When you look at past Future City competitions, you quickly notice that the winning students present themselves well both visually and verbally. Is this because they're naturally gifted speakers? No, it's a result of being well-rehearsed.
There are three words to remember as you help your students prepare for their 5 to 7 minute presentation: Practice, Practice, Practice. Consider, this may be the first time your students have ever spoken to a group of adults. Understandably, they'll be nervous, and the fact that this is a competition makes the pressure to perform even greater. Nothing will help them better overcome this barrier than practicing their visual and verbal presentation.
One useful technique is to have them practice not only with you and your Engineer/Mentor, but also in front of their class. They'll most likely be more comfortable rehearsing and getting feedback from their peers rather than adults. They can also start their practice sessions with an underclass, since this group can be even more objective than their own class. Also, carefully gauge how well each of your team members speaks. Since all three have to express themselves during the presentation, you may want to spend extra time coaching whomever you feel is your weakest speaker. In your handbook you'll find useful techniques for helping your team prepare their presentation.
Briefly, you'll want to help them focus on their visual performance - that is, have them wear professional clothing and make sure their posture and stance is correct. Teach them how to use their hands, how to make eye contact with the judges using positive facial expressions when doing so. Their verbal performance is important, too, so help them with their volume, inflection, and rate of speech. Make sure they speak clearly and concisely and avoid slang. They'll also need guidance with how best to use their visual aids. A reminder though - the use of overhead projectors, VCRs, and lap-top computers is prohibited.
The handbook also has information on how your team should organize its presentation, from designing an attention-grabbing introduction to finishing with a dramatic close. It's important to review this section closely since the presentation portion of the competition accounts for close to 25% of the overall score. This score in turn is divided into three parts: (1) the delivery of the team's presentation; (2) their knowledge in answering judge's questions; and, (3) their cooperation. (Do all three members work together to answer questions, or does only one student have all the answers?) You can also review a sample score sheet.
Just
remember to have your team practice often, and the remember the
benefit of doing so. While they'll be the ones building their future
city, you'll be the one building their confidence. After all, public
speaking is a life-skill they can use in numerous careers.
