Presentations in class are short. You should be able to summarize the main point of the article in under 200 words.
Most presentations should have a one-page handout. Longer handouts reflect insufficient success in prioritizing. For example, theoretical points or articles should be summarized in a paragraph or 2 of text that “tells the story” of the model. Empirical results should be summarized with a sentence or 2 on data, a couple on methods, and a paragraph on results.
Survey articles often cite 100 other articles. Pick 2 or 3 points to make, and illustrate them with one paragraph each. You must be highly selective to avoid confusing the class. It is necessary to leave out much of the survey; your job is to be selective.
Each presentation should include a point or 2 of critique. For example, for almost all empirical articles, the data do not match the theory and the causality is not what the authors want. For theoretical articles, the results often depend heavily on assumptions you may not find credible. Survey articles often ignore an important dimension of the problem, one that might change how the author framed the issue.
The main point: You are the teacher for the 10 minutes of your presentation. Think about how you like teaching to be: Dynamic, humorous, integrating an anecdote that illustrates the main point, and so forth. Use your teaching skills to make the material interesting.