How To Give a PJAS Presentation

PJAS Oral Presentation

PJAS Slides Template - feel free to use this template but make it your own!

Creating the PJAS Audio File (Links to an external site.) (only needed if the competition is moved to virtual)

Below is the suggested order for your PJAS Oral Presentation.

Title: Displays a title in the form of a question and relates directly to your project.

Problem: Poses the central question that the experiment will answer.

Background Information: “Educates” the reader so that he or she understands the key concepts and data that the experiment is based around.

Hypothesis: States what you thought the answer to the problem might have been based on the information gathered during your background research. Also, describe what the variables in your experiment were, as well as what you used for your control and experimental groups.

Materials: A list of everything that is needed in order to complete the experiment.

Procedure: A series of numbered, step-by-step instructions that were followed in order to complete the experiment. The procedure should also identify the variables, as well as the experimental and control groups found in the experiment.

Results: This section includes all of your observations, data, and graphs, and is usually the largest section of your presentation. Your observations, measurements, and results should be displayed in neat, well-organized data tables and graphs.

Conclusions: Answers the question posed in the problem section and describes whether the hypothesis was accepted or rejected.

Analysis: Explains the reasons why the results turned out as they did, describes possible errors in your experiment and how they may have affected the results, and addresses the level of uncertainty within your results (preferably using statistical methods).

Recommendations: Describes refinements and additions that may have improved the experiment. Also, describes potential follow-up experiments that may compliment the results obtained in this experiment.

Bibliography: Cites at least 3 of the sources that were used to research your project.

Acknowledgments: Identifies the people who assisted you in the completion of this project.

The pages that follow offer additional assistance with designing each of your slides.

Title

Should be in the form of a question.
Should correspond with the project.

Problem

What are you trying to find out?
How will you test the problem and what will you observe?
Why did you choose this project instead of something else?
How could the results be helpful or useful to other people?

Background Information

The purpose of this section is to “educate” the reader about the topic you will be investigating so that he or she will have good foundation of knowledge to understand the project. Present your information as if the reader has no previous knowledge of your topic. Always properly cite your sources when you reference specific bits of information!

Hypothesis

What exactly do you expect to happen
Why do you expect it to happen in this way?

(Relate your expectations to outside reading that you have done)

What things, if not held constant, will make a difference in the way the experiment turns out (ex. Temperature, amount of light)? These are your variables.
How are you going to make sure that these potential variables are held constant?
What is your control? (“standard for comparison”)

Describe the difference between the experimental group(s) and control group(s).

Materials

Exactly what materials are you going to need? How much? What size?

(List them! Do not write them in paragraph format.)

Procedure

Write step-by-step instructions that are specific and clear enough so that someone else could follow them and obtain the same results. Number each step!

Observations

What did you observe while carrying out your investigation that might be relevant to why it turned out as it did? Be specific!

* If Data Tables and Graphs alone are able to communicate your findings, this section may not be necessary!

Data Table(s)

Put you data into neatly arranged data tables. Make as many tables as you feel are necessary.

Be sure to:

Clearly label your rows and columns.
Use metric units with all of your measurements.
Put titles on each data table.
Calculate averages whenever possible.

Make a data table showing overall

Graph(s)

Choose the appropriate kind of graph(s) to display your data and use a computer to generate your graphs(s). Be sure that each axis has a label and units. Also, be sure to title each graph appropriately.

Conclusions

What Happened?
What changes or differences did you find between the experimental group(s) and the control group(s)?
How much difference was there? Is this a significant difference?

4) Did you accept or reject your hypothesis? Why?

Analysis

Use the information you gathered during your background research readings to help you answer these questions:

Why do you think it turned out the way it did? How sure are you?
What errors may have affected your results?
Do you think these errors were significant to your results?

Recommendations

How could this project be improved if you were to do it over again? How could you have been more accurate?
What could you test next about the same subject that would be an extension of your project?

Bibliography

A minimum of five consulted references should appear in your final bibliography. Be sure to cite your references using proper citation formats.

Acknowledgments

Thank all the people who assisted you in any way in the completion of your project!