Presentation Designer

Overview

This is Lesson 4 of 6 in “Digital Skills for the Future”, building on students’ previous work designing and refining ideas for a charity event. Today students generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas using a digital presentation, selecting layouts and themes to present information clearly.

Learning intentions

• WALT: present ideas clearly using a slide-based presentation.
• WALT: choose an appropriate slide layout and theme to support my message.
• WALT: add visuals and text so my presentation is engaging and easy to follow.
• WALT: review and improve my slides using feedback.

Success criteria

Students can:

• I can create a 5-slide presentation with a clear title and sections.
• I can add relevant visuals and readable text on each slide.
• I can use a consistent layout and theme across all slides.
• I can share my presentation and explain my design choices.

Curriculum links

• Design — generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through discussion and prototypes.
• Design — communicate ideas using annotated sketches, cross-sectional or exploded diagrams, prototypes, and computer-aided design.
• Technical knowledge — apply understanding of computing to create and refine digital outputs.
• Subject content — work through an iterative process of designing and making in a relevant context (school/community charity event).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter: Present clearly. Teacher shows an example slide (simple title + one image + short text) and asks: “What makes this easy to read and understand?” Students write 2 quick observations on paper.

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: Slides, layouts, themes. Teacher models choosing a theme, then applying consistent layout to 2–3 slides, showing how headings, spacing, and text length affect clarity. Students follow using a blank slide deck and practise applying one layout style.

3. 12–20 min · Plan your 5-slide structure. Teacher displays a “5-slide charity event” outline (Slide 1 title, Slide 2 who/why, Slide 3 key event details, Slide 4 impact/benefits, Slide 5 call to action). Students fill a quick planning sheet with draft headings and where each visual will go.

4. 20–35 min · Make: Build presentation slides. Teacher circulates with a checklist (readability, visuals, consistency, correct number of slides) and gives mini-lessons on common issues (too much text, inconsistent fonts, hard-to-see colours). Students create their 5 slides in PowerPoint, adding visuals and text, using a consistent theme.

5. 35–45 min · Model & iterate: Check against success criteria. Teacher runs a “gallery of WAGOLL/WARNING” using 2 anonymous student drafts (or teacher-made samples) focusing on clarity and layout. Students do a self-check and then swap with a partner for one improvement suggestion.

6. 45–55 min · Share: Present and justify choices. Teacher prompts sentence starters: “I chose this layout because…”, “My visual helps the audience understand…”. Students present to a partner or small group for 1 minute, using their design choices to explain their slides.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket: Next improvement. Teacher asks: “Name one thing you will fix on your slides before submitting.” Students write one specific improvement target.

Resources

• Teacher-made example slides (clear and messy versions)
• Planning sheet: “5-slide structure” with boxes for heading + visual + 1–2 sentences
• Student laptops/tablets with PowerPoint (or equivalent slide software)
• Slide templates folder (including a basic readable theme)
• Photo/image bank (school-safe) and/or teacher-approved printouts for scanning/cropping
• Checklist cards for success criteria (readability, visuals, consistency, 5 slides)
• Dyslexia-friendly reading support sheet: larger font option and short-text prompts
• Headphones (optional) for quiet work time

Assessment

• Ongoing formative assessment using the slide checklist during circulation.
• Partner feedback: students give one “glow” and one “grow” based on readability and layout.
• Exit ticket: one specific improvement to show understanding of clarity and consistency.

Differentiation

• Struggling students: provide a slide template with pre-set theme, fonts, and recommended text length; include sentence starters for slide text; allow drag-and-drop placeholders for visuals.
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options: offer large-print planning sheets; encourage short bullet points (not paragraphs); provide a “text reduction” support card (“1 idea per slide”).
• On-task support: provide a step-by-step “Build your 5 slides” card with icons (Title, Why, Details, Impact, Action).
• Advanced learners: challenge them to explore animations and transitions that do not distract (e.g., subtle fade/slide on title or between sections), and to refine layout spacing for a “professional” look.
• EAL: provide word banks for headings and event information; allow students to record notes for their speaking part before writing.

Extension (advanced learners)

• Add an optional final “What we achieved” slide draft (only if finishing early), then re-check that the required 5-slide version still meets the success criteria.
• Use speaker notes to rehearse and improve clarity, aiming for a smooth 60–90 second presentation.