SCH 4U1
Oral Presentations Topic List
Structure and Properties
1. assess the benefits to society of technologies that are based on the
principles of atomic and molecular structures (e.g., magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI – p. 132), infrared spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography,
nuclear energy, medical applications of spectroscopy and mass
spectrometry)
2. nanotechnology (p. 129, 177)
3. magnetic fields and sunspots (p. 157)
4. applications of quantum mechanics (section 3.6)
5. scanning tunneling microscope
6. electron microscope
7. Fluorescence (CSI)
8. Dr. Richard Bader
9. Superconductivity
10. Careers related to atomic and molecular structure
11. Le Roy Radius
12. VitaminC – p. 267 #96
13. Choose one of the following: bullet-proof fabrics, superconductors, silicon
chips, epoxy resin, superglue, nanotechnologies – describe structure,
bonding, properties, evaluate the benefits to society, and the impact on
the environment
14. Ronald J. Gillespie – VSEPR theory (McMaster University)
15. thalidomide – p. 69 #8 (Nelson Chemistry 11)
16. carvone – p. 61 (Nelson Chemistry 11)
17. tagatose p. 93 #86 (Nelson Chemistry 11)
18. polyactide p. 97 (Nelson Chemistry 11)
19. p. 133 #74-77 (Nelson Chemistry 11)
20. p. 115 #8 (Nelson Chemistry 11)
Organic Chemistry
1. Any compound having an impact on health, society, industry (e.g.,
polymers, nutritional supplements, food additives, pharmaceuticals,
pesticides, organic solvents) and alternatives - p. 77 #54
2. Technologies and features that make new cars more fuel-efficient
3. Biodegradable materials to replace polystyrene as a packaging material
4. Self-healing polymers – p. 93 #6
5. contact lenses
6. plastic – p. 83 #10
7. recycling – p. 93 #7
8. Plasticizers and Human Health – p. 94
9. Paying with Plastic – p. 88
10. Aspartame – risks and benefits
11. environmental spill clean-up
12. gasoline – leaded vs. unleaded, octane readings, ethanol content
13. benzene and dry-cleaning p. 31 #8
14. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – p. 83 #8
15. Amines and Air Pollution – p. 62 #7
16. banning trans fat p. 54
17. Dicyclopentadiene – self-healing of microscopic cracks (p. 1018)
18. environmental estrogen
19. bpa – p. 31 #7, p. 83 #9
20. paraben
21. Nomex (firefighter protective clothing)
Energy Changes and Rates of Reaction
1. Nuclear Reactors
2. analyse some conventional and alternative energy technologies (e.g.,
fossil fuel–burning power plants, hydro-powered generators, solar panels,
wind turbines, geothermal, fuel cells), and evaluate them in terms of their
efficiency and impact on the environment (section 5.6, 5.7, p. 343)
3. Food and energy p. 343 #75
4. Industrial or biological catalysts
5. Biocatalysts and the Environment – p. 373
6. Catalytic converters
7. BHT p. 365 #6
8. Global Warming and Reaction Rates – p. 388
You should select a topic of great interest to you! Feel free to select a
topic that is not found on the list above. Your teacher must approve your
topic.
Oral Presentation Guidelines
Prepare an oral presentation (5 min) to present to the class on a topic of your choice. Your
presentation should convey a high degree of understanding of the concepts. Just reading a
well-written paper during the presentation will suggest that you don’t know what you are
talking about. Practice your presentation skills! Follow the checklist!
1. Choose a topic from the given list (or submit a different topic to your teacher for
approval).
2. Use the Oral Presentation Checklist and Assessment tool guides to prepare your
presentation.
3. A visual aid is required. If you choose ppt, only images are allowed. No other text
should appear on the ppt.
4. On the day of your presentation, before you begin, submit your rubric to the teacher.
You must also submit the research summary to www.turnitin.com prior to your
presentation date.
Timeline:
Choose topic:
Submit draft copy of research summary:
Presentation date:
Oral Presentation Tips:
1. Use point form cue cards as a guide, if necessary.
2. Speak clearly (with occasional reference to notes) at a moderate pace. Use inflection
in your voice. Make eye contact with your audience as much as possible.
3. Introduce a creative element to the presentation.
4. Plan an introduction to motivate the listener. The main body of presentation should
flow logically. Plan a conclusion to finish the presentation.
5. Your visual aid should be easily viewed and understood by all members of the
audience. Refer to the visual aid throughout the presentation.
6. Use scientific terminology and be sure to define any new or important terms for the
audience.
7. Above all, know what you are talking about!
Research Summary
INTU statement
sub-topics
key research questions
point-form notes
Works Cited
Keep in mind…
How do the chemical principles of the SCH 4U chemistry unit apply to this presentation?
Discuss the impacts on health, society, the environment and/or industry.
Oral Presentation Checklist
Name:
Research Phase
Have I asked appropriate questions to guide my research?
Have I produced a workable research question (an INTU statement)?
Have I revised my research question, as necessary, according to results of my
research?
Have I located a wide range of appropriate sources?
Have I made appropriate selection of sources based on relevance to topic,
reliability, and variety of perspectives/degree of bias?
Have I recorded the information in a systematic way?
Have I recorded the sources of all information (Works Cited in APA format)?
Have I classified or categorized the information appropriately and effectively?
Have I created notes and graphic organizers to represent the information
effectively?
Have I synthesized and evaluated my findings with accuracy?
Have I formulated a thesis statement that answers my research question?
Have I identified sufficient supporting evidence to explain and defend my
thesis?
Practice Phase
Have I used cue cards with brief reminders to guide my presentation?
Have I maintained eye contact with the audience?
Are my ideas sufficiently complex to suit my purpose and audience?
Is my opening engaging and does it clearly introduce the topic?
Have I presented my ideas in a logical sequence?
Is my conclusion clear and effective?
Was my audience engaged most of the time?
Did I choose a level of language that was appropriate for my purpose and
audience?
Was my speech fluent (smooth), expressive (varied in tone), and audible?
Were my gestures and facial expressions appropriate?
Were my visual elements effective?
Did I use language conventions correctly and effectively (i.e., grammar and
usage)?
Have I responded to questions with answers that are clear and appropriate?
Presentation Day
Have I submitted my research summary sheet to turnitin?
Have I brought my necessary materials (cue cards, visual aid, rubric) to school?
Have I eaten breakfast and lunch today?
Formulating an INTU Statement
Good research begins with a clear, focused question, not a vague, unfocused topic.
Topic
Testing Consumer Products
on Animals
Video Gaming
Downloading Music
INTU
I need to understand both sides of the debate concerning
whether it is right to test consumer products on animals.
I need to understand whether video gaming is helpful or
harmful to learning for teenagers.
I need to understand the arguments for and against
downloading music made by consumers, record
companies and artists.
Consider your topic. You may need to do some research first to learn some background
information about your topic.
• What is it about your topic that interests you?
• What is the major issue related to this topic that is relevant to your life and
society?
Creating a Research Plan
Once you have written a well-formulated INTU statement, break it down into subtopics and
develop a key research question for each subtopic.
INTU
Subtopics
Key Research Questions