Follow these guidelines in preparing your oral presentation:

1) Give a BRIEF summary of major events and characters. Five-minute maximum; less is better. The summary is meant to orient your audience to your topic; it is not the point of your presentation. The summary, like everything else in your oral, should be in your own words, not downloaded from Spark Notes or a similar source.

2) Explain the major theme or themes of the book. Give specific examples and quotes from the text that show how the theme is presented in the book. Be specific about the theme, as well. Romeo and Juliet is not just about "love." You should be able to state your theme in a sentence instead of a single word. You should discuss this in more detail in your conference.

3) Explain whether and how the theme was connected with what was happening in the world at the time the book was written. Was it typical of its period, or revolutionary? Did it signal a forward movement in literature, or did it look back? Be sure to explain why you think what you do.

4) Literary elements: Discuss and evaluate the book as a work of literature. Be specific. Identify and give examples of the major literary elements such as setting, symbolism or characterization, and explain how the author uses them to illuminate the theme. Discuss how critics have viewed the book over its history.

Don’t just read a list of dates. Discuss any interesting or relevant facts about the author, especially those that influenced the writing of the book. There is more information available for some authors than others; discuss with us in your conference.

Discuss the book’s association with a particular writing style, movement or period. Was it typical of its period or unusual? Are there connections between your book and other literary works or styles?

Discuss the historical setting for the story. Include the factors that influenced the author while he/she was writing it (including politics, biographical material, philosophy, literary and/or artistic influences, morality, etc.) as well as how accurately the author presents the period. If the time in which the book is set is different from the time in which it was written, you should discuss both periods. You should discuss this further in your conference.

1) Absolute time limit: 20 minutes. This does not include the question period. You should know so much about your subject that you have to cut things OUT to fit the 20-minute limit. This will leave you a reserve of knowledge that enables you to answer questions from your classmates and teachers. The best preparation is to do your research thoroughly and present only the best and most important material in your 20 minutes.

2) Supply your audience with whatever information they need to make your report easy to follow and easy to take notes on. You may use the overhead projector, slides, handouts, props, music, video, etc.

3) Supply a packet of information for each audience member. This is not meant to duplicate what you say, but to create additional interest in your topic and present information that you can’t fit into your 20 minutes. The packet must contain:

a. A cover page that includes your name and the title of your book.

b. Any information that will help your audience—maps, charts, graphs, photos, outlines, difficult vocabulary and spelling of names. Indicate the sources of this information directly below each item, not just on the Works Cited page.

c.. All text in the packet must be written by you; for example, do not download plot summaries or character lists from other sources. Internal citation is not required.

d. A Works Cited page, listing the sources you have actually used, in the proper format. (Use the library’s citation sheets and/or your ninth grade MLA handbook.)

e. A five-question quiz on the last page. This page should also include your name and the title and number of your oral report. Everyone in the class will save the last page, answer the questions, and hand in the pages at the end of the year as a graded assignment.

We will photocopy your packet IF you give it to us far enough in advance. Otherwise, you are responsible for the work and the expense. (If you do your own, make double-sided copies to save paper.) Pasteup materials should be firmly attached, with no loose corners. Color photographs reproduce badly, so keep them to a minimum.

4) Audience responsibilities:

a. Take notes and answer the five questions on the last page of the packet.

b. Ask questions at the end of the report. Extra credit points are awarded for asking questions (limit 30 questions per marking period). Questions are not included in the speaker’s 20-minute time limit.

c. What goes around comes around. The best way to ensure a polite and respectful audience during your own oral report is to treat others the same way.

1) First stop: the library. The librarians are there to help you. They have helped students with oral presentations for years. You should consult them at the BEGINNING of your research, well before your first conference. In addition to quality historical sources, you will want to use the library’s extensive collection of literary criticism. Databases such as Gale Literary Databases and Twayne’s, as well as the books of Nineteenth Century [or Twentieth, or Contemporary] Literature Criticism, will help you with the literature section of your presentation.

2) Once you have several sources in hand and have read enough to have a general familiarity with your topic, schedule a conference with us. Come with a list of questions about your topic and about your research process. If you would like to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your presentation after it is over, you may request a second conference.

3) Your presentation should be a GOOD CLASSROOM PRESENTATION—not just a report read out loud. Suggestions:

-Maintain good eye contact with your audience. You can and should use notes while you speak, but you should not write out your presentation in speech form and read it word for word.

-Speak loudly and clearly. Use the microphone. Try to remain as confident as possible.

-Try to establish a rapport with your audience. A good introduction and conclusion can help. (Not "My report is on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It is about…")

-The majority of your audience is not familiar with the material you are presenting. That places the obligation on you to organize and present the material clearly. Define and explain terms and ideas that are not familiar to a general audience.

-Watch out for verbal tics and clichés (um, ah, you know, like, kinda). Don’t chew gum.

-Make the parts of your speech clear and easy to follow, but don’t be clunky. ("Now for my conclusion," "Now, I will deal with the historical background.")

1) This assignment is worth 200 points in English and 200 points in Social Studies.

2) We use a grading rubric, available on the class website, that reflects the requirements in these instructions.

3) Materials that you must submit on the day of your oral:

- All of your notes and resources, including the notes (notecards) you actually refer to during your presentation.  Hand in all your research materials in a folder or envelope. You will lose 20 points (one letter grade) if this information is missing or 10 points if your materials are incomplete.

- Answer key for the quiz in your packet.

- Updated Works Cited page if it has changed since your packet was copied.

1) Your presentation is an important event both for you and for the class. You are the teacher for a day. Dressing up is not required but certainly encouraged.

2) Snacks are NOT required but have become a tradition. Please don’t bring anything extremely messy or sticky, and prepare in advance as much as possible. It is more important to have enough time for your presentation than to spend all day slicing cake. Your classmates will help you to distribute your snacks and packets.

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