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The Forum · Grade 5-6
Presentation Guide
How to turn your essay into 6 slides, rehearse it, calm your nerves, and handle questions — for Week 8 and Week 16.
What happens: you build 6 slides from your essay. You get 3 minutes to present. The class gets 3 minutes to ask you questions — questions only, never a debate.
Right before you start
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Take 3 slow breaths. In, out. In, out. In, out. This calms your body down, not just your mind.
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Find 2 or 3 friendly faces in the room before you start — glance at them while you talk, not just at your slides.
Your 6 slides
Slide 1
Your question + your opinion
One sentence — the question, then your answer.
Slide 2
Reason 1
Your first point, in a few words.
Slide 3
Example for Reason 1
The real, specific example that backs it up.
Slide 4
Reason 2
Your second point.
Slide 5
Example for Reason 2
The real, specific example that backs it up.
Slide 6
Conclusion
Restate your opinion. (PREP weeks: add your rebuttal here.)
Each slide is a signpost to talk from — not a paragraph to read. Fewer than 20 words per slide.
Rehearsal checklist
I practiced out loud, start to finish, at least twice.
I know my first sentence by heart — I don't read it off the slide.
I timed myself. I'm under 3 minutes.
Each slide has fewer than 20 words on it.
Handling questions (not a debate)
Classmates ask real questions because they're curious — not to prove you wrong. A 3-second pause before you answer is completely fine. If you don't understand a question, just say: "Can you ask that a different way?"
"What made you choose this side?"
"Was there a counterargument you thought about?"
"Can you give one more example?"
"What would change your mind?"
Every speaker feels nervous before they start — even your teacher. That feeling never means you're not ready. By Week 16, almost every student says it felt easier than Week 8. That's the whole point of doing it twice.