📊 Vocab Presentation — Each Student, One Word

You're going to BECOME the class expert on ONE bridge vocabulary word. Build a 6-slide presentation, then teach the rest of us in 2–3 minutes. By the end of the day everyone will have heard 23 mini-lessons — taught by you.

Format6 slides · 2–3 min each

ToolCanva (recommended) — or PowerPoint

Marks10 (formative — feeds into folio)

DueBring it next lesson (L03) · present in L03 or L04

1 Claim your word

Pick any ONE word from the table below. First in, best dressed — once a word is claimed it's yours, but a second student can also pick it (max 2 students per word). The colour shows which category the word belongs to (Type / Part / Force / Failure / Material / Special).

Type your name to claim a word

Once you've typed your name + class, click Claim on any unclaimed row. Your name will appear next to that word for the whole class to see (saved on this laptop only — not sent anywhere).

#	Word	Category	Difficulty	One-line meaning	Claimed by

2 Build your 6 slides — exactly this template

Each slide does ONE job. Don't combine slides; don't add extras (unless you're going for the bonus). Keep text small — say it, don't read it.

🎨 Quick-start in Canva (recommended)

Go to canva.com/education and sign up with your school email — Canva for Education is FREE for students.
From the homepage, click + Create a design → Presentation (16:9).
In the Templates panel on the left, search for "education presentation" or "student presentation" — pick a CLEAN template (not too busy). The simpler templates score higher because the focus stays on YOUR content.
Delete any extra template slides — you only need 6 slides (or 7 if you do the bonus).
For real bridge photos, use Canva's Photos panel and search "bridge truss", "Sydney Harbour Bridge" etc. — these are free and copyright-safe. Or download from Wikimedia Commons (also free, but credit the photographer).
To present in class: click Present at the top right (or download as PDF as a backup).
Share with Ms Gao: click Share → Get link → Anyone with the link can view → copy the link → paste into Google Classroom private comment.

Tip: if your school doesn't have Canva for Education set up, the regular free Canva account works too — you just see fewer premium templates.

Slide 1

🏷️ TITLE — your word + you

📝 What goes on this slide

The WORD in BIG letters (centre, 80–120 pt). Below in smaller text: your name, class (7TECJ), date. ONE photo or icon related to the word as a hook.

🎤 What you say (~20 sec)

"Hi everyone, I'm [name]. Today I'm going to teach you about [WORD]. By the end of this you'll be able to recognise it AND remember it."

💡 Tip

Pick a hook image that's INTERESTING — not just a generic clip-art. For "Suspension" use the Golden Gate Bridge. For "Torsion" use a wrung-out towel. The image is a memory hook.

⛔ Avoid

Long subtitle. Cluttered title slide. Forgetting your name on the slide.

~20 seconds

Slide 2

🔤 SAY IT + CATEGORY

📝 What goes on this slide

(1) The word again, big. (2) The PHONETIC pronunciation in brackets — e.g. abutment (uh-BUT-ment). (3) Which category it belongs to — Bridge Type / Bridge Part / Force / Failure / Material / Special.

🎤 What you say (~20 sec)

"This word is pronounced [pronounce it slowly]. Say it with me: [class repeats]. It's a [category] word — that means it describes [a part of a bridge / a force / a material / etc.]"

💡 Tip

Get the class to SAY the word out loud once. Words you've said with your mouth stick better than words you've only seen.

⛔ Avoid

Skipping pronunciation because "everyone knows it". Trust me — half the class can't say "buttress" or "torsion" before this lesson.

~20 seconds

Slide 3

📖 WHAT IT MEANS — your own words

📝 What goes on this slide

A 1–2 sentence definition in YOUR OWN WORDS. Year-7-friendly language. Include a small simple labelled diagram or icon if it helps.

🎤 What you say (~30 sec)

"[WORD] means [your definition]." Then expand: "Another way to say it is [paraphrase]." Slow down — this is the important part.

💡 Tip

Read 2–3 different definitions (Wikipedia, PBS Building Big, your folio glossary), then close those tabs and write yours from memory. That's how you make sure it's in your own words.

⛔ Avoid

Copy-pasting from Wikipedia. Long sentences with words your audience won't know. Definitions that use other technical words you haven't explained.

~30 seconds

Slide 4

🖼️ PICTURE THIS — real-world example

📝 What goes on this slide

A REAL photo (Wikimedia Commons or similar) showing your word in the real world. Caption with photo source. 1 sentence connecting the photo to the word.

🎤 What you say (~30 sec)

"You can see [WORD] right here on the [Sydney Harbour Bridge / Golden Gate / etc.]. Look at [point at the photo] — that's the [WORD]. So when an engineer says [WORD], they mean exactly this."

💡 Tip

Use a photo your class will RECOGNISE — Sydney Harbour Bridge, Anzac Bridge, your local overpass. Familiar > exotic.

⛔ Avoid

Using a photo that's only loosely related. Forgetting the photo source/credit. Choosing a confusing photo where the word isn't easily visible.

~30 seconds

Slide 5

💡 REMEMBER IT — your memory hook

📝 What goes on this slide

YOUR memory trick. Could be: a rhyme, an etymology (where the word comes from), an image-association, a story, a gesture. ONE memorable hook.

🎤 What you say (~20 sec)

"Here's how I remember it: [memory hook]. So next time you see [WORD] you can think of [hook] and you'll know what it means."

💡 Tip — examples that work

"TRUSS = TRIANGLES (both start with TR)" · "ABUTMENT — the bridge ABUTS the abutment" · "Compression = compress = squeeze" · "Torsion = TWIST, like a tornado". Make it personal — what helps YOU remember will probably help others.

⛔ Avoid

"Just memorise it." No one remembers anything by being told to memorise it.

~20 seconds

Slide 6

⚠️ WATCH OUT — common confusions

📝 What goes on this slide

What is your word OFTEN confused with? Show the two side-by-side and explain the difference. Examples: pier vs abutment, suspension vs cable-stayed, tension vs compression, shear vs share.

🎤 What you say (~30 sec)

"The most common mistake is mixing up [WORD] with [SIMILAR WORD]. The difference is: [explain]. So if you see [feature], it's [WORD]. If you see [other feature], it's [the other one]."

💡 Tip

Use a side-by-side comparison: two photos, two arrows, two short labels. Visual contrast makes the difference stick.

⛔ Avoid

Skipping this slide. EVERY word has at least one common confusion — finding it shows you understand the word deeply.

~30 seconds

🌟 Optional bonus slide (for an extra mark) — Slide 7

"Why this word matters for OUR bridge build" — show how your word will appear in the Term 2 paddle-pop bridge build. Will your bridge have one of these? Will it feel this force? How will you handle it?
This is the slide that takes a Y7 vocabulary task and turns it into ENGINEERING. If you're 7TECJ aiming high, do this slide.

3 Practise out loud — at least twice

The slides are your script outline, NOT your script. Speak naturally — the bullets are reminders, not a paragraph to read.

Practise once alone — phone-record yourself. Watch it back. Are you reading the slides? Talking too fast? Saying "um" too much?
Practise once with someone — a parent, a sibling, your dog. If they don't get it, revise.
Time yourself — total should be 2–3 minutes. If you're at 4+, you're reading too much from slides; cut text.

On presentation day:

Stand at the front. Project so the back row hears you.
Look at the audience, not at your slides. The slides are for THEM, not you.
If you forget what to say, look at the slide → the slide will remind you.
End with: "Any questions?" Take 1 question. Sit down.

4 How you'll be marked — 10 marks total

Ms Gao will mark you on these 5 criteria, 2 marks each. The rubric is shared with you up-front — no surprises.

Criterion	Marks	2 marks (Excellent)	1 mark (Developing)	0 marks (Missing)
📝 Definition in own words	/2	Definition is clear, accurate, and in your own words. A Year 7 friend who'd never seen the word would get it.	Mostly accurate but copy-paste-feel, OR uses other tech words without explaining them.	Copied directly from Wikipedia / inaccurate / missing.
🖼️ Real photo + connection	/2	Real photo with source credit. The photo CLEARLY shows the word in action. You explain the connection out loud.	Photo present but not strongly connected, OR no source credit.	No photo, or generic clip-art only.
💡 Memory hook	/2	Original memory hook (your own — rhyme, etymology, image-association, gesture). Memorable.	Hook is OK but generic ("just memorise it").	No hook offered.
⚠️ Common confusion	/2	Names a real common confusion AND explains how to tell the two apart with a clear example.	Names a confusion but doesn't fully resolve it.	Skipped or trivial confusion.
🎤 Delivery	/2	Speaks clearly, looks at audience, doesn't read slides word-for-word, finishes within 2–3 min, takes 1 audience question confidently.	Reads from slides OR rushes OR doesn't take questions.	Inaudible / over 4 min / didn't present.
🌟 Bonus slide 7	+1	If included AND meaningfully connects to the Term 2 bridge build (not just a sentence).

5 How to submit your presentation

Two simple steps:

Get the share link from Canva. Click the Share button in the top right → "Anyone with the link can view" → Copy link. (If you used PowerPoint, upload the .pptx file to your Google Drive and use the Drive share link instead.)
Paste it in Google Classroom. Go to the "T2-L02 Vocab Presentation" assignment → Private comment → paste your link → write one line: "My word is [WORD] — link to my Canva." → click Send. Mark the assignment as Done.

If your laptop can't open Canva: ask Ms Gao for a paper version of the 6-slide template — you can hand-draw it on A3 instead. Same rubric applies.

Useful links while you build: 🎨 Canva for Education (free for students) 🎮 Vocab Arena (refresh the 13 anchor words) 📓 Workbook glossary PBS Building Big Glossary (research) Wikimedia Commons (free real photos) ← Back to L02