英語表現演習4 (金): Fall semester final presentation assignment・期末発表

Hello!

How are you? Today I will show you the final assignment for this term - a presentation with an outline and a written summary (要約) about a product, component, or piece of equipment.

Topic & task

Prepare a short presentation about any product, component, or piece of equipment used in, or is from, not only mechanical engineering but any field of technology. This could even include IT-related digital applications or components as well. 
 


Along with this presentation, you will also write a short separate summary showing what you will present about. 

Guidelines

You have a choice of making an A3-sized poster or short Power Point display. 

In your presentation about your product, component, or equipment, you should show:

• A short background about it (where it comes from and when it was first made)
• What it is made of
• What the key components are - with measurements (if many, show only the most important components)
• Some drawing or other schema of it (any kind of engineering drawing – or if IT-related, an algorithm and/or program that is the basis of it)  
• A short explanation of how it works
• Its use, popularity, and/or application (使用) – workplaces, schools, universities, research institutes, and so forth

Special notes:
In your speaking and writing, use some of the vocabulary that you have seen and learned from the textbook, especially from the units on components and assemblies and engineering design - though you are not limited to only vocabulary from those units. 

The summary you will write is not to be used as notes, however. It is a written preview of the presentation topic and what the contents of it are - it is not the presentation itself! You will only use the outline to speak from.

NEW - Some starting resources
Here are two (2) links to TED Talks relating to engineering that could help you on topic ideas. Watch these for ideas.

David Lang - My underwater robot (2013.02) - click on this link for this talk.

Keller Rinaud – A mini robot – powered by your phone (2013.02) - click on this link for this talk. 

Both of these talks have Japanese subtitles (字幕), plus transcripts in English or Japanese that you can download.

Now here are two (2) videos on presentation tips and hints, with one about engineering presentation. You can also get Japanese subtitles with these:

 

Deadlines (締め切り) 

We will do the presentations on January 18th, 2019 (1/18/2019), so you have over one (1) month to prepare these. 

Good luck! I look forward to seeing your choices of topics! 

Image: By Thomas Bresson - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17553420

英語表現演習3 (土): Final presentation & writing assignment supplementary notes・期末発表・作文の付記

Hello!

How are you? Here are the board notes from today's (7/7) class. 

Schedule

Here is a closer look at the schedule:

Please note down what we will do on these dates, because we really have to stay with our tasks on these days. 

About displays

Here is a closer look at the notes about displays:

New note: Here is an updated board note for all of you:

Please make a note about these, and what you can do on whichever kind of display you would like to do. 

Please remember that whichever kind of display you make, it should mostly be visual - charts, graphs, tables of data, illustrations, photographs, schema, formulas, or algorithms. 

Summary writing review

Here is a review about summary writing. A good summary has a short background about the topic, with a tighter focus towards the end of the background. Then it goes into the focus of the presentation itself, sometimes with an additional comment about something unique, or else of note about the topic. Let's look at this:

DNA evidence has shown that dogs evolved from wolves, and over time, dogs have become one of the most popular companion animals to humans across many cultures. But there are still arguments about exactly when dogs genetically separated from wolves, and how and why they became domesticated by humans. This presentation will trace the origins of dogs, and show some different ideas about how they became companions to humans.

 

Look at how each part of the summary has a purpose. First, a background to the topic: 

DNA evidence has shown that dogs evolved from wolves, and over time, dogs have become one of the most popular companion animals to humans across many cultures.

Next, a focus to the topic: 

But there are still arguments about exactly when dogs genetically separated from wolves, and how and why they became domesticated by humans.

Finally, a focus on what the presentation will be about:  

This presentation will trace the origins of dogs, and show some different ideas about how they became companions to humans.

Here's another example of a good summary:  

DNA testing in criminal cases is one of the greatest developments in the application of science to law over the last 30 years. Before DNA testing, however, there were cases where innocent people went to prison on wrongful convictions. In this presentation, I will show three famous cases of wrongful conviction in various countries, and how DNA testing later was able to show the innocence of those who had been convicted.

Background to the topic:

DNA testing in criminal cases is one of the greatest developments in the application of science to law over the last 30 years.  

Focus to the topic: 

Before DNA testing, however, there were cases where innocent people went to prison on wrongful convictions.

Focus on what the presentation will be about: 

In this presentation, I will show three famous cases of wrongful conviction in various countries, and how DNA testing later was able to show the innocence of those who had been convicted.

I hope the board notes above, plus these review notes on summaries, can help you. Next week, I'll come in with some notes about the writing part of your assignment to go with the presentation.

Good luck - and I'll look forward to seeing all of you next week!

Images: Personal photographs. All rights reserved.