Technologies · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Presenting Ideas Digitally

Active learning works because young learners connect abstract ideas like balance and clarity to concrete actions such as arranging pictures and words. Hands-on slide creation builds visual literacy and reinforces literacy skills at the same time, making abstract concepts like audience awareness tangible.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDI2P02
• AC9E2LY07

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Key Idea Slide Builder

Students pair up to select a familiar topic, like a pet or playground game. They insert one image and three short text labels on a slide, then explain their choices to their partner. Partners suggest one improvement before finalizing.

Design a digital slide to effectively communicate a key idea.

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs: Key Idea Slide Builder, provide a checklist with two columns labeled ‘Image’ and ‘Text’ to guide students as they design their slides.

What to look for

Present students with two different digital slides about the same topic, one well-designed and one poorly designed. Ask students to point to the slide they think is better and explain one reason why, focusing on how the text and images work together.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Story Sequence Slides

Form groups of three to four. Each member creates one slide for a shared story, using images and captions. Groups combine slides, rehearse transitions, and present to the class.

Analyze how images and text work together to convey a message in a presentation.

Facilitation Tip

During Small Groups: Story Sequence Slides, give groups three blank slides so they focus only on order rather than design details at first.

What to look for

Have students share their created digital slides with a partner. Ask partners to identify one thing they liked about the slide and one suggestion for improvement, specifically commenting on the clarity of the message and the use of images and text.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Class Event Recap

As a class, brainstorm a recent event. Students volunteer to add images and text to shared slides on the interactive whiteboard. Discuss choices together and vote on the clearest slide.

Evaluate the most important elements for a clear and engaging digital presentation.

Facilitation Tip

During Whole Class: Class Event Recap, assign one student to photograph the final set of slides to create a shared digital album for reflection.

What to look for

Students draw a simple sketch of a digital slide they might create for a topic they know well. They must include at least one image and a short piece of text, and write one sentence explaining the main idea the slide communicates.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: My Weekend Snapshot

Each student creates one slide with a photo or drawing from their weekend, plus two sentences. They save and share via class drive for peer viewing.

Design a digital slide to effectively communicate a key idea.

Facilitation Tip

During Individual: My Weekend Snapshot, ask students to share their slide with the class and state their main idea in one sentence to practice concise communication.

What to look for

Present students with two different digital slides about the same topic, one well-designed and one poorly designed. Ask students to point to the slide they think is better and explain one reason why, focusing on how the text and images work together.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model thinking aloud while selecting images and text, showing how to pause and ask, ‘Does this picture help explain the words?’ Avoid providing pre-made templates; instead, co-create one slide with students to highlight decision points. Research suggests frequent peer sharing builds confidence and helps students internalize audience perspective.

Successful learning looks like students choosing images that match their message and limiting text so the slide is easy to follow. They will arrange slides in a logical sequence and explain their choices to peers with clear reasons.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs: Key Idea Slide Builder, watch for students who simply fill the slide with many words, assuming more text makes the message clearer.

  Provide a word-count limit and a sentence stem for each slide, then ask students to swap slides and underline the words that are most important to keep.

• During Small Groups: Story Sequence Slides, watch for students who place images randomly without considering how the story flows from one idea to the next.

  Give each group a set of sticky notes with key ideas written in simple phrases, so they rearrange these before creating slides to test logical order.

• During Whole Class: Class Event Recap, watch for students who believe that slide order does not matter as long as each slide looks nice on its own.

  After the slides are created, ask the class to stand in a circle and hold up their slides one at a time while a volunteer reads the main idea aloud to test if the sequence makes sense.

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session