Creating Engaging Slides

Lesson Overview

Subject: Technology
Year Group: 7
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Unit: PowerPoint Mastery 7
Lesson Number: 2 of 7
Lesson Title: Creating and Formatting Slides
Curriculum Reference (UK):

• Key Stage 3 Computing Curriculum
• Develop skills in using digital tools to create professional and effective presentations
• Understand the principles of design and layout in multimedia

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Add new slides with appropriate layouts.
2. Format text effectively, including font style, size, and colour for readability and impact.
3. Apply design principles to make slides visually engaging.

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Success Criteria

• Students will have created at least three formatted slides, each with different text elements.
• Students can explain their formatting choices and how they contribute to an effective presentation.
• Students will demonstrate they can adjust font size, style, and colour for both aesthetics and accessibility.

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Key Vocabulary

• Slide Layout
• Font Style
• Formatting
• Readability
• Accessibility
• Contrast

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Resources & Materials

• Laptops or PCs with Microsoft PowerPoint installed
• Teacher’s demonstration PowerPoint file
• Printed formatting checklist
• Interactive digital whiteboard

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 Minutes) – "Bad vs Good Slides"

Teacher-Led Discussion:

• Display two slides:
  • One with clashing colours, small fonts, and poor design
  • One with clear structure, readable font sizes, and good contrast
• Ask students:
  • Which slide is more effective? Why?
  • How does font style and colour affect readability?

Expected Student Responses:

• "The first slide is hard to read."
• "Light text on a dark background works better."
• "Too many fonts make it look messy."

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2. Teacher Demonstration (10 Minutes) – "Building Slides Step by Step"

1. Adding a new slide:
   • Show how to insert a new slide and choose the appropriate layout.
2. Text formatting techniques:
   • Change font style, colour, and size.
   • Introduce bold, italics, and underlining for emphasis.
3. Alignment & Spacing:
   • Demonstrate how to align text for visual clarity.
   • Adjust spacing for better readability.

Questioning to Check Understanding:

• Why should we avoid using too many different fonts?
• How can we improve accessibility for visually impaired users?

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3. Guided Practice (15 Minutes) – "Your First Formatted Slide"

Activity:

• Each student creates three slides:
  • Slide 1: A title slide with a bold, readable font and contrasting colours.
  • Slide 2: A bullet-point list with different font styles and colours.
  • Slide 3: A slide with a short paragraph, experimenting with font size, alignment, and emphasis.

Teacher Circulation:

• Provide individual feedback: "Try using a larger font for the title," "This colour contrast makes the text hard to read."

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4. Peer Review (8 Minutes) – "Presentation Partners"

Pair Activity:

• Students swap seats and assess each other’s slides using a checklist:
  • Is the text easy to read?
  • Do the colours work well together?
  • Are the titles clear?
• Provide constructive feedback to their partner.

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5. Plenary (5 Minutes) – "Quick Fire Reflection"

• One-word check-in: Each student shares one takeaway from today’s lesson.
• Whole-class discussion:
  • What was the biggest challenge?
  • How can we make sure our slides are accessible to everyone?

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Homework Task (Optional)

"Makeover This Slide!"

• Provide students with a badly formatted slide (via school system).
• Task: Improve the font, alignment, and colours using today's techniques.
• Submit via the school’s digital platform for peer feedback in the next lesson.

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Assessment & Teacher Notes

• Formative Assessment: Observing student engagement during the practical task.
• Summative Assessment: Reviewing students' three slides for effectiveness of formatting.
• Differentiation: Provide pre-set templates for students who need additional support. Challenge advanced students to experiment with custom fonts and headings.

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Reflection for Next Lesson

• Did students grasp the purpose of formatting choices?
• Do students need additional support with layout selection?
• Next lesson: "Inserting Images & SmartArt" to enhance presentations further.

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Teacher's Final Thought:

This lesson encourages creativity while reinforcing digital literacy skills. By focusing on text formatting and design principles, students build the foundations for professional-looking presentations!