Guidelines and Instructions for Oral Presentations

The Assignment

Create and deliver to the class a five to seven minute presentation based on one current event related to ethics and ecology chosen from a week's reading and selecting.

Instructions

(1.) The week before your presentation, closely monitor the local, regional, and national news about the environment. Checking the online sources of your choice as well as hardcopies of daily newspapers, create a “top ten” list of stories that made local, regional, and national headlines. Be sure to include stories from all three categories. Then post this list on your blog and link each story on the list to its source.

What, in your opinion, was the most important (or the most interesting)“news” of the week?

• Rank this story first on your list above the other nine.
• Study it.
• Print out a hardcopy.
• If possible, post the entire story on your blog.

(2.) Plan, rehearse, and then present your favorite news story of the week to the class.
Follow the common sense guidelines you learned in public speaking:

• Prepare thoroughly by rehearsing your entire presentation several times until you’re comfortable with your presentation.
• Time yourself.
• Retell most of the story in your own words.
• Identify the ethical and environmental issues in the story.
• Read aloud any direct quotes or short passages you want to emphasize.
• What questions does the issue raise about public policy, law, civic virtues, or political philosophy?
  
• What customary beliefs and values might be involved? To whom do they belong? What is the history of this issue?
• What should we do? Why should we do it? And how should we do it?

(3) During the actual presentation in class be sure to

• Speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard by everyone.
• Make eye contact with the audience throughout the presentation.
• Use appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures.
• Make sure your rate of delivery is neither too fast nor too slow.
• Practice using any necessary technology.
• Open up the floor to questions at the end of your presentation.
• Answer the questions.

Some Additional Advice

Check the calendar to see if anyone else is presenting that week. If so, you might want to work together to avoid duplicating efforts and stories.

Avoid trying to summarize all ten stories. You do not have time to summarize all ten stories. Instead, highlight a recurring theme in the other stories you read or tell us an anecdote based on one of the other stories. Direct us to your blog or your handout. . . .

Inject some humor into your presentation, especially if the subject is tragic.

If possible, find a way to illustrate your story with audio or video clips or a photograph