How to make a good impression (presentation) of your team project
You have spent a great deal of time and effort on your design project.  Each member of your 
team has contributed, your faculty advisor has helped you obtain resources, and your company 
sponsor is waiting to hear your report.  Here are some suggestions on how to present a good oral 
and written summary report.  They are taken from watching many high school presentations.
Dress
Dress for success.  If you wear shorts and open-neck shirts, you give the impression that 
you are not taking this seriously.  While you don't have to dress for a formal dance, you 
shouldn't dress for the beach either.  Boys should wear shirts with ties and solid-color slacks.  
Girls should wear skirts or slacks and a nice blouse.  If you attend church, the clothes you wear to 
most services would be about right for this occasion.  Coats are not needed if it is hot.  But take 
this seriously by the way you dress.  Someday you will dress like this for a job interview.
Rehearsal and planning
You should plan the presentation at least as carefully as you planned the project.  
Remember, this is all your audience will see of your work.  They won't know about the many 
hours you spent in the lab or the library getting data and background.  They will only know what 
you show `em.  So it should look well-rehearsed and smooth in your presentation.  To achieve 
this, you will need to go over the parts you plan to show, who will present each part, and where 
you will need help from visual aids.  
When you have all the parts of the report assembled, divide them up and select one of you 
to present each section.  After a first dry run, get someone to video-tape your presentation.  How 
long did it take?  How clearly did each of you speak?  Were the transitions to each new speaker 
smoothly handled?  What can you do to make it better?  Did you stay within the allotted time 
limit (usually about 45 minutes)?  If not, practice until you can tell the whole story without going 
over your time limit more than one minute.  Each speaker should stand up straight and look the 
audience in the eyes.  Don't mumble or look at your feet while you talk.  Practice this before you 
arrive and get help from a speech teacher or drama coach if possible.
Each speaker should have a well-defined role to play in the presentation.  Don't assign a 
passive role like holding the poster.  Each of you helped in the project, so each should take an 
active part in the final show.  Take pride in your presentation;  it is a self-portrait.  Make it good!
The written report
You have probably done reports for science labs before.  This is similar.  You will 
probably need most of the following parts in your written report:
1)	Title page with names of contributors, school name, company name & advisors
2)	Introduction with detailed problem statement
3)	Background information and other efforts to solve the problem (library research)
4)	Sketch of the problem situation with all critical components and problem factors
5)	Sketch of your design solution(s) to the problem
6)	Discussion of your procedure for establishing the "best" solution to the problem
7)	Description of the ways you set about collecting data on your design
8)	The data itself and a graph of its performance as a function of independent variables
9)	Discussion of your interpretation of the results you obtained
10)	Conclusions and recommendations with estimated scale-up costs
11)	Reference section listing each of the sources of your outside reading and other reports
12)	Appendices that describe things like prices for materials & assembly diagrams, etc.
Now go back and put the parts together.  If you made observations or measurements, get 
the data into neat tables with labels at the top of each column.  It usually helps to graph your 
results to help show relationships that are not clear from reading rows of numbers.  What 
relationships do you want to show?  Are these clear?  Did you answer the question(s) you set out 
to answer?  Are your conclusions supported from your data?  How confident are you of your 
recommendations?  If the company spends $100,000 on your design, are you willing to stand 
behind it with your reputation?  Don't state your own opinion as fact; indicate the possibility of 
other options if they are as reasonable as your own.
Before you print the final master copy, number the pages.  Spell-check the whole thing.  
Use at least one-inch margins all around.  Have someone (like an English teacher) proof-read it.  
Does it make sense to someone who didn't write it?  If not, fix the confusion before you make 
copies.  Bring enough copies to your presentation to provide one for each member of your 
company sponsors and Dr. Zee and the other two school teams.  Bind it so the pages can't fall 
out.  Check to make sure all the pages are in each copy.
The oral report
Unless this is done by the Presider, your first speaker should clearly introduce each team 
member to the audience and state the title of your project.  Tell us the name of your school and 
your faculty advisor.  Thank the latter as well as your company sponsor.  Have your first 
overhead transparency on the overhead stage and focused for turning on the projector before you 
start.  The first speaker should summarize what your report will cover - tell us what you're gonna 
tell us.
Start by carefully stating the problem you set out to solve.  Make sure your Mom or Dad 
could understand this if all they know is what you tell `em.  Don't assume that your audience 
already knows what you set out to accomplish.  Where there are critical terms, define them 
clearly.  Where there are important features of the layout, explain what they are and use pictures 
or drawings as needed.  
Describe your procedure and the problems you had to overcome.  What efforts were made 
to check your design(s)' performance?  What records did you keep?  How much will it cost to 
build your design and install it?  What effect will factors like weather, temperature changes, and 
other parameters have?  Did you allow for these effects in your design?  How?  Did you test 
more than one design and type of fabrication?  Explain your results clearly.  Provide sketches.  
Use graphs to show relationships.
If you use the overhead, make sure the print size is large enough to be read easily at the 
back of the room.  Don't rely on a poster to show fine details if we can't see it from the back.  If 
you have a model, pass it around the room for all to see and touch.  If it is too heavy or delicate, 
then bring it around for close viewing.
State your conclusions and how confident you are of them.  Don't sound like your 
conclusions are facts if other conclusions are possible.  What are your recommendations?  How 
much will this cost?  
Inviting questions and suggestions
When you complete the presentation, invite questions from the audience.  Do this by 
making it clear that you welcome suggestions and concerns that others may have about your 
design.  Don't act defensive if someone doubts your design.  Answer truthfully questions about 
your procedure.  Think carefully before you respond to questions.  It may help to count to five 
(slowly) before responding.  If you don't understand the question, ask the speaker to repeat it.  
Don't walk away until you are sure there are no more questions.
Finishing
When you finish answering questions, thank your audience for their attention.  Thank 
your faculty advisor and company sponsors once again for their support.  Pass out the written 
reports at this time.  Return to your seats and listen attentively to the other presentations.  Ask 
questions.

Good job!
Final report coaching guide	Bill Baird {Ver. of 5/20/99}	Page 4