How to Properly Create a PowerPoint Presentation William L. Rogers Hardeeville Middle School Hardeeville, SC

Important Points To Consider Make the Presentation interesting for yourself and the audience. Make sure the presentation is information needed by the audience. Make sure you keep your information accurate and useful.

Important Points To Consider Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation Write in list form, not complete sentences Include points per slide Avoid wordiness: use key words and phrases only

Important Points To Consider: (2) Keep the Presentation clear – stay focused on your assigned task! Ensure your pictures match the content you are discussing. Do not place too much information on any one slide. (Example next slide)

The European Renaissance (Example of a bad slide) In the arts and sciences as well as society and government, Italy was the major catalyst for progress during the Renaissance: the rich period of development that occurred in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages. Because of the number of different fields in which it applied, ``Renaissance'' is a word with many layers of meaning. Accordingly, Renaissance painting cannot signify any one common or clearly definable style. As Gothic painting had been shaped by the feudal societies of the Middle Ages, with its roots in the Romanesque and Byzantine traditions, Renaissance art was born out of a new, rapidly evolving civilization. It marked the point of departure from the medieval to the modern world and, as such, laid the foundations for modern Western values and society.Gothic painting

Presenting Goals Once you have a well-designed presentation, you must work with it during your speech. DO NOT READ THE TILES!DO NOT READ THE TILES! What speaker says matches slides Slides change in sync with speaker

Presenting Goals Slides should not distract from speaker No technical difficulties! Keep audience engaged with speaker

Example of a Good Slide Show one point at a time: Will help audience concentrate on what you are saying Will prevent audience from reading ahead Will help you keep your presentation focused

Fonts - Good Use at least an 18-point font Use different size fonts for main points and secondary points this font is 24-point, the main point font is 28- point, and the title font is 36-point Use a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial

Fonts - Bad If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ Don’t use a complicated font

Color - Good Use a color of font that contrasts sharply with the background Ex: blue font on white background Use color to reinforce the logic of your structure Ex: light blue title and dark blue text Use color to emphasize a point But only use this occasionally

Color - Bad Using a font color that does not contrast with the background color is hard to read Using color for decoration is distracting and annoying. Using a different color for each point is unnecessary Using a different color for secondary points is also unnecessary Trying to be creative can also be bad

Background - Good Use backgrounds such as this one that are attractive but simple Use backgrounds which are light when possible Use the same background consistently throughout your presentation

Background – Bad Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or difficult to read from Always be consistent with the background that you use

Graphs - Good Use graphs rather than just charts and words Data in graphs is easier to comprehend & retain than is raw data Trends are easier to visualize in graph form Always title your graphs

Graphs - Good

Graphs - Bad

Minor gridlines are unnecessary Font is too small – cannot read it! Colors are illogical – makes graph confusing Title is missing Shading is distracting

Spelling and Grammar Proof your slides for: speling mistakes the use of of repeated words grammatical errors you might have make

Errors in Delivery Even with a great presentation, the speaker can cause confusion and misery for the audience! Practice, practice, practice! Do not just read the tiles to the audience – shows you did not Prepare for the presentation.

Serious Delivery Errors Reading the slides to the audience (Boring!) Not changing slide when speaking on the next topic Blocking the screen Not talking loudly enough

Serious Delivery Errors Taking too long Complex fonts used are not on the computer Broken links Too fast = Switching slides before audience can read the slide

Questions ????? Do you have any questions? Remember – NO questions about our topic are “stupid” ones The goal is to give you what you need to succeed – the rest is up to you!

Irritating Mistakes Too slow = Same slide up too long Wandering away from the topic Not making eye contact with audience Using a light pointer that is too small or dim to show well on the screen

Conclusion Use an effective and strong closing Your audience is likely to remember your last words Use a conclusion slide to: Summarize the main points of your presentation Suggest future avenues of research

Questions?? End your presentation with a simple question slide to: Invite your audience to ask questions Provide a visual aid during question period Avoid ending a presentation abruptly