To prepare a PowerPoint presentation: 1. Launch PowerPoint and select a blank document template. Add slides and type titles and content on each slide. 2. Choose a slide design template and format slides with a dark background and light font for coherence. 3. Insert graphics, charts created from input data, and animations to enhance the presentation. However, only use animations and graphics that clearly support the content. 4. Add notes under each slide to refer to during the live presentation while the audience views the slides. Print slides with notes to avoid staring at the screen. Keep the presentation simple.

1. How to prepare aHow to prepare a
PowerPoint presentationPowerPoint presentation
 First, launch PowerPoint
 The “Project Gallery” window should
open.
 Make sure “Blank Document” is
highlighted in the “Groups” column at the
left and click OK
 If the “Project Gallery” window does not
open, go to the File menu and choose
New Presentation

2. Next steps...
 You will have a presentation with one
slide. You can change the layout of this
slide by going under the “Format” menu
and down to “Slide Layout”. Choose a
layout that you like and click on “Apply”
 Type the title of your presentation and
whatever else you want on your first
slide

3. Changing templates and format
 If you don’t like this template, you can change
it. Go to the Format menu and select “Slide
Design”.
 Make sure the design you choose has a DARK
BACKGROUND with LIGHT FONT. For
example, a dark blue background with bright
yellow font looks good.
 For coherence in group presentations, all
members should use the same design.

4. Adding new slides…
 To add more slides, go to the Insert
Menu and select new slide
 Type the information you’d like on your
second slide
 Continue adding slides as necessary

5. Adding graphics
 Important: only add graphics that will
enhance your presentation!!
 Go to the Insert menu, down to
“Picture” and select “picture from file”.
Find the image file you want, open it
and click “insert”.
Clip

6.  Choose a new slide
with a graph format
 In the area for the
chart, double click to
input the data for
your chart.
 When you do this a
new program called
“Graph” will open.
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Adding graphics

7.  Enter the data for your
chart in the spreadsheet
that opens.
 Practice doing this by
double clicking on the
chart at the right. Make
some changes to the
chart.
 When you are finished
go the the “Graph” menu
and select “Quit and
Return to …”
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8. Animating text
 This is how you make each bulleted point of
your slide appear on the screen one at a time
when you click the mouse during the
presentation
 First, go to the Slide Show menu and down to
“Preset Animations”
 Next, where you see “Off”, scroll until you see
the animation style you want e.g. “fly in”

9. Viewing Animations
 You can see the effect of animations by
choosing “Animation Preview” under the Slide
Show menu
 Try a few different animations to see which one
you think is most effective

10. Important Note about Sounds
 PowerPoint sound effects are very distracting.
DO NOT USE THEM.
 To turn off the sound effects, go under the
Slide Show menu and choose Custom
Animation.
 In the “Animation order” window, choose the
effect and click on “Effect Option”
 In the “Sound” menu scroll up to “[No Sound]

11. Notes…
 When your slides are finished, you can add
notes under each slide
 These notes are the points you want to make
during your presentation while the audience
views the slide on the screen
 You can see the notes on the computer by
choosing “Notes Page” under the View menu
 Look at the notes for this slide now
 Print your slides with the notes and you won’t
have to look at the screen during your
presentation. Instead you can look at your
audience and just refer to your notes
occasionally.

12. That’s really all you
need to get started!
The best way to learn a program is
to use it, so experiment for
yourselves but remember: simple
is best!