| PA Academic Standards for 8th grade English Language Arts |
CC.1.5. Speaking and Listening
CC.1.5.8.A Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CC.1.5.8.D Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound,valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume and clear pronunciation.
CC.1.5.8.F Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to add interest, clarify information, and strengthen claims and evidence.
CC.1.5.8.G Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grade 8 level and content. |
| PA Academic Standards for Career Education and Work |
13.1. Career Awareness and Preparation
13.1.8.F: Analyze the relationship of school subjects, extracurricular activities, and community experiences to career preparation.
13.3. Career Retention and Advancement
13.3.8.B: Analyze the role of each participant’s contribution in a team setting.
13.3.8.C: Explain and demonstrate conflict resolution skills: constructive criticism, group dynamics, managing leadership, mediation, negotiation, problem solving. |
| Learning Objectives |
- The students will effectively discuss their Holocaust Research Projects with their entire group to show their understanding of research completed.
- The students will present their research findings to the group through the use of multimedia mode of their choice (a PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, etc).
- Students will present their findings from their research in a coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and the use of proper presentation techniques.
- Students will analyze how this project can better prepare them for a career beyond high school.
- Students will reflect on their group’s project and the role each member played in creating it.
- Students will reflect on how their group worked together, the role they played in the group, and what skills were needed to work together.
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| Conceptual Background |
| This lesson is to occur after some form of research has occurred. In this particular case, students have been placed into groups and were responsible for researching different portions of a Holocaust Research Project. Each student had set research questions they were responsible for answering. Students were in charge of how they separated the research and who answered each research question. Once all students completed the research portion, they decided what form of multimedia presentation they planned to use to present their information to the rest of the class. Once a mode of presentation was selected, students worked on their own respective portions of the presentation. Presentations had to include: an image on each slide, bulleted talking points that answered their respective research questions, in-text citations, interactive questions for the audience, and captioned hyperlinks for images. Finally, each group members’ section was combined into one presentation. This particular lesson came right after a lesson on what should and should not occur while presenting. Students used this padet https://padlet.com/kelly_brown/c5v94t0fu8hs to see what should and should not be done while presenting. They had a packet to fill out as they watched these videos. This particular lesson has students practicing their presentations in groups and critiquing each other. |
| Instructional Procedure |
| Prior to class beginning | The teacher will want a large open space to allow for 6 to 10 student groups to present to each other. (In most of my classes, I had 7 groups of 3 students each.) An auditorium, cafeteria, or hallway would work well. For organizational purposes, I placed chairs, podiums, and tables where I wanted the groups to stand. This lesson takes two class periods to allow all students a turn to present and receive feedback. |
Day 1
10 Minutes | Reviewing Directions- As students walk in, have them sit with their groups.
- Explain to students that today they will be presenting to their groups. As they present, they are to focus on all of the presentation do’s and don’ts discussed the day prior (view padlet link in the conceptual background section for this information).
- Review with students some of these do’s and don’ts: Do scan the room with eye contact. Do not stare at just one person or down at your paper. Project your voice. Do not whisper/speak too quietly or sound robotic.
- Hand out the presentation checklist to all students. (See materials attached.)
- Go over the checklist with students. Explain that their job is to take turns presenting to each other. If they are the ones presenting, they should be receiving feedback from the other students. Students not presenting are giving feedback. Remind students that it is important that they help each member of the group do well. This means open and honest, feedback, but it has to be done tactfully.
- Have students explain the difference of saying “ Your presentation sucked” versus “I really struggled to hear you, so this rubric was hard to fill it out. Let’s try a few slides again, but really think about projecting your voice.” Ask students how these different phrases could cause problems in the group rather than improvement?
- Once this is discussed ask students if there are any questions on what they will be doing.
- If there are no questions, move on to let students begin.
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| 40 Minutes | Students Practice Presenting- As students present, go from group to group.
- While at each group, write sticky notes for the student presenting on what they are doing well and what they should improve on.
- Leave these notes with the students so they can read them later.
- Help guide discussions students are having so they are giving constructive feedback to each other. Help them to create problem solving strategies for things that are not going well, either in their group dynamic or the presentations themselves.
- Monitor that all groups are on task.
- Every 10 minutes, call out to groups that the partner presenting should stop, receive some glows (what they were doing well) and some constructive feedback. What do they need to work on? The partner should continue presenting and focus on what their group said they need to work on.
- After an additional 5 minutes, the teacher should call out to groups to discuss one last time. Did this group member improve what they needed to improve on? If not, how can you as a group help that person be successful?
- After about 20 minutes, presenter 2 should go up. Steps 1-7 will be repeated for the last 20 minutes.
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| 10 Minutes | Reflection and Clean Up- Ask students to wrap up their conversations and return to their seats with groups. (If you left your classroom return at this point, but make sure group setup is left for next class.)
- Explain to students that 2 reflections will occur today. The first will be done by only students who presented and received feedback. These students should have their rubrics back and will use these to help them answer the reflection. (Reflection is attached to this document: it is labeled “Presenter Reflection.”)
- Explain to students the second reflection. This reflection is focused on how your group functioned today and how you personally functioned as part of that group. (This reflection is attached to this document: it is labeled “Group Reflection.”)
- Once both reflections have been explained. Allow students to work on them.
- As this is day one, and not all students have presented, these reflections will be kept by students until day two. On day two, they will be discussed.
- With a minute or so left in the class, explain to students that the reflections are homework if they did not complete them and need to be brought back to class the next day.
- Dismiss the class.
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Day 2
2 Minutes | Review Directions- Once students have been seated, ask students to review the procedure for the day. Remember to review the rubric, timing, and quality of student feedback.
- Once the review has occurred, allow students to begin presenting to each other.
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| 20-30 Minutes | Final Practice Presentations- The timing of this portion will depend on how many students you have and how many students still need to present. Regardless, you want a 20-minute session left open for the end of the lesson for reflection and discussion.
- As students present, go from group to group.
- While at each group, write sticky notes for the student presenting on what they are doing well and what they should improve on.
- Leave these notes with the students so they can read them later.
- Help guide discussions students are having so they are giving constructive feedback to each other. Help them to create problem solving strategies for things that are not going well, either in their group dynamic or the presentations themselves.
- Monitor that all groups are on task.
- Every 10 minutes, call out to groups that the partner presenting should stop, receive some glows (what they were doing well) and some constructive feedback. What do they need to work on? The partner should continue presenting and focus on what their group said they need to work on.
- After an additional 5 minutes, the teacher should call out to groups to discuss one last time. Did this group member improve what they needed to improve on? If not, how can you as a group help that person be successful?
- If you had groups of 3 this should be the last rotation, and you will have students return to their seats.
- If you have some groups of 4 or larger, you will need more time to repeat the steps.
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| 10 Minutes | Reflection and Clean Up- Ask students to wrap up their conversations and return to their seats with groups. (If you left your classroom, return at this point.)
- Explain to students that like yesterday they will have 10 minutes to complete their reflections. Today should make it so that every group member has filled out a presentation reflection and a group reflection. (Some members will have filled out 2 group reflections, which is okay as they are based on day.)
- Ask students if they have any questions on filling out the forms.
- Give students 10 minutes to fill out the reflections. Walk around to offer support and ensure students are on task.
- Give students time checks of 5 minutes left, 3 minutes, and finally 1 minute.
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| 23 Minutes | Group/Class Discussion- Explain to students that the last 20 minutes of class will be spent discussing their reflections.
- First each member should have time to discuss their presentation reflection. While they share, other members are offering more feedback and reflecting on how they gave feedback, specifically thinking about how they could have been better at it so they could help the entire group improve.
- Once each member has discussed their personal reflection, they will take turns discussing how they felt their group as a whole did, then how they themselves performed in the group, and finally how they felt each member performed. The teacher will remind students that honesty here is important, but they do not want to ruin the group dynamic by being rude or mean. Constructive feedback is what they are trying to give.
- Groups should discuss what they did well and what they need to continue working on. They should add these comments to their group reflections.
- If there are no questions, the teacher should let students begin discussing.
- As students discuss the teacher will walk around, joining in on conversation and listening for student conversation to be on task.
- With about 5 minutes left, ask students to finish up their conversations and hold a class discussion.
- This discussion should focus on what it felt like to give each other feedback on our ability to work in a group and why this is beneficial. This discussion should also focus on the question of how this practice/project/presentation will help them outside of education.
- Once this discussion occurs, the teacher should remind students to keep practicing for their whole class presentations. Then collect all reflection forms.
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| Formative Assessment |
| Objectives for this lesson will be measured in two forms. First, the reflections will be used to analyze how well students have mastered/understand the CEW standards. The rubric students filled out will be used as a summative assessment when students present to the entire class. However, they will be filled out by the teacher. This rubric will focus more on the PA Core Standards for English Language Arts listed above. |
| Materials Needed |
- iPads/laptops
- Rubrics (see attachment below)
- Sticky Notes
- Writing Utensils
- Large work area where multiple groups can present at the same time
- Personal reflection (attached below)
- Group reflection (attached below)
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| References |
Brown, K. (2017). Presentations: The good, the bad, and the ugly! Retrieved March 31, 2019, from Padlet website
Gerhart, K. (2019). Student presentation checklist [Microsoft Word]. |
