approximately 5 – 7 minutes W r i t i n g

Last week you completed your Cause and Effect Essay. Over the next 2 weeks, you’ll be drawing upon the ideas expressed in your essay and communicating them using a different medium: a narrated slide presentation.

In contrast to essays, which rely almost exclusively on text to get the message across, a slide presentation uses as few words as possible on the slides. An effective presentation uses visual elements, such as photographs, charts, tables, maps, and even cartoons. Remember that because you will be providing an audio narration to accompany your slides, there is no need for the words you are saying to appear on the slides as well. In fact, there is almost nothing duller than listening to someone read words off a slide, so don’t do it!

This assignment serves a number of different purposes.  

1. It will enhance your slide making skills.
2. It will give you practice at creating an audio recording.
3. It will remind you of how your voice sounds to others.
4. It will help give you a better understanding of how the same ideas can be expressed using different communication channels.

For more tips and advice on making effective presentations, please see Chapter 15 of our textbook, and be sure to review the Assignment Connection in the Week 7 Lesson.

Assignment Requirements

• Include approximately five to seven visually appealing slides. Remember to show your audience using visual elements, such as charts, graphs, and pictures, rather than to tell them with long blocks of text (after all, you already did that with your essay).
• Use audio or audiovisual accompaniment of approximately 5–7 minutes, or roughly 1 minute per slide, using PowerPoint or another presentation software (ask your instructor if you have questions about what may be used).
• Please note that Week 8 closes on Saturday at midnight, not Sunday as in Weeks 1–7. The assignment must be submitted by this date.