

  • Be yourself
  • Include visual aids
  • Make eye contact with members of the audience
2.
 

3.
Raven gave a report in history class. She read the report aloud, without looking up from her paper. What could she have done differently to make the presentation better?
 

Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers include:

  • She should have taken notes to use during her presentation.
  • Raven could have practiced her presentation a few more times so she was more comfortable with the information.
3.
 

4.
Two types of visual aids which can be helpful during a presentation are   and .
 

Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers include two types of visual aids, such as:

  • maps
  • posters
  • graphs/charts
  • slides
4.
 

5.
How is the language you use during a presentation different than the language used when talking with friends?

 
The language used during a presentation is more formal.
5.
 

6.
Which of the following is BEST to do if you are getting close to the time limit for your presentation?
a. stop talking
b. begin speaking very quickly
c. summarize the remaining information
d. repeat what you said at the beginning of the presentation
 
c. summarize the remaining information
6.