Week 15: Drafting Research Paper Slide Presentation
Week of Mon, Nov 23 · week closes Tue, Nov 24 · 15 points
This week's items
- Reflection Projectdue Tue, Nov 24 · 15 pts
Exact due times are in Canvas. Late out-of-class assignments accepted up to one week past the original due date. In-class process work and Discussion Board assignments cannot be made up.
Know these cold
- The Reflection Project is due Tuesday, November 24 by 11:59 PM. Submit via Canvas before class if possible so you can be fully present for the slide presentation workshop.
- Your research paper presentation will be delivered in class on Thursday, December 3 (Finals Week). Prepare your slideshow before that class period — arriving unprepared is a significant deduction from your process-work score.
- Effective academic presentations distill, not dump: select the three or four most important points from your research paper. Slides should support what you say, not replace it.
- Slide design principles: limit each slide to one main idea, use large readable fonts (minimum 24pt), keep text brief (bullet points, not paragraphs), use high-contrast color (dark text on light background or reverse).
- The text-to-visual ratio: slides heavy with text force the audience to read instead of listen. If your slide has more than six lines of text, split it into two slides or convert most of it to spoken words.
- Your oral delivery matters as much as slide content. Practice speaking from bullet points, not reading from slides. Make eye contact with the audience. Pace yourself — don't rush.
- Anticipate questions. After your presentation, your classmates or Prof. Upchurch may ask questions. Review your sources so you can speak to specific evidence beyond what appears on your slides.
- Thanksgiving break: use the time to finalize slides, practice your delivery, and rest. You have done substantial writing work this semester — arrive at Finals Week prepared.
Discussion and forum — how to show up
Discussion post
- In 30 seconds, verbally state the main argument of your research paper. This is your opening hook for the presentation.
- What is the single most surprising finding in your research — the one piece of evidence that genuinely changed your understanding of the topic?
Netiquette from the syllabus: address ideas, not people. Complete sentences, correct spelling. Personal matters go to email, never the board.
Meerk's quiz — open the Week 15 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: You have written four major essays this semester. What is something you know about academic writing now that you did not know in August?
En español: Has escrito cuatro ensayos importantes este semestre. ¿Qué sabes ahora sobre la escritura académica que no sabías en agosto?