Module 8: Presentation Board

Use the information below to help guide you to building a successful poster presentation.

Action: Design your presentation board according to the following suggestions. Once you are satisfied that you have developed a good poster presentation, you will be responsible to present your work to the class for peer review.

The Poster Presentation Rubric (experimental or design) will be used for this review and should guide your work. Once reviewed, submit the completed document to your teacher, along with the changes that you made to your presentation based on the assessment of your work.

Board Checklist (scroll to page 2)

Board Format-Google Presentation, make a copy

Planning an Attractive Display-

➢ The student should construct the display, with the parent, teacher, or sponsor providing guidance, encouragement, and constructive criticism.

➢ The title should be brief, captivating, and sufficiently descriptive to identify the project.

➢ Lettering should be neat, easily visible, and uncluttered. Check correctness of spelling.

➢ Displays should be neat and presentable.

➢ Do not display any previous awards on your project.

➢ Wall space for posters, tape, tacks, etc., is not available. Construct displays so that wall space is not required.

➢ Exhibitors should bring their own tape, thumbtacks, and other supplies.

➢ The Abstract, Safety Sheet, and any endorsements must be placed on the front of the display board. They may be reduced to a minimum of a half sheet of standard paper and stacked.

Display Information-

    • Displays will be displayed on tables; therefore, they must be self supportive and free standing (e.g., tri-fold cardboard).

    • The following are some suggestions for making your display:

      • Use headings to organize your display and make transitions from one section to another. Refer to list of sections/headings below.

      • Be careful to choose your font styles and sizes appropriately. An observer should be able to view your poster clearly standing at a distance of 5 feet.

      • If you are short on space on the poster, decrease the font size for the reference list.

      • You might find it useful to use presentation software (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint) or publishing software (e.g., Microsoft Publisher) in addition to word processing software (e.g., Microsoft Word) when designing your display. Also, putting text on a colored background will help it stand out.

    • The following are sizes of each section of the board:

      • Main: 24" x 36" (Google template here)

        • ​Include your title and your name and school on the main/center board

      • Sides (x2): 12" x 36" (Google template here)

Display Requirements-

  • Title

      • The title should be a concise description of your research.

      • It should describe the subject and variable(s) studied.

    • Name and School Affiliation

    • Introduction

      • Provide background information necessary to understand the topic.

      • You may also include the research you used to begin your experiment.

      • Explain why you have selected the topic.

      • Using APA format, reference all sources in the background information.

    • Hypothesis

      • State your complete hypothesis word for word.

    • Methods

      • Briefly describe the methods and materials used in your research.

      • How did you collect your data? How often?

    • Results

      • Present and describe the data.

      • Highlight the “big picture” of the experiment.

      • Use figures (e.g., maps, diagrams, or photographs) and tables. All figures and tables need to be numbered and have a caption. You need to refer to each figure and table in the text of the display.

    • Conclusions

      • Restate the hypothesis and whether or not it was supported.

      • Summarize the research results and provide an explanation for why these results may have occurred.

      • Do not include any “new” information in this section.

    • References

      • Anything included on your poster that is not your own, including text, figures, and/or tables, must be referenced. You may use in-text citations or footnotes throughout your display.

      • Please use APA style for the reference list.

IJAS Rules Concerning Displays-

1. Before judging, all of the displays will be carefully inspected by the safety committee at the regional and state expositions. A copy of the Abstract, Safety Sheet(s), Endorsement(s)/required document (if applicable), must be displayed on the front of the exhibitor’s display board.

2. Your display must not exceed the dimensions of 76 cm front to back, 122 cm from side to side, and 152 cm from table to top. This applies to ALL parts of your project. No apparatus may exceed this space. No apparatus may be under, behind, in front of, alongside, or hanging off of the display table. No apparatus that posses a safety risk to viewers may be displayed and may be removed at the discretion of the Safety Chair.

3. Your display must be designed to sit on a table and be self-supporting.

4. Material used for packing displays may not be kept within the display area, including under the table. It must be taken from the building.

5. Table drapes or covers are not allowed.

6. Spotlights, floodlights, or decorative lighting must not be used to illuminate your display.

7. Any violation of these safety regulations will result in a letter to the sponsor with the reason for disqualification or potential disqualification. No project will be disqualified if the safety violation can be corrected on the spot with a minimum of effort.