Lesson Plan – Presentations

Aims
 To improve students’ skills in delivering presentations

Objectives
Students will be able to:
 understand the necessity for good preparation
 identify good and bad delivery techniques
 identify potential necessary changes to delivery style to accommodate audience members with special
needs.

This structure may be spread over a number of lessons as required.

Timing Stage of Teacher Activity Student Activity

Lesson
2 mins Introduction Teacher introduces the theme of presentations, Listening.
emphasising that this is an important business
skill.

Timing Stage of Teacher Activity Student Activity

Lesson
30 mins Development Teacher leads the activity on Worksheet 1. Completing Worksheet 1
Asks students to work in small groups to list and flipchart papers in small
good and bad presentation delivery techniques groups.
that they have witnessed, and then to transfer
their ideas on to flipchart paper. Teacher
prompts students to think of lessons they have
witnessed.
20 mins Flipchart papers are put on the wall and Explaining key points to the
teacher prompts each group in turn to rest of the class.
explain the two best and two worst
techniques that they have come up
with.

Timing Stage of Teacher Activity Student Activity

Lesson
15 mins Development Preparing for Oral Presentations Suggesting presentation
Teacher opens this lesson and asks students considerations for each
to suggest what might go under each of the heading.
three headings: Audience, Objectives and Making notes.
Structure. Then clicks on each to reveal the
key considerations when preparing for a
presentation.

Timing Stage of Teacher Activity Student Activity

Lesson
7 mins Presentation Techniques Watching video, making
Teacher hands out Worksheet 2 and explains notes of errors.
to the class that they will be watching two
videos of business people giving presentations.
 The first, David, has made a number of errors.
Teacher instructs students to use the
worksheet to make notes of the errors made
while watching the video. Teacher clicks on the
first TV icon to start the video.
15 mins At the end of the video, teacher leads Contributing to discussion,
discussion about errors. Ideas are collated on noting key errors.
the whiteboard so students can make
comprehensive notes. The main errors to
identify are as follows:
 Problems using the equipment – evidence
of lack of preparation
 Tie and hair not smart
 Does not introduce himself
 Does not say what information he is trying
to convey
 Does not give an outline of the structure of
his presentation to the audience so they
know where he is going with it
 Does not quote units when he quoting
figures, so they are unclear
 Graphs shown are not on screen long
enough for audience to assimilate and
understand the information
 Pie charts too small to see clearly
 Does not comment on most of the graphs
so some key messages are missed
 Units missed on first graph
 Text on slide 3 graphs is confusing and
hard to read
 There is an unnecessary legend on slide 4
 Gives his own, unsupported opinions
 Spelling on final slide: ‘U’ instead of ‘you’
 Looks down when reading from notes
instead of at the audience
 Stumbling over some words
 Loses place in notes
 Standing with his back to the audience and
blocking the projector when explaining
graphs
 Voice too quiet at times
 Monotone when reading long bit of text
 Sources not acknowledged
7 mins Teacher then plays the video of Prisca, again Watching video and making
asking students to make notes, this time notes.
concerning the good aspects of her
performance.
15 mins At the end of the video, teacher leads Contributing to discussion,
discussion about the good techniques noting key good points.
displayed. Ideas are collated on the whiteboard
so students can make comprehensive notes.
The main points to identify are as follows:
 Confident with presenter kit – evidence of
 good preparation
 Dressed appropriately
 Introduces herself, says who she is and
what she is hoping to do
 Explains immediately what information she
is trying to convey and puts the talk into
context
 The Agenda gives a clear outline of the
structure of her presentation so that her
audience know where she is going with her
talk
 Good use of slide transitions and effects
 Graphs included in PowerPoint slides are
used appropriately and ample time is given
to the audience to look at them and digest
the information
 Graphs are well produced for the most part
 Good use of appropriate language
throughout
 Reading from cue cards held in front of her
 Makes regular eye contact with the
audience
 Faces the audience at all times
 Good use of vocal techniques, varying
pitch and speed and using a business-like
tone throughout
 Prisca appears well rehearsed
 Source acknowledged

Timing Stage of Teacher Activity Student Activity

Lesson
5 mins Development Adapting Your Presentation Listening.
Teacher introduces the idea that it may be Suggesting possible
necessary to make adjustments to the way a audience groups.
presentation is delivered to take account of the
specific needs of different people in the
audience. Teacher asks students to suggest
some groups of people who might find some
adaptations helpful.
30 mins Teacher opens the Adapting Your Discussing answers.
Presentation lesson and discusses the
possible audience members with students.
Then reads the first possible adaptation at the
bottom of the screen. Teacher leads a
discussion to decide which audience member
(if any) would benefit most from this
adaptation. The adaptation tile is then dragged
to the appropriate person, or to the bin if this is
not an appropriate suggestion. If the tile has
been dragged to the correct person it
disappears, there is a green tick and the next
tile appears. If incorrect a cross appears and
the tile returns to the bottom of the screen,
 ready to be repositioned.
20 mins Teacher hands out Worksheet 3 and Taking notes.
encourage the students to make notes on the
needs of each of the different people.
Note: this could be done while the activity is
taking place instead of afterwards, if preferred.
30 mins Teacher directs students to tackle exercise 2 Completing exercise 2 on
on Worksheet 3 independently. Worksheet 3.

Timing Stage of Teacher Activity Student Activity

Lesson
5 mins Conclusion Teacher questions individuals about good and Discussing verbally.
bad presentation techniques and the needs of
individuals.
5 mins What’s Important?
Teacher opens the What’s Important? lesson
and asks students to move the pointers to
show how important they think each aspect of
giving a presentation is.

Differentiation
Differentiation is by application to discussions – less able students should still be able to contribute and the
teacher should encourage this, while the more able will contribute actively to discussions, giving good
justification and reasons behind suggestions and points of view.

Worksheet 1: Easy/Medium – All students will be able to make a contribution to exercise 1, the more able
students will come up with more astute observations. Exercise 2 requires a fair degree of verbal explanation
which may prove challenging to some.

Worksheet 2: Easy – All students should be able to complete this if they have taken part in the on-screen
activity.

Worksheet 3: Easy/Medium – Exercise 1 can be completed relatively easily by taking part in the on-screen
activity. Exercise 2 will require some analysis of the situation and differentiation will be by outcome.

Resources
Computer, projector, Worksheets 1, 2 and 3, flipchart paper, bold felt pens.