Preparing for Presentation

Overview

Lesson 21 of 30 in Exploring Speculative Perspectives. Students prepare to present a speculative journal entry, focusing on purposeful voice, pace, volume, eye contact, gesture and posture. They practise in a supportive small-group setting and use feedback to refine their delivery.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify how vocal and physical choices influence an audience’s response
• select presentation techniques suited to the journal entry’s perspective, purpose and audience
• rehearse a journal entry using expressive voice and controlled body language
• give and apply specific, respectful peer feedback

Success criteria

• I can vary my volume, pace, pause and emphasis to communicate meaning.
• I can use posture, gesture, facial expression and eye contact purposefully.
• I can present my journal entry from the character’s perspective.
• I can use feedback to make one clear improvement.

Curriculum links

• Creating and presenting imaginative texts that develop ideas, perspectives and voice.
• Using spoken language features, including vocal expression and non-verbal communication, for effect.
• Analysing how language choices shape meaning and influence audiences.
• Participating in collaborative discussions by listening, responding and building on others’ ideas.

Lesson structure (70 minutes)

1. 0–8 minutes – Hook: What makes a presentation memorable? Display the opening question in the presentation hook slide: “How can the same words make an audience feel hopeful, frightened or suspicious?” Read a short, neutral sentence such as “The door opened.” Say it three ways: bored, alarmed and excited. Students identify changes in pace, volume, pause, facial expression and posture. Briefly connect these choices to presenting a journal entry from a particular speculative perspective.

2. 8–20 minutes – Explicit teaching: the presenter’s toolkit Use the voice and body language slides to introduce six techniques: volume, pace, pause, emphasis, eye contact and gesture/posture. Model a short journal extract first without expression, then with purposeful delivery. Students discuss which version better communicated the character’s feelings and why. Clarify that effective presentation is not exaggerated acting; choices should support the words, perspective and intended audience.

3. 20–30 minutes – Demonstration and noticing Distribute the journal presentation planning and feedback sheet. Read or display a brief speculative journal extract. As a class, annotate where a speaker might pause, stress a word, slow down, change volume or use a gesture. Students complete the first section of the worksheet by selecting two vocal choices and two body-language choices they could use in their own entry. Invite students to explain how each choice creates meaning.

4. 30–43 minutes – Individual rehearsal Students retrieve their completed journal entry and rehearse quietly, standing where possible. They mark the script with simple symbols for pause, emphasis and volume, and note one planned gesture or change in posture on the journal presentation planning and feedback sheet. Circulate to coach students: encourage a steady pace, audible volume and expression that matches the character’s situation. Students may rehearse to a partner or record a short section on a school device if appropriate.

5. 43–60 minutes – Triad presentations and feedback Place students in three groups of three. Each student presents a selected one- to two-minute section of their journal entry while the others listen as audience members. After each presentation, peers name one effective choice and give one actionable suggestion using the feedback prompts on the journal presentation planning and feedback sheet. The presenter identifies one change they will apply. Remind students to comment on observable techniques rather than personality or confidence.

6. 60–67 minutes – Re-present and refine Students choose a short section and present it again to their group, applying their feedback. Use the rehearsal and improvement slide to prompt a quick comparison: “What changed? What effect did the change have on the audience?” Students record their most successful technique and one further target on the worksheet.

7. 67–70 minutes – Plenary and preparation for next lesson Display the final reflection slide. Students complete the sentence aloud or in writing: “To make my character’s perspective clear, I will…” Collect worksheets or photograph them for planning. Explain that the next lesson will focus on shaping the complete presentation and responding to an audience.

Resources

• the presentation and rehearsal slide deck
• the journal presentation planning and feedback sheet
• Students’ completed speculative journal entries
• Board or interactive display
• Pens, highlighters and pencils
• Optional school devices for short rehearsal recordings
• Timer

Assessment

• Observe rehearsals and triad presentations, noting students’ control of vocal and physical techniques.
• Check worksheets for purposeful planning, specific peer feedback and a recorded improvement target.
• Use the re-presentation to assess whether students applied feedback and communicated the journal character’s perspective more effectively.

Differentiation

• Provide a short model extract, a visual vocabulary bank for presentation techniques and a marked example of pause and emphasis. Allow students to present a shorter section or sit while presenting if needed.
• For EAL students, permit rehearsal with a trusted partner, provide sentence frames for feedback such as “Your use of ___ helped the audience to ___”, and allow planning notes before speaking.
• For students with anxiety, offer a choice of presenting to two peers first, using a recording, or presenting from a seated position; maintain predictable turn-taking and private feedback.
• Extend confident students by asking them to make a deliberate contrast between two moments in the journal, using changes in pace, tone, gesture or audience positioning to reveal a shift in perspective.