No matter how well you have done at preparing your high school science project, the key is how you present it. An enthusiastic presenter will get the attention of the judges.
Six Secrets about HOW to Say It
- Get excited: Believe that you have a mission to accomplish during your high school science project presentation, and that you have the keys to success. Let slip-ups not bother you. Presentation time is a time to focus on positive things. The only way to beat presentation fear is to get excited.
- Body language: You might appear to say something confidently, but your body language reveals it all. Don’t stand stiffly with your hands in your pockets or behind your back as it will only display that you are nervous.
- Use your hands: We use gestures naturally while talking to someone, without even being aware of them. During your presentation, use gestures in a natural way. Avoid any offensive gestures such as clicking your fingers or pointing your fingers at someone.
- Maintain Eye Contact: Eye contact is believed to be a sign of honesty. While presenting your work, don’t look through people; rather look at them in the eye for a few seconds before you shift your eye contact to another person.
- Project Your Voice: Most students are not aware of how softly they speak in public. Practice projecting your voice, but remember to speak in a relaxed tone. A high-pitched tone and hurried speech shows nervousness. So, speak calmly, and with a smile. Don’t rush it.
- Use a Meaningful Pause: Pause after an important question in order to give your audience some time to think. Then reveal your answer. Pause after making a strong statement. Smile.
Six Secrets about WHAT to Say
- Memorize it: You may memorize your introductory line in order to avoid making a mistake right at the beginning. Do not memorize your whole high school science presentation, as it may sound mechanical.
- Introduce it: You can begin by greeting everyone with a “Good Morning!” Then start with a catchy phrase such as, “I was eagerly waiting for this moment, as I have something interesting to share with you…” You’ve already made an enthusiastic opening. Keep it short.
- Brief it: After your short introduction, you must tell them, again in short, what to expect during your presentation. You may say, “Let me place before you my big question, my hypothesis, how I conducted my experiment, and what conclusion I came to.”
- Explain it: Now speak about all the points one by one. Encourage them to look at your display as you explain your project.
- Summarize it: Repeat your main points by saying, “Once again, let me sum up my work…”
- Conclude it: Close with a strong and positive statement such as, “I have learned that…..and I’m sure you agree with me. If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer them at this time.”
Now, the toughest part made easy….
Answering Questions
At this point I cannot emphasize enough, that you must do a mock presentation before your actual high school science project presentation. What I mean by this is that you must practice in front of your friends and family. Make them ask you lots, and I mean lots, of questions. Do your best to answer those questions. Ask for feedback on how you’ve done, and improvise on it. Practice in front of your mirror. Practice in front of your dog, and don’t let his antics distract you. Practice till you get confident.
Now that you’re feeling confident already you can go one step further and download a free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” right now from the link below.