An assignment for my Year 11 class.

1. YEAR ELEVEN – ORAL PRESENTATION
ASSESSMENT
You will prepare and present a talk of between four and six minutes.
This talk will be about a specific conflict.
You can, if you want:
o present a PowerPoint pack of slides.
o play audio.
o bring in items to support your talk.
o Use cue cards with your key points to help you.
You will need to hand in the notes that you used to prepare your talk.
NB: You will not be allowed to simply read a piece out to the class.
o You should know your talk.
STRUCTURE
Have a clear introduction.
o Have a clear and memorable opening line.
o State your point of view.
o Preview your main points.
Present your argument or information
o Present your information in a logical order.
o Support your points with information from your research.
o Make clear connections between the evidence and the point you are making.
o Pose challenging questions.
Conclusion
o Sum up and stress your main points.
o Have a clear and memorable closing line.
KEY INFORMATION
Don’t start writing your presentation without knowing these points:
o What is being disputed in this conflict?
 You need to be perfectly clear what people disagree about.
o Who are the main players in this conflict?
 Get their names right.
o How does each side perceive the issues of this conflict?
o What are some possible solutions?
The sections on techniques, key information and structure are based on documents provided by
Mr Atherton.

2. TECHNIQUES
Evidence
o Provide specific information.
o Reliable statistics.
o Quote experts.
 Use their exact words where you can.
Use visual props.
o A picture tells a thousand words.
 Choose your images well.
o A handout of key information gives people something they can see touch and see.
o If you create a PowerPoint presentation, keep the sentences simple, short and effective.
Tell a story
Repetition
o If you want to audience to remember something, say it more than one.
Rhetorical Question
o What quality presentation can succeed without a rhetorical question?
Inclusive pronouns
o We think this technique works really well. You probably think this, too.
Exclusive pronouns
o They don’t prepare good talks. It’s no wonder they don’t do well in these tasks.
Exaggeration (hyperbole)
o Selective exaggeration can make your point a million times stronger.
Irony and Humour
o It really helps to make your audience chuckle now and then.
POSSIBLE TOPICS
The Tamil Tigers and Sri Lanka
The war in Afghanistan
The war in Iraq
Gay rights protests in Moscow.
Same sex marriage in the United States.
The tension between Israel and Palestine.
Palestinian refugees in Lebanese camps.
Horse jumping as a sport.
Aboriginal rights and “homelands”.
Nuclear technology development in Iran.
Defending ships from pirates
The sections on techniques, key information and structure are based on documents provided by
Mr Atherton.