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HHS Social Studies Grade 9: Power Point Guidelines

Hempfield High School

Power Point Guidelines

  • Design Guidelines:
    • Follow the 5 X 5 Rule - No more than 5 words per line and no more than 5 lines on a slide.
    • All text should be 18 points or larger.
    • Fonts should be easy to read - stick with Power Point's suggested font for the theme.
    • Use no more than two levels of bullets (Level 1 headings for main topics and Level 2 headings for subtopics).
    • Emphasize text with bold, italic, size, color, and spacing formatting.
    • Choose one theme or background color and use that for all the slides. Pick a theme that corresponds to your topic if possible.
    • Sound effects for text and slide transition are annoying and distracting.
    • For a 10 minute presentation - you should have no more than 10 slides.

  • Text Guidelines:
    • Avoid using all caps. (All caps are more difficult to read than upper and lower case type.)
    • Write phrases, not sentences.
    • Avoid underlining text. Use italic or bold type instead.
    • Shadowed text can help text stand out, but make sure it looks good on the chosen background. Use only on Slide Headings.
    • If text is placed over a color graphic, make sure the text is readable on all parts of the slide.
    • Allow for margins on slides.
    • Make sure everything on the slide can be seen or read - Use the preview button.

  • Graphics Guidelines:
    • Choose graphics that relate to the topic.
    • Make use of white space.
    • Limit the number of graphics per slide.

  • Color Guidelines:
    • Use a limited number of colors.
    • Choose colors that contrast for text and background.
    • Because some people have problems distinguishing certain colors, avoid using certain color combinations including: red/green, brown/green, blue/black, and blue/purple.
    • Use cool and muted colors for backgrounds. Bright warm colors are hard to look at for a long period of time.
    • Light backgrounds with dark text can be used to create a soft look.
    • Use PowerPoint's built-in color schemes.

  • Presentation Guidelines
    • Don't talk over your slides. Allow a few seconds for the audience to read the screen.
    • The audience is there to listen to you - not read your slides.
    • The content of the presentation is in what you say - not what is on the Power Point slide.
    • Maintain eye contact with the audience - not with the screen.


These Guidelines were revised from:
Tuscaloosa City Schools http://www.online.tusc.k12.al.us/tutorials/ppttips/ppttips.htm