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CHAPTER 19
Speaking with Presentation Aids
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Speak with presentation aids.
A. Presentation aids help listeners process and retain information.
II. Select an appropriate aid.
A. Presentation aids include objects, models, pictures, graphs, charts, audio, video, and
multimedia. Choose the aid or combination of aids that will help the audience grasp
information effectively.
B. Props and models
2. Models are three-dimensional, scale-size representations of an object.
C. Pictures
1. Pictures are two-dimensional representations that include photographs, line drawings,
diagrams, maps, and posters.
a. Diagrams visually explain how something works or operates.
D. Graphs, charts, and tables
1. Graphs represent relationships among two or more things.
a. A line graph uses points connected by lines to demonstrate how something
changes or fluctuates in value.
2. Charts visually organize complex information into compact form.
a. A flowchart diagrams the progression of a process.
E. Audio, video, and multimedia
2. Video—including movies, television, and other recording instruments—can serve to
motivate attention by helping to introduce, transition into, and clarify points.
4. Digital storytelling is the use of multimedia to tell a story about yourself or others
with resonance for the audience.
5. Follow these rules when incorporating audio and video into a presentation:
a. Use the clip in a manner consistent with copyright.
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c. Alert audience members to what they will be hearing or viewing before you play
it.
III. Options for showing presentation aids
A. Computer-generated aids and displays
1. With software programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote, speakers
B. Flip charts
1. A flip chart is simply a large (27- to 34-inch) pad of paper on which visual aids are
drawn.
C. Chalkboards and whiteboards
1. Reserve these writing boards for impromptu explanations, such as presenting simple
processes.
D. Hold the handouts.
1. Handouts are used to convey information that is (1) impractical to give the audience
2. To avoid distractions, wait until you have finished speaking to distribute handouts.
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KEY TERMS
multimedia effect a learning principle that suggests we learn better from words and pictures than
from words alone, provided that the aids complement, or add to, the information rather than
simply match the spoken point
presentation aids objects, models, pictures, graphs, charts, video, audio, or multimedia used to
illustrate speech points
chart method of representing data and their relationship to other data in a meaningful form.
Several different types of charts are helpful for speakers: flowcharts, organization charts, and
tabular charts (tables).
flowchart a diagram that shows the step-by-step progression through a procedure, relationship, or
process
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CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What are presentation aids? What role do they play in the speech?
Presentation aids include props, models, posters, graphs, charts, handouts, video, audio,
and multimedia. Each of these elements, used alone or in combination, helps listeners see
What are some of the ways to present or display a presentation aid to the audience?
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the best way to use props in presentations for large audiences of one hundred or more.
Make recommendations for small, medium, and large props.
Large audiences usually require a large room. Therefore, a large audience requires props
that can be seen from the back of the room, which can be a great distance. If you have a
relatively small object that you want to present, it would be best to project an image of the
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2. What types of speeches do not require presentation aids?
It is arguable that any type of speech would benefit from the use of presentation aids
because they can clarify, quantify, or enhance the subject. However, there may be cases in
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Think back to the last presentation you attended. Write a brief description of the aids used in
the presentation, and evaluate the speaker’s choice of aids. Do you think these were good
choices for the topic? What aids would you use for the same topic?
Select video clips from LaunchPad Solo for A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking or videos
of speeches given in previous semesters and have students watch these speeches in class. They
2. Suppose you were asked to give a twenty-minute presentation on differences in crime rates
between major cities. Make a list of the kinds of presentation aids you would probably use.
Next to each item, write a few words explaining why the item is on the list. Would your choice
of presentation aids vary according to your audience (e.g., presenting to a national meeting of
law-enforcement agencies versus presenting to your classmates)?
This activity would work as a group or as an individual assignment. Possible presentation
aids to portray the crime rates of cities include a pie chart showing which cities have what
percentage of a total crime rate, a bar graph to compare different cities’ crime rates, or a
3. What kind of presentation topic is likely to be appropriate for each of the following types of
aids? Generate a short list of presentation topics that would be likely to include the use of each.
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This activity effectively helps students generate topics as well as ideas for presenting topics
they may already have.
• Props: how balls for various sports are made, ceramics, sneakers
II. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. Suppose your presentation on tourist attractions in the Southwest requires the use of many
presentation slides. You do not have your own projector and have been told that the equipment
in the facility where you are to speak is unreliable. The presentation is taking place tomorrow.
In a small group, discuss possible backup strategies in the event the equipment fails either
before or during your presentation.
This is a good activity for acquainting students with troubleshooting and dealing with
public speaking crises. If students opt not to use the slides at all, possible alternatives for
2. Obtain some examples of actual presentation aids that have been used in past presentations.
Working in groups of three to four people, critique them. If you know the topic for which they
were used, evaluate the appropriateness of each aid for the topic. If you do not know what the
topic was, make a guess based on the clarity of the aid itself.
Critiques of the visual aids should touch on such aspects as vividness, color, font, graphics,
size, and appropriateness for the audience (if this information is available). Refer to Student
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
• Homework questions
• Quizzes
• In-class work (individually or in groups)
• Topics to generate discussion
• Question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
1. What are some functions of visual aids?
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2. What are some options that the text outlines for displaying presentational aids?
• Flip chart: large pad of paper on which visual aids are drawn. You should have some
artistic talent so the drawings aren’t sloppy or awkward.
• LCD (liquid crystal display) panel and projector
ACTIVITIES
What Type of Presentation Aid Should I Use?
Purpose: To learn which types of presentation aids might be effective for various types of public
speeches.
Instructions: Based on the criteria for using presentation aids outlined in your text, what types of
aid would be best suited for each of the following topics? Be specific, indicating both the type of
1. Divorce rates in the United States over the last fifty years
3. Levels of management in the university
5. Membership in health clubs by region
7. Alcohol consumption by the general public
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9. Getting around your university
11. Why rock ’n’ roll is the greatest music
13. Where your money goes
14. Fashion trends in the United States
Impromptu Presentation Aids
Purpose: To provide students with an opportunity to simultaneously practice speaking and using
presentation aids.
Instructions: Gather a variety of items from the office and home into a large box. As students
come into the room, have each student take one item. Instruct students that they will be required to
give a one- to two-minute presentation using the item as a visual aid. Students will need to come up
The Dos and Don’ts of Presentation Aids
Purpose: To create an awareness of the effective use of presentation aids.
Instructions: This activity should be used at the beginning of the chapter (prior to the instructor’s
lecture and discussion of the text). Students should create a list of the dos and don’ts of using
presentation aids. This can be done individually, in small groups, or as a class. Ask students to
make a list of the worst presentation aids they have seen, citing specific mistakes made.
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