Power Point Presentations Guidelines
For this class you will prepare and present a short power point presentation about historical or contemporary
uses of the Hebrew Bible in western culture: in literature, art, music, dance, drama, psychology. For example,
the week we learn about the Exodus, a presentation could focus on depictions of Moses artistically. These presentations
should take about 15 minutes and should include leading a short discussion relating the presentation to the Biblical
topic. Your grade on the presentation will be based upon the following:.
1. Relevance of Topic: The topic is relevant to class themes and provides
new perspectives for the class.
2. Originality: The presentation shows a complex, curious mind at work.
3. Organization: The presentation is organized in a way that fully and
imaginatively supports some claim or purpose. The sequence of ideas is effective. The audience always feels that
the author is in control of the organization, even when the organizational plan is complex, surprising, or unusual.
The subpoints serve to open up and explore the author's insight in the most productive way.
4. Support: The presentation offers the best possible evidence and reasoning
to convince the audience. No important pieces of available evidence and no important points or reasons are omitted.
It is clear that the author is very well informed, has searched hard and effectively for appropriate evidence,
and has thought about the evidence presented to the class. Evidence presented is always relevant to the point being
made.
5. Use of Sources: The presentation uses academic and, where appropriate,
popular sources to support, extend, and inform the ideas but not to substitute for the student's own development
of an idea. The student has effectively combined material from a variety of sources, including, as relevant and
needed, personal observation, scientific data, authoritative testimony, and anything else called for. The presenter
uses quotations to capture a source's key points or turns of phrase but does not overuse quoted material to substitute
for the writer's own development of an idea. Quotations, paraphrase, and citation are handled according to accepted
scholarly form. A short (one page) bibliography of sources should be turned in at the time of the presentation.
6. Connections: The seminar makes relevant connections to other course
material, showing links.
7. Design: The presentation uses design elements effectively. That is,
nothing in the visual part of the presentation is distracting or detracts from the material. Design should not
overwhelm the subject matter. It should be simple and easy to follow. On the other hand, the powerpoint slides
should not be limited to a few bulleted lists. See PowerPoint
Makes You Dumb, and a counter-argument, Does
PowerPoint Make You Stupid?
8. Style: The presenter's style of presentation is effective. That is,
the presentation is audible, there are no distracting habits or tics, the presenter is easily understood. The presenter
has practiced the presentation and knows how much information can be conveyed in 15 minutes.
9. Engagement: The presentation engages the class, as evidenced by discussion
or by comments from the class.