Middle School Paper guidelines and presentations are based on the High School guidelines, at the National JSHS site:
Please read the National Paper Guidelines
Oral Presentation Guidelines
You must bring 6-10 copies of your Abstract to hand out to judges. Also bring
copies of all your registration forms/information with you to the Symposium.
PRESENTATION LENGTH - You will have 12 minutes for your presentation, followed by 6 minutes for questions from the
judges. The room moderator will signal you when you have one minute left and stop you at the end of 12
minutes.
CALLBACKS - Some students will be called back for an additional 5 minute Q & A with the judges about their presentation.
Call backs are a method for judges to gather more information before making their final decisions.
You do NOT need to receive a call back to win.
Aids to presentation. No written handouts, other than Abstracts are permitted. Research
apparatus may be used if it is integral to the presentation and only if it is hand-held.
You are the expert. No one in the audience knows as much about your
research investigation as you. Therefore, remember to explain your research in enough detail so the
audience will understand what you did, how you did it, and what you learned.
Whenever possible, avoid jargon or unnecessary terminology. If it is
essential to use specialized terms, remember to explain the specialized term briefly. Give your audience
enough time to understand what you are trying to convey.
Graphs, tables and other representation help explain your results.
Keep them simple and uncluttered. Focus on important information; for example, remember to name the
variables on both axes of a graph, and state the significance of the position and shape of the graph line.
Deliver your presentation at a comfortable pace. It helps to practice
your presentation before a non-specialized audience. Practice will help you perfect the presentation and
the timing. Do listen to the advice of your non-specialized audience but also get help from a teacher or
other advisor as needed.
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