How to Make a Google Slides Presentation for School

TL;DR

Keep slides simple: big text, minimal words, strong visuals. Use the 6x6 rule (no more than 6 bullet points with 6 words each). Don't read off your slides — they're a visual aid, not a script. Use speaker notes for what you actually want to say. And please, for the love of everything, don't use Comic Sans.

Why Most Student Presentations Are... Not Great

Let's be real. You've sat through classmate presentations where someone put an entire essay on each slide and then read every word aloud in a monotone. You've probably given a presentation like that yourself. No judgment — we all have.

But here's the thing: good presentations aren't about cramming information onto slides. They're about visually supporting what you're SAYING. The slides are your backup dancers. YOU are the lead singer.

Whether you're presenting a book report, a science project, or a history timeline, this guide will help you create Google Slides that look professional, keep your audience awake, and earn you a great grade.

Getting Started With Google Slides

How to Create a New Presentation

Go to slides.google.com
Click the "+" button or "Blank" to start a new presentation
You can also go to Google Drive → New → Google Slides

Why Google Slides?

Free — No software to buy
Cloud-based — Auto-saves, accessible from any device
Easy to share — Send your teacher a link or submit through Google Classroom
Collaborative — Work with group members in real-time
Works offline — Enable offline mode in Chrome for emergencies

Choosing a Theme (Or Making Your Own)

Using Built-in Themes

Click Slide → Change theme to browse Google Slides' built-in themes. These are fine for a quick presentation, but they can look generic.

Pro tip: Choose a simple, clean theme rather than a busy one. You want the focus on your content, not on swirly backgrounds.

Free Theme Resources

Want something better than the defaults? Check out:

Slidesgo (slidesgo.com) — Free, beautiful Google Slides templates
SlidesCarnival (slidescarnival.com) — Professional templates for students
Canva — Design custom slides and import them

Making Your Own Theme

For the overachievers:

Pick 2-3 colors that work together (use coolors.co to generate palettes)
Choose one font for headings, one for body text
Keep the background simple — solid color or subtle gradient
Use the same layout style throughout for consistency

Slide Structure: What Goes Where

Slide 1: Title Slide

Include:

Your presentation title
Your name (and group members if applicable)
Class name and date
Maybe a relevant image

Slide 2: Introduction / Overview

Brief overview of what you'll cover
Think of this as your "roadmap" slide
Optional: table of contents for longer presentations

Middle Slides: Your Content

This is where the meat of your presentation lives. More on how to design these below.

Second-to-Last Slide: Conclusion / Summary

Key takeaways
What you want your audience to remember

Last Slide: Sources / Works Cited

List your sources in whatever citation format your teacher requires
You can use a smaller font here — it's a reference slide

Optional: Questions Slide

A simple "Questions?" or "Thank you!" slide at the end
Gives the audience a visual cue that you're done

The Golden Rules of Slide Design

Rule 1: Less Text Is More

The #1 mistake students make is putting too much text on slides. Your slides should support your talking — not replace it.

The 6x6 rule: No more than 6 bullet points per slide, with no more than 6 words per bullet point.

Bad slide:

"The French Revolution began in 1789 when the citizens of France were frustrated with the monarchy. King Louis XVI had been spending lavishly while the people were starving. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 marked the beginning of the revolution..."

Good slide:

Causes of the French Revolution

Excessive royal spending

Widespread famine

Growing inequality

Enlightenment ideas

Weak leadership of Louis XVI

See the difference? The good slide gives visual anchors for what you'll explain verbally.

Rule 2: One Idea Per Slide

Don't try to fit multiple topics on one slide. If you're covering three causes of something, consider giving each cause its own slide rather than cramming all three together.

More slides ≠ longer presentation. It usually means a cleaner, easier-to-follow one.

Rule 3: Use Big, Readable Fonts

Title text: 36-44pt
Body text: 24-32pt
Minimum readable size: 20pt (anything smaller and the back of the room can't read it)
Never go below 18pt for anything except source citations

Rule 4: Use High-Quality Images

Blurry, stretched, or pixelated images instantly make your presentation look unprofessional.

Where to find good free images:

Unsplash (unsplash.com) — High-quality free photos
Pexels (pexels.com) — Same, different selection
Google Images → Tools → Usage rights → Creative Commons (for images you can legally use)
Wikimedia Commons — Good for historical images

Image tips:

Use images that take up a significant portion of the slide (not a tiny image floating in the corner)
Consider using a full-screen image with text overlay
Make sure images are relevant, not just decorative

Rule 5: Consistent Design

Keep these the same throughout your entire presentation:

Font choices (max 2 different fonts)
Color scheme
Alignment (left-aligned or centered — pick one and stick with it)
Image style (photos, illustrations, icons — don't mix wildly)

How Many Slides Do You Need?

The general rule of thumb: about 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation.

Presentation Length	Slides
3-5 minutes	5-8 slides
5-10 minutes	8-15 slides
10-15 minutes	15-20 slides
15-20 minutes	20-30 slides

But these are estimates. A slide with a single powerful image might be on screen for 10 seconds. A slide with a detailed chart might stay up for 2 minutes. Focus on pacing over counting.

Using Speaker Notes (Your Secret Weapon)

This is the feature that separates good presenters from great ones.

What Are Speaker Notes?

At the bottom of each slide in Google Slides, there's a section called "Speaker notes." You can type everything you want to SAY for that slide.

How to Use Them

Click on a slide
If you don't see the notes area, go to View → Show speaker notes
Type your talking points — full sentences, key statistics, reminders
When presenting, use Presenter View (dropdown arrow next to "Present" → "Presenter view") to see your notes on your screen while the audience sees only the slides

Why Speaker Notes Are Amazing

You don't need to memorize everything
You don't have to read off the slides (which is the most boring thing ever)
You can include specific data, quotes, and details without cluttering the slides
They're your safety net when you blank out during the presentation

Adding Multimedia Elements

Embedding Videos

Click Insert → Video
Search YouTube directly or paste a URL
Resize and position the video on your slide
Important: Test the video before your presentation! Make sure the classroom computer has internet and the video isn't blocked.

Pro tip: Set start and end times if you only need a clip. Click on the video → Format options → Video playback.

Adding Charts and Graphs

Insert → Chart → Choose bar, line, column, or pie
Click the chart → "Open source" to edit the data in Google Sheets
The chart will automatically update when you change the data

Or, create your chart in Google Sheets first and insert it: Insert → Chart → From Sheets

Adding Animations and Transitions

Transitions (between slides):

Click Slide → Transition
Choose a subtle one (Fade, Slide from right)
Avoid: Spin, Cube, Gallery — they're distracting and unprofessional

Animations (for individual elements):

Select an element → right-click → Animate
"Appear" or "Fade in" are professional choices
Use sparingly — not every bullet point needs to fly in from the left

Group Presentations: Working Together on Slides

Google Slides is perfect for group projects because multiple people can work on the same presentation simultaneously.

How to Collaborate

Click Share (top right)
Add group members' email addresses
Give them "Editor" access
Now everyone can work at the same time

Tips for Group Slide Projects

Assign slide ranges — "You do slides 3-5, I'll do slides 6-8"
Agree on a design template first — Nothing looks worse than slides that don't match
Use the comments feature — Click Insert → Comment to leave notes for teammates
Set a deadline before the due date — Have all slides done 1-2 days early for review and practice

Common Google Slides Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Reading Slides Word-for-Word

Your audience can read. If you just read what's on the screen, why do they need you? Use slides as visual aids and TALK about the content.

Mistake 2: Too Many Animations

One or two animations? Cool. Every slide spinning and bouncing? Your teacher will get dizzy and you'll lose points for professionalism.

Mistake 3: Choosing Ugly Color Combos

Yellow text on a white background? Red on green? Light gray on white? These are unreadable. Make sure there's strong contrast between text and background.

Safe combos:

Dark text on light background (most professional)
White text on dark background (bold and modern)

Mistake 4: Not Testing Before Presenting

The video doesn't play. The font changed because the school computer doesn't have it. The slides look different on the projector. Test everything on the actual equipment before your presentation.

Mistake 5: No Backup Plan

What if the internet goes down? What if your laptop dies?

Download your presentation as a PDF (File → Download → PDF)
Keep a copy on a USB drive
Email yourself the link
Know your material well enough to present without slides if absolutely necessary

Presentation Day Tips

Before You Present

Arrive early and test your slides on the classroom setup
Have water nearby
Take a few deep breaths
Remember: everyone else is nervous too

During Your Presentation

Make eye contact with different people in the room (not just your teacher)
Speak clearly and at a moderate pace — not too fast
Use your hands for natural gestures
Don't apologize — "Sorry, I'm really nervous" doesn't help you
Pause between slides — Give the audience a moment to absorb each one
If you lose your place, glance at your speaker notes. That's what they're for.

After Your Presentation

Ask if there are questions (if required)
Thank the audience
Breathe. You did it.

Quick Design Checklist Before Submitting

Final Thoughts

The best presentations aren't the ones with the flashiest designs or the most special effects. They're the ones where the presenter clearly understands their topic, speaks confidently, and uses their slides to enhance — not replace — their explanation.

Google Slides gives you everything you need to create professional-quality presentations for free. Take advantage of speaker notes, keep your design clean, and practice your delivery. The slides are your supporting cast. You're the star.

Now go make something your whole class actually wants to pay attention to.

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