PowerPoint Unit - Introduction

• Understand what is expected of you in the PowerPoint unit of work
  
  
• Describe what makes a good or bad PowerPoint
  
  
• Begin to understand the effect 'audience' has on how you present your work
  
  
• Decide on a theme for your PowerPoint
  
  
• Begin to understand what is needed to reach the higher levels

You will plan and create an interactive PowerPoint based on an RE theme - 'Creation and Environment'. The presentation will be aimed at an audience of pupils in primary 6 or 7.

You will be studying this theme in RE in term 1 and will use your knowledge and understanding of the topic to create an interactive Powerpoint in ICT.

Part of your planning will involve you thinking about how you will split up your PowerPoint into different sections to allow the user to take different paths through your presentation. You will link these sections together using action buttons and hyperlinks.

You will explore the concept of “fitness for purpose” when using images, text, colour and sound to enhance your PowerPoint. You will consider how to match and adapt your PowerPoint to a given audience or purpose. Finally you and other members of your class will evaluate the suitability of your work and suggest ways that it can be improved.

Pupils who wish to gain higher levels will:

• Provide their users with instructions on how to move around their PowerPoint, in the form of a help slide, explaining what each of the buttons does.
  
  
• Choose the most appropriate colour scheme and layout for the intended audience.
  
  
• Choose graphics that will be appropriately sized and well placed on the page.

Discuss with your teacher and classmates the example PowerPoints shown below. You need to decide:

• What makes them a good or bad Powerpoint?
• What works well, what works not so well?
• Do the PowerPoints get the message across?
• What 'features' are used to get the message across?
• How do they use colour, sounds and animation to 'enhance' the experience?

PowerPoint Examples

• Pat's Presentation
• Fizzicola
• Coolways 1
• Coolways 2

Decide the Success Criteria for your PowerPoint

• What is the purpose of an interactive PowerPoint?
• As a class decide on the Success criteria (These are the rules you make up to decide how you will judge each others work.
  For example, what makes a good poster? When you have decided, you will draw up a list of success criteria and judge yours and the work of others against it.) for a interactive PowerPoint Presentation.
• What makes a good presentation?
• What are 'essential' features that must be included?
• Who is your audience for the presentation?
• How does the choice of audience influence the way the information is presented?

For your homework you will begin to consider the type of PowerPoint you will create. Remember to answer the questions in full sentences.

Think about your own presentation:

• Which theme might you choose?
• How does the choice of audience affect the way you layout your presentation?
• What kinds of fonts / graphics should you use for the chosen audience?
• What is the purpose of the presentation?
• What do you want the audience to know?
• What is the most important piece of information in your presentation?
• What ‘features’ might you use such as sound, animation and video? How will they improve your presentation?

By completing this unit you can achieve the following levels:

• 'Explore' (part) - Level 4, 5 and 6
• Express - level 4, 5, 6 or 7
• 'Evaluate' - Level 4 or 5
• 'Exhibit' - level 4 or 5

Your final level will be awarded at the end of year 10 and will be based on evidence of your work in years 8, 9 and 10.