Engaging the Speaker: Co-Constructing Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M3:U3:L6

Engaging the Speaker: Co-Constructing Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.2.5: With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
  • SL.2.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
  • SL.2.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can co-construct criteria for high-quality oral presentations based on a model. (SL.2.3)
  • I can show empathy when I give feedback to my peers. (SL.2.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Work Time B, circulate as students work on the Scientific Drawings and Captions Template and continue to notice if they use the resources available to inform their drawing and caption. (RI.2.1, RI.2.5, RI.2.7, W.2.7)
  • During the Closing, circulate and use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to document progress toward SL.2.3 and SL.2.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Analyzing a Model: High-Quality Oral Presentations (20 minutes)

B. Scientific Drawings: Realistic Use of Color (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Working to Become Ethical People: Showing Empathy When Giving Feedback (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • This lesson marks a change from writing oral presentation notecards to practicing oral presentations. Students co-construct the Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart and then participate in a series of practice sessions over the next five lessons, with opportunities to give and receive feedback on each of the criteria on the anchor chart.
  • Students co-construct criteria for high-quality oral presentations and then over the next five lessons participate in scaffolded practice opportunities, including receiving feedback on each part of their presentation.
  • In Work Time A, students work to analyze a model of a high-quality oral presentation. When analyzing models for specific skills to improve their craft, students benefit from multiple rounds of observation. The first round should focus on understanding the content or purpose of the model (in this case, students watch a video presentation to hear a boy talk about apps he has developed). The second round then focuses on a deeper analysis of the craft or skills the author or speaker used (in this case, what makes the boy's oral presentation high quality).
  • In the Closing, students practice giving empathic feedback in a low-stakes environment as they generate specific, positive feedback for the video presenter.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 4, students gave their first peer feedback about scientific drawings. In this lesson, they refine their understanding of feedback to include the role of empathy in being kind, specific, and helpful.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During Work Time A, students watch a video presentation with a focus on voice, words, and tools. Some students may benefit from being assigned one area of focus rather than asking them to listen for all three.
  • During Work Time A, some students may find it strange that a video portrays a child giving a presentation for adults because it is atypical in some cultures for children to speak to adults with authority and as equals. Some students, especially those who have trouble expressing themselves in English, may feel overwhelmed if they feel they are expected to perform as effectively as the presenter in the video. Remind students that everyone is at a different skill level and the goal is to do the best they can, and that their presentation will be in the classroom and not an auditorium, as in the video.
  • In Work Time B, continue to support students in organizing their Materials and resources at their workspace.

Down the road:

  • In this lesson, students co-construct the Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart. In subsequent lessons, they practice their oral presentations, with opportunities to give and receive feedback on each of the listed criteria.
  • In Lessons 10-12, teachers gather data toward SL.2.3, SL.2.4, and SL.2.6 for the Unit 3 Assessment as students practice their full presentation with peers.

In Advance

  • Pre-determine a workspace for scientific drawing in Work Time B: Students will sit with their pollinator research group to share copies of the pollinator texts and photographs as they add realistic color to their Scientific Drawings and Captions Template.
  • Preview the Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart and TED Talk video to familiarize yourself with examples of the criteria in the video.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson Materials.

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1 and 2 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.
  • Download the TED Talk video: "Thomas Suarez: A 12-Year-Old App Developer," and gather necessary equipment for audiovisual display.
  • Students use drawing apps or software to draw their scientific drawings (for example, the Kids Doodle plug-in for Google or app for Apple products 

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standard 2.I.C.9

Important points in the lesson itself 

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to view and to analyze a concrete model of an oral presentation.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to focus on several criteria as they watch the video in Work Time A and complete their What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form. Consider assigning students one criterion each on which to focus to make the task more manageable. Also, consider finding time for students to watch the video once before the lesson.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time A, display an enlarged copy of the What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form. As students share what they noticed and wondered, record student responses for the class on this copy.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time A, allow students to work in heterogeneous partnerships as they complete their What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support comprehension by activating prior knowledge and scaffold connections for students. Continue to provide visual display of questions and student responses on a chart or a board during discussions.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Continue to offer scaffolds for students learning to set appropriate personal goals. Recall that appropriate goal-setting supports development of executive skills and strategies.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to support sustained engagement and effort for students who benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

New 

  • app, application, co-construct, criteria (L)

Review

  • empathy, feedback, high quality, efficient, empathy (L)

Materials

  • What Researchers Do anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form (one per student and one to display)
  • "Thomas Suarez: A 12-Year-Old App Developer" (video; play in entirety; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart (new; co-constructed during Work Time A)
  • Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Scientific Drawings and Captions Template: Bee Model (from Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Scientific Drawings anchor chart (begun in Unit 2, Lesson 5; added to during Work Time B)
  • Scientific Drawings anchor chart (example, for teacher reference; begun in Unit 2, Lesson 5)
  • Scientific Drawings and Captions Template (from Lesson 1; one per student) ?Pollinator texts (from Lesson 1; one per student)
    • "Forever Grateful, Flies and Wasps!" (from Lesson 1; one per student in this group)
    • "Thanks a Bunch, Beetles!" (from Lesson 1; one per student in this group)
    • "!Muchas Gracias, Butterflies and Moths!" (from Lesson 1; one per student in this group)
  • Pollinator photographs (from Lesson 1; one per student)
    • Butterflies and moths photographs #1-2 (from Lesson 1; one per student in the Butterflies and Moths group)
    • Wasps and flies photographs #1-2 (from Lesson 1; one per student in the Wasps and Flies group)
    • Beetles photographs #1-2 (from Lesson 1; one per student in the Beetles group)
  • Peer Feedback anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4)
  • Specific, Positive Feedback sentence starters (one to display)

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 

  • Gather whole group.
  • Remind students that in the last lesson, they finished writing their oral presentation notecards. With excitement, share that their work for the next series of lessons will now focus on how to use those notecards when giving their presentations at the upcoming Celebration of Learning!
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can co-construct criteria for high-quality oral presentations based on a model."

  • Review the meaning of the underlined words (co-construct: build together; criteria: requirement or "must have;" high quality: work that someone has put a lot of effort into to make it the best it can be), noting student-friendly words, phrases, or images directly on the displayed learning targets to support understanding of this academic Vocabulary.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted What Researchers Do anchor chart and focus students on the section about "sharing learning." Remind students that they will be sharing what they learned from their pollination research at the Celebration of Learning in the form of oral presentations and scientific drawings.
  • Tell students that the class will work together to create a list of criteria for high-quality oral presentations. Explain that this will help them give and receive feedback on their presentations as they practice in the next several lessons to develop high-quality oral presentations.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to restate the learning target in their own words. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Analyzing a Model: High-Quality Oral Presentations (20 minutes) 

  • Tell students that they will now watch a video of a high-quality presentation, first to think about what the presenter says, and then to think about criteria that will help them make their best oral presentation.
  • Emphasize that while the presenter may display some areas for improvement, they are going to focus their observation on the strengths of the presentation.
  • Share that they will view a presentation by a 12-year-old who is presenting about his work as an app developer.
  • Ask:

"What is an 'app'?"

  • Share that app is short for application, and that in this example, an application is a game or tool that we use on electronic devices like phones and iPads. Offer examples of apps students may have used in school and share an example of an app that you use regularly.
  • Tell students that they will view the video presentation twice. The first time they will watch to hear what the presenter has to say about his topic and record anything they notice or wonder.
  • Distribute and display the What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form. Review the first table and answer clarifying questions.
  • Play "Thomas Suarez: A 12-Year-Old App Developer." Pause as needed to answer clarifying questions.
  • After the first complete viewing, ask:

"What does Thomas develop?" (apps)
"What are apps?" (games and tools that we use on electronic devices like phones and iPads)
"What do you notice and wonder about the presentation?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell the students that they will now view the video presentation a second time. The first time, they watched to hear what Thomas said about his topic. This time, they will pay attention to how he says it. Confirm that they are focusing on his craft as a presenter, or the things he does that make his presentation high quality.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What made Thomas's oral presentation high quality? In other words, what did he do well?"

  • Display the What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form and review the second table with focus areas for observation:
    • voice (sound of the presenter's voice)
    • words (what you hear the presenter saying)
    • tools (what the presenter uses to help them)
  • Play the video a second time, reminding students to now focus their observation on voice, words, and tools. Pause as needed to highlight criteria and give students time to record notices and wonders on the What Makes a High-Quality Oral Presentation? recording form.
    • Consider assigning students one focus area each so they are looking for evidence of just one focus area (voice, words, tools).
  • After the second viewing, invite students to share their observations in each of the three focus areas (voice, words, tools). Ask:

"What did the presenter do to make this a high-quality oral presentation?"

    • As students share out, capture their ideas on the Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart. Guide the conversation to these four areas, as necessary. Refer to the Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart (example, for teacher reference).

1.Use clear/audible words.

2.Speak in complete sentences.

3.Use script/notes as needed.

4.Refer to posters/visuals for effect.

  • Review aloud the Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart. Share that these criteria will help students know what to focus on as they practice their oral presentations and will guide the feedback they give to classmates.
  • If productive, cue students to think about their thinking:

"How did watching and talking about this video add to your understanding of what makes a high-quality oral presentation? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary, but may include: It helped me see what a high-quality oral presentation looks and sounds like.)

  • Invite students to stand quietly in their spots and choose one of the following pollinator movements:
    • "buzz like a bee"
    • "crawl like a beetle"
    • "flutter like a butterfly"
  • Allow students 30 seconds to move around in their spot like their chosen pollinator and then sit down again in the whole group meeting area.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Noticing and Wondering) Pause the video after about 30 seconds of each viewing to model noticing and wondering something. This may prepare students for engaging in the remainder of the video. (MMAE, MME)

B. Scientific Drawings: Realistic Use of Color (25 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Display the Scientific Drawings and Captions Template: Bee Model and direct student's attention to the Scientific Drawings anchor chart.
  • Remind students that they have worked hard in previous lessons to create detailed scientific drawings with attention to the size and shape, arrangement, and details of plants and pollinators.
  • Tell students that today they will practice a new scientific drawing skill: using realistic color. Write "use realistic color" to the Scientific Drawings anchor chart. Add these bullet points to the anchor chart under "add realistic color" as you explain that adding realistic color means (refer to the Scientific Drawings anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary):
    • only using real colors.
    • blending colors (to make drawings more realistic).
    • not letting any white show (unless it should be white).
    • staying in the lines (unless details go out of the lines like fuzzy hair, etc.).
  • Focus students on the Scientific Drawings and Captions Template: Bee Model and invite them to help you notice how realistic colors were used in this model. Say:
    • "I notice that the bee is gray, a blend of white and black. That makes it look more realistic, like a photograph of a bee."
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"If we just colored with black or just white, would it look realistic?" (No--bees are not just black and white.)

  • Distribute the Scientific Drawings and Captions Template and invite students to orally process how they will create their scientific drawings with a partner.
  • Prompt students to transition to their pre-determined workspaces and to sit next to their partner from previous drawing sessions.
  • Point out the pollinator texts and pollinator photographs already at their workspaces.
  • Invite students to add realistic color to their scientific drawings. Circulate to support them as they work.
  • When 2 minutes remain, invite students to clean up their Materials efficiently. Remind them that they learned the word efficient when learning how to use text features in Unit 2, and that in this case it means to clean up Materials without wasting time. Reassure students that they will have one more opportunity to finish adding realistic color to their scientific drawings.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with language: (Word Families) When reviewing the word realistic, ask students about the root word (real). Explain that real is an adjective to describe someone or something. Realistic is an adjective that describes something made up or artificial that appears similar to real life. Review additional words in the same word family as time allows. (Examples: reality, unreal, really) (MMR)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Working to Become Ethical People: Showing Empathy When Giving Feedback (10 minutes) 

  • Invite students to move like their favorite pollinator as they return to the whole group area.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can show empathy when I give feedback to my peers."

  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is empathy?" (working to understand how others feel)

  • Direct students' attention to the Peer Feedback anchor chart and ask:

"What kind of feedback will leave the receiver feeling confident and proud? What will the feedback sound like?" (kind, specific, helpful, empathic) Formatted:EL P Learning Target 2

  • Display and review the Specific, Positive Feedback sentence starters. Tell students they can use these to help them generate feedback by combining the sentence starters with the posted Criteria for High-Quality Oral Presentations anchor chart that students helped create during Work Time A.
  • Play the first 2 minutes of the model presentation video from Work Time A, directing students to observe for high-quality oral presentation criteria. After 2 minutes, invite pairs to practice empathy in feedback by generating oral feedback for the presenter in the video.
    • Encourage the use of the Specific, Positive Feedback sentence starters.
    • Listen for examples to highlight with the whole group.
  • Refocus whole group and offer specific, positive feedback about the feedback students generated, sharing examples observed as students practiced.
  • Turn and Talk:

"How do the Specific, Positive Feedback sentence starters help you give effective feedback to others?" (helps me be kind, specific, and helpful)

  • Preview tomorrow's work: oral presentation practice, peer feedback, and finishing the scientific drawings!
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to recall one way they recently showed empathy outside of the classroom. (MMR)

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