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Lesson 3

We will select a presentation format and begin planning our presentations. We will reflect on and evaluate our progress on planning and preparing for the Culminating Task.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I work productively in various roles with my fellow pathway members to establish and meet goals for our groups?

  • Can I identify task expectations and develop a plan appropriate for accomplishing the established outcomes?

Texts

There are no texts for this Lesson.

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will narrow down our options for presentation formats.

Step 1

Your group will narrow down your presentation format options for the Culminating Task.

A presentation involves two components: (1) the materials that anchor the presentation and (2) the speakers’ delivery of the presentation through various communication strategies. Several ideas for presentation formats are listed in the Foundation Unit Research and Presentation Guide. Review the list with your research team.

Step 2

Discuss your response to the homework questions from the previous lesson as well as the questions below:

  1. Are there other presentation formats you should consider that are not included on the list? If so, describe them and explain the benefits, given your task, audience, and purpose.

  2. Of the options listed and any discussed in Question 1, are there any that most appeal to the group members? Which ones and why?

Come to a consensus on the top 1-3 choices for product format. Be sure to consider everyone’s rationale for which project format would be best when considering the task, audience, and purpose. Remember that a consensus does not mean complete agreement, but rather that all ideas have been considered and the majority of the team agrees on the choices.

Activity 2: Discuss

We will determine which product format we will use for our presentation for the Culminating Task.

Step 1

Based on your narrowed-down list of product formats, find an example of each kind of format online. Use keywords in your searches. For example, if you choose to create a photo essay, search “photo essay examples,” or if you are considering a mind map, search “mind map examples.”

Answer the following questions about each format you explore from your narrowed-down list:

  1. Will the format present your information in an interesting and meaningful way?

  2. What do you like most about the format?

  3. What would you do differently with your own version of the format?

Step 2

Work with your team members to create a checklist of features you want to include in your model, based on what you liked in the product format you explored. For example, do you want to include a visual display like a poster or a slide deck?

Step 3

Thinking about your narrowed-down list, consider what skills or abilities your team members have that would enable your team to create an effective presentation. For example, if you are considering using a slide deck, does one of the team members have strong abilities in creating appealing, well-organized slides? Do you have team members who have a powerful command of language that could create talking points for each slide? Do any of your team members have skill in creating graphics? Are there team members willing to learn new skills to make the project format more effective for your group? You want to be able to capitalize on the skills and abilities of your group while ensuring that each person serves a role, whether as presenter or in a supporting role. Make a list of what each team member believes they can contribute to the presentation.

Step 4

Come to a consensus about the final product format. Justify your decision by discussing how the format will help with the task, audience, and purpose of the presentation.

Activity 3: Discuss

We will learn what considerations we should pay attention to as we begin drafting our product.

Step 1

Now that your research group has decided on the presentation format and you have an outline of your presentation content (Organizing Evidence Tool), you need to begin drafting the presentation. In order to create a draft, you must first determine what should be included in the presentation.

Discuss the following questions to think about the body of work you have created and collected during the research process.

  1. What are your inquiry questions?

  2. What are your conclusions or findings?

  3. What are your sources?

  4. What specific, cited evidence supports your conclusions or findings?

  5. What completed tools and analysis about sources can you use to create your final product?

  6. What questions do you still have about your topic?

  7. What key points about your pathway topic do you want your audience to know based on your research?

Step 2

Based on the volume of information you discussed with your team, and given the presentation is 5-7 minutes long, you need to consider which information from the product should be put into the presentation and which information does not need to be included.

To decide what to include in your presentation, you need to revisit the ideas of task, purpose, and audience. Discuss the following questions with your team:

  1. What is the intent of the presentation?

  2. How will the audience benefit from the information you share?

  3. Thinking about audience, what information do they already know? What would be new information?

  4. What can you do to help the presentation be interesting and meaningful for the long term, truly influencing your audience?

Use your discussion to make a plan. You will use this plan in the following lessons.

Activity 4: Write – Discuss

We will reflect on our work to determine our progress toward the Culminating Task.

Respond to the following questions in your Learning Log:

  1. How did you, specifically, contribute to your group?

  2. On a scale from one to four, how well do you understand the topic, your research, the texts you read, and the presentation plan?