Presentation Slides and outline – Grading Rubric
Outline: Think of the outline as a skeleton of your talk — a minimal, bullet-point description of the main ideas. It should not be a full essay. Instead, it should clearly show the topics you will cover and the order in which they will appear.
Notes and rubric:
You are encouraged to revise your slides after receiving feedback. Revisions may improve your presentation, but your slide draft grade is based only on what you submit by your deadline.
(Added Sept 21st) As usual, if you need to break any rule to improve the slides, you can do it provided that you clear with me, your instructor, in advance.
(Added Sept 21st) You should submit your slides in PDF. If you work with Keynote or PowerPoint, print them in groups of 9. Otherwise, export them directly as a PDF.
(Added Sept 21st) To print 9 slides per page: go to File → Print, look for Layout or Handouts options, and choose 9 slides per page. Then select Save as PDF instead of printing.
(Added Sept 26th): I'm streamlining the rubric to 0-2 points per item for clearer feedback. Same standards, simpler scale. Those who submitted can revise if desired.
Reminder: For your presentation, make sure you include an example of your math point. (We will not check this in the slide submission—it's in the presentation rubric, but I wanted to remind you here.)
Presentation Slides — Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Excellent | Needs Work | Not Demonstrated | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slides – Images | Relevant, clear, labeled, and credited (possibly in the bibliography); no screenshots of complicated formulas or text (unless pre-approved) | Minor issues with labeling or crediting; some inappropriate screenshots used | Images are irrelevant, unlabeled, or mostly inappropriate screenshots | /2 |
| Annotated Bibliography | Clear, informative annotations explain how each source was used; complete citations. | Annotations present but sometimes vague or incomplete; minor citation issues. | Missing or unannotated bibliography, or major citation gaps. | /2 |
| Slide Text Limit | Entire slide deck has no more than 150 words total (excluding bibliography) | 150-300 words | More than 300 words | /2 |
| Structure & Flow | 12 or fewer slides with clear math and history content | 13-20 slides; math or history content unclear | More than 20 slides or missing math/history content | /2 |
Reminders:
- Word limit: Your slides (excluding bibliography) should contain no more than 150 words total. This is because slides are meant to support what you say—not replace it. Reading slides while hearing something different is hard for an audience to follow.
- Screenshots:
Avoid screenshots unless cleared with the instructor.
- You may use a screenshot of your own work only if it is clear and visually effective. Avoid blurry photos of handwritten notes or messy formulas.
- Do not use screenshots of formulas from books or papers. These are often hard to read and understand in a presentation. If you believe an exception is needed, you must get approval in advance.
- As a rule of thumb, plan for about one slide per minute. Most strong presentations will have 6–10 slides total—each focused on a key idea and designed to support what you say.
- Keep slides visual and concise.
- AI Policy: Remember to follow the course AI policy when researching and preparing your slides. AI can help with brainstorming or organizing ideas, but your slides must reflect your own understanding and voice.