Science & Engineering Fair | Posters & Presentations
Resources
Posters
Presenting Your Research
Interview with the Judges
Information & Assistance
Please email Christina Hatley, chatley@tntech.edu or call 931-372-6531.
Your Project Poster
(See the printable poster templates and tutorials link below.)
Prepare your titles, charts, graphs, drawings, and diagrams.
Make them neat, large enough to see, and colorful.
Design your poster as if you were designing it for a magazine or newspaper.
Use fonts and sizes that work together well.
Strive for consistency, uniformity, and a clean, readable look.
Lay out your poster in logical order, so the reader can proceed in some type of normal fashion (left/right; up/down).
Break your poster up into easily followed sections.
DON’T leave out references and acknowledgements.
DO start putting your poster together early. This will help you realize any mistakes you may have made when putting everything together. And you will still have time to fix it.
DO include pictures of your work (if applicable).
DON’T have too many pictures, and make sure YOU are not the focus of your pictures. It’s okay if your hands, the back of your head, etc. are in your photos. Your face should not be in your photos.
Your work is NOT about you, it’s about your subject matter.
Also avoid name brands or logos that are visible in your pictures, including any school logos on your shirt.
Example of a Poster Layout
Printable Poster Templates & Tutorials
posterpresentations.com
Presentation of Your Poster
Prepare and practice your presentation. Know it well enough that you don’t have to read it from the display. Have a short version and a longer version.
DON’T assume your readers know everything you do about your project. They don’t.
DON’T leave out references and acknowledgements.
DON’T hesitate to bring in supporting materials. Just make sure you would be fine without them and they don’t make your space cluttered.
DON’T chew gum or candy.
DON’T stand directly in front of your poster while presenting it. Let everyone have a clear view.
DO wear your best clothes.
DO try to stay close by, but off to the side a bit.
Judges Interview
Don’t expect the judges to spend more than 3-5 minutes with you.
Stand up straight on both feet when a judge approaches your project. Don’t sway from foot to foot.
Look straight into the eyes of your judges. Pay attention to each of them.
Introduce yourself. Give the title of your project.
Explain the purpose of your project. Tell the judges how you got interested in the topic.
Explain your procedure. Show your results.
Point them out on your board. Explain what you have found.
If you think that you had some problems or error in your experiments, don’t be afraid to admit these.
Tell the judges what you might do in the future to continue your experimentation.
Ask the judges if they have any questions for you.
If you do not know the answer, say “I’m sorry, I don’t know the answer, but I think the answer is……….” Don’t “fake” like you know an answer when you really don’t.
Thank the judges!