REQUIREMENTS for Reports and Presentations

Requirements:

1. If this assignment is performed as a group project then one paper (and one copy for instructor to keep) may be submitted IF an honesty statement can be signed and included in the paper stating that both parties constructed the study in a manner in which each group member was able to contribute 50% (or nearly). If, however, it should be found that one student truly did not contribute as noted, then both parties will be awarded the lower grade, as deemed fair by the professor. If there is a problem of equity, then you need to see the professor ASAP, and not wait until it has an effect on your grade.

2. Presentation should be incorporate multimedia. Do not rely on any one type of multimedia for the entire project.

3. Try to include the students in some activity that illustrated the concept you are presenting.

4. Make a 30 min. presentation of your research report/findings. Provide some kind of student handout.

5. Share applications for the middle school that you gleamed from your research regarding your topic.

6. Use adequate resources/ references. Each group will turn in two papers...one to get back and one for me to keep. The report should be from 5-1o pages in length, excluding the title page, the bibliography, and the signed statement of equity.

7. Feel free to be imaginative in your presentation. Drama, hands-on activities, and the unusual are welcomed and often appreciated by students who have sat through PowerPoint radiation too long. Teach us!

8. Review the rubric for presentation in order to see what type of items are important in the assessment of your presentation.

9. Lose yourself in your presentation...and try to have fun. If you enjoy what you are teaching then your students will enjoy learning from you.

10. Note: Research paper and PowerPoint presentations (if used) should be turned in on or before the day of presentation is made for full credit to be granted. These should be e-mailed to me at BioScience_Ed@yahoo.com. I will acknowledge receipt.

The following was constructed from viewing thousands of public speakers. Most people do very well once they get over the initial fright of presenting publicly, but some...well, let's say, here is the list I had to construct.

Guidelines for Public Speaking:

1. Don't chew gum!!!!! If you have gum in your mouth, get rid of it before you go before the audience.

2. Dress appropriately...not sloppy or too casual. A T-shirt is probably too casual.

3. Don't wear your baseball cap.

4. For the most part, your audience will not realize any mistakes in your presentation (such as a slide out of place or a misplaced paper), so DON'T TELL THEM.

5. Admit mistakes publicly, ONLY when they are obvious and recognized by most. Make a joke of it, they laugh, you then move on.

6. Use humor as your tool. Research says it really does facilitate learning.

7. Look at your audience. Nothing worse than when someone stares at the ceiling, the back of the room, or the chalkboard. Your audience, for the most part, is human. Be calm and relaxed and look into the eyes of your audience. They want you to speak to them.

8. Do not lean or lay on the podium. This is considered: 1) poor posture, and 2) denotes that you are probably too comfortable with your audience...so comfortable that you will lose your credibility and their trust, thus hindering your presentation and the importance of what you have to say.

9. Comb your hair and check for rivets, fastener, Velcro, and zippers in advance. Better to be confident than to be uncertain.