Exhibition Prep Guide¶
South High School · Self-Directed Academy
Every Studio ends with a public exhibition. This is not a class presentation — it is a real audience event. This guide tells you exactly what to expect and how to prepare.
What Exhibition Is (and Isn't)¶
Exhibition is: A public showing of the work you built during the Studio. Your deliverable goes in front of an audience — other students, parents, community members, or experts depending on the Studio.
Exhibition is not: The moment you earn your proficiency score. Your demonstration of learning evidence is completed and scored in Week 5. The exhibition is where you make your work visible. The communication standards (C.1 and C.6) are what get assessed during the exhibition itself.
The core question your exhibition answers: What did you make, and what does it mean?
The Four Named Exhibitions¶
SDA runs four public exhibitions per year, one at the end of each Era:
| Exhibition | Era | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Historian's Toolkit Presentation | Era 1 — Ancient Civilizations | Analyzing primary sources and early political systems |
| Civilization Systems Expo | Era 2 — Middle Ages | How belief systems and political structures shaped daily life |
| Revolution Debate Night | Era 3 — Age of Revolutions | Arguing whether revolutions achieved their stated goals |
| "The Past Built the Present" Public Symposium | Era 4 / Capstone | Connecting the full year's history to something in the present world |
Your advisor will tell you the specific format, audience, and logistics for each exhibition. The details vary by Studio. The structure below applies every time.
The Exhibition Week Timeline¶
Monday — Advisor Check-In¶
Your deliverable should be complete. Come to your advisor with the finished product — not a draft. If something is not done, say so clearly and make a plan. Last-minute surprises help no one.
What to have ready: - Final deliverable (essay, podcast, video, visual essay, website — whatever you proposed) - Reflection draft started - List of anything still uncertain about your exhibition setup
Tuesday–Wednesday — Rehearsal¶
Practice your presentation aloud. This is not optional. Students who don't practice out loud almost always underperform. Use a timer. Practice in front of at least one person.
Minimum rehearsal: Two full run-throughs of your presentation.
What a run-through includes: - Your opening (what is your question and why does it matter?) - A walk-through of your deliverable (what did you make?) - Your key claim (what's the answer to your inquiry question?) - Your evidence (what did you find that led you to that answer?) - A closing (what changed in how you think about this topic?)
Then: Prepare for questions. Think of three questions someone might ask you and practice your answers.
Thursday — Setup and Tech Check¶
If your exhibition involves technology (slides, audio, video), do a full tech check on Thursday. Do not wait until exhibition day to discover your file won't open or your video won't play.
If you're presenting a physical artifact or visual essay, set it up as it will appear during the exhibition.
Friday (or Exhibition Day) — Go¶
Show up early. You're a presenter, not an attendee.
What You're Being Assessed On¶
Two communication standards are assessed at every exhibition:
C.1 — Formal Presentation You're being assessed on how effectively you communicate your ideas to an audience. This includes: - Format: Is your deliverable organized and purposeful? - Delivery: Do you speak clearly and engage your audience, or do you read from a script? - Multimedia choices: If you use slides, images, or audio, do they support your point?
C.6 — Discussion and Debate You're being assessed on how you handle the Q&A and audience interaction: - Do you listen to questions before answering? - Do you respond with evidence, not just opinion? - Can you hold your position while engaging with a challenge?
Your proficiency score on the standard you studied all Studio (the WH or ELA reading/writing standard) comes from your Week 5 demonstration of learning — not from the exhibition. The exhibition is C.1 and C.6.
How to Prepare for Questions¶
The hardest part for most students is the question-and-answer portion. Here is how to prepare:
Step 1: Identify your claim. What is the one-sentence answer to your inquiry question? Write it down. Practice saying it out loud until it feels natural.
Step 2: Know your two strongest pieces of evidence. If someone challenges your claim, what are the two best things you found that support it? You should be able to name them without thinking.
Step 3: Anticipate the push-back. What would someone say against your argument? What's the most obvious objection? Practice a response that acknowledges the objection and holds your position.
Step 4: Prepare for "I don't know." Sometimes someone will ask something you genuinely don't know. The correct answer is: "That's a good question and I don't know the answer — but here's what I do know: [connect it back to your evidence]." Saying "I don't know" honestly is better than bluffing.
Deliverable Types and Presentation Notes¶
| Deliverable | Presentation approach |
|---|---|
| Essay | Don't read it aloud. Present your argument — what you argued and what you found. Have the essay available for the audience to read if they want. |
| Podcast | Play a 2–3 minute excerpt. Then explain your editorial choices: why did you cover what you covered, in the order you chose? |
| Documentary / video | Play a key clip (2–4 min). Then speak to what you learned making it. |
| Website | Walk the audience through it live. Narrate your choices as you go. |
| Visual essay / photo essay | Walk through it panel by panel. Explain the relationship between image and text. |
| Debate / seminar | Your advisor will structure the format. Prepare your opening position and your two best counterargument responses. |
| Research presentation (slides) | Maximum 8 slides. Your slides support your talk — they don't replace it. |
Reflection¶
After every exhibition, you write a reflection. It goes into your portfolio.
The reflection answers four questions: 1. What was your inquiry question and what did you find? 2. What evidence most changed or shaped your thinking? 3. What would you do differently in your Studio process next time? 4. What connection, if any, do you see between what you studied and something in the present world?
Reflections are not graded separately — they are portfolio artifacts. They are evidence of your growth.
Quick Reference — Exhibition Day Checklist¶
- [ ] Deliverable is complete and ready to present
- [ ] I know my claim in one sentence
- [ ] I know my two strongest pieces of evidence
- [ ] I have rehearsed at least twice out loud
- [ ] I've done a tech check if I'm using technology
- [ ] I've prepared answers for at least three likely questions
- [ ] I know what C.1 and C.6 are being assessed on
- [ ] I'm arriving early
Exhibition Prep — SDA Commons Wiki · South High School See also: How to SDA · Studio Archive · ELA Standards — C.1 and C.6