Lesson 43: Becoming the Apprentice, Planning a Presentation

In the previous lesson, students completed or refined their explanatory essays and process diagrams for the Gallery of Learning. Today, students turn that writing into a short presentation that teaches classmates how learning happens through effort, feedback, and practice. This helps students prepare for the performance task because they must explain their thinking clearly to a real audience.

Turn-and-Talk

Have students use the Turn-and-Talk routine to discuss the following prompt.

Students face a partner and keep their essay and process document nearby so they can connect today’s discussion to their own work.

Say these Directions: Think about speeches, class presentations, or videos you have heard before. Turn and talk with your partner about what makes a presentation easy to follow and worth listening to.

Ask: What makes a presentation clear and effective for an audience?

• A clear presentation has a strong opening, a voice people can hear, and ideas in an order that makes sense. It also helps when the speaker looks up, uses a visual at the right time, and does not just read every word.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Students, you have named audience-friendly speaking actions. Next you will learn how to notice those actions and use them in your own presentations.

Noticing Strong Delivery Choices

Checklist Reviews

Have students get out their completed explanatory essays and process documents.

Teach:

When we present, the primary goal is to help our audience understand our ideas. A strong presenter makes purposeful choices about voice, pacing, eye contact, and visuals because those choices match the task, audience, and purpose. If I rush, mumble, or read every word, my audience has to work too hard. If I speak clearly and guide them through my ideas step by step, I make the learning easier to follow.

Display the lists of criteria for low- and high-quality presentations, and review them with the class. Then prepare to read Version A and Version B aloud.

Version A: Harder to Follow

The speaker:

• speaks too quietly or too quickly

• keeps eyes down instead of looking at audience

• does not refer to the process diagram

• moves from idea to idea without clear transitions

Version B: Easier to Follow

The speaker:

• begins with a clear opening statement

• speaks at a steady, easy-to-hear pace

• uses sequence language to organize ideas

• points to the process diagram while explaining stages

• ends with a brief closing that restates the big idea

Say these Directions: You will hear the same short presentation two times. As you listen, pay attention to the speaking choices that make the explanation easier or harder for the audience to understand. Think about the speaker’s voice, pacing, organization of ideas, and the use of the visual.

Version A:

Okay. My presentation is about Tree-ear learning how to make pottery. He watches Min and learns how to do the things that potters do. Then he starts helping and trying these things himself. He works hard and eventually gets better.

Version B:

My presentation explains how Tree-ear, a potter’s apprentice, develops skill through observation, practice, and feedback. First, he carefully watches Min, his mentor, create pottery from start to finish so that he can understand each step of the craft. Next, he begins helping with small tasks and practicing what he has observed. If you look at my process diagram, you can see how each stage builds on the one before it. In the end, Tree-ear’s efforts show that real skill develops through patience, practice and guidance.

• Ask: Which version helped you understand the idea better, and what specific speaking choices made the difference?

  • The second version was easier to understand because the speaker slowed down, used sequence words, and pointed to the process diagram at the right time. Those moves helped me follow each stage instead of hearing one long paragraph.

Connection to Today’s Learning

Say: You have identified the actions and words that make a presentation stronger. Now you will apply those same actions and words to your own Gallery Talk.

Part A: Build Your Gallery Talk (SL.6.4.a) (30 minutes)

Rehearse and Refine

Have students take out their completed essays and process documents. They will first work independently to create short speaking notes for their Gallery Talk presentation. Then they will exchange notes with a partner and use the Peer Review checklist to provide feedback on clarity and organization.

Say these Directions: Take out your explanatory essay, your process document, and your Peer Feedback Form. On journal paper, you will be turning your writing into short speaking notes with four parts: Opening, Key Idea 1, Key Idea 2, and Closing.

Teach:

A presentation is not your whole essay spoken out loud. It is your clearest ideas, organized so a listener can follow them in real time. I look at my paragraph and keep the important ideas, but I shorten them into note phrases instead of full written sentences. Then I add sequence words like prior to, subsequently, and from that point forward so the audience can track the stages. Finally, I make sure my closing brings the listener back to the big idea.

Display the following teacher model of speaking notes, if needed for support and guidance:

• Opening: My presentation explains how Tree-ear develops skill through observation, practice, and feedback.

• Prior to apprenticing formally: He watches Min carefully and learns by noticing small details. (Key Idea 1)

• Subsequently: He completes simple tasks, makes mistakes, and keeps refining his work.

• From that point forward: His effort helps him connect craft to community and purpose. (Key Idea 2)

• Closing: Tree-ear’s journey shows that learning something difficult takes patience, guidance, and perseverance.

Ask: How do the speaking notes help a presenter explain ideas clearly without reading the whole essay?

• The speaking notes keep only the most important ideas. The presenter uses short phrases and sequence words so the audience can follow each key idea without hearing the whole essay read aloud.

Say these Directions: Work on turning your writing into short speaking notes for the next eight minutes. Remember to use brief phrases to remind yourself of what to say rather than writing full sentences.

Once finished, exchange notes with your partner. Read each other's notes carefully. Use your Peer Feedback Form to share constructive feedback about your partner’s presentation notes.

When done, briefly read your partner’s comments and ask any questions you may have to clarify their feedback.

Display the Peer Review checklist:

Peer Review Checklist

• Is the opening clear about the topic of the presentation?

• Are there transition words to support moving from one idea to the next?

• Are sequence words used to guide the audience?

• Does the closing return to the big idea?

• Are the notes short phrases rather than full sentences?

Quickwrite

Have students complete a Quickwrite that captures progress and one concrete next step before the final Gallery of Learning presentation.

Say these Directions: Complete your Quickwrite to get ready for your final presentation. Write your planned opening sentence, explain how today’s lesson moves your presentation forward, and name one next step that will help your audience follow your ideas.

Ask: How does today’s work move your presentation forward, and what do you still need to do before you present?

• My work helped me shorten my notes so I can speak more naturally instead of reading my essay. My opening sentence is, “My presentation explains how Tree-ear grows from observer to skilled maker through patience, feedback, and practice.” Before I present, I still need to slow down during my second point and point to my process diagram when I explain how his work becomes more refined.

Say these Directions: Practice your presentation aloud one time using your speaking notes and process document. Mark one place where you want to slow down, add a transition, or point to your visual more clearly.