How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation for School

TL;DR

Keep slides simple (one idea per slide), use big fonts and minimal text, add visuals, practice speaking from notes (not reading slides), and follow the 10-20-30 rule: 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font minimum. Your slides support YOUR presentation — they don't replace it.

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Why Your School Presentations Probably Need Help

Let's be honest: most school presentations are painful. Walls of text on every slide. The presenter reading word-for-word. Clip art from 2005. Comic Sans.

But here's the thing — making a good presentation isn't hard. It just requires knowing a few basic rules that your teacher probably never taught you.

Whether you're using PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, or Canva, the principles are the same. Let's turn your next presentation from a snoozefest into something actually good.

The Golden Rules of School Presentations

Rule 1: One Idea Per Slide

Each slide should communicate ONE main point. If you're covering three reasons pollution is bad, that's three slides — not one slide with three paragraphs.

Rule 2: Minimal Text

Your slides are a visual AID, not a script. Keep text to bullet points:

• Maximum 6 words per bullet
• Maximum 6 bullets per slide
• If you need more words, use speaker notes

Rule 3: Big Font

If people in the back of the room can't read your slides, they're useless. Minimum font sizes:

• Titles: 36-44 point
• Body text: 24-32 point
• NEVER go below 20 point

Rule 4: Visual > Text

A single powerful image says more than a paragraph of text. Use:

• Relevant photos (Unsplash.com and Pexels.com have free high-quality images)
• Simple charts or graphs for data
• Diagrams for processes
• Icons for visual interest

Rule 5: Consistent Design

Pick a color scheme and stick with it. Pick 1-2 fonts and stick with them. Don't change the layout on every slide — it's disorienting.

Step-by-Step: Building Your Presentation

Step 1: Plan Before You Open PowerPoint

Before touching your computer, figure out:

• What's the PURPOSE of your presentation? (Inform? Persuade? Report?)
• Who's your AUDIENCE? (Teacher? Classmates? Both?)
• What are your MAIN POINTS? (List 3-5 key ideas)
• How long do you have? (This determines how many slides)

Outline your presentation on paper first:

1. Title slide
2. Introduction/overview
3. Main point 1
4. Main point 2
5. Main point 3
6. Conclusion
7. Questions / References

Step 2: Choose Your Template

PowerPoint: Go to File → New and browse built-in templates. Pick something clean and professional.

Google Slides: Use a built-in theme or check out sites like SlidesCarnival.com for free templates.

Canva: Has beautiful free presentation templates — just search "presentation" after creating an account.

Tips for choosing a template:

• Light backgrounds with dark text are easiest to read
• Avoid busy, patterned backgrounds
• Make sure the template matches the tone (don't use a rainbow template for a history report)
• Simpler is almost always better

Step 3: Build Your Title Slide

Your title slide needs:

• Title of your presentation (clear and descriptive)
• Your name
• Class and date
• Optional: a relevant image

That's it. Don't overload it.

Step 4: Create Your Content Slides

For each main point:

• Slide title: States the main idea
• 3-5 bullet points: Key supporting facts (brief!)
• Visual element: Image, chart, or diagram
• Speaker notes: Write what you'll actually SAY (this is where the detail goes)

Step 5: Add Your Conclusion Slide

Summarize your main points in 3-5 bullets. Add a takeaway or call to action if appropriate.

Step 6: Add a References/Sources Slide

If your teacher requires it (and they probably do):

• List your sources in the required format (MLA, APA, etc.)
• This slide doesn't need to be pretty — it just needs to be complete

How Many Slides Should You Have?

A rough guide:

• 5-minute presentation: 5-8 slides
• 10-minute presentation: 8-15 slides
• 15-minute presentation: 12-20 slides
• 20-minute presentation: 15-25 slides

Plan to spend about 1-2 minutes per slide. If you're zooming through slides too fast, you probably have too many. If each slide takes 5 minutes, you need to split them up.

Speaker Notes: Your Secret Weapon

Most students either: A) Write everything on the slides and read it aloud (boring), or B) Wing it and ramble (chaotic)

The solution is speaker notes. Every presentation app has a notes section at the bottom of each slide. Write your talking points there.

When you present:

• In PowerPoint: Use "Presenter View" (you see your notes, the audience sees only the slide)
• In Google Slides: Click the dropdown arrow next to "Present" and select "Presenter View"
• Print your notes if you can't use presenter view

Your notes should include:

• Key points to mention
• Specific examples or data
• Transition sentences to the next slide
• Reminders ("make eye contact here" or "pause for questions")

Design Tips That Make You Look Professional

Color

• Use 2-3 colors maximum
• One for backgrounds, one for text, one for accents
• Make sure text has HIGH CONTRAST with the background (dark text on light background or vice versa)
• When in doubt: white background, dark gray text, one accent color

Fonts

• Use maximum 2 fonts (one for headings, one for body)
• Stick with clean, readable fonts: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Open Sans, Roboto
• AVOID: Comic Sans, Papyrus, cursive fonts, overly decorative fonts

Images

• Use high-quality images (no pixelated, stretched, or watermarked photos)
• Free image sources: Unsplash.com, Pexels.com, Pixabay.com
• Resize images properly (don't stretch or squish them)
• One image per slide is usually enough

Transitions and Animations

• Less is more. Seriously.
• Use simple transitions: fade, cut, or push
• AVOID: spiral, bounce, fly-in, typewriter
• Don't animate every bullet point — it wastes time and annoys your audience
• If in doubt, use no animations at all

How to Present Without Dying of Embarrassment

Practice

• Practice at least 3 times before your presentation
• Practice with your slides, speaking out loud
• Time yourself to make sure you're within the time limit
• Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself

During the Presentation

• Don't read your slides. Your audience can read. Talk to them, not the screen.
• Make eye contact. Pick 3-4 people to look at around the room.
• Speak slowly. When you're nervous, you naturally speed up. Consciously slow down.
• Use your hands. Gestures make you look confident and keep your energy up.
• Pause. A 2-second pause after a key point is powerful, not awkward.

If You Mess Up

• Keep going. Your audience probably didn't notice.
• Say "let me rephrase that" and move on.
• Skip a slide if you need to — nobody's counting.
• Take a breath. It's a school presentation, not a TED Talk.

Common Presentation Mistakes

1. Too much text. If your slides look like a Word document, cut 80% of the text.
2. Reading from slides. Use them as prompts, not scripts.
3. No eye contact. Looking at the screen the whole time disconnects you from your audience.
4. Speaking too fast. Slow down. Breathe.
5. Inconsistent design. Use the same fonts, colors, and layout throughout.
6. No introduction or conclusion. Don't jump straight into content — tell people what you're going to talk about first.
7. Overusing animations. They're distracting, not impressive.

Template: The 8-Slide School Presentation

1. Title Slide: Title, your name, class, date
2. Overview: What you'll cover (3-4 bullet points)
3. Point 1: Key idea + supporting detail + image
4. Point 2: Key idea + supporting detail + image
5. Point 3: Key idea + supporting detail + image
6. Key Data/Evidence: Chart, graph, or important quote
7. Conclusion: Summary of main points + takeaway
8. Sources/References: Bibliography

This works for practically any school presentation.

Need Help With Your Presentation Content?

Gradily can help you research your topic, organize your talking points, and write clear, concise content for your slides — so you can focus on the design and delivery.

[Try Gradily for Free →]

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Your next presentation doesn't have to be a nightmare. Keep it simple, practice speaking (not reading), and remember: your slides support YOU — you don't support your slides. 🎤