Using Picasa to make an oral presentation about one’s life

Class or Subject Area: Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Speaking (beginner / intermediate):

Students give a short prepared presentation, without practicing word for word, and answer clear questions.

Students describe their family, living conditions, educational background.

Students ask and answer simple questions about familiar topics (e.g., weather, hobbies, social life, music, sport).

Students ask and answer questions about habits and routines.

Students take notes on the main points of a presentation.

Speaking (intermediate):

Students ask and answer questions about pastimes and past activities.

Grade Level(s): 6-12

Activity Summary:

Students compile a series of pictures about themselves and their family. They use Picasa to make a slide show which shows just pictures, no text. They make an oral presentation using only the slide show as an auxiliary. their classmates take notes about the presentation and ask questions.

What you need:

Access to Internet

Access to Picasa

Preparation:

Familiarize yourself with Picasa and prepare a slide show about yourself and your family with a dozen of pictures. Explain the assignment to your students.

Directions for the students:

“ You will make a presentation about yourself and your family. In order to do so, you will use Picasa to help you make a slide show that contains only images, no text. You will compile a dozen of pictures about yourself and your family, that you will insert in your slide show. To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with … (you model the activity by explaining how to use Picasa and by showing a slide show you created yourself).

Sample:

Here is a sample slide show I have made for the students, to use as a model.