presentation skills for 5th graders

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Expanding Students’ Ideas About How to Give Presentations

A simple framework can help upper elementary students find the perfect method to share their learning with their classmates.

As soon as we tell our fifth-grade students that they will be presenting a project, they immediately ask, “Can I make a PowerPoint?” After years of responding, “But you don’t even know what the project is yet,” we decided there had to be a better way for our students to get started on projects.

Many elementary students love sharing what they have learned with their class but are sometimes unsure of how to go about it. Frequently, this leads to an excited presenter but a disengaged audience. After brainstorming what our expectations would be for students’ projects, we came up with three things that we thought were most important for successful project planning: purpose, depth, and delivery. By using our simple, three-step framework, our students have been able to create detailed, engaging projects that use a variety of delivery methods. This framework also gives students more autonomy in their work, something that’s particularly important for this age group.

Before students can begin a project, they have to have a specific purpose in mind. Often, this purpose comes from the teacher, but when students decide the direction of their project, they feel empowered to grow their own ideas. If they can clearly explain the purpose of their project, they can move quickly into the research portion without having to sift through the seemingly endless resources at their fingertips. We like to use the Question Formulation Technique to help our students get started. After generating questions, students can choose the question that interests them most.

Purpose reflection questions:

• Why am I doing this project?
• What questions do I have about this topic?
• What am I excited to learn more about?

After choosing a topic or question, students must break it down into smaller pieces. This could mean finding connections between their topic and personal interests or generating more questions that will lead them closer to finding the answer to their main question. This provides the road map that will help them identify the resources they should use and direct their research.

Depth reflection questions:

• How detailed do I need or want to be?
• What resources are available and reliable?

Helping students find an appropriate method of delivery is an extremely important part of our framework. In the past, our students have felt limited to using only basic presentation tools, like slides or posters. While students may use these methods, we do not want them to feel confined to only those options. Young learners are stunningly creative and should be able to share their knowledge in a way that they find exciting, but also in a way that is appropriate for their topic.

We encourage our students to shift their focus from presentation tools they are familiar with to the tools that best suit their project. Further, students need to identify their audience and if they are hoping to inform, persuade, entertain, or some combination of those. If students are unsure which presentation method to choose or are working in groups and disagree about method, they can use a decision matrix to help. We also encourage our students to think about what they would be excited to see as an audience member.

Delivery reflection questions:

• Who is my audience?
• Am I trying to persuade, inform, or entertain?
• What would I like to see as an audience member?

Supporting Student Voice and Choice

In our classes, we usually encounter two types of students: those who cannot wait to share and those who would rather do anything other than present something in front of an audience. This is something we love because it means we can help our learners find creative solutions.

We want our students to feel empowered to authentically be themselves, and every presentation is an opportunity for that to happen. For example, one of our former students was shy in front of the class but loved puppets. He was able to present his projects on recycling and pollution with his puppets, and, honestly, he captivated his audience more than many adult presenters we have seen. Another student loved Minecraft and created an entire human body, complete with in-game signs identifying and describing each organ and body system.

We have seen skits, songs, models (both physical and digital), videos, radio shows, dynamic slide presentations, drawings, and animations from young learners who were excited to share them. We have students using technology tools and programs that we had no idea existed, yet they are able to combine the tools with their newfound knowledge with ease. Further, every time a student presents to our classes, we get to learn something new about them and see their skills applied in a new way.

Since we implemented our purpose, depth, and delivery framework, our students have been sharing their research with us and asking for our feedback on their choice of delivery method, instead of simply copying and pasting information from the internet. We have moved beyond presentations for only our class and have had students present ideas to other classes and our school leadership team. Our students feel empowered to take their learning outside of our classroom walls and naturally expand their knowledge beyond our standards and curriculum. They feel connected to the information they are sharing and have grown personally as well as academically.

How to give a presentation

Does the thought of public speaking start your stomach churning like a tornado? Would you rather get caught in an avalanche than give a speech? Giving an oral report does not have to be a natural disaster. There are two main elements—the writing and the presentation. Find out how to put it all together with tips from the Nat Geo Kids Almanac .

Writing Your Material

Try to keep your sentences short and simple. Long, complex sentences are harder to follow. Limit yourself to just a few key points. You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too much information. To be most effective, hit your key points in the introduction, elaborate on them in the body, and then repeat them once again in your conclusion.

The three basic parts

• Introduction—This is your chance to engage your audience and really capture their interest in the subject you are presenting. Use a funny personal experience or a dramatic story, or start with an intriguing question.

• Body—This is the longest part of your report. Here you elaborate on the facts and ideas you want to convey. Give information that supports your main idea, and expand on it with specific examples or details. In other words, structure your oral report in the same way you would a written essay so that your thoughts are presented in a clear and organized manner.

• Conclusion—This is the time to summarize the information and emphasize your most important points to the audience one last time.

Preparing Your Delivery

Practice makes perfect. Confidence, enthusiasm, and energy are key to delivering an effective oral report, and they can best be achieved through rehearsal. Ask family and friends to be your practice audience and give you feedback when you’re done. Were they able to follow your ideas? Did you seem knowledgeable and confident? Did you speak too slowly or too fast, too softly or too loudly? The more times you practice giving your report, the more you’ll master the material. Then you won’t have to rely so heavily on your notes or papers, and you will be able to give your report in a relaxed and confident manner.

Present with everything you’ve got

Be as creative as you can. Incorporate videos, sound clips, slide presentations, charts, diagrams, and photos. Visual aids help stimulate your audience’s senses and keep them intrigued and engaged. They can also help to reinforce your key points. And remember that when you’re giving an oral report, you’re a performer. Take charge of the spotlight and be as animated and entertaining as you can. Have fun with it.

Keep your nerves under control

Everyone gets a little nervous when speaking in front of a group. That’s normal. But the more preparation you’ve done—meaning plenty of researching, organizing, and rehearsing—the more confident you’ll be. Preparation is the key. And if you make a mistake or stumble over your words, just regroup and keep going. Nobody’s perfect, and nobody expects you to be.

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14 Practical Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

• The Speaker Lab
• May 11, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever felt complete dread and fear at the thought of stepping up to deliver a presentation? If so, you’re not alone. The fear of public speaking is more common than you might think, but with the right presentation skills , it’s a hurdle that can be overcome.

In this article, we’ll help you master basic confidence-building techniques and conquer advanced communication strategies for engaging presentations. We’ll explore how body language and eye contact can make or break your connection with your audience; delve into preparation techniques like dealing with filler words and nervous habits; discuss tailoring content for different audiences; and much more.

Whether you’re prepping for job interviews or gearing up for big presentations, being prepared is key. With adequate practice and the proper attitude, you can crush your speech or presentation!

Mastering the Basics of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are not just about speaking in front of a crowd. It’s also about effective communication, audience engagement, and clarity. Mastering these skills can be transformative for everyone, from students to corporate trainers.

Building Confidence in Presentations

Becoming confident when presenting is no small feat. But fear not. Even those who feel jittery at the mere thought of public speaking can become masters with practice and patience. Just remember: stage fright is common and overcoming it is part of the process towards becoming an effective presenter.

Taking deep breaths before you start helps calm nerves while visualizing success aids in building confidence. Also, know that nobody minds if you take a moment to gather your thoughts during your presentation—everybody minds more if they cannot understand what you’re saying because you’re rushing.

The Role of Practice in Enhancing Presentation Skills

In line with old wisdom, practice indeed makes perfect, especially when improving presentation skills. Consistent rehearsals allow us to fine-tune our delivery methods like maintaining eye contact or controlling body language effectively.

You’ll learn better control over filler words through repeated drills. Plus, the extra practice can help you troubleshoot any technical glitches beforehand, saving you the sudden panic during your actual presentations.

Remember that great presenters were once beginners too. Continuous effort will get you there sooner rather than later.

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Body Language and Eye Contact in Presentations

The effectiveness of your presentation can hinge on more than just the words you say. Just as important is your body language .

Impact of Posture on Presentations

Your posture speaks volumes before you utter a word. Standing tall exudes confidence while slouching could signal nervousness or lack of preparation.

If there’s one lesson to take away from our YouTube channel , it’s this: good presenters know their message but great ones feel it through every fiber (or muscle) of their being. The audience can sense that energy when they see open body language rather than crossed arms.

Maintaining Eye Contact During Your Presentation

Eyes are often called windows to the soul for a reason. They’re communication powerhouses. Making eye contact helps build trust with your audience members and keeps them engaged throughout your speech.

Avoid staring at note cards or visual aids too much as this might give an impression that you’re unprepared or uncertain about your chosen topic. Instead, aim to maintain eye contact between 50% of the time during presentations. This commonly accepted “50/70 rule” will help you exhibit adequate confidence to your audience.

If stage fright has gotten a hold on you, take deep breaths before you start speaking in order to stay calm. Make sure that fear doesn’t disrupt your ability to maintain eye-contact during presentations.

If body language and eye contact still feel like a lot to manage during your big presentation, remember our golden rule: nobody minds small mistakes. It’s how you handle questions or mishaps that truly makes a difference—so stay positive and enthusiastic.

Preparation Techniques for Successful Presentations

Presentation skills are like a craft that requires meticulous preparation and practice. Aspects like visual aids and time management contribute to the overall effectiveness of your delivery.

The first step towards delivering an impactful presentation is research and organization. The content should be well-researched, structured logically, and presented in simple language. This will make sure you deliver clear messages without any room for misinterpretation.

Dealing with Filler Words and Nervous Habits

Nervous habits such as excessive use of filler words can distract from your message. Luckily, there are plenty of strategies that can address these issues. For instance, try taking deep breaths before speaking or using note cards until fluency is achieved. In addition, practice regularly to work on eliminating these verbal stumbling blocks.

Avoiding Distractions During Presentations

In a digital age where distractions abound, maintaining focus during presentations has become an even more crucial part of the preparation process. This video by motivational speaker Brain Tracy provides insights on how one could achieve this level of focus required for effective presentations.

Maintaining Confidence Throughout Your Presentation

Confidence comes from thorough understanding of the chosen topic combined with regular practice sessions before the big day arrives. Make use of note cards or cue cards as needed but avoid reading from them verbatim.

Taking control over stage fright starts by arriving early at the venue so that you familiarize yourself with the surroundings, which generally calms nerves down considerably. So next time you feel nervous before a big presentation, remember—thorough preparation can make all the difference.

Engaging Your Audience During Presentations

Connecting with your audience during presentations is an art, and mastering it can take your presentation skills to the next level. Making the message conveyed reach an emotional level is essential, not just conveying facts.

Understanding Your Target Audience

The first step towards engaging your audience is understanding them. Tailor the content of your presentation to their needs and interests. Speak in their language—whether that be professional jargon or everyday slang—to establish rapport and ensure comprehension.

An effective presenter understands who they’re speaking to, what those individuals care about, and how best to communicate complex ideas understandably.

Making Complex Information Understandable

Dense data or complicated concepts can lose even the most interested listener if presented ineffectively. Breaking your key points down into manageable chunks helps maintain attention while promoting retention. Analogies are especially useful for this purpose as they make unfamiliar topics more relatable.

Audience Participation & Questions: A Two-Way Street

Incorporating opportunities for audience participation encourages engagement at another level. It allows listeners to become active participants rather than passive receivers of knowledge.

Consider techniques like live polls or interactive Q&A sessions where you invite questions from attendees mid-presentation instead of saving all queries until the end.

This gives you a chance not only engage but also address any misunderstandings right on spot.

• Treat each question asked as an opportunity—it’s evidence someone has been paying attention. Even challenging questions should be welcomed as they demonstrate an engaged, thoughtful audience.
• Encourage participation. It can be as simple as a show of hands or the use of interactive technologies for live polling during your presentation. This keeps your audience active and invested in the content.

Remember, your presentation isn’t just about putting on a show—it’s about meaningful interaction.

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Presentation Skills in Specific Contexts

Whether you’re nailing your next job interview, presenting an exciting marketing campaign, or delivering insightful educational content, the context matters. Let’s take a look.

The Art of Job Interviews

A successful job interview often hinges on effective communication and confidence. Here, the target audience is usually small but holds significant influence over your future prospects. Body language plays a crucial role; maintain eye contact to show sincerity and interest while open body language communicates approachability.

Bullet points summarizing key experiences are also helpful for quick recall under pressure. This allows you to present your chosen topic with clarity and positive enthusiasm without relying heavily on note or cue cards.

Pitching in Public Relations & Marketing

In public relations (PR) and marketing contexts, presentations need to capture attention quickly yet hold it long enough to deliver key messages effectively. Visual aids are valuable tools here—they help emphasize points while keeping the audience engaged.

Your aim should be highlighting presentation benefits that resonate with potential clients or partners, making them feel as though ignoring such opportunities would mean missing out big time.

Educational Presentations

An educational setting demands its own unique set of presentation skills where deep understanding trumps flashy visuals. You must make complex information understandable without oversimplifying essential details—the use of analogies can be beneficial here.

Keeping the audience’s attention is critical. Encourage questions and participation to foster a more interactive environment, enhancing learning outcomes for all audience members.

Tips for Becoming a Great Presenter

No single method is suitable for everyone when it comes to speaking in public. However, incorporating continuous improvement and practice into your routine can make you an exceptional presenter.

Tailor Your Presentation to Your Audience

Becoming an excellent speaker isn’t just about delivering information; it’s also about making a connection with the audience. So make sure that you’re taking setting, audience, and topic into consideration when crafting your presentation. What works for one audience may not work for another, so be sure to adapt your presentation styles according to the occasion in order to be truly effective.

The Power of Practice

The art of mastering public speaking skills requires practice —and lots of it . To become a great presenter, focus on improving communication skills through practice and feedback from peers or mentors. Try to seek feedback on every speech delivered and incorporate those pointers in your future presentations. Over time, this cycle of delivery-feedback-improvement significantly enhances your ability to connect with audiences and convey ideas effectively.

If you’re looking for examples of good speakers, our speech breakdowns on YouTube provide excellent examples of experienced presenters who masterfully utilize speaking techniques. Analyzing their strategies could give you great ideas for enhancing your own style.

Finding Your Style

A crucial part of captivating any audience lies in how you deliver the message rather than the message itself. Developing a unique presentation style lets you stand out as an engaging speaker who commands attention throughout their talk. Through — you guessed it — practice, you can develop a personal presentation style that resonates with listeners while showcasing your expertise on the chosen topic.

Your body language plays a pivotal role here: open gestures communicate confidence and enthusiasm towards your subject matter, two qualities essential for keeping audiences hooked. Similarly, using vocal variety adds dynamism to speeches by emphasizing points when needed or creating suspense during storytelling parts of your talk.

Cultivating Passion & Enthusiasm

Showcasing genuine passion for the subject helps keep listeners engaged throughout even lengthy presentations. Sharing stories related to the topic or expressing excitement about sharing knowledge tends to draw people in more than mere data recitation ever could.

Recognize that everybody is distinctive; don’t expect identical results from every speaker. The path to becoming a great presenter involves recognizing your strengths and working tirelessly on areas that need improvement.

FAQs on Presentation Skills

What are good presentation skills.

Good presentation skills include a clear message, confident delivery, engaging body language, audience understanding, and interaction. They also involve effective preparation and practice.

What are the 5 steps of presentation skills?

The five steps of presenting include: planning your content, preparing visual aids if needed, practicing the delivery aloud, performing it with confidence, and finally post-presentation reflection for improvements.

What are the 5 P’s of presentation skills?

The five P’s stand for Preparation (researching your topic), Practice (rehearsing your talk), Performance (delivering with confidence), Posture (standing tall), and Projection (using a strong voice).

What are your presentation skills?

Your personal set of abilities to deliver information effectively is what we call your presentation skill. It can encompass public speaking ability, clarity in speech or writing as well as visual communication talent.

Mastering presentation skills isn’t an overnight process, but practice and perseverance will put you well on your way to becoming an effective speaker.

You’ve learned that confidence plays a crucial role in effective presentations, so take deep breaths, make eye contact, and keep your body language open. As always, preparation is key. Tackle filler words head-on and get comfortable with visual aids for impactful storytelling.

Remember the importance of audience engagement — it’s all about understanding their needs and tailoring your content accordingly. This way, complex information turns into digestible insights.

Above all else: practice! After all, nothing beats experience when it comes to improving public speaking abilities.

• Last Updated: May 9, 2024

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Inspired Together Teachers

Improve Student Presentations: Teach Them How to be Effective

March 22, 2019 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

In our experience, teachers are more likely to assign oral presentations than they are to teach students how to do presentations. We give students the task, and sometimes a rubric, and expected to give polished presentations. We tell them to use expression, but rarely teach them how to read with expression.

Unfortunately, the assign and present method rarely results in excellent presentations.

We say enough already!

We know students should learn to give effective presentations. Oral presentation skills are included in local, state and national standards. Almost all careers, and most jobs require some form of public speaking. Students can effectively demonstrate their learning through speaking, and if it is done well, they can help others learn.

Many teachers struggle to help students with presentations because they fear public speaking themselves. In some studies, fear of public speaking is the number one fear of the American public. In one study, 41 % of people listed public speaking as their number one fear and 19 percent listed death. We should take note when people are more afraid of public speaking than death!

We can eliminate the fear of public speaking if we teach students the skills for good speaking, give them opportunities to practice in low stress situations, and start by frequently practicing they are young. A high school or college speech class is extremely intimidating if students have had no formal instruction in speaking up until that time. To make matters worse, speech classes are seldom required, so many students don’t even get that training.

Where do students get an opportunity for frequent, low stakes practice in speaking? In the classroom.

Every teacher, not just language arts teachers, have an opportunity to help students become confident speakers. Students can improve their presentations skills in history, science, social studies or math in addition to language arts classes. Subjects such as the arts and languages come alive when students learn and use good presentation skills.

You can take back student presentations by teaching students effective presentation skills.

  before you begin, establish rules and expectations..

Emphasize that the goal of speaking assignments is practice to help students become effective speakers.

Help students to understand how having good oral presentations skills will be an asset in the future.

Encourage a growth mindset- if students are nervous, explain that they haven’t perfected the skill yet.

Teach students how to be a good audience and set the expectation that they will be polite. Teach them how to ask good questions of the presenter.

Teach students that their role is not just to create the content, but to practice the skills of effective speaking.

Determine an attention getting signal to use to call students back to you for further instruction.

Teach, model and practice the basics of effective speaking.

Project your voice.

Have student practice projecting their voice across the room without shouting. Try it with a whisper. Students will be amazed that they can whisper so loud that others can hear them at a distance. Practice reading a line or two with different volumes. Have students partner up and try speaking at different volumes from different distances. They want to be sure that everyone can hear them.

Practice standing with a confident stance.

Students should be comfortable, but not slouching. They should stand still and can move occasionally, but not sway back and forth. They can take a few steps or move across “the stage” occasionally, which adds interest.

Practice good eye contact.

Good eye contact helps speakers connect with the audience, which means they will be more engaged in your presentation. Students often miss this one. If they are nervous, they will often fail to make eye contact with others.

Teach students to look up and smile at the audience before they begin. This often puts all parties at ease.

Lack of eye contact also occurs when students read their papers or power points word-for-word. Good speakers often share the content with notes rather than reading from a script. Good speaking is more like talking than reading. If students must read, have them write “look up” at various points in the script. Alternatively, have students write highlights from their papers on note cards, choosing the most important or interesting parts.

Pay attention to speaking rate.

Rate is effectively taught by modeling. Try reading something very fast. It is difficult to keep up. Then read something slowly. It becomes boring. Have students practice reading a paragraph with a partner, alternating fast and slow until they come to a happy medium. Advanced students can learn to modulate rate for effect, for example slowing down to build suspense. This will avoid the dreaded monotone.

Teach students to articulate. 

In general, Americans can be sloppy speakers. Teach students to pronounce things carefully. Voice all of the letters, for example say running, rather than runnin.”  Look for other culprits of sloppy speech, “Ta” for “to” and “gonna” instead of going to. Watch out for mumbling.

Use a more formal tone than you might use in every day speech.

Teach students that there is a time and place for slang and sloppy speech, for example when you are with your friends or in informal situations. Public speaking is a time to use more formal pronunciations.We once heard a student presenting to the board of education and he opened by calling them “Dudes.” It was not well received. You don’t want to put off your audience by appearing unprofessional.

Teach students to use facial expressions to add interest. 

If students have a good command of vocal parts of speaking, teach them to add facial expressions, which will increase audience attention. Give students an opportunity to practice facial expressions. Ask students to show disgust, happiness, sadness, nervousness in their faces. Show accusing looks, hopeful looks and embarrassed looks. Students can make a note in their scripts to remind them to use a facial expression.

Teach students to use gestures. 

Using gestures appropriately will also help your audience maintain interest. Students may use their hands or some part of their body to add emphasis to something they say. If they choose to use a gesture, make sure it is a full gesture, done slowly and purposefully. Students often rush a gesture, throwing it away and eliminating effectiveness because it is done too quickly and not completely. Practice gestures by having students say “goodbye” and waving. Too little or gesturing too quickly, and it isn’t effective. Too long and it looks ridiculous.

Students often like to use gestures. If students want to add gestures, they should plan for them and practice them.

Have students write an attention getting opening.

Students want to get the audience’s attention right from the start. “This report is about the role of farmers in 15 th Century China ” does not inspire interest.  “Did you know that each and every one of you has something in common with 15 th Century farmers in China?”   Now we are listening.

Have students start with an intriguing question, an interesting fact or a surprising statement. Have them hint at something valuable they are going to share. Tell them to find a way to connect their topic to their audience.  A little time spent here can have a big pay off in terms of audience interest.

With time and practice, students will improve and gain valuable public speaking skills.

Many students have something to say and want to be heard. Others crave attention and relish being in the limelight. Teaching students the basics of speaking will help them to feel comfortable and confident with public speaking.

Developing good public speaking skills will serve them well in many situations in life, from communicating well in relationships to giving a wedding toast to making a presentation in their future careers.

We hope to banish boring speeches from our classrooms.

What about you?

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75 Unique School Presentation Ideas and Topics Plus Templates

Are you tired of seeing the same PowerPoints repeating overused and unoriginal school presentation ideas covering repeated topics in your classes?

You know what I’m talking about; we’ve all been there, and sat through yawn-worthy demonstrations, slides, or presentation videos covering everything from the solar system, someone’s favorite pet, past presidents of a country, to why E=mC squared.

From grade school to university, first graders to college students, we are obligated to create, perform, and observe academic presentations across a plethora of curriculums and classes, and not all of these public speaking opportunities fall into the category of an ‘interesting topic’.

Yet, have no fear! Here at Piktochart, we are here to help you and your classmates. From giving examples of creative and even interactive presentation ideas, providing presentation videos , and suggesting interactive activities to give your five minutes of fame the ‘wow’ factor that it deserves, this article is your guide!

Our massive collection of unique school and college presentation ideas and templates applies if you’re:

• A teacher looking to make your class more engaging and fun with student presentations.
• A student who wants to impress your teacher and the rest of the class with a thought-provoking, interesting topic.

A Curated List of Interesting Topics for School Presentations

Did you know that when it comes to presentations , the more students involved improves retention? The more you know! Yet sometimes, you need a little help to get the wheels moving in your head for your next school presentation .

The great thing about these ideas and topics is you can present them either in face-to-face classes or virtual learning sessions.

Each school presentation idea or topic below also comes with a template that you can use. Create a free Piktochart account to try our presentation maker and get access to the high-quality version of the templates. You can also check out our Piktochart for Education plan .

Want to watch this blog post in video format? The video below is for you!

The templates are further divided into the following categories covering the most popular and best presentation topics. Click the links below to skip to a specific section.

• Unique science presentation topics to cultivate curiosity in class
• Engaging culture and history presentation ideas to draw inspiration from
• Health class presentation topics to help students make healthy lifestyle decisions
• Data visualization ideas to help students present an overwhelming amount of data and information into clear, engaging visuals
• First day of school activity ideas to foster classroom camaraderie
• Communication and media topics to teach students the importance of effective communication
• Topics to help students prepare for life after school

We hope this list will inspire you and help you nail your next school presentation activity.

Unique Science Presentation Topics to Cultivate Curiosity in Class

Science is a broad field and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with too many topics to choose for your next presentation.

Cultivate curiosity in the science classroom with the following unique and creative presentation ideas and topics:

1. Can life survive in space?

2. Do plants scream when they’re in pain?

3. What are the traits of successful inventors?

4. How vaccines work

5. Massive destruction of the Koala’s habitat in Australia

6. Left brain versus right brain

7. What are great sources of calcium?

8. Recycling facts you need to know

9. Do you have what it takes to be a NASA astronaut?

10. The rise of robots and AI: Should we be afraid of them?

11. How far down does the sea go?

12. The stages of sleep

13. Will Mars be our home in 2028?

14. A quick look at laboratory safety rules

15. The first person in history to break the sound barrier

Engaging Culture and History Presentation Ideas to Draw Inspiration From

History is filled with equally inspiring and terrifying stories, and there are lessons that students can learn from the events of the past. Meanwhile, interactive presentations about culture help students learn and embrace diversity. 

16. Women in history: A conversation through time

17. The sweet story of chocolate 

18. A history lesson with a twist 

19. The history of basketball 

20. The origin of the Halloween celebration 

21. AI History 

22. What you need to know about New Zealand 

23. 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa 

24. Roman structures: 2000 years of strength

25. The most famous art heists in history 

26. Elmo: The story behind a child icon 

27. 10 things you should know before you visit South Korea 

28. 8 things you didn’t know about these 8 countries 

Health Class Presentation Topics to Help Students Make Healthy Lifestyle Decisions

Want to learn how to engage students with healthcare topic ideas? Then consider using these templates for your next interactive presentation.

According to the CDC , school-based health education contributes to the development of functional health knowledge among students. It also helps them adapt and maintain health-promoting behaviors throughout their lives. 

Not only will your presentation help with keeping students engaged, but you’ll also increase class involvement with the right slides.

The following examples of health and wellness interactive presentations include fun ideas and topics that are a good start. 

29. How to look after your mental health?

30. The eradication of Polio

31. How to have a healthy lifestyle 

32. 10 handwashing facts 

33. Myths and facts about depression

34. Hacks for making fresh food last longer 

35. Ways to avoid spreading the coronavirus

36. Mask protection in 5 simple steps 

37. Everything you need to know about the flu

38. All about stress: Prevention, tips, and how to cope 

39. The importance of sleep 

40. Is milk tea bad for you?

41. How to boost happiness in 10 minutes

42. How dirty are debit and credit cards 

43. Why do you need sunscreen protection

Data Visualization Ideas to Help Students Present Overwhelming Amounts of Data in Creative Ways

Data visualization is all about using visuals to make sense of data. Students need to pull the main points from their extensive research, and present them by story telling while being mindful of their classmates’ collective attention span.

As far as student assignments go, storytelling with data is a daunting task for students and teachers alike. To keep your audience interested, consider using a non linear presentation that presents key concepts in creative ways.

Inspire your class to be master data storytellers with the following data visualization ideas:

44. Are we slowly losing the Borneo rainforest?

45. Skateboard deck design over the years

46. Food waste during the Super Bowl

47. The weight of the tallest building in the world

48. Infographic about data and statistics

49. Stats about cyberbullying

50. How whales combat climate change

First Day of School Interactive Activity Ideas to Foster Whole-class-Camaraderie

Calling all teachers! Welcome your new students and start the school year with the following back-to-school creative presentation ideas and relevant templates for first-day-of-school activities.

These interactive presentations grab the attention of your students and are remarkably easy to execute (which is the main educator’s goal after all)!

51. Meet the teacher

52. Example: all about me

53. Self-introduction

54. Tips on how to focus on schoolwork

55. Course plan and schedule

Give our class schedule maker a try to access more templates for free. You can also access our presentation-maker , poster-maker , timeline-maker , and more by simply signing up .

56. Interpreting a student’s report card (for parents)

57. Introduction of classroom rules

58. Assignment schedule

59. Daily planner

60. Course syllabus presentation

61. How to write a class presentation

Topics to Teach Students the Importance of Effective Communication

Visual media  helps students retain more of the concepts  taught in the classroom. The following media topics and infographic templates can help you showcase complex concepts in a short amount of time. 

In addition, interactive presentation activities using these templates also encourage the development of a holistic learning process in the classroom because they help focus on the  three domains of learning:  cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. 

62. Interactive presentation do’s and don’ts 

63. How to create an infographic 

Recommended reading : How to Make an Infographic in 30 Minutes

64. How to improve your internet security and privacy

65. What is design thinking?

66. What are your favorite software tools to use in the classroom? 

Presentation Topic Ideas to Help Students Prepare for Life After School

One of the things that makes teaching a rewarding career is seeing your students take the learning and knowledge you’ve instilled in them, and become successful, productive adults.

From pitching a business idea to starting your podcast, the following topics are good starting points to prepare students for the challenges after graduation (aka adulting 101):

67. How to make a resume

68. How to start a startup

69. Credit card vs. debit card

70. Pros and cons of cryptocurrency

71. How to save on travel

72. How to do a SWOT analysis

73. How to pitch a business idea

74. Habits of successful people

75. Starting your own podcast: A checklist

Find out how a high school teacher like Jamie Barkin uses Piktochart to improve learning in the classroom for her students.

Pro tip: make your presentation as interactive as possible. Students have an attention span of two to three minutes per year of age. To keep minds from wandering off, include some interactive games or activities in the lesson. For example, if you conducted a lesson on the respiratory system, you could ask them to practice breathing techniques.

Maintain eye contact with your students, and you’ll get instant feedback on how interested they are in the interactive presentation.

Make School Presentation Visuals Without the Hassle of Making Them From Scratch

School presentations, when done right, can help teachers engage their classes and improve students’ education effectively by presenting information using the right presentation topic. 

If you’re pressed for time and resources to make your school presentation visuals , choose a template from Piktochart’s template gallery . Aside from the easy customization options, you can also print and download these templates to your preferred format. 

Piktochart also professional templates to create infographics , posters , brochures , reports , and more.

Creating school-focused, engaging, and interactive presentations can be tedious at first, but with a little bit of research and Piktochart’s handy templates, you’re going to do a great job!

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Oral Presentation Rubric

About this printout

This rubric is designed to be used for any oral presentation. Students are scored in three categories—delivery, content, and audience awareness.

Teaching with this printout

More ideas to try, related resources.

Oral presentation and speaking are important skills for students to master, especially in the intermediate grades. This oral presentation rubric is designed to fit any topic or subject area. The rubric allows teachers to assess students in several key areas of oral presentation. Students are scored on a scale of 1–4 in three major areas. The first area is Delivery, which includes eye contact, and voice inflection. The second area, Content/Organization, scores students based on their knowledge and understanding of the topic being presented and the overall organization of their presentation. The third area, Enthusiasm/Audience Awareness, assesses students based on their enthusiasm toward the topic and how well they came across to their intended audience. Give students the oral presentation rubric ahead of time so that they know and understand what they will be scored on. Discuss each of the major areas and how they relate to oral presentation.

• After students have completed their oral presentations, ask them to do a self-assessment with the same rubric and hold a conference with them to compare their self-assessment with your own assessment.
• Provide students with several examples of oral presentations before they plan and execute their own presentation. Ask students to evaluate and assess the exemplar presentations using the same rubric.
• Students can do a peer evaluation of oral presentations using this rubric. Students meet in partners or small groups to give each other feedback and explain their scoring.
• Lesson Plans
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Students research engineering careers and create poetry to understand the vocabulary of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Useful for a wide variety of reading and writing activities, this outlining tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information.

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Communication Skills for Grade 5

Developing communication skills in Grade 5 students is a pivotal step in their educational journey, fostering not just academic success but also essential life skills. This comprehensive guide focuses on enhancing various aspects of communication, tailored specifically for 10 to 11-year-olds. Through practical Communication Examples and age-appropriate activities, this guide offers parents and educators effective methods to cultivate listening, speaking, and interpersonal skills among young learners. From building confidence in public speaking to nurturing empathy and active listening, this guide equips you with the tools to help your fifth graders thrive in both classroom interactions and everyday life.

30 Examples of communication skills for grade 5

In Grade 5, students are at a critical phase where developing effective communication skills is key to their academic and personal growth. This guide presents 30 distinct examples of communication skills specifically designed for fifth graders. Each example is crafted to enhance their ability to express themselves, understand others, and effectively engage in various forms of communication. From mastering the art of active listening to effectively participating in group discussions, these examples, accompanied by practical applications, provide a roadmap for educators and parents to foster strong communication abilities in their young learners.

• Expressing Thoughts Clearly : Teach students to articulate their ideas in a clear and concise manner. Example: Encourage them to share a favorite story and explain why they like it.
• Active Listening : Emphasize the importance of listening attentively to others. Example: Have students summarize what a classmate said during a discussion.
• Asking Questions : Encourage curiosity and inquiry. Example: Prompt them to ask questions after a lesson to deepen understanding.
• Non-Verbal Communication : Show how body language and facial expressions convey messages. Example: Role-play different emotions and identify them through non-verbal cues.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback : Teach them to provide constructive feedback kindly. Example: Peer-review each other’s work and offer positive suggestions.
• Respectful Disagreement : Guide them to express differing opinions respectfully. Example: Debate a topic, ensuring each student speaks courteously.
• Group Discussion Participation : Encourage active involvement in group settings. Example: Organize group projects where each student has a chance to speak.
• Storytelling Skills : Enhance their ability to tell stories effectively. Example: Have a story-telling session where students narrate a personal experience.
• Empathy in Communication : Foster understanding and empathy. Example: Discuss scenarios and ask how they would feel in those situations.
• Public Speaking : Build confidence in speaking in front of others. Example: Conduct a ‘show and tell’ session to practice public speaking.
• Effective Writing : Develop writing skills for clear communication. Example: Write short essays or stories on chosen topics.
• Conflict Resolution : Teach strategies to resolve conflicts amicably. Example: Role-play scenarios where they practice resolving disagreements.
• Cultural Sensitivity : Educate on respecting diverse cultures. Example: Share and discuss traditions from different cultures.
• Following Instructions : Practice understanding and following directions. Example: Give a series of steps for a task and have them complete it.
• Articulating Questions : Teach them to ask clear, relevant questions. Example: In a Q&A session, encourage them to formulate thoughtful questions.
• Persuasive Communication : Introduce techniques for persuasive speaking. Example: Persuade classmates on a topic like the importance of recycling.
• Building Vocabulary : Expand their word usage for better expression. Example: Introduce new words weekly and use them in sentences.
• Clarity in Writing : Focus on clear, coherent writing. Example: Write instructions for a simple game and exchange them to see if they are clear.
• Listening for Comprehension : Strengthen listening for understanding. Example: Listen to a short story and answer questions about it.
• Positive Communication : Encourage positive language use. Example: Practice replacing negative statements with positive ones.
• Assertiveness : Teach them to express needs and opinions assertively. Example: Share opinions on a book or movie confidently.
• Effective Note-Taking : Develop skills for taking useful notes. Example: Take notes during a lesson and share key points.
• Email Etiquette : Introduce basics of formal digital communication. Example: Write an email to a fictional pen pal.
• Telephone Manners : Practice polite telephone conversations. Example: Role-play making a phone call to a friend.
• Understanding Non-Verbal Cues : Recognize and interpret body language. Example: Guess the emotion based on a classmate’s body language.
• Communication through Art : Express ideas creatively through art. Example: Draw a picture to convey a message or story.
• Interpersonal Skills : Develop skills for one-on-one interactions. Example: Pair up students for a discussion on a topic.
• Brainstorming Ideas : Encourage collaborative idea generation. Example: Group brainstorm for a class project.
• Feedback Acceptance : Teach how to accept feedback gracefully. Example: Discuss how to respond constructively to critiques.
• Responsible Digital Communication : Educate on respectful online communication. Example: Discuss the dos and don’ts of internet etiquette.

Effective Social Communication Lessons for Grade 5 Students

Social communication is vital for children’s development. Engaging Grade 5 students with lessons that enhance their social communication skills can significantly boost their confidence and interaction abilities. Here are 10 unique examples:

• Role-Playing Different Scenarios : Students act out various social situations, learning how to navigate conversations and understand diverse perspectives.
• Group Discussions on Current Events : Encourages students to express their opinions and listen to others, fostering respectful dialogue.
• Storytelling Sessions : Sharing personal stories in a group, enhancing empathy and understanding among peers.
• Debate on School Topics : Helps students articulate their thoughts clearly and respectfully disagree.
• Team Building Activities : Engages students in tasks requiring communication and collaboration, emphasizing teamwork.
• Communication Games : Like ‘Telephone’ to demonstrate how messages can change, highlighting clear articulation.
• Emotional Charades : Recognizing and expressing emotions through non-verbal cues, enhancing emotional intelligence.
• Peer Feedback Sessions : Students learn to give and receive constructive feedback, improving interpersonal interactions.
• Social Media Etiquette Class : Teaching responsible online communication, relevant in today’s digital age.
• Cultural Exchange Projects : Exposing students to different cultures, promoting inclusivity and global awareness.

Key Verbal Communication Techniques for Grade 5 Students

Mastering verbal communication is crucial for young learners. Grade 5 students can benefit from these 10 examples of key verbal communication techniques:

• Using ‘I’ Statements : Encourages expressing personal feelings without blaming others, fostering positive conversations.
• Active Listening Skills : Emphasizing the importance of listening attentively to understand others better.
• Asking Open-ended Questions : Promotes curiosity and deeper understanding in conversations.
• Vocabulary Building Games : Expanding language skills for clearer expression.
• Story Recreating Exercises : Enhancing descriptive skills by retelling stories in their own words.
• Public Speaking Practice : Boosting confidence in expressing thoughts in front of an audience.
• Role-Playing Interviews : Preparing for real-life scenarios like interviews, improving formal communication skills.
• Poetry and Rhyme Sessions : Encourages creative expression and rhythm in speech.
• Peer Discussion Circles : Small group discussions on varied topics, promoting dialogue skills.
• Feedback Loop Practice : Learning the art of giving and receiving feedback, an essential part of effective communication.

Group Communication Activities for 5th Graders

Engage 5th graders with dynamic group communication activities, enhancing teamwork and verbal skills. Activities like role-playing, group discussions, and collaborative projects foster effective communication skills and soft skills communication among young learners. These interactive exercises cultivate listening in communication skills , empathy in communication skills , and collaboration in communication skills , essential for their academic and social development.

• Team Storytelling Relay : In this activity, students form groups and collaboratively create a story. Each member adds a sentence, practicing storytelling as communication skill and active listening in communication skills .
• Opinion Sharing Circle : Students sit in a circle and share opinions on various topics, enhancing their interpersonal communication skills and respect for diverse perspectives.
• Group Puzzle Solving : Each group receives a puzzle to solve together. This activity promotes collaboration in communication skills and problem-solving as a team.
• Role-Play Scenarios : Groups enact given scenarios, like a news report or a historical event, boosting their presentation skills in communication and creativity.
• Debate Club : Students engage in friendly debates on light topics, developing their persuasion in communication skills and critical thinking.
• Emotion Charades : Here, students act out different emotions while others guess, enhancing their emotional intelligence in communication skills and empathy.
• Feedback Fishbowl : After completing a group task, students give constructive feedback, fostering feedback in communication skills and self-awareness.
• Classroom Conflict Resolution : Groups discuss hypothetical conflicts and propose solutions, highlighting the importance of conflict resolution in communication skills .
• Joint Story Writing : Groups write a story together, each contributing a part. This exercise hones written communication skills and collective creativity.
• Community Project Planning : Groups plan a mock community project, practicing communication skills for project management and organizational abilities.

How Grade 5 Students Improve Communication Skills?

In the journey of academic and personal growth, mastering communication skills is crucial for Grade 5 students. This comprehensive guide delves into practical strategies and activities that can significantly enhance these skills in young learners, laying a foundation for their future success.

Understanding the Basics of Communication

The first step in enhancing communication skills is understanding its basics. Communication is not just about talking; it involves listening, understanding, and expressing thoughts clearly. Grade 5 students should be taught the importance of communication skills in everyday life. Lessons on types of communication skills —verbal, non-verbal, and written—provide a solid foundation.

Encouraging Active Listening

Active listening in communication skills is vital. Students should be encouraged to listen attentively, ask clarifying questions, and repeat back what they’ve heard to ensure understanding. This not only improves their listening skills but also helps in better comprehension of the subject matter.

Fostering Empathy through Communication

Empathy in communication skills plays a crucial role in how students interact with peers and teachers. Role-playing exercises can be an effective way to develop empathy, as students put themselves in others’ shoes and understand different perspectives.

Developing Verbal and Non-Verbal Skills

Both verbal and non-verbal cues are important in effective communication. Grade 5 students can benefit from exercises that focus on clear articulation, proper tone of voice, and appropriate body language. Drama and public speaking activities are great ways to enhance these skills.

Enhancing Written Communication

As students advance in their education, the importance of written communication skills becomes more evident. Encouraging regular writing practices, such as journaling or story writing, can significantly improve their ability to express thoughts in writing.

Integrating Technology in Communication

In today’s digital age, understanding the positive & negative effects of social media communication skills is important. Teaching students about digital communication etiquette and the impact of their online conversations is vital.

Regular Practice and Feedback

Frequent practice is key to mastering communication skills. Classroom activities that involve group discussions, presentations, and debates offer ample opportunities for practice. Additionally, providing constructive communication skills feedback is essential for improvement.

Parent-Teacher Collaboration

Communication skills for parents and teachers in supporting the child’s learning journey are pivotal. Regular parent-teacher meetings and discussions about the child’s progress can ensure a supportive environment for developing these skills.

Setting Personal Goals

Having students set personal goals for communication skills can be a motivating factor. These goals can range from improving their participation in class discussions to being more effective in group projects.

Using Resources and Tools

Various resources, such as communication skills books and online materials, can provide additional support. Teachers can incorporate these resources into their lesson plans for a more engaging and comprehensive learning experience.

In conclusion, Developing effective communication skills in Grade 5 students is not just beneficial for their current academic achievements but also lays the groundwork for their future personal and professional success. As they navigate through the complexities of adolescence and prepare for middle school, the ability to communicate effectively becomes increasingly important. It’s essential for parents and educators to continue fostering these skills through diverse activities and real-world applications. For further reading, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers valuable insights into the development of communication skills in children, including practical tips and resources.

Additionally, the role of technology in communication cannot be overlooked. In today’s digital age, teaching students about digital literacy and online communication etiquette is crucial. This includes understanding the impact of their digital footprint, learning to communicate respectfully online, and navigating the vast array of digital communication tools responsibly. For more information on this topic, Common Sense Education provides comprehensive resources on digital citizenship and safe online communication, which can be incredibly beneficial for educators and parents guiding children through the digital landscape.

By embracing these resources and continuously adapting teaching methods to meet the evolving communication needs of Grade 5 students, we can ensure that they are well-equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in both their academic and personal lives.

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10 Examples of communication skills for grade 5

10 Effective Social Communication Lessons for Grade 5 Students

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Common Core State Standards Initiative

English Language Arts Standards » Speaking & Listening » Grade 5

Standards in this strand:, comprehension and collaboration:, presentation of knowledge and ideas:.

• Key Design Consideration
• Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, & Language
• How to Read the Standards
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
• Introduction for K-5
• Kindergarten
• Introduction for 6-12
• Grade 11-12
• Introduction
• Language Progressive Skills
• Measuring Text Complexity: Three Factors
• Range of Text Types for K-5
• Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Range of Student Reading K-5
• Staying on Topic Within a Grade & Across Grades
• Range of Text Types for 6-12
• Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Range of Student Reading 6-12
• English Language Arts Appendix A
• English Language Arts Appendix B
• English Language Arts Appendix C

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

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The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills

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What your 5th grader should have learned

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team | Updated: May 5, 2024

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Did your fifth grader learn the skills they need to be ready for next year? Here are some of the most important academic and social skills that kids acquire in fifth grade. If your child is not proficient in some of these areas, don’t worry. No two kids are alike, especially when it comes to hitting developmental benchmarks. Choose a few to practice this summer, but keep things low-key — both for you and for your child. The most important outcomes of at-home learning are that your child enjoy learning and taking on new challenges.

By the end of 5th grade, kids should be able to:

• Read and concentrate for periods of up to 30 minutes at a time. ( Here’s help getting your fifth grader to choose reading over screens .)
• Read grade-level books and articles fluently and with good comprehension ( get reading comprehension practice here , find 5th grade books here , watch examples of showing understanding and reading smoothly with expression ).
• Research a topic using a variety of sources, and use the features of a book (for example, the index, glossary, and appendix) to find information.
• Identify the conflict, climax, and resolution in a story.
• Understand that writing involves several steps: planning, revising, editing, rewriting and, sometimes, trying a new approach.
• Type two or more pages.
• Collaborate with peers on group projects.
• Participate in a group discussion by listening to others and either adding to or responding to what others have said
• Use problem-solving strategies to solve real-world math problems ( get practice with word problems here ).
• Add and subtract fractions and decimals ( get practice working with decimals here ).
• Identify and describe three-dimensional shapes, and find their volumes and surface areas ( get practice finding volume here ).
• Use long division to divide large numbers by multi-digit numbers ( get division practice here ).

Find out more about your fifth grader and reading , writing , math , science , social studies , the arts , and physical education .

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25 Things Every 5th Grader Needs to Know

How would your 5th graders do when it comes to knowing these common lessons in science, reading, writing, geography, history, art, music and math?

Core Knowledge starts from a proven premise: Knowledge builds on knowledge. The curriculum outlines content that helps you help students build strong foundations of knowledge, grade by grade.

Fifth grade is a major transition year for students. From beginning to grapple with pre-algebraic concepts to conducting research for essays, this is the year students enter the realm of deeper study in writing, reading, history, math, science and the arts. Compare our checklist of essential fifth grade curriculum items with your lesson plans to see if you’re hitting all the top concepts.

READING AND WRITING

1. Write different kinds of essays.

Fifth graders should write often, and in different forms—reports, descriptions, research essays, essays that explain a process, essays that persuade, and more. Make sure they understand the basic structure, with an introduction, body and conclusion. To get students comfortable with the format, begin by choosing opinion topics that don’t require much research, such as this Best Restaurant essay prompt from a fifth grade teacher and blogger.

2. Gather research from at least three sources.

Choosing a topic and then pulling in information from a variety of sources such as encyclopedias, magazines, online sources and atlases is a crucial fifth grade skill. Learning how to synthesize information and summarize it—not simply copying the sources—is essential. You can also provide students with an easy-to-follow anchor chart to help guide them through the research process .

3. Dig into a novel.

As independent readers, most fifth graders should be ready to read a meaty full-length novel, whether classics like The Secret Garden and Tom Sawyer or more contemporary fare—there are so many great choices! You can suggest titles from the many online lists like this one on Good Reads or this one on Great Schools of recommended novels for fifth graders. And students can go beyond the basic book report with these fun and creative activities .

4. Explore and use figurative language.

Some of the most delightful language arts lessons are those that help students understand imagery, idioms, onomatopoeia, metaphors and similes. Search YouTube for clever teachers’ pop-culture-filled compilations of metaphors and similes and share them with your class.

5. Enjoy the language of poetry.

Once they’ve learned about figurative language, fifth graders can start noticing how poets use devices such as simile, metaphor and alliteration. They can also have fun using figurative language in writing their own poems.

6. Grasp sentence structure.

By fifth grade, students should understand and be able to identify a complete sentence, and to distinguish a sentence from a fragment. They should understand the concepts of subject and predicate. This is a good time to begin diagramming short sentences as a class—using different-colored dry-erase markers on the board will help students identify different sentence elements.

7. Meet the Bard.

All the world’s a stage, and the play’s the thing! So wrote the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare. Fifth graders should learn about his significant impact on our language and society. The magical comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream provides a great introduction . The play is available in adaptations for young readers , and the Folger Shakespeare Library offers fun resources.

The title page from an antique book of the plays of Shakespeare.

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

8. Explore the world’s great lakes.

Fifth graders can probably name the world’s major oceans and some of the biggest rivers, but do they know about great lakes? Lakes serve as a habitat for many animals and provide water for drinking, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. Lakes are also valuable to people as travel routes and as sites for recreation. Check out this free curriculum on great lakes of the world.

9. Explore Mesoamerican history.

Fifth graders should learn about the great native cultures of Mesoamerica (Central and South America) before moving on to learn about European exploration of the Americas and the clash of cultures. Check out this free curriculum on Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations.

10. Explore the European backgrounds to American history.

In the 1400s, Europeans set forth in a great wave of exploration and trade that eventually led to the Americas. Fifth graders can benefit from learning about the social and religious movements that pushed Europeans across the Atlantic, including the Renaissance, Reformation, and England’s Golden Age and Glorious Revolution. Core Knowledge Language Arts provides free teaching guide downloads for the Renaissance and the Reformation .

11. Delve into the Civil War.

Fifth grade classes should study the American Civil War and its causes, conflicts and consequences. Students should compare and contrast the cultures and economies of the North and South, and learn about slavery and abolition. The breadth of the Civil War lends itself to in-depth learning stations through which small groups can rotate in the classroom.

A pair of cannons at sunset on the Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland.

ART AND MUSIC

12. Revel in the Renaissance.

Studying the paintings and sculptures of Renaissance artists is a great way to integrate art and history in fifth grade. Look for Renaissance resources available here .

13. Get a perspective on artworks.

Renaissance artists introduced perspective —the illusion of depth in a flat painting or drawing. Fifth graders can learn how foreground, background and the horizon line work, and they can have fun making their own perspective drawings .

14. Understand basic music notation.

Remember learning EGBDF and FACE ? Many lively videos are available to help students see and comprehend the written language of music, starting with notation on the treble clef.

15. Know fractions frontward and backward.

Building on their work with fractions in previous grades, fifth graders should continue to solve problems with fractions and relate fractions to decimals and percentages. Check out these online games to add some fun to fractions practice.  

Three colored fraction die to use in elementary classrooms to teach math.

16. Master common factors and multiples.

Fifth graders should be able to identify the greatest common factor (GCF) and the least common multiple (LCM) of given numbers. To make the mastery enjoyable, have students work together in pairs to quickly collaborate on GCF and LCM problem sets.

17. Determine and express simple ratios and percentages.

Learning common equivalences between ratios, fractions, decimals and percentages is a key skill for fifth grade. This multi-week unit breaks down the relationships between these measurement groupings for students.

18. Deepen their knowledge of geometry.

Calculate area. Use a compass to determine the diameter, radius and circumference of circles. Identify and measure angles. The fundamentals of geometry are essential, and the real-world applications of geometry are everywhere. Have students write their name in large capital letters and then identify and measure the angles the letters create .

19. Dip toes into pre-algebra.

Time to bring out the x’s! In this grade, students will be introduced to variables and solve basic equations using them. They will be able to find the value of an expression when they are given the replacement value for a variable (“What is 7–x if x is 3?”). Invite students to write their own world problems to help them synthesize the variable concepts (“Joe has 70 Pidgies in his Pokédex, transfers X to the Professor, and now has 50 Pidgies left. What does X equal?”) and then share with their classmates.

20. Learn the concepts of mean, median and mode.

Building on probability, fifth graders will learn to define and differentiate between means, medians and modes in a series of numbers. Using decks of Uno cards, have groups of students determine the mode, median and mean of the cards in their hands .

21. Understand probability.

Using simple models, students should be able to express the probability of a given event as a fraction, percent and decimal. Dice games are an easy and effective way to predict outcomes and grasp probability math. SCIENCE

22. Learn the structure of cells.

Understanding that all living things are made up of cells, students will learn the structure of cells, both plant and animal. Get out the microscopes and slides so your fifth graders can see firsthand the membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm and organelles of different organisms’ cells. And check out these printable worksheets .

23. Probe photosynthesis.

This important life process not only allows plants to make their own food, it produces oxygen for us all. The simple activity of placing one plant in a dark classroom cupboard or closet and another of the same plant in sunlight, and inviting students to record and sketch their observations daily in data notebooks , can effectively demonstrate the importance and concept of photosynthesis.

24. Explore the Periodic Table.

Introduce fifth graders to the concept of elements and how they are organized in the Periodic Table . Challenge them to memorize the symbols of well-known elements (such as H, He, C, N, O, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au), and try an online quiz .

25. Learn how glands work.

At the target age of 10–11, many fifth graders’ bodies are changing, and many of those changes are triggered by the endocrine system. Explore how glands (pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and pancreas) secrete hormones that control different body processes.  

Looking for more info on what fifth graders need to know? Learn more about the book here or the starter kits here .

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10 general tips to teach 5th grade kids.

Teaching 5th grade is a journey filled with unique challenges and joyful discoveries. In my six years of experience in this role, I’ve gathered a wealth of insights and strategies that have proven effective in the classroom. If you’re searching for ideas on how to teach 5th grade , you’re in the right place.

SplashLearn: Most Comprehensive Learning Program for PreK-5

SplashLearn inspires lifelong curiosity with its game-based PreK-5 learning program loved by over 40 million children. With over 4,000 fun games and activities, it’s the perfect balance of learning and play for your little one.

This blog is designed to share practical tips and techniques I’ve learned and honed over the years. Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, these strategies will help you create a vibrant, engaging, and educational experience for your 5th graders. Let’s dive in!

5 Tips to Teach 5th Grade Math

1. Simplifying Complex Concepts

Math can be challenging for 5th graders as they encounter more complex topics. Break these concepts into smaller, manageable parts. Use real-life examples to make it relatable. This approach helps demystify tough topics and builds confidence in their math skills.

• Use everyday objects to explain fractions (like cutting a pizza into slices).
• Introduce decimals with money concepts (comparing dollars and cents ).
• Demonstrate geometry concepts using paper folding for shapes .
• Play games to break complex concepts into small concepts.

Play these games to break complex topics into bite-sized lessons:

2. Real-world Applications

At this stage, students should understand the practical application of math. While teaching 5th grade math , introduce problems that relate to real-life scenarios, like budgeting a family trip or measuring ingredients for a recipe. This makes math more engaging and relevant to their everyday lives.

• Calculate the total cost of items during a classroom ‘market day’.
• Plan a virtual trip: budgeting for tickets, food, and souvenirs.
• Measure and record rainfall over a week to practice data recording and analysis.

3. Integrating Technology in Math Learning

Using technology in the classroom can transform how 5th graders learn math. Digital tools and platforms offer interactive and personalized learning experiences, making math fun and engaging. They also provide teachers with resources to enhance their lessons and track student progress.

SplashLearn is a prime example of an effective digital tool for teaching math . It’s specifically designed to make learning math a fun and interactive experience for 5th graders. The platform offers a variety of games and worksheets that cover a wide range of math topics. These activities are structured in bite-sized lessons that make complex concepts easier to understand and retain.

SplashLearn adapts to each student’s learning pace, providing personalized challenges that keep them engaged. Its interactive interface makes learning math less intimidating and more enjoyable.

An added advantage of SplashLearn is that it’s completely free for teachers. This makes it an accessible tool for classrooms , ensuring that every student can benefit from this innovative way of learning math .

4. Encouraging Problem-solving Skills

Problem-solving is a key math skill. Present challenges that require students to think critically and come up with solutions. Encourage them to approach problems from different angles and not fear making mistakes, which is crucial to learning.

• Present word problems that require multi-step operations to solve.
• Set up math scavenger hunts where clues lead to math problems that need solving.
• Use puzzles and brain teasers that involve mathematical reasoning.

5. Regular Practice and Review

Consistency is key to mastering math skills. Regular practice helps solidify concepts. Use a variety of exercises, from worksheets to online quizzes, to keep practice sessions lively and ensure a comprehensive understanding of the material.

• Weekly math quizzes on different topics.
• Math journals where students reflect on what they’ve learned and practice problems.
• Group projects that require applying various math skills to solve.
• Incorporating a variety of math worksheets is a great way to provide practice and can be used for homework, classwork, or as additional support for students who need it. They offer structured practice, helping students reinforce what they’ve learned and build their confidence in math.

5 Tips to Teach 5th Grade Language Arts

1. Vocabulary Development

Expanding vocabulary is one of the most essential tips for 5th graders. It aids in reading comprehension and improves writing quality. Introduce new words in context and use engaging activities to reinforce learning.

• Vocabulary word of the day or week.
• Word games like crossword puzzles or word searches.
• Using new vocabulary words in creative writing assignments.

Begin with these activities to develop vocabulary:

2. Comprehension Strategies

Teaching students how to understand and analyze what they read is crucial. This involves discussing themes, characters, and plot and drawing connections to real life. Comprehension strategies improve critical thinking and set a foundation for advanced learning.

• Group discussions on book themes.
• Creating story maps or timelines.
• Comparing and contrasting characters or events.

Here are some worksheets to enhance comprehension skills that cover inefering, compare and contrast, comprehending and character analysis of the story:

3. Writing Workshops

Writing is a key component of language arts in the 5th grade . Workshops help students improve their writing skills through practice and peer feedback . These sessions should focus on structuring ideas, using descriptive language, and developing a personal writing style.

• Weekly creative writing prompts .
• Peer review sessions where students give and receive constructive feedback.
• Journaling activities to encourage personal expression.

4. Encouraging Reading Variety

As a 5th-grade teacher, it’s crucial to encourage students to explore a variety of reading materials. At this stage, broadening their reading horizons helps develop critical thinking and exposes them to different writing styles and genres. Diverse reading materials also enhance vocabulary and comprehension skills.

• Host a monthly book club or reading circle.
• Create a classroom library with a range of genres.
• Assign books that align with current events or historical periods being studied.

5. Incorporating Drama and Public Speaking

Alt text: Vector image of a debate going on

Drama and public speaking activities enhance language skills and build confidence. They allow students to express themselves creatively and improve their speaking and listening skills.

• Organizing class plays or skits.
• Holding debate sessions on current topics .
• Encouraging oral presentations on books or projects.

5 Tips to Teach 5th Grade Science

1. Hands-on Experiments and Demonstrations

One of the most effective methods in how to teach 5th grade science is through hands-on experiments. These activities make abstract concepts tangible and foster a deeper understanding. Encourage students to observe, predict, and draw conclusions from these experiments.

• Conduct simple chemistry experiments like vinegar and baking soda reactions.
• Explore physics by building small parachutes to learn about gravity.
• Study plant growth by planting seeds and tracking their development.

2. Connecting Science to Everyday Life

Relating science concepts to real-world scenarios helps students understand their relevance. This approach makes science less intimidating and interesting, showing how it’s part of daily life.

• Discuss how weather patterns affect the environment and everyday activities.
• Explore energy conservation at home or in school.
• Identify and discuss the science behind common household items.

3. Encouraging Scientific Inquiry

Promoting curiosity and the desire to explore is key to 5th grade teacher ideas. Teach students to ask questions, form hypotheses, and seek answers through observation and research.

• Encourage students to develop their science fair projects.
• Organize Q&A sessions where students can ask and answer science-related questions.
• Use open-ended questions in class discussions to stimulate critical thinking.

4. Encouraging Collaboration in Scientific Projects

Collaborative projects in science help students learn teamwork and problem-solving skills. Working together on experiments or research projects allows them to share ideas and learn from each other, fostering a cooperative learning environment.

• Group projects to build simple machines or ecosystems.
• Collaborative research on environmental issues and presenting findings.
• Science club activities where students work together on experiments or science-related events.

5. Field Trips and Guest Speakers

Field trips and guest speakers bring science to life, showing its application in the real world. They provide valuable experiences that textbooks alone cannot offer.

• Organize trips to science museums or nature reserves.
• Invite professionals like meteorologists or biologists to speak in class.
• Arrange visits to local observatories or planetariums.

1. Understanding Developmental Stages

When figuring out how to teach 5th grade, it’s crucial to consider their developmental stage. Fifth graders are at a point where they’re developing greater independence and critical thinking skills. Acknowledging and supporting this growth can make your teaching more effective.

2. Creating a Positive Learning Environment

The atmosphere in your classroom sets the tone for learning. A positive, inclusive environment encourages students to express themselves and take risks in learning. It’s about making each child feel valued and part of a learning community.

3. Building Relationships

Teaching fifth graders is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s also about building relationships. By knowing your students’ interests, strengths, and challenges, you can tailor your teaching to meet their individual needs.

4. Incorporating Different Learning Styles

Every student learns differently. Some may grasp concepts better through visuals, while others prefer hands-on activities or listening to explanations. Mixing up your teaching methods can help reach all learners.

5. Classroom Management Techniques

Effective classroom management is key in teaching fifth graders. Clear classroom rules , consistent routines, and fair consequences help maintain order and ensure every student can learn without distractions.

6. Encouraging Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a skill that fifth graders are beginning to develop. Encourage them to ask questions, think deeply, and analyze information. This not only enhances their learning but also prepares them for real-world challenges.

7. Fostering Independence

One of the goals in how to teach 5th grade is to foster independence in your students. This means allowing them to take charge of their learning, make decisions, and learn from their mistakes in a supportive environment.

8. Incorporating Group Work

Group work is excellent for teaching teamwork and collaboration. It allows students to share ideas, learn from each other, and develop social skills that are crucial at this age.

9. Continuous Assessment and Feedback

Regular assessments and feedback help you monitor your student’s progress and address learning gaps. It also helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

10. Parent Involvement

Engaging parents in the educational process is beneficial. Regular communication, parent-teacher meetings , and involvement in school activities can create a supportive learning environment for the students.

Remember that the key to how to teach 5th grade effectively lies in being adaptable and responsive to your student’s needs. Each child is unique, and your approach should be flexible enough to accommodate those differences. Keep exploring new strategies, stay curious about your students’ perspectives, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey of teaching and learning alongside your young learners.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What do you teach first in 5th grade.

In 5th grade, it’s often effective to start with a review of key concepts from 4th grade . This can include basic math operations , reading comprehension skills, and foundational science concepts, setting a solid groundwork for the year’s curriculum.

What Subjects should you teach to 5th Grade Kids?

Essential subjects for 5th graders include Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. Additionally, incorporating Art, Physical Education, and basic Technology skills can provide a well-rounded education.

How can I make the class more Engaging?

Integrating technology can greatly enhance class engagement . Use educational apps for interactive learning, incorporate multimedia presentations for visual appeal, and encourage digital project creation to make learning more dynamic and interactive.

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Fifth-Grade Subjects, Activities, and Skills

The last year of elementary school will be a good time for you and your fifth grader to look ahead and also look back and reflect. By the time your child is ready to make the transition to middle school, they should have a solid grasp of basic academics. If your child isn't reading at a fifth-grade level or doesn't fully understand fifth grade subject matter, for instance, now is the time for an intervention.  

Your fifth grader is preparing to take a big leap. Middle school not only brings tougher academic requirements, but also increasing distractions such as surging hormones and socializing with friends.

Since today's kids are more tech-savvy than ever, video chatting with friends, talking on the phone, and texting are things parents need to keep an eye on and limit.  

Standard fifth-grade curricula vary by state and district, but there are quite a few general things you can definitely expect.

Fifth Grade Social Skills

At this point in your child's life, puberty has either already begun or it is right around the corner. Your child will be going through some major hormonal changes over the next few years, and their body isn't the only thing that is affected. Your fifth grader will:

• Be more attuned to what peers are wearing, the music they’re listening to, etc.
• Spend more time socializing with friends, texting, video chatting, etc.
• Face more time constraints as schoolwork becomes harder and they have to juggle friends and extracurricular activities.

Reading and Writing

Depending on where your child goes to school, they may be taking language arts instead of individual reading and writing classes. Regardless, your fifth grader will generally:

• Offer detailed analyses of characters and plots of books.
• Learn the phases of writing: outline, draft, revise, edit.
• Read newspapers and magazines and write opinions about news and events.
• Research and write reports of several pages in length on various topics.
• Give oral presentations.
• Plow through reading lists.
• Continue to increase vocabulary words.
• Handle more challenging spelling tests.

As a fifth grader, your child is only a year away from the rigors of middle school academia, so you can expect subjects like math to be kicked up a notch. Your fifth grader will:  

• Become familiar with improper fractions and equivalent fractions.
• Learn more about prime numbers.
• Become familiar with aspects of data such as mean, median, range, etc.
• Learn different types of triangles (isosceles, equilateral, etc.).
• Calculate the perimeter and area of triangles, rectangles, etc.
• Add, subtract, and multiply fractions.
• Develop skills at doing math mentally without writing problems down on paper.

Science, Social Studies, and Technology

Many fifth grade classes incorporate more hands-on activities that show the practical application of the ideas and theories they are learning about. These subjects will also help to expand your child's worldview. Your fifth grader will:

• Learn about early American history, including the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc.
• Understand the different branches of government and how they work.
• Identify important landmarks around the world.
• Study how living organisms work, such as photosynthesis and digestion.
• Learn more about the human body, including the cardiovascular and skeletal systems. Depending on where you send your child to school, this may also cover sex education.
• Begin basic chemistry and physics.
• Continue to learn about the solar system and our planet (oceans, weather, landforms, etc.).
• Learn more about biodiversity, climate change, and the impact humans have had on the environment.

Scammacca NK, Roberts G, Vaughn S, Stuebing KK. A Meta-Analysis of Interventions for Struggling Readers in Grades 4-12: 1980-2011 . J Learn Disabil . 2015;48(4):369-90. doi:10.1177/0022219413504995

Bavelier D, Green CS, Dye MW. Children, Wired: For Better and For Worse . Neuron . 2010;67(5):692-701. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.035

Common Core State Standards Initiative. Grade 5 » Introduction .

By Katherine Lee Katherine Lee is a parenting writer and a former editor at Parenting and Working Mother magazines.

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Home » Blog » General » Developing Social Skills: Pragmatic Language Activities for 5th Grade Students

Developing Social Skills: Pragmatic Language Activities for 5th Grade Students

Welcome to my blog! In this post, we will explore pragmatic language activities specifically designed for 5th grade students. As children enter their pre-adolescent years, it becomes increasingly important to focus on their social skills development. By honing their pragmatic language skills, we can help them navigate social interactions more effectively and build meaningful relationships. So, let’s dive in and discover some engaging activities that can make a difference in their social-emotional growth.

Understanding Pragmatic Language

Pragmatic language refers to the way we use language in social situations. It involves understanding and using verbal and non-verbal cues, taking turns in conversations, interpreting sarcasm and humor, and adapting communication styles based on the context. For 5th grade students, developing strong pragmatic language skills is crucial as they interact with peers, teachers, and other adults in various settings.

However, many 5th grade students face challenges in pragmatic language development. They may struggle with initiating and maintaining conversations, understanding figurative language, interpreting social cues, and resolving conflicts. These difficulties can significantly impact their social interactions, leading to feelings of isolation, frustration, and low self-esteem.

Pragmatic Language Activities for 5th Grade Students

Engaging students in interactive and hands-on activities is an effective way to develop their pragmatic language skills. Here are four activities that can be easily implemented in a 5th grade classroom:

Activity 1: Role-playing scenarios

Role-playing allows students to practice real-life social situations in a safe and controlled environment. Divide the class into pairs or small groups and provide them with scenarios that require them to use appropriate pragmatic language skills. For example, a scenario could involve asking for help, giving compliments, or resolving conflicts.

Role-playing offers several benefits for pragmatic language development. It helps students understand different perspectives, practice active listening, and develop empathy. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for immediate feedback and reflection, allowing students to refine their communication skills.

Here are a few sample scenarios for role-playing:

• Asking a classmate to borrow a pencil
• Inviting a new student to join a game during recess
• Apologizing for accidentally bumping into someone

Activity 2: Group discussions

Group discussions encourage students to express their thoughts, listen to others, and engage in meaningful conversations. Assign a topic or question for the group to discuss, and provide guidelines for turn-taking, active listening, and respectful communication.

Group discussions offer numerous benefits for pragmatic language development. They enhance critical thinking skills, promote perspective-taking, and foster collaboration. By actively participating in discussions, students learn to express their ideas clearly, ask relevant questions, and consider different viewpoints.

Here are some tips for facilitating effective group discussions:

• Establish clear guidelines for turn-taking and active listening
• Encourage students to ask open-ended questions to promote deeper discussions
• Provide sentence starters or prompts to support students in expressing their thoughts

Activity 3: Problem-solving tasks

Engaging students in problem-solving tasks not only develops their pragmatic language skills but also enhances their critical thinking and decision-making abilities. Present students with real-life scenarios or dilemmas that require them to work collaboratively and communicate effectively to find a solution.

Problem-solving tasks offer several benefits for pragmatic language development. They encourage students to think flexibly, consider multiple perspectives, and negotiate with others. By engaging in these tasks, students learn to communicate their ideas, listen to others’ opinions, and work towards a common goal.

Here are a few examples of problem-solving tasks suitable for 5th grade students:

• Planning a class party within a budget
• Resolving a conflict between two friends
• Brainstorming solutions to reduce waste in the school cafeteria

Activity 4: Collaborative projects

Collaborative projects provide students with opportunities to work together towards a common goal, fostering their pragmatic language skills and promoting teamwork. Assign group projects that require students to communicate, delegate tasks, and share responsibilities.

Collaborative projects offer numerous benefits for pragmatic language development. They encourage students to practice active listening, negotiate, and resolve conflicts. By working in teams, students learn to communicate their ideas effectively, consider different perspectives, and appreciate the value of collaboration.

Here are a few ideas for collaborative projects in a 5th grade classroom:

• Creating a presentation on a historical event
• Designing a community service project
• Writing and performing a skit based on a story or novel

Strategies for Implementing Pragmatic Language Activities

Implementing pragmatic language activities effectively requires a supportive and inclusive classroom environment. Here are some strategies to consider:

Creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment

Establish clear expectations for respectful communication and provide opportunities for students to practice and reinforce these skills. Encourage a culture of empathy, acceptance, and understanding, where students feel safe to express themselves and take risks in their social interactions.

Incorporating activities into daily routines and curriculum

Integrate pragmatic language activities into daily routines, such as morning meetings, transitions, or circle time. Additionally, align activities with the curriculum to reinforce and extend learning across different subjects. This integration ensures that students have consistent opportunities to practice and apply their pragmatic language skills.

Providing feedback and reinforcement

Offer specific and constructive feedback to students during and after the activities. Highlight their strengths and areas for improvement, and provide guidance on how to enhance their pragmatic language skills. Celebrate their progress and reinforce positive behaviors to motivate continued growth.

Collaborating with parents and caregivers

Engage parents and caregivers in the process of developing pragmatic language skills. Share information about the activities being implemented in the classroom and provide suggestions for supporting their child’s social-emotional growth at home. Collaboration between school and home creates a consistent and holistic approach to pragmatic language development.

Developing pragmatic language skills is crucial for 5th grade students as they navigate social interactions and build relationships. By implementing engaging activities such as role-playing scenarios, group discussions, problem-solving tasks, and collaborative projects, we can support their social-emotional growth effectively.

I encourage you to try out these activities in your 5th grade classroom and witness the positive impact they have on your students’ pragmatic language skills. Remember, creating a supportive environment and collaborating with parents and caregivers are essential components of successful implementation.

If you’re looking for more resources on social-emotional learning and pragmatic language development, I invite you to start your EverydaySpeech free trial. EverydaySpeech offers a wide range of materials and activities designed to enhance social skills and pragmatic language in students of all ages. Start your free trial today and unlock a world of possibilities for your students’ social-emotional growth.

Related Blog Posts:

Pragmatic language: enhancing social skills for meaningful interactions.

Pragmatic Language: Enhancing Social Skills for Meaningful Interactions Pragmatic Language: Enhancing Social Skills for Meaningful Interactions Introduction: Social skills play a crucial role in our daily interactions. They enable us to navigate social situations,...

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Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 Key Takeaways Strong social communication skills are crucial for academic success and building meaningful relationships in Grade 12. Social communication includes verbal and non-verbal communication,...

Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 As students enter Grade 12, they are on the cusp of adulthood and preparing for the next chapter of their lives. While academic success...

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5th grade reading & vocabulary

Unit 1: imaginative worlds, unit 2: athletes in action, unit 3: inventing progress.

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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

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Language Arts Subject for Elementary - 5th Grade: Vocabulary Skills

Language arts subject for elementary - 5th grade: vocabulary skills presentation, free google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

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