TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. TED talks are short presentations that are designed to be informative, educational and entertaining.
You will be responsible for planning a short TED talk on a topic of your choice to tell an audience about an idea that you have thought up. Your talk should be more than just a research project, it should be unique, inspiring or entertaining.
TED Talks typically include on of the following elements:
-Original Research: Some new and unique information that you have learned through conducting an experiment or survey.
-A Call to Action: You are telling the audience about an important issue and explaining what they can do to work towards a solution.
-An Inspiring Personal Story: Something that has happened top you or someone close to you that might change the way that others think about a topic or issue.
-A Demonstration: Show a skill, invention,trick or illusion.
Many TED presenters use visual aids to enhance their talk. You may choose to use a presentation tool such as Powerpoint, Google Slides or Prezi to show diagrams, graphs or images. Please do not include large amounts of writing on your slides.
The guidelines below are adapted from the TEDx Speaker Guide found here.
You will be responsible for planning a short TED talk on a topic of your choice to tell an audience about an idea that you have thought up. Your talk should be more than just a research project, it should be unique, inspiring or entertaining.
TED Talks typically include on of the following elements:
-Original Research: Some new and unique information that you have learned through conducting an experiment or survey.
-A Call to Action: You are telling the audience about an important issue and explaining what they can do to work towards a solution.
-An Inspiring Personal Story: Something that has happened top you or someone close to you that might change the way that others think about a topic or issue.
-A Demonstration: Show a skill, invention,trick or illusion.
Many TED presenters use visual aids to enhance their talk. You may choose to use a presentation tool such as Powerpoint, Google Slides or Prezi to show diagrams, graphs or images. Please do not include large amounts of writing on your slides.
The guidelines below are adapted from the TEDx Speaker Guide found here.
Get Familiar with TED Talks
Watch a few of the interesting TED talks linked below or click here to watch some TED talks by young people.
Develop an Idea
What makes for a good talk?
Your idea can be new or surprising or challenge a belief that your audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument behind it.
An idea isn't just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.
Use the sentences below for a bit of help with generating ideas.
I surveyed 50 students and an important thing I learned is..
I want to tell you about my idea to make ________ better by...
I became an expert on ____________. Some surprising things I learned are...
Many students believe ___________. Let me tell you might be wrong.
I have always wondered if ______________. Let me tell you about my experiment to find out more.
I want to tell you about something that happened to me that changed the way I think about...
One thing that we need to change that would improve the future is...
One common problem that I have noticed is ___________. Let me tell you about my invention that will solve this.
One local/global issue that many people are not aware of is _____________. Let me tell you about my ideas to help solve this problem.
I have always felt that ___________ is not well designed. Let me tell you my idea to improve it.
Is my idea ready?
Write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions:
Is my idea new?
Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before?
Is it interesting?
Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people. Who might be interested in it?
Is it factual and realistic?
If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer reviewed. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members of your audience.
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea. Share your idea with a classmate, if they answer “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea.
Your idea can be new or surprising or challenge a belief that your audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument behind it.
An idea isn't just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.
Use the sentences below for a bit of help with generating ideas.
I surveyed 50 students and an important thing I learned is..
I want to tell you about my idea to make ________ better by...
I became an expert on ____________. Some surprising things I learned are...
Many students believe ___________. Let me tell you might be wrong.
I have always wondered if ______________. Let me tell you about my experiment to find out more.
I want to tell you about something that happened to me that changed the way I think about...
One thing that we need to change that would improve the future is...
One common problem that I have noticed is ___________. Let me tell you about my invention that will solve this.
One local/global issue that many people are not aware of is _____________. Let me tell you about my ideas to help solve this problem.
I have always felt that ___________ is not well designed. Let me tell you my idea to improve it.
Is my idea ready?
Write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions:
Is my idea new?
Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before?
Is it interesting?
Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people. Who might be interested in it?
Is it factual and realistic?
If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer reviewed. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members of your audience.
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea. Share your idea with a classmate, if they answer “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea.
Make and Outline and Script
What is the best structure for a talk?
There are many theories on the best structure for a great presentation. There’s no single trick to it, but here is at least one structure that works well:
1. Start by making your audience care, using a relatable example or an intriguing idea.
2. Explain your idea clearly and with conviction.
3. Describe your evidence and how and why your idea could be implemented.
4. End by addressing how your idea could affect your audience if they were to accept it.
Use the TED talk organizer below to help get started with organizing your ideas.
There are many theories on the best structure for a great presentation. There’s no single trick to it, but here is at least one structure that works well:
1. Start by making your audience care, using a relatable example or an intriguing idea.
2. Explain your idea clearly and with conviction.
3. Describe your evidence and how and why your idea could be implemented.
4. End by addressing how your idea could affect your audience if they were to accept it.
Use the TED talk organizer below to help get started with organizing your ideas.
ted_talk_planning_book.pdf |
Create Slides
Slides can be helpful for the audience, especially if there are images or diagrams that will help explain your idea.
What to include:
Images and photos: To help the audience visualize a person, place or thing you mention, you might use images or photos.
Graphs and infographics - Keep graphs visually clear, even if the content is complex. Each graph should make only one point.
What not to include:
Videos- you are the speaker, not your video
Too much writing- if your audience is reading, they are not listening.
Bullet points- consider putting different points on different slides.
What to include:
Images and photos: To help the audience visualize a person, place or thing you mention, you might use images or photos.
Graphs and infographics - Keep graphs visually clear, even if the content is complex. Each graph should make only one point.
What not to include:
Videos- you are the speaker, not your video
Too much writing- if your audience is reading, they are not listening.
Bullet points- consider putting different points on different slides.
Rehearse
I’ve said my talk once in my head. Is that enough?
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! We can’t stress this enough. Rehearse until you’re completely comfortable in front of other people: different groups of people, people you love, people you fear, small groups, large groups, peers, people who aren’t experts in your field. Listen to the criticisms and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Focus on talking like you’re speaking to just one person in a spontaneous one-way conversation.
Timing
Time yourself. Practice with the clock winding down in front of you. Do it until you get the timing right every time.
Posture
Practice standing still, planted firmly in one spot on stage. Have a friend watch you and stop you from pacing back and forth or shifting your weight from leg to leg.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! We can’t stress this enough. Rehearse until you’re completely comfortable in front of other people: different groups of people, people you love, people you fear, small groups, large groups, peers, people who aren’t experts in your field. Listen to the criticisms and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Focus on talking like you’re speaking to just one person in a spontaneous one-way conversation.
Timing
Time yourself. Practice with the clock winding down in front of you. Do it until you get the timing right every time.
Posture
Practice standing still, planted firmly in one spot on stage. Have a friend watch you and stop you from pacing back and forth or shifting your weight from leg to leg.