Hi - we as mods have approved this thread, because while this is a homework question, it is asking for clarification or resources, rather than the answer itself, which is fine according to our rules. This policy is further explained in this Rules Roundtable thread and this META Thread.

As a result, we'd also like to remind potential answerers to follow our rules on homework - please make sure that your answers focus appropriately on clarifications and detailing the resources that OP could be using.

Additionally, while users may be able to help you out with specifics relating to your question, we also have plenty of information on /r/AskHistorians on how to find and understand good sources in general. For instance, please check out our six-part series, "Finding and Understanding Sources", which has a wealth of information that may be useful for finding and understanding information for your essay.

As a current graduate student in history and education, I can offer you tons of advice.

First, what you start with in the presentation should largely depend on what you find most interesting. Hook your audience, much like you would writing an essay. An interesting fact, story, or particularly important point to your presentation. Make them want to pay attention in the beginning, so you don't lose them during the presentation.

Without knowing the specific criteria of the assignment, I would say to organize the rest of the presentation based on the information you have available. You will probably be able to find more sources for the bigger players/whatever country you are from, and therefore have the most information on them. Start with what you have the LEAST amount info on and then end with your strong, fully sourced points. This makes for a very effective presentation.

Since your presentation is likely timed, make sure to only include the most important points. I would also consider just following three or four countries (even that may be too many). If your presentation isnt timed, remember that people usually have about 10 minutes of attention that they can fully devote to you, so try to keep it around that.

I hope this answers your question/gives you some ideas of what to do!

Ok OP there is some help you need to do for getting you the best answer here. What exactly is it that you are trying to present? How one side or the other emerged the victor in one naval battle or the other or how one side or the other leveraged their total force over numerous campaigns and battles? Who just had the larger or more capable force in any given battle? Your wording is not very clear on that and it would certainly impact how you go about presenting information.

A tool to at least organize your thoughts, since we are talking military here, is to think of the opposing forces in the vein of two competing Operations OrdersHere is what a template for one looks like. It lays out overall mission, commanders intent, friendly force organization, intel on enemy forces, individual missions for sub units, support present, etc.

Are they cumbersome as hell with everything filled in? Hell yeah, but it also breaks down everything that is involved in two combatants on and off the battlefield and can serve as an important jumping off point for selecting portions to present on.

Which "certain missions or battles" are you looking at, OP? There's a huge difference between naval superiority at, oh, Norway and superiority at Midway, for example.