10 minute presentations are a popular way for social studies professors to assess their student’s understanding of the class content or the success of a research project. In social studies classes, presentations are often a great way for you to present a case study and practice making your own analysis on a topic. When planning your own 10 minute presentation, be sure to take into account these tips and tricks so that your presentation rocks:
- Organize It. Ten minutes is a reasonable length of time to get into some detail, yet is not so long that you can get into a lot of depth on your topic. This means you have two concerns: not to bore your audience and to communicate only the most important points. To do so, be sure to organize yourself with a solid introduction that sets the stage, a middle which gets into the meat and main points (3 is a good number of points to include) and a conclusion which wraps everything up.
- Tell Stories. People remember great stories more than facts and information. Make sure you include a story or two so that your audience will remember what you’ve shared. A story is a great opener as it will catch your audience’s interest. Social Studies topics often have great stories since this discipline studies people. Stories about a successful family business in the midst of the economic depression or anecdotes about people practicing obscure religions can make the subject matter come alive.
- Don’t Be a Robot. Although it may be tempting to memorize your speech word for word, this will make you sound mechanical and robot like. Instead, make index cards with bullet points to help you keep on track. Try to stay calm and speak naturally. Use variation in your voice and engage your whole audience by making eye contact across the whole group.
- Practice. It’s worth it to practice giving your presentation a few times prior to your class date. This will help you determine whether you’re in the time frame and help you practice using any supporting materials such as images, power point presentations or graphs that you might use. If possible, have a friend listen to your presentation and get feedback about your pace, content and supporting materials.
Now that you know how to give a great 10 minute presentation, consider the following topics that you can choose from when considering ideas for your own presentation:
Archaeology
- Otzi the Iceman – One of the Best Preserved Accidental Mummies.
- Mathieu Ossendrijver Deciphered a Babylonian Tablet That Tracked Jupiter’s Path.
- Britain’s “Pompeii” Shows Bronze Age Settlement.
- Recent Discovery of the Arca (A Greek Fortress) in Jerusalem.
- Durrington Walls “Super-Henge” Shows That Stone Henge Was Not Alone.
Economics
- How Powerful Is Corruption and What Policies Can Improve Politics in Countries with High Levels of Corruption?
- What Is the Optimum Mix of Public and Private Actors in Maximizing Growth in Developing Countries?
- Argentina’s Debt Crisis.
- Counterattacking the Next Recession.
- The British Millennial’s Struggle.
Religion
- Pentacostalism in Western and Non-Western Countries – Reasons for Conversion.
- Policies on Gay Marriage.
- Faith in Schools – Policy.
- Inter-Religious Relations.
- Music and Hinduism.
Geography
- Climate Change and Food Security.
- Greenland Ice Melting.
- Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – Expeditions and Discoveries.
- The Biggest Drought in the Eastern Mediterranean in Over 900 Years.
Now having all these tips and topics to choose from you are all set to deliver a rocking 10 minute presentation in your social studies class. Good luck!
