How many reports, essays, and other papers have you written since you’ve been in school? Probably quite a few! In most classrooms, writing is a very common way to show what you know. And if you go to college, you’ll be expected to write even more. In fact, in some college courses, your entire grade is based on two or three papers!
How are oral presentations of information similar to reports, and how are they different? When you write a research report, you use the same overall structure that you would use to write a speech. You start with an introduction that includes your claim or thesis statement. Then you present three or four main points or reasons, supported by evidence in the form of facts, examples, and other details. Finally, you end with a paragraph that provides a conclusion.
Click the button below to read a research report titled “Mushrooms: So Much More Than a Pizza Topping.” As you read, try to identify each section of the report’s structure.
Now use the examples on the tabs below to think more carefully about the differences between a report and a presentation.
The first two paragraphs of the report represent its introduction.
If you’ve ever been in a forest, you were surrounded by them. Some of them you could see easily, such as rings of toadstools on the ground and plates of shelf fungus growing on fallen logs. But some were hidden underground—miles of invisible threads quietly feeding the trees.
They’re at the grocery store too, where many different kinds are available fresh, canned, and dried. They’re related to yeasts and molds, but are neither plants nor animals. What are they? They’re mushrooms, and they’re much weirder and more wonderful than most people imagine.
Question
If the author of this report needed to deliver the information as an oral presentation instead of a written report, what parts of the introduction should he or she keep?
The report’s third paragraph explains how mushrooms are related to the family of organisms called fungi.
Mushroom is a general term for the the fleshy, reproductive part of a fungus that appears above the ground. Fungi reproduce by means of microscopic spores, particles similar to seeds, and they feed on organic matter such as dead plants or animals. Mushrooms look nothing like the fungi that produce them. A fungus is made up of long, thin, microscopic strands called hyphae that push their way between soil particles, roots, and rocks. Sometimes, these strands wind together to form cord-like structures, called mycelia, that look like roots. When it spreads its mycelia far and wide, an individual fungus may cover an area the size of a baseball diamond..
Question
Much of this paragraph describes the appearance of different parts of a fungus. In a speech, how could this information be communicated more vividly?
This paragraph introduces the concepts of edible and poisonous mushrooms.
Animals and humans have always consumed mushrooms. Early humans learned through trial and error which mushroom varieties were safe to eat and which ones caused illness or death. More than 2000 species of mushroom exist in nature, but only around 25 species are used for food. Edible mushrooms are sold in stores or at farmers markets. For safety, any mushroom you pick in the wild should be identified by a mushroom expert before you or anyone else eats it.
Question
What part of this paragraph should be emphasized in an oral presentation?
Most of the report focuses on past and present uses of mushrooms, but this section looks toward the future. What is the effect of placing this section at the end of the report?
One of the newest and most exciting ideas for using fungi is as a building material. Mycelia, the fibers formed from the thread-like hyphae, are already commercially produced to make insulation and fire retardant. In construction testing, mycelial materials have proven to be stronger than both lumber and reinforced concrete, and they are similar to these materials in their ability to serve as insulation.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently working on technology that would allow space expeditions to grow habitats on the moon or Mars using mycelia. They might even use fungi to grow the furnishings for those habitats! The advantage of using fungi in space is that it would be substantially smaller and lighter to transport to its destination than traditional construction materials. According to Lynn Rothschild, an investigator on the project, when astronauts arrive on Mars, they “can harness mycelia to grow these habitats” by adding water to the dry fungal base.
Of course, myco-architecture isn’t just for outer space. Once the processes and technologies are perfected in NASA’s labs, they could be used to construct sustainable, affordable housing here on Earth.
Question
Should this section be moved elsewhere in an oral presentation?
Now that you’ve considered some ways that a report can be adapted to create a presentation script, take a look at this actual script for a presentation about mushrooms.
