Hello!
Here are the topics, deadline, & guidelines for our mid-term presentations, plus notes about writing summaries (要約).
Before we start, here are the board notes for our class on 10/18:
Now let's look at the themes and topics you can do for your presentations!
Themes & topics
Here are your choice of themes & topics. They're based on what we've done so far, plus one unit on what we will do, in class. You can choose one (1) of these:
- A transportation system in a part of another country (such as the New York subway)
- A unique sport in another country
- A natural or man-made disaster and its impact on the people or the place involved
Deadlines (締め切り)
Your presentation day will be on November 8th (11/8), so you have three (3) weeks to prepare them. Please be ready on the day to present.
About summaries
Now let's look at summary writing.
What is a summary? It's a short statement of purpose (SOP) about your presentation topic.
It should begin with a short introduction showing a general background about the topic and any interesting points, issues, problems, or a situation, and what is unique or noteworthy about it. Then you should show directly what you will present about in these points, issues, problems, or situations.
Here is an example of what a summary should look like, with the steps you should take when writing it. It's an example from a presenter who is going to speak about famous figures in science and technology - in this case, the rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.
First, the presenter shows some general background to the topic:
例えば：There have been many great partnerships, as well as rivalries, in the history of science and technology. Perhaps no rivalry was greater than that between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.
Next, the presenter shows a connection between the background and what he/she will present or write about:
There have been many great partnerships, as well as rivalries, in the history of science and technology. Perhaps no rivalry was greater than that between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. While both figures are crucial in the development of the practical application of electricity to everyday life…
Then, the presenter comes in with what he/she will directly present or write about:
There have been many great partnerships, as well as rivalries, in the history of science and technology. Perhaps no rivalry was greater than that between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. While both figures are crucial in the development of the practical application of electricity to everyday life, this presentation/report will show that Edison may have been the greater figure given the numerous applications of electricity he made possible through his inventions. (71 words)
This summary runs to only 71 words in total. But it shows completely the background to the topic, and the presenter's purpose with the topic.
Guidelines
1. Prepare a summary about the topic you want to present on. The summary will be due next week (来週).
2. Be ready for me to review your progress next week. I will require that you also practice your presentation in-class. You can practice with me and/or other groups of students.
3. Finalize your presentation outside of class and be ready to present on the day of your class!
Good luck with these! I’ll look forward to seeing your great presentations!
See you next time!
Images: Top - by Isiwal/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70084767/Board notes - personal photograph. All rights reserved.
