Presentation Skills (for Senior Division oral presentations)

Overview What to do first Starting a conversation The Pitch: What to talk about Target Audiences Dressing for success Display Tips How to practice Building confidence What Judges Look For

What to do first Make a plan Make sure you understand your project Write things down Choose proper attire

Starting a conversation Learn how to start a conversation Write some opening lines Practice, practice, practice Memorize these Make the opening natural and easy to speak Make it short and to the point Introduce yourself, then your project

The Pitch: What to talk about Start with a verbal abstract Make a list of questions and answers Provide more detail Be prepared to discuss any aspect of the project Not every judge has the same background or interest Review questions with parents, mentors and teachers

Target Audiences Judges Teachers and Mentors Students and Parents Select award winners Engineering and scientific backgrounds Start simple but be prepared to go into depth Teachers and Mentors Grade your projects for class Have followed your progress Students and Parents Unfamiliar with project and terms Simplified explanations

Dressing for success Professional attire Use for future interviews Do not wear Jeans Flip flops Sneakers

Display Tips Utilize the entire space 30 inches deep Avoid “Clutter” 48 inches wide 108 inches high (from floor to top of project) Avoid “Clutter”

Display Extras Too much stuff Pictures are better Minimal is good One item is best

Items Not Allowed at Project or in Booth Living organisms, including plants Taxidermy specimens or parts Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals Human or animal food Human/animal parts (e.g teeth) or body fluids (e.g. blood, urine) Plant materials (living, dead, or preserved) which are in their raw, unprocessed, or non-manufactured state (Exception: manufactured construction materials used in building the project or display)

Items Not Allowed at Project or in Booth Laboratory/household chemicals including water (Exception: water integral to an enclosed apparatus or water supplied by the Display and Safety Committee) Poisons, drugs, controlled substances, hazardous substances or devices (e.g. firearms, weapons, ammunition, reloading devices) Dry ice or other sublimating solids Sharp items (e.g. syringes, needles, pipettes, knives) Flames or highly flammable materials Batteries with open-top cells Awards, metals, business cards, flags, endorsements and/or acknowledgements (graphic or written)

Items Not Allowed at Project or in Booth Photographs or other visual presentations depicting vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies, or other lab procedures Active Internet or e-mail connections as part of displaying or operating the project Glass or glass objects unless deemed by Display and Safety Committee to be an integral and necessary part of the project (Exception: glass that is an integral part of a commercial product such as a computer screen)

Items Not Allowed at Project or in Booth Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the Scientific Review Committee, the Display and Safety Committee, (or Science Service at INTEL) (e.g. large vacuum tubes or dangerous ray-generating devices, empty tanks that previously contained combustible liquids or gases, pressurized tanks, etc.)

Audio/video Presentations I Designed to augment oral and board presentations Use AV presentation when explaining related aspect of the project Types of video presentations Video clips Animated sequences Examples of tools Powerpoint Windows Media Player

Audio/video Presentations II Practice answering questions using AV presentation – similar to using your board in the oral presentation Keep audio aspects to minimum so it does not interrupt oral presentation or neighbors AV presentation used to show Video clips that show non-standard procedures or results Animations that would take too many static images Very large or small objects

How to practice Oral presentation practice must be spoken, not read Start by speaking to a mirror Move onto speaking to individuals: parents, teachers, students Practice in front of a class

What Judges Look For Student’s understanding of the project, its results and techniques employed in experimentation Quality of research, planning, construction, execution and presentation How well the student presents the project (Senior division) How well the board presents the project What did you learn Who did the work Future plans

Getting Students Involved Get students to critique presenters Students learn how to listen Students learn how to write evaluations Write short paragraph summarizing presentation Grade critiques for extra credit Is the critique constructive? Did the critique miss key items presented? Did the critique point out areas that are unclear? KISS Have non-science fair students present on topics of their choice

Summary Start with a good project and results Dress for success Start a conversation –Introduce yourself Extemporize don’t memorize Practice, practice, practice Explain your project as many times as possible to as many people as possible