Miss Bowen Mr. Clark’s 7 th grade class Shahala Middle School

Communication: In science you represent yourself and your field both within the lab and outside of it Your delivery determines both how you and your work are received Capturing, focusing and maintaining an audience's attention are the keys to giving a good talk in any situation

Communication: 55% of interpersonal communication comes form facial expressions and body language 38% comes from vocal quality or tone Only 7% of communication comes from content Pay attention to distracting gestures or mannerisms Use good posture

Presentations: Require preparation! Practice builds confidence Be organized (notes/outline) Make sure the talk has a logical progression Know the material- notes should only be a security blanket Failing to prepare is preparation for failure

Your Responsibilities: Be prepared and organized Be clear and concise Speak slowly, coherently, and decisively in a moderate volume (avoid monotone) Make eye contact and smile as often as possible Dress appropriately- don’t overdo it

Visual aids are a must Every slide counts, but avoid clutter Refrain from using distracting animations or sound affects Be sure the purpose of each figure or picture is clear Be sure that each figure is in a comprehensible and appropriate format (good size, not cluttered, etc) Practice with your visual aids

Format: e aware of font ty pe and size 8 point (can you read this?) 10 point (you need glasses) 12 point (you need lasic) 14 point (you’re old) 16 point 18 point 20 point 22 point 24 point 28 point 32 point 36 point (I have nothing interesting to say) Formatting sends messages... Formatting determines clarity Pick a theme and stick with it

Examples of what NOT to do: Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!” He took his vorpal sword in hand: long time the manxome foe he sought- so rested he by the Tumtum tree, and stood awhile in thought. And, as in uffish thought he stood, the Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through the vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead and with its head he went galumphing back. “And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! He chortled in his joy. Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe; all mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe.

Format: Avoid busy backgrounds

Format: pay attention to your color scheme Can you read this? How about this? Try this one on for size

Know your audience How many are they? What is their background? Experts, laypeople, mixed What is the room configuration? Technology and accommodations Power point vs Poster What is the overall purpose of the lecture? Casual, formal, themed ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Question/Discussion Time: Allow a couple minutes for questions You are in charge of time and flow- keep it focused Restate the question before answering Respond simply and directly Avoid becoming agitated (angry, flustered, etc) Even if you don’t know the answer, take a stab at it NEVER bluff!

A few final tips: Focus on a few points in depth (background, main point, conclusions) Do not read your slides or notes- speak to the audience If in doubt on what to include, ask yourself: “What do I want to tell the audience?” Remember: if it doesn’t need to be there, leave it out! Never go over your time (rude) Avoid saying ‘er, ah, um’- if need be, just pause to think instead