PROJECT PREPARATION
Your Project Presentation should be the peak of your high school career (unless you caught the pass and
made the winning touchdown for the state championship). Your audience will be small and supportive.
You will be well prepared. This is your chance to show off and to shine.
Enjoy!
Visual(s)
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*
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*
Created by you—not someone else.
Professional in appearance.
A project you created may serve as a visual.
Photos clearly show the progress of your project, and are large enough to be seen from a distance or
mounted neatly in a photo album. Captions tell the "story" of your project and give insight into what
you accomplished.
* Conventions are perfect.
* Refer to all visuals in your presentation.
* A car or other large item does not count as a visual, and should not be brought to school.
Presentation Preparation
* The goal of your presentation is NOT to retell your research paper to the board.
* Your purpose is:
to prove you are an expert on the main points of both paper and project.
to explain the process-what happened as you worked.
to explain the learning-what you learned about yourself and how you changed.
to show you took responsibility for your project.
There are only four main areas you must discuss:
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your paper,
your project,
the process of doing them,
what you learned about yourself.
Assemble your speech from what you have already done, by getting material from:
* Research Paper: introduction, thesis, lit. review, discussion and conclusion.
* Senior Project Proposal: the steps you followed.
* Self evaluation: highlights of how you changed and what challenges you encountered.
* Log of hours/Mentor verification form: general subjective and objective information.
* Any interesting, unique, or exciting events or discoveries during all stages of your project.
STEP 1: What are you going to talk about? Answer the following questions. (Referring to your selfevaluation forms and your journal might help.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do your paper and project connect?
What emotions did you experience as you worked through the paper and project? (Anger?
Excitement? Pride? Frustration?)
What problems did you encounter? (Money? Time management? Skill deficiencies?) Explain.
5. What personal growth did you gain from the paper and project? What self-knowledge did you
gain? What knowledge of your topic did you gain?
6. How did the project affect your plans for your future? Explain.
7. What project advice would you pass on to next year's seniors? Explain
STEP 2: How am I going to say this? Use the answers to the questions above as references.
1. Organization-jot your ideas on separate 3x5 cards and arrange them into an order that is
logical and clear to the listeners.
2. Here are some possible organizational strategies:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Introduction
Paper information, process, and what you learned about yourself
Project information, process, and what you learned about yourself
Conclusion
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
Project or paper information and process
Paper or project information and process
What you learned about yourself as you did your paper and project
Conclusion
I. Introduction-Before your paper/project: How did you decide what to do? Why did you
choose what you did?
II. During: How did you organize your paper? Your project?
III. During: What did you learn from your paper and project about your topic?
IV. What successes and problems did you encounter as you worked?
V. Conclusion-After: What did you learn about yourself? How did you change?
* Of course, the above can be rearranged; e.g. if you want to discuss your project and what
you learned before you discuss your paper, go ahead. Put your best stuff at the start and in the
finish.
3. Slip blank cards into spaces where a visual aid is needed or would be appropriate.
4. Add blank cards for introduction and conclusion. If you have a project that can be displayed,
jot your ideas for that display on another card, i.e., photographs.
5. Plan your introduction. The introduction should do the following:
 Grab attention.
 Make your thesis clear. (Be sure to mention both paper and project).
 Take no more than 60 seconds.
 Consider using quotations, readings, dramatics, jokes, surveys or other audience
participation sets, games, AV equipment, demonstrations, or questions.
 Memorize your introduction for a confident start.
6. Plan your transitions. What will you say to let the listeners know you are switching from paper
to project?
7. Plan your conclusion. A good conclusion should do the following:
 Briefly restate topic/thesis.
 Leave the audience thinking.
 Take no more than 30 seconds.
 Memorize your conclusion so you will end with control.
8. Plan the display of your project. Will it be an on-going, integral part of your speech, such as a
slide show? Part of your introduction? Happen after your conclusion? Avoid passing items
around during your speech since it will distract your audience.
9. Make sure your teacher knows what AV equipment you will need.
10. Look at each idea card and fill in details, colorful anecdotes, and factual details.
11. Place all cards back in order and begin practicing your speech. Deliver your speech to your
dog, to your mirror, to your friends. Practice, practice, PRACTICE!
STEP 3: Speech techniques to remember:
1. Eye contact: This is extremely important. Practice often enough that you don't need any
notecards or you rarely need to look at your cards. Remember this is a friendly audience. Your
judges are pulling for you. You need the reinforcement that their encouraging expressions will
give you. Look at them. True communication happens with the eyes. A speech without eye
contact is only half a speech.
2. Posture - Stand proud. You have a right to, since you have accomplished a great deal.
3. Avoid Gripping the podium-white knuckles are so unattractive.
 Locking your knees -you've come too far to faint now.
 Twitching, wiggling, shaking, playing with hair or jewelry.
4. You want your audience to pay attention to what you are saying.
5. Voice—
 Be loud enough to be heard.
 Vary appropriately in pitch and tone.
6. Gesture - Use your hands to help make your point. Gestures should be natural and
spontaneous, not choreographed and mechanical.
7. Props - Plan and practice using any props you will need.
STEP 4: Prepare for questions. Of course, there is no way to know for sure what the panel members
will ask you, but you can make some educated guesses and that process will provide you with the
confidence and clear-headedness to take on any queries. Answer the following brainstorm questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
If you were a judge listening to your speech, what would you want to know?
What would you like people to ask?
What unusual qualities does your project have that might spark interest?
What part of your paper might make people curious?
What controversial topics, if any, do you touch on?