Dr. Swanson’s Golden Rules
for PPT
Back to the APS Page
or U.S.
History Page
Some Basic Design Ideas
- Start with a Title Slide (including names!)
- Text must be at least size 28, 32 is preferable, use a
simple background
- Use rounded fonts like Arial, Helvetica, and Comic Sans,
don’t use Times, or Palatino! (thin lines are hard to see)
- Make sure there’s plenty of contrast between your text and
background, not contrast
Working with Your Content
- Slide Titles = Main Topics, think about the right way to
group your info
- Don’t put anything on the screen (vocab, events, concepts)
that you don’t understand
- One of the biggest mistakes students make is thinking they
can copy something off of the internet, put it in their presentation
and read it off the screen - this practice serves no educational
purpose and is intellectually offensive. You will receive a zero on your
presentation if I find any text in your PPT that has been copied
directly from a book or the internet.
- Animate your images in…
- And out…
Giving a Presentation
- Don’t read the screen! Break your text down into key
bullet points, then explain things to us, give us examples, etc.
- Use PPT to help guide your presentation & increase the
understanding of the audience
- The use of outlines/note cards etc. is encouraged - and these should also be in your own
words, as you understand the material! Do not get up in front of
the class and read somebody else's words!