When we heard that Gary’s parents were coming to stay with us, we thought it might be good for them to see for themselves some of the work we have been doing. So we decided to do a mini presentation. Mini because I knew there was no way we would have the time or the inclination to put in the work required to carry off one of our normal presentations. As it turned out we had to almost force ourselves to do this one. Well, who wants to be working when you can be playing with your beloved grandparents?
I think they did very well under the circumstances, but I learnt a lesson and I doubt we’ll be doing anymore mini presentations. Grandad and Granny are just too lovely to be around to be learning lines and practicing. The children are very possessive over their time with their grandparents, probably due to the fact they rarely see them, so holiday times with them have no place for academics. Sigh. You live and learn.
Anyway, without further ado here is our mini presentation. L11 chose to do hers on Muhammad and the Islamic faith. We had done a full study on this subject, so she found it very easy to keyword it and turn it into a presentation:
And she used the model we had made during that study as a means to demonstrate her story:
She decided to be an Islamic scholar and chose her costume from our dressing up box:
Her presentation was quite long, but she did a sterling job, especially considering we had practiced a fraction of the amount we usually do for presentations:
Well done L12, you did a great job!
C11 had such a difficult time choosing her subject and the first one she chose I thought was too hard to condense to presentation timing, the next we tried (at my suggestion) was full of longer, complicated words, which she struggled to say fluently each time she practiced. I could see she was getting more and more concerned, so I suggested a topic, very similar to her first choice, just a little less complicated. I was very proud of how she handled it, given she really only had a day to practice. Her presentation was on Richard the Lionheart and was based on our leadership study. She decided herself to be a knight who fought in the crusades under the leadership of Richard. The purpose of her presentation was to recruit more knights to fight for the cause. Here she is dressed up:
Do you remember these?
C11 also decided to hand these out to her Grandad and Granny to encourage them to join her on her plight to save the Holy Lands!
I think under the circumstances she did a really good job. And the whole experience showed me how important it was to choose a subject matter that interests the student. C11 could not get to grips with the one I chose despite having a whole week, yet as soon as she had something she enjoyed she was able to carry it out in just one day. Another lesson learnt. Claire – you need to step back and allow the process to happen and YOU MUST STOP INTERFERING!!
Funnily enough I did just that for T12’s presentation and was blown away by what he managed to achieve. T12 decided to do his presentation on Alhazan, a medieval Islamic scientist whom we had just recently studied. I’m not sure who he was dressed as but he definitely had an eastern look about him:
T12 basically researched everything on his fairly newly acquired computer (September) and wrote out his key words into a powerpoint presentation:
He included the following video on his laptop for his audience to watch, about the camera obscura:
And then gave his Grandad and Granny a go at looking at our living room upside down on his:
He did a great job and without me having a hand in anything. He was 100% independent and I was a very proud mummy.
It’s funny, the mini presentation wasn’t up to our normal standard at all, due to the lack of practice (and incentive, if I’m honest) and yet it is probably the presentation I have learnt the most from.
I am realising my children are growing up and are ready to be much more independent and I am learning that there is far more joy that way. Oh, and it is also becoming clear that A5 is ready to be doing a little presentation herself. She was itching to be involved and even B2 asked to do a M’Men (Mr Men) presentation! Next time, everyone will be involved.
