Checklist:

• you start your presentation by telling the audience what they will learn from your presentation
• you know your topic well
• if you have a slide show (PowerPoint etc.), you haven't written down everything you're going to say word-for-word
• you speak to the the people who are listening to you (even if you have a note card with you)
• you have practised your presentation
• if you show a video/picture, tell the audience before you show it what they're about to see and why you're going to show it
• you end your presentation by giving the groups discussion questions that are related to your topic

How to make good discussion questions?

• don't ask things that have one-word answers
• don't start with "Do you..."
• start with why / how / what / when / where
• ask the groups to explain why they think a certain way

ABOUT GRADING:
- You will get feedback from two of your classmates

- These have a positive effect on your grade:

1. you talk about your topic, but also the American culture on a more general level (for example: if your topic is a car brand, you also talk about how driving is a big part of the American lifestyle etc.)
2. you present critical views about your topic (i.e., in what ways your topic has been criticized)
3. you introduce the material (video etc.) before showing it and also tell why you are showing this particular video
4. you have good discussion questions that make the audience talk

GRADING SCALE:

Excellent

• a well-rehearsed and fluent presentation
• you have summarized the topic well: focus on what's important
• very good materials: the presenter introduces the material before showing it and tells why it is relevant
• you talk about your topic, but you present criticism towards your topic
• excellent language skills with only very minor errors
• excellent discussion questions

Very good

• a rehearsed and fluent presentation
• the presenter speaks to the audience
• the presenter has done research on the topic
• good materials (pictures, video, audio, or other): the presenter introduces the material before showing it and tells why it is relevant
• very good language skills, even if there are some errors
• good discussion questions

Good

• a solid, good presentation
• the presenter has contact with the audience during the presentation
• the presenter has done research on the topic
• the presenter uses good material, but doesn’t always introduce it properly or the material is not relevant enough
• good language skills, even if there are some errors
• the presenter has discussion questions at the end

Average

• the presentation seems under-rehearsed and it is sometimes difficult to follow it
• the presenter has very little contact with the audience or speaks very quietly
• the presenter hasn’t done a lot of research on the topic
• the presenter doesn’t use any (relevant) material or over-uses it (the video/audio takes up most of the presentation)
• adequate (OK) language
• the presenter has some discussion questions at the end, but they require editing

Deficient

• the presentation is clearly under-rehearsed
• the presenter hasn’t done research
• the presenter doesn’t use any (relevant) material or over-uses it (the video/audio takes up most of the presentation)
• serious problems with the language: it is difficult to follow and understand the presentation
• the presenter doesn’t have discussion questions

Fail
A no-show.


TOPICS:

Luna and Minttu - Fandoms
Eimi and Saara - The East Coast vs. West Coast
Lena and Lotta - American music
Viljami and Amaan - Slavery and racism
Mariela and Emilia - the Trump administration
Peppi and Isali - the Barbie movie
Mimosa - Halloween
Novak and Oiva - Terrorism in American culture
Sebastian and Petrus - the Military

IDEAS

- an inspirational / interesting person
- a musical genre (blues, jazz, country, alternative music)
- a work of art (film, photograph, song, album, book)
- a remarkable historical event or era
- American space exploration
- racism
- baseball
- American football
- American English and American idioms (how they differ from one another)
- a TV series
- advertising
- the 4th of July
- Thanksgiving
- Halloween
- Silicon Valley
- new technology (artificial intelligence, 3D printing, Silicon Valley...)
- tech gadgets
- video gaming
- fans and fandom (fan fiction, Comic-Con, Trekkies)
- the American food culture
- Disney