Presentation Skills Workshop

Unit: Crafting a Sustainable Future

Lesson 8 of 10

Duration: 40 minutes

Year Level: 7-8

Class Size: 25 students

Subject: Other (aligned with English and Key Competencies)

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Overview

This lesson builds on students’ developing sustainable projects by focusing explicitly on effective presentation skills. The aim is to equip students with the confidence and skills to communicate their project ideas clearly, engagingly, and with awareness of their audience. This directly supports the New Zealand Curriculum's vision for learners who "can think critically, communicate effectively, and participate confidently" as active citizens.

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Curriculum Connections

Learning Areas & Achievement Objectives (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh)

• English: Oral Language
  • Develop skills to present ideas clearly with an appropriate introduction and conclusion for different audiences and purposes.
  • Adapt content and delivery to meet audience needs and use verbal and non-verbal communication to enhance presentations.
• Key Competencies
  • Relating to Others: understanding audience needs and expectations, using appropriate communication styles.
  • Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: constructing coherent and structured oral presentations.
  • Managing Self: developing confidence and self-regulation during presentations.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Understand and identify key elements of effective oral presentations (clear structure, engaging delivery, appropriate tone, volume, and pace).
2. Demonstrate skills in preparing and delivering a short presentation on their sustainable project ideas.
3. Use verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to engage their peers.
4. Give and receive constructive feedback to improve presentation skills.

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Resources

• Presentation checklist/poster with success criteria
• Timer or stopwatch
• Peer feedback forms (simple, sentence starters)
• Space for presentations (circle or classroom front)
• Examples/videos of effective presentations (pre-selected age-appropriate clips)
• Visual aids or props (optional, based on student projects)

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Set Context (5 minutes)

• Briefly explain the purpose of the lesson: to learn and practise how to present their work effectively.
• Discuss the importance of clear communication in sharing ideas to inspire sustainable practices.
• Show a short video clip or example of a good presentation (focused on clear voice, eye contact, body language).
• Introduce the presentation success criteria in simple language, e.g., "A good presentation has a clear start, tells the audience about your project, and finishes well. You speak loud enough and look at your audience."

2. Explicit Teaching: Key Presentation Elements (10 minutes)

• Use a mini-lesson to explain:
  • Structure: Introduction, main points, conclusion.
  • Voice: volume, tone, pace. Use examples and student volunteers to demonstrate.
  • Body language: eye contact, gestures, posture. Discuss cultural and individual differences to be inclusive and respectful.
• Highlight strategies for managing nerves: deep breathing, practicing, positive self-talk.
• Guide students to plan 2-3 key points about their project to share.

3. Guided Practice: Student Presentations (20 minutes)

• Divide the class so each student has 1-2 minutes to present their project idea to a small group or the whole class.
• Encourage the use of visual aids or notes to support their talk but emphasise speaking naturally rather than reading.
• Use a timer to keep presentations focused.
• During presentations, peers use feedback forms to note one strength and one suggestion for improvement using sentence starters, e.g., "I liked when you spoke loudly." "Next time, try to look at everyone in the group."

4. Reflection & Feedback (5 minutes)

• Ask volunteers to share what they learned from presenting and listening.
• Discuss how it felt to present and receive feedback.
• Highlight how skills developed today align with being an active communicator and leader for sustainability.
• Prompt students to set a personal goal for their next presentation, building metacognitive awareness and self-regulation.

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Assessment & Success Criteria

Formative Assessment

• Observation of students’ presentations using a simple rubric aligned with success criteria (e.g., clear structure, volume, engagement with audience).
• Quality of peer feedback demonstrating respectful and constructive communication.
• Students articulate a goal or reflection related to their presentation skills.

Success Criteria (Student-Friendly)

• I can organise my ideas with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• I speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear me.
• I use body language and eye contact to connect with my audience.
• I listen respectfully and give helpful feedback to others.
• I can set a goal to improve my next presentation.

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Differentiation & Teaching Considerations

• Support students with oral language development by providing sentence stems and visual organisers.
• Allow students with anxiety or speech difficulties to use alternative expressions such as paired presentations or recorded talks.
• Be sensitive to cultural differences in communication styles and comfort levels with non-verbal cues and eye contact.
• Encourage peer support and scaffold feedback to develop positive relationships and community in the classroom.

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Extension Ideas

• Students could video their presentations for self-review and goal setting.
• Link to digital literacy by allowing creation of multimedia presentations to build on these foundational oral skills.
• Organise a whole-school or syndicate event to showcase student sustainability projects.

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This lesson leverages the framework of the refreshed curriculum and the Te Mātaiaho English guidance on oral language, engagement, self-regulation, and metacognition to foster confident communicators with skills for a sustainable future .