Years 3 and 4 Oracy Lessons

 

PRESENTATIONS 

 

Objectives 

 

Speaking: explain process or present information, ensuring that items are clearly sequenced, relevant details are included and accounts ended effectively 

 

Group discussion and interaction: identify the main points of each speaker, compare their arguments and how they are presented 

 

​

Potential links to other literacy objectives: Engaging and responding to texts 

• empathise with characters and debate moral issues portrayed in texts 

• interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response 

 

Preparation 

Children should be given an opportunity to formulate, debate/discuss and prepare arguments for a particular point of view on a moral dilemma portrayed in a text, prior to this work. The response can be oral or written. 

 

Resources 

• A text with a moral issue 

• Two boards or flipcharts. 

 

Organisation: small groups 

 

Introduction 

 

• Group children to prepare an oral presentation, based on their responses to the moral dilemma(s) portrayed in the chosen text during a previous literacy lesson.

• Talk about different options for making a group presentation, including: taking turns to present different aspects; visual prompts and illustrations; examples; asking questions of the audience; asking rhetorical questions; using objects to attract attention and/or illustrate a point.  Make a list of these for everyone to see and ask groups to use at least two from this list. 

• Then allow groups some time to decide how they will present their points of view within 5 minutes.

 

Main activity 

 

• Ask groups to hold a final rehearsal and time their presentations to last no more than 5 minutes. Then allow them a few minutes to adjust their work in the light of the rehearsal or have a second run through.

• Ask the children to anticipate the points that will be raised by the groups on the chosen topic. Record a few points in note form on a board or flipchart and number them for ease of identification. Ask children to listen for these points, as they watch the presentations. They should jot down the number of each point that they hear from a group and add any others not on the list, in note form. 

• Ask each group to make their presentations. The audience should note down the main points and look out for presentational features each time.

• (optional) Record each presentation, and then play parts back to compare presentational features.

 

Summary/Plenary 

• Go through each group presentation in turn, asking the other groups to identify the main points and presentational features as you go along. 

 

Support 

• Mixed ability groupings 

• Pair work to observe groups and take notes

 

Extension 

• Ask children to note down the presentational features of each group and feedback their notes to the class during the summary. 

• Encourage children to offer extended contributions during discussions

 

Assessment questions 

• Are all children confident at making presentations?

• Are children able to identify the main points from each group presentation? 

 

Adaptations/further suggestions 

 

• Use shared writing to plan and draft a leaflet  or website information giving advice for next year’s class, on how to give good presentations on points of view.  Each group could prepare an example of their work to be included. 

• Collect a number of opposing points of view on a particular issue or topic. Either adapt the children’s work or make up you own. Make a statement relating to one side of the argument, such as Children should wear school uniform or Zoos are bad.  Read out one of the points of view and allow groups a few seconds to decide whether that point is for or against the statement. They should use the thumbs up sign, if they feel the point is in favour of the statement and thumbs down for against. Repeat with more points of view.

• Invite two adults to work in role to give presentations on opposing points of view on an appropriate dilemma or topic. Alternatively, use teacher-in-role to make the presentations yourself. One presenter should give a poor presentation with muddled points and very few interesting features, whilst the other should present clear points in an interesting manner. Make it clear that the presenters are working in role. Ask groups to listen to the presentations for the main points and presentational features. Then ask each group to make observations and comparisons.

• Make a display to reflect how the class presented their points of view. Clearly display the arguments for and against the particular point of view as used in the presentations and a list of presentational features used by the groups. Add any relevant written work, such as the leaflet of advice on presentations. 

 

THE BEST AND WORST © L S Harrison

 

Objectives 

 

Speaking: explain process or present information, ensuring that items are clearly sequenced, relevant details are included and accounts ended effectively 

 

Group discussion and interaction: identify the main points of each speaker, compare their arguments and how they are presented 

 

Cross-curricular links: Geography- The local area

 What is this place like and why? 

 

Preparation 

This work is designed to take place after children have conducted some research into their local area.

 

Organisation: small groups; pairs 

 

Introduction 

• Allow groups a few minutes to think of what in their opinion are the three best and three worst features of their local environment, based on their geographical research. 

• Ask groups to feedback to the class, giving reasons for their choices 

• Allow each group time to prepare a very short 2- 3-minute presentation on 3-5 of the best and worst features of their local environment. They should be given access to their research work to help them illustrate and/or back up their views. Ask groups to include all members in the presentation in some capacity. 

 

Main activity 

 

• Stop the preparation and ask groups to hold a timed rehearsal to ensure that their presentation does not exceed 3 minutes.

• Ask the children to listen to each group and make notes on their main points. Explain that groups will be given time to make a group response to identify the main points of the speakers. Groups will also be asked to pick out the best feature of each presentation and one point for improvement.

• (Optional) Ask groups to record their observations in writing to give to the presenting group later. Use file paper with holes in so each group can keep the advice from the class in their own a file after the lesson. 

• Allow each group to make their presentations in turn, with time after each presentation for the other groups to compare notes and make a collective response. The group who has just presented should decide on what they feel were the best features of their own presentation and identify one point for improvement. They should share their reflections before others comment. 

 

​

Summary/Plenary 

• Allow children a few minutes to think of between one and three things about presentations that they have learnt in this lesson. Then ask them to share their thoughts with a partner. 

• Take some feedback from a few children and use this to reinforce good presentational features.

 

Support 

• Mixed ability groupings 

 

 

Extension 

• Encourage extended contributions to the discussions and feedbacks, giving clear reasons for opinions

 

Assessment questions 

• Are children able to articulate their preferences about their local area? 

• Are children able to identify the main points in each presentation?

• Are children able to reflect on their own presentational skills and those of others? 

 

 

Adaptations/further suggestions

 

• Make a list of the best local features, as identified by the children. Support them to rewrite these points as a tourist brochure or information leaflet. Ask each group to take on responsibility for producing one aspect of the brochure. Encourage groups to indulge in exaggeration and persuasive writing and invite them to produce some small sketches and /or photographs to illustrate their views. Ask groups to adapt and then record what they have written for the brochure, to produce a web guide to the best features of the local area. 

• Ask the children to select the three worst features of their local area and write them on the board. Ask the children to help you make the first one on the list sound more attractive, for a presentation to attract people to the area e.g. a dirty rivercan become a shinycoal- black waterway. Then challenge the children to decide how to make the next two features sound more attractive for a presentation, including how to use their voices to present a positive picture. Ask the class to comment on whose input sounded the most effective and why.

• Invite two local people to give short talks on their views on the local area. Arrange these for the beginning of the lesson or, if this is not possible, record the talks beforehand for use in the lesson. Ask some children to prepare to give a vote of thanks. Ask groups to listen to each separate speaker, noting down the main points used. They should also try to identify the main presentational skills employed. Take feedback after the visitors have left. Focus on the main points, comparing their arguments and how they presented them.