Presentation week, topic and class:_____/_________________/__________________
Group members:___________/___________/__________/___________/___________
____________/___________/__________/___________/___________
1 research and knowledge
1
.5
2
.5
3
.5
4
.5
5
2 teamwork, preparation and mechanics
1
.5
2
.5
3
.5
4
.5
5
3 communication skills and visual aids
1
.5
2
.5
3
.5
4
.5
5
4 logical flow and organization of information
1
.5
2
.5
3
.5
4
.5
5 creativity and originality
1
.5
2
.5
3
.5
4
.5
5
6 group enthusiasm and popular appeal
1
.5
2
.5
3
.5
4
.5
5
5
Total: _____ / 30
Student/Teacher Reflection Questions
1 research and knowledge
Did the students do adequate research when preparing?
Did the students ‘internalize’ the information (or were they just copying/quoting)?
Were the students able to pass on their new knowledge to their classmates?
2 teamwork, preparation and mechanics
Did the students rehearse adequately?
Did the students show up with the necessary materials, and were they ready to present?
Did the students consider what classroom resources were available and the presentation’s ‘stage
organization’?
3 communication skills and visual aids
Did the students communicate effectively with the audience?
Did the presentation have a good audio/visual impact on the audience?
Did the audio/visual materials support or hinder the presentation?
4 logical flow and organization of information
Did the students move logically and coherently from one point to the next?
Did the presentation ‘build’ a knowledge base in the audience (not just random points)?
Did the students smoothly work the scenario goals into the flow of the presentation?
5 creativity and originality
Did the students add new ideas to the scenario?
Was the approach to the scenario creative, different, or surprising?
Did the students show an effort to go beyond the basic requirements?
6 group enthusiasm and popular appeal
Did the presenters show enthusiasm during their presentation?
Did the audience respond in an attentive/positive manner to the presentation?
Did the presenters give the audience the feeling that they had learned something new?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
about the presentation scenarios...
Why are we doing this? What is the point? Why do we have to do presentations in
so many classes? Is this a waste of time? Shouldn’t we be learning?
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You ARE learning, but you might not have realized it. English education at GDUFS used to focus on
four major points: writing and reading (a pair) and listening and speaking (another pair).
However, with the rise of media and computers, both Western and Eastern educators have realized the
importance of the visual effect on an audience. To ‘learn’ how to use the visual effect, students are
now being taught the skills of ‘viewing’ and ‘presenting’, two skills used to understand the visual
information that we use in day-to-day life. Whether you are surfing the Internet, giving a PowerPoint
at a company meeting, or making a public speech—you are using viewing and presenting skills.
We hope that by practicing these skills, students will learn faster in their classes, be better at
communicating information, and will develop a stronger, more complete set of workplace skills—big
advantages when looking for a job in China or worldwide.
Why do we have to dress up?
Both viewing and presenting require proper dress for several reasons.
1) Dressing up creates a visual impact on the audience—it gives their eye something to follow or
pay attention to when compared with ‘normal’ clothing. If you are ‘visually appealing,’ you
have a much better chance of catching your audience’s attention.
2) We dress up appropriately for different situations in life. You wouldn’t wear a shirt with a
smiling face to a funeral. You wouldn’t wear casual clothes to a business meeting. You don’t
wear a coat when playing basketball or dancing. So, for presentations, you should dress
appropriately for the situation.
3) Getting dressed up helps you behave appropriately for the presentation. It’s a bit like wearing
a costume or a mask—you feel freed from your ‘normal’ personality and it is easier to
become more of a ‘presenting’ personality.
What is my teacher’s responsibility to me with presentations?
Your teacher is responsible for watching your entire presentation and assigning you a grade, with
comments that justify your mark. This means that your teacher should be able to clearly explain to you
what your presentation’s strong and weak points were, as well as how he/she arrived at your mark.
Your mark should be available to you, either directly or by request, no later than two weeks after your
presentation.
What is my responsibility to the teacher and the class with presentations?
Simply to make your best effort. This means making sure you have read the presentation scenarios
carefully, planned the presentation out as a group, practiced the presentation a few times, and show up
to the class ready to present.
In the real world, remember, a good presentation could make the difference between a promotion and
being fired. It is an excellent opportunity to show competence (skill) in an area as well as creativity
and extra effort. If you’re not sure what your teacher and class are looking for in your presentation,
read through the questions on the presentation rubric. If you are still not clear, sit and talk with your
teacher. They will be happy to explain what a successful presentation entails.
My presentation was a disaster! Am I going to fail?
No. Not unless it was clear to your teacher and class that you didn’t make enough effort.
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Presentations, just like cooking or relationships, sometimes don’t work out—many things can go
wrong. Discuss the situation with your teacher after the presentation without bringing up your
mark—simply explain how the presentation was supposed to work and what went wrong. You teacher
will be especially sympathetic if you were trying something difficult or creative that showed extra
effort, yet turned out poorly.
What if my classmates don’t like my presentation? Am I supposed to entertain
them? Can my presentation be boring?
Your presentation does not have to be ‘fun’ or ‘entertaining’—but it should be engaging. This means
that the class should be interested and paying attention to your presentation—not because something
funny or exciting is happening—but rather because in your planning stage, you thought of a way to
capture the attention of your audience (although there is nothing wrong with it being funny or
entertaining—just don’t get carried away).
If you see that students in your audience have stopped paying attention or have started distracting
other students, you might consider stopping and waiting for their attention, making direct eye contact
with them until they realize that their attention is required for the presentation to continue. It is your
responsibility to manage the audience, as managing your audience is a key skill in presenting.
The room isn’t big enough for my presentation group! There’s no computer in the
room! The room’s sound quality is bad! Isn’t this my teacher’s responsibility?
No, this is your responsibility. Setting up a good presentation means thinking about your presentation
‘environment’ and ‘resources’—what space and things are available to you. If you have planned out
your presentation well in advance, you will have had time to book a different room or location and to
bring extra materials. You also will have had time to contact your teacher who can help you work out a
solution—as long as it isn’t the night before. Teachers have lives too.
I have a great idea for a presentation! Can I do something not listed on the
presentation scenarios sheets?
You sure can! But, you need to provide your teacher with a complete scenario sheet that you have
filled out, similar to the ones we have given to you, at least a week before the presentation. That
means you have to think through all parts of your presentation and be ready to justify the learning
value (in terms of KSAs—see below) of your presentation to your teacher.
Who knows? If you come up with a really clever presentation, we might include it in the scenario
sheets for future GDUFS classes to try. Your good ideas can become part of our course—and maybe
future classes of students will thank you. :)
My teacher mentioned KSAs? What are they and what do they have to do with
learning?
KSA stands for Knowledge, Skill and Attitude. These three points are the focusing idea for the new
courses for non-English majors. At their simplest level:
Knowledge means: What new information have I learned?
Skill means: What new things can I do?
Attitude means: How has this changed me?
While knowledge and skill are probably not new ideas to Chinese students, attitude might be.
Attitude is included because your teachers believe that they are responsible for helping you change,
whether it be helping you become a more productive member of society, helping you care more about
other people, or helping you think about and transform your own values. The greatest success for a
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teacher is if they feel they have helped a student to ‘grow’ as a person during the short time they have
to teach them.
Therefore, your presentation marks take all three of these items into account, rather than just testing or
speaking (skill) or researching (knowledge) abilities.
Presentation Scenario #1
Unit 1 – Presentation Week 1
Title: Council of the gods
Number of students: 8 to 12
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: familiarize students with the basic myths and values of the Greek/Roman pantheon of
gods
Type: Role-playing
Scenario:
You are one of the ancient Greek gods, responsible for running part of the world. Zeus, king of the
gods, has called you to a meeting to discuss several important issues happening in the world today.
When you come to this meeting, you must do your best to convince your fellow gods and goddesses to
follow your wishes and desires.
At the end of the meeting, class members will be free to suggest additional topics of debate that they
would like to see the god answer.
Research required:
You will need to research one of the major Greek gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and so on (see handout
for a complete list) and be prepared to properly represent that god’s viewpoint on different issues. You
must therefore understand your god’s responsibilities and core values.
Presentation preparation:
You will need to decide, as a group, who will be what god and what issues you will be arguing. Some
possible issues to argue/discuss could be: the 2004 Olympic games in Greece, the rise of women’s
rights, the war in Iraq, or anything else you think would make a good, heated debate between a bunch
of gods.
You may need to book a larger classroom to have enough room to properly perform your presentation.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Have a clear understanding of the role of the different gods and acting in character (ie: Ares is the
god of war—he would not suggest a ‘peaceful’ solution to any problems.)
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2) Show a lively, interesting, and appropriate debate
3) Show additional effort: dressing up as your God, creating a fake Mt. Olympus, organizing the
meeting with an agenda, or other signs of good preparation.
Presentation Scenario #2
Unit 1 – Presentation Week 1
Title: Divine Spokesman
Number of students: 2-3 per group (one to be a god/hero, and 1-2 to represent the company)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: Help students understand the symbolic/functional role of the Greek pantheon of gods
and mythological heroes
Type: Advertising pitch
Scenario:
The ancient Greek gods and heroes have returned, and are celebrities in China’s new society. And as
with any famous celebrity, companies want them to… help sell their products.
You run an advertising company that works for a major corporation (played by the class), and you are
about to make an advertising ‘pitch’ to this corporation (a ‘pitch’ is a meeting where you convince the
corporation to support your advertising campaign). You need to find an appropriate god or hero to be
the spokesman for this corporation’s product. The key word is ‘appropriate’. The god/hero you choose
should embody or symbolize a key quality or virtue of your company.
You will need to have your god give a short speech to promote/endorse your product, as well as
prepare a print ad or poster of your god selling your product (if you are confused, think of
Beckham/Yao Ming on a Pepsi advertisement or Zhang Manyu on a China Mobile poster) to display
your god/hero using/enjoying the product. Your company representative(s) must then explain why
they thought the god you chose was a good choice for your company and how they will reach their
target demographic with this advertisement. (note: ‘demographic’ means what age group, sex group,
racial group, location, etc.)
You may be asked questions by the class afterwards.
Research required:
You will have to research some of the major gods/heroes that might be related to your product and see
what their main traits, symbols and values are. You will also need to decide what corporation your
company works for and what kind of advertising is appropriate for that corporation—what
‘demographic’ your ad is targeting.
Presentation preparation:
When you have finished your research, you will need to decide who in your group will be the
god/hero, and who will be the company representatives. The god/hero should think about what
relationship or what he/she has in common with the product, while the company representatives
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should think about how best to convince the corporation that the god you chose is the best choice for
the product and the company’s public image.
Your poster should be of a reasonable size and should NOT be done on computer. If you are interested
in doing a computer advertisement presentation please consider doing Presentation #11.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Have a clear understanding of the role of the chosen god/hero and show an appropriate connection
between this god and their product
2) Have the god/hero give a passionate endorsement speech
3) Have the company representatives give a convincing advertising pitch
4) Show additional effort: dressing up as your God, appropriate business dress for the company
representatives, artistic effort on the poster, or other signs of good preparation.
Presentation Scenario #3
Unit 1 – Presentation Week #2
Title: Bible Stories
Number of students: 3-4 per story, or as many as the story requires
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: familiarize students with some basic stories and parables from the Bible which inform
Western culture
Type: Drama
Scenario:
You and your group are to act out one of the more well-known Bible stories, explaining to the class
afterwards what the importance of the story is, how you think this story has affected the generations of
Westerners/Christians who have heard it, and whether China has a similar story.
After this is complete, the group will be open to questions from students about the story/how to
interpret the story.
Research required:
You will need to read and research one story from the Bible. Some suggestions are: the story of Adam
and Eve, Noah’s Ark, The Good Samaritan, Samson and Delilah, The Tower of Babel, David and
Goliath, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, or whatever story you think would make a good play. You
will also need to research Chinese mythology and look for similar stories or values, and be prepared to
compare and contrast.
Presentation preparation:
You will need to decide, as a group, who will play what role and how best to present the play. You
should come dressed as your character and make some attempt to memorize your lines/the story. You
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will also need to be prepared to analyze the story’s importance and present your conclusions to the
class.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Show a clear understanding of the story in question and its importance, both as a moral and/or
cultural lesson.
2) Be lively and entertaining but true to the original story.
3) Show additional effort: dressing up as your character, bringing props or backgrounds, show other
signs of good preparation.
Presentation Scenario #4
Unit 1 – Presentation Week #2
Title: Joining the flock
Number of students: 6-9 (either 2 groups of 3 or 3 groups of 3, at least 1 boy and 1 girl in each)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: familiarize students with the connection between a culture and its religion, as well as
how religion spreads
Type: PowerPoint and persuasive speech
Scenario:
Each of the three groups must choose a country and create a new religion from that country (you MAY
NOT choose China). This means you will have to decide on:







a creation myth appropriate to the region and culture that your religion started in—this myth
should use symbols and ideas unique to its people and culture, from their environment
key moral values (or lack of) that members of your religion must follow, and the reasons that
underlie these moral values (ie: why are they important)
an appropriate setting of worship for your religion (church, nature, school, etc.)
one or two simple stories or parables that teach a moral lesson
a new spiritual ‘leader’ figure (not an existing one like Jesus or Buddha)
at least one ceremony for an event in your religion
an explanation of your religion’s afterlife or rewards for the faithful
You can present your religion to the class using a mixture of PowerPoint, video or acting—whichever
is most appropriate for each of the points... it may not be most effective to do it all in PowerPoint
because...
...after all three groups have presented, they must circulate through the class, attempting to ‘sign up’
classmates to their religion (convince them to join).
A small bonus to the presentation mark will be awarded to the group that signs up the most converts.
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Research required:
General research on any major religion will help you understand how to design *your* religion. In
particular, you should read up on the basic stories, ceremonies, values and actions of a few major
religions. You will also need to research a bit of one country’s history and heritage so that you know
how to link your religion to that country’s history and folk stories.
It would be useful to listen to how religious leaders ‘preach’, and how preaching is different from a
normal persuasive speech. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, was a preacher.
It may be particularly interesting to read a little about new religions like Scientology, a strange new
religion that has attracted many famous celebrities to it (including Tom Cruise and John Travolta).
Presentation preparation:
You will need to decide what country each of your religions come from and how your religion is
culturally linked to that country. You will need to decide on proper clothing that a member of your
religion would wear (and not just normal clothes, please). You will need to prepare your PowerPoints
in a manner that will attract your classmates, and try to figure out how you can convince your
classmates that you have a *better* religion to join than the other two groups. You will also need to
plan how you plan to recruit members afterwards and keep students away from joining the other two
religions.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Show an understanding of the link between religious development and cultural development
2) Develop a somewhat complete and convincing religion.
3) Show additional effort: dressing up as a member of your religion, show effective preaching skills,
bring ‘sacred’ objects of your religion, develop a history for your religion, or other, creative or unusual
extra designing efforts.
Presentation Scenario #5
Unit 2 – Presentation Week #3
Title: Dating game
Number of students: 5 (3 men, 1 woman, 1 host)—(or 3 women, 1 man, 1 host)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: To familiarize students with basic dating/mating customs in the Western world
Type: Game show
Scenario:
You are part of a Western dating game show. One beautiful woman, must choose to date one of three
different handsome men. The catch? She cannot see any of the men (she is separated form them by a
screen or some other divider). To decide who she wants to date, she can only ask the three men
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different questions to decide who would be the best choice for her.
Man #1 is a man from the North American (NZ or Australia OK) country of your choice.
Man #2 is a man from the South American or South African country of your choice.
Man #3 is a man from the European country of your choice.
Woman is a ‘typical’ or ‘traditional’ Chinese woman.
Research required:
You will be required to research what the dating customs are for the country of your choice, and
prepare to act/answer questions within the boundary of those customs.
Presentation preparation:
As a group, you will have to decide what questions the woman will ask, in order to best highlight the
cultural differences between the three men. Some suggestions are:
“Describe your idea of a perfect romantic evening to me.”
“What qualities do you look for in a partner/woman/date?”
“What is more important to you and why: career or family?”
etc. etc.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Show cultural understanding while avoiding easy cultural stereotypes
2) Show additional effort: dressing up like you would for a date in that culture; creating a suitable
‘game show’ atmosphere; clever, spontaneous answers
Presentation Scenario #6
Unit 2 – Presentation Week #3
Title: Damn the man!
Number of students: 4-6
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: To familiarize students with the origins and values of protest and countercultural roots
and movements
Type: Protest
Scenario:
You are part of one of two groups:
Group 1: A group of people who do not like one of the following things about modern culture:
the increasing influence of mobile phones, computers, and other ‘technology’
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the rise of the importance of the English language in China
the increasing number of carts, taxis and busses on Guangzhou roads
or another appropriate issue
Group 2: A group of people that belong to and enjoy the benefits of what the above group is
protesting.
As a member of Group 1, who seek to change something in society, you must come up with an
effective and creative form of protest, as well as arguments, to convince group 2 of your position. As a
member of group 2, who are upholding the social order, you must come up with an effective and
creative way of stopping group 1’s protest, as well as arguments for your side.
Both sides will need to come up with clothes that are unique and appropriate to their movement, as
well as several different slogans that catch people’s attention.
Research required:
It would be helpful to study different kinds of protests that have occurred historically such as
Mahatma Ghandi’s ‘walk for salt’ in India, the hippie movement in 1960s United States, or
modern-day environmental protests in Canada (like tree-hugging) so as to have an idea of how to
create an effective non-violent, non-offensive protest.
Presentation preparation:
You will need to discuss, in your group, the pros and cons of the issue you are protesting and the
culture you are protesting it within in order to have a good idea how to build your arguments. You will
also need to design or choose your clothes to match the values that your movement believes in (ie: if
you are protesting English language you should be wearing Chinese-made clothes with Chinese
words). You may also want to design picket signs or other materials that would be useful in your
protest.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Create an effective protest and counter-protest that highlights the relevant issues.
2) Coming up with an unusual or creative form of protest rather than something used before or
common
3) Show additional effort: clothes that affect how people see you or identify you with a group,
creative and original slogans, passionate speeches, or other signs of extra effort
Presentation Scenario #7
Unit 2 – Presentation Week #4
Title: Women’s Parliament
Number of students: 6-10 (All female)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
10
Scenario goal: To familiarize students with women’s issues, the ideals of feminism, and the suffrage
or feminism movement
Type: Political debate
Scenario: In January 1914, the women of Manitoba's Political Equality League
(Manitoba is a province in Canada) staged what observers called a brilliant satire--the
Women's Parliament. Nellie McClung played the premier, other women played the
members of parliament. The women took issues of the day that oppressed women (such
as not having the right to vote) and reversed them so that men faced the same issues. For
example, the women discussed whether men should have the right to vote, whether their
clothes were appropriate, and whether education was a good idea for men.
You will do the same, choosing either historical women’s issues in the country of your choice, or
current women’s issues in China. Some suggestions might include workplace and pay equality, sexual
freedom/equality compared to men, or general life/political issues.
If time permits at the end, class members can suggest topics to debate to the women’s parliament.
Research required:
You will be required to research enough about women’s movements in one of the following
countries—Canada, the US, France, or Britain—to have a basic understanding of what rights women
have historically sought and how they obtained them. Focus either on the early 1900s suffrage
movements or the 1960s feminist movements for your research.
Presentation preparation:
As a group, you will have to decide what issues the women will debate. Remember, this is a satire.
Part of the focus is to point out how ridiculous the domination of male thought is in a society, and to
point out the unfairness of laws that oppress women. Feel free to exaggerate and have fun with this.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Show a basic understanding of the values of either the suffrage or feminist movements—NOT
stereotyped ‘beliefs’ about feminism.
2) Show additional effort: dressing up like a politician, set the stage to look like a parliament, appoint
different positions and have an orderly meeting
Presentation Scenario #8
Unit 2 – Presentation Week #4
Title: Virtual leader
Number of students: 6-12 (3 per group, minimum 2 groups, maximum 4 groups)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
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Scenario goal: Familiarize students with various movements and the relationship between an
individual and his/her group’s movement
Type: Fake biography
Scenario:
You are going to create a biography of the leader of one of the following movements:
the feminist movement
the civil rights movement
the environmentalist movement
the gay rights movement
the handicapped/disabled workers movement
Here’s the catch: the leader is not real. You are going to invent a leader to one of these movements,
and explain the role that they (supposedly) played in the development of the movement as well as the
connections they had to other leaders in these movements.
You will be required to give historical information about this leader, create part of or a full recorded
speech that this leader made to the public (video or audio), and give a day-in-the-life account of what
this leader would typically do to promote their cause on an average day (this means what their daily
schedule would be like). Any additional information or materials you can think of will benefit your
presentation.
You can use both PowerPoint and A/V equipment, as well as live action, to make your presentation.
Research required:
You will have to research some of the REAL history and leaders of the movement you choose, so that
you can connect your fake leader into that history/their lives.
Presentation preparation:
You need to be ready to explain the importance of both the major events/occurrences in your
movement, as well as the role your fake leader played in them. Your presentation should include both
a human, personal side to your leader’s life (children, family, social life, etc.) as well as a public side
to their life (what they accomplished, difficulties they faced, their public values, etc.)
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Show a satisfactory knowledge of the history and key points of the chosen movement.
2) Create a believable fake leader.
3) Show extra effort: handouts for the class, creating fake ‘historical’ pictures or other documents,
building an interesting PowerPoint, making all materials in the presentation seem “authentic,” and
other signs of thoughtfulness.
Presentation Scenario #9
Unit 3 – Presentation Week #5
Title: Improv!
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Number of students: 2 teams of four, 1 host or referee
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: To familiarize students with Western improvisational humor and sketch comedy
Type: Improv
Scenario: Improv (improvisational comedy) is a kind of humor where actors must think up funny
things on the spot, with no rehearsal. It is popular in both the UK (where it is more intellectual) and in
the US (where it is more physical). Performers play different ‘games’ which can include some or all of
the following:
1)Song game: make up a song on the spot from an audience members’ suggestions, or about an
audience member.
2)World’s worst: performers step forward and try to say the world’s worst example of something (eg:
world’s worst thing to say to your boyfriend, world’s worst way to start a conversation)
3) Life of the party: one person hosts a party, while the other three players are guests. Each of the
guests is a person/thing chosen in secret from the audience (eg: a baby frog, a lonely cook, a person
who thinks he has two heads—anything the audience can think of). The host of the party must try and
guess who/what the guests are in the time limit.
4) Noises: one person acts out a daily activity but says nothing, while his/her partner makes the proper
noises for that activity (eg: morning routine, eating out, decorating an apartment)
5) Scenes from a hat: audience members write down different funny situations which are then put into
a hat, and each team has to try and act out that situation in a funnier way than the other.
You are, of course, also free to make up your own games. After each game, the audience should vote
on which team they think was funnier.
Research required:
As coming up with English on the spot can be quite difficult and scary for most students, you are not
required to do any research for this presentation. Only students who have ‘big face’ should try this
presentation.
Presentation preparation:
You should decide in advance what games you are going to play, but you should ask audience
members to suggest key words or input for these games. For example, if you decide to play the song
game, you should ask the audience what to make up the song about and what tune you should sing it
to. If you want to play Life of the Party, get the audience to suggest different things/people for the
players to be.
It will be up to the host when to end a game—either after a set time limit or if the players get ‘stuck’
or if they seem to have finished.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Be funny (or try to be)
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2) Show additional effort: coming with a ‘team color or uniform,’ making voting cards for the
audience in the team colors, making the class into a stage or arena, being well-prepared.
Presentation Scenario #10
Unit 3 – Presentation Week #5
Title: Guangzhou ROCKS!
Number of students: 4-6 (4-5 stars, one interviewer/MC)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: urge help students understand the characteristics of different types of
music and the kind of culture they represent
Type: Singing/Karaoke/Rock Concert
Scenario:
You are a rock star! Or a pop star! Or an R&B star! Well, anyway, you’re a star. You’ve
just released your new hit single for whatever kind of music it is you sing, and all the
news stations are dying to interview you. You’re about to go on the stage at a big rock
concert, with a number of other stars, and perform your hit single. Afterwards, you will
talk to an interviewer all about your background, what inspires your music, the ways that
your music has helped shaped your personality, your life, etc. You might also want to
criticize other types of music, or talk about other music/musicians who have influenced
your music.
But before you do this interview, you’re going to have to… sing.
Research required:
You need to research into the characteristics of different genres of music, such as:
classical, electronic, country, jazz, rock&roll, punk, or soul; their special style, their
representative stars, the fashion of the music, how the music originated, and the kind of
culture this music represents. You also need to listen to a lot of this kind of music-not just
one or two singers that you like. Ask your Western or Chinese teacher for suggestions.
(Mr. Nicholson – qtquazar@hotmail.com)
Presentation preparation:
You need to get dressed up, decide as a group who will represent what kind of music,
bring some background audio material or karaoke if necessary and be ready to answer
questions about your music from the interviewer, the class and the teacher. You must also
be ready… to sing!
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Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) show good understanding of different types of music by showing their characteristics
and culture
2) show good critical thinking by criticizing or analyzing both music and its cultural
impact
3) having an intelligent interview with a lively discussion – not too rehearsed
4) show additional effort such as writing your own song (rather than singing a popular
one), playing a musical instrument, dressing up appropriate to your musical culture,
stage lighting, pyrotechnics, or other things that add fun and life to your presentation.
Presentation Scenario #11
Unit 3 – Presentation Week #6
Title: Brand Name
Number of students: approx. 4 per product
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes (total of video time + class speaking time)
Scenario goal: To help students understand Western marketing techniques, the evolution of
advertising, and the idea of the ‘brand’
Type: Marketing/Commercial
Scenario:
You are responsible for the launch of a brand new product, and as such are developing a television ad
campaign with your team. Your product, however, is one that other companies make cheaper or
possibly even better. As such, you must convince your audience that your ‘brand’ is the one they want
to buy by using appropriate or clever advertising strategies.
You will then present your commercial to the board of the directors (the class) who will decide
whether the commercial is suitable for the product and whether it creates an effective ‘branding’ (they
will ask questions).
Research required:
Watching commercials for ‘brand name’ products; some research on effective marketing/advertising
techniques; understanding the difference between a ‘brand’ and a ‘product.’ Studying interviews with
advertisers for Coke/Pepsi, Nike/Reebok, Haier/GE or other would be beneficial.
Presentation preparation:
You must design your commercial, act it out, and record it using a video camera or DV so that it can
be played back on the television or computer in your classroom. You cannot act out your commercial
live in front of the class.
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You will be required, after the class has watched your commercial, to take turns explaining your
choices for how you presented your brand, what ‘image’ you are selling to your market (and what
market), and other suggested ways of advertising your product that are clever/unusual/innovative
(Apple, for example, has signed a deal with Duke University to give all its students iPod computers).
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Demonstrate an awareness of the difference between ‘product’, ‘image’, and ‘brand’
2) Create an effective commercial
3) Be capable of justifying to the class the choices made in creating the commercial
4) Show additional effort: the flashier and more professional the commercial, the better.
Presentation Scenario #12
Unit 3 — Presentation Week #6
Title: For the greater good…
Number of students: 7-9 (2 teams of 3 or 4 and 1 judge/timekeeper)
Speaking time for each students: approx. 4-5 minutes
Scenario goal: encourage the students to think on their own, create arguments, and to
explore the different interests associated with TV programmes or entertainment in general
Allow students to explore issues of media saturations, desensitization to violence,
sexuality in TV, and censorship.
Type: Panel debate
Scenario: you are going to debate with another team the topic: “Should certain TV
programmes be banned?”
The debate will open with the judge showing clips from between one to three
controversial TV programs, and explaining a little bit about each show to the audience.
The first group will send its leader to present his/her team’s opening position/argument (1
minute). The rival team will also send its leader to present his/her team’s opening
position/argument (1 minute). There will then be a one minute pause for teammates to
confer and discuss how best to argue. The judge will then flip a coin to decide which
team begins.
From the beginning team, the second member will present a counterargument (rebuttal)
against the rival team’s opening argument (2 minutes), and will then proceed to present a
new argument (2 minutes). After this, the rival team has 1 minute to discuss and prepare a
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rebuttal, delivered by the second team member (2 minutes). Then that team member gives
a new argument (2 minutes) and so on until all team members have participated. The
debate ends with the leader of the beginning team presenting the final rebuttal (but no
new arguments).
After this time, the judge will decide which side he/she thinks won the debate and will
provide a 2-4 minute long explanation of why he/she feels they won—what the best
points were—what he thought was strong/weak reasoning, etc.
If any of this is unclear, please speak to your teacher about how to run an orderly debate.
Research required:
As a group, you will need to watch some controversial television shows. You are required
to research the different sponsors of TV programmes, different interests that are involved
with TV programmes (both personal and national) and find some specific examples or the
cultural effects of TV for your debate.
Presentation preparation:
You will need to show some video clips from the shows that you will be debating about
to the class, if possible. Examples of shows you may want to debate about are: Sex and
the City (sexuality), Queer as Folk (homosexuality), any violent TV show (violence and
desensitization), or any show that shows parts of a cultural in a ‘negative way’.
You need to form two debating teams and take sides for the debate. You also need to
choose a judge for the debate who will start, end, and control the debate.
You should bring some paper and a pen to take notes about arguments during the debate.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Balance arguments between cultural reasoning, emotional appeal, and statistics and
facts
2) Argue with good reason and logic and use appropriate examples to show you have a
good understanding of the topic
3) Speak with a clear and forceful voice and language to reinforce your opinion.
4) Dress appropriately. Consider taking on a role in the debate, such as ‘the Chinese
Minister for Foreign Culture’ or ‘a Western TV producer’ or ‘a Malaysian
politician.’
Presentation Scenario #13
Unit 4 – Presentation Week #7
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Title: Dysfunctional family
Number of students: 5 – 8 （1 father，1 mother，3-5 children）
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: familiarize students with the various family values of people from
different social backgrounds in Western countries and how their Chinese counterparts
differ from them. Give students a sense of the diversity of beliefs and values in the
average Western family.
Type: Role-play
Scenario:
A Chinese man marries a Western woman (or vice versa). The man has been raised
strongly in a Confucianist tradition, while his wife is a firm believer in one of the three
major Western religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). Together, they have three or more
children who conform to one of the following cultural movements:
from Western culture: punk
hippie
beat
homeboy
goth
yuppie.
from Chinese culture:1950s redguard
1970s angry youth
1980s new-new human
At least two children must be from a Western movement and at least one child must
be from a Chinese movement. The parents and the children are trying to persuade each
other of their own values about family life, work, personal values, love, and school
education—or other topics that interest you.
Research required:
Each student involved will need to research the cultural movement which they will
represent. Understand what your core values are, and how people from your movement
typically dress, behave socially, and handle problems. These are all important movements
in Western and Chinese culture that include examples of literature (poetry), music, art,
and general culture. The more you read about your movement, the better prepared you
will be.
Presentation preparation:
You will need to decide, as a group, who will be what family member and what specific
family affairs you argue over: such as supporting the elders, marriage, giving birth to
babies, or anything else you think would make a good, heated debate. Feel free to
exaggerate your character’s behaviour—try and get ‘into the head’ of the person you are
representing—ie: goths are fixated on pain, yuppies are success-focused, etc.
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Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Have a clear understanding of and give a good presentation of the different people’s
values and outlook on life.
2) Show a lively, interesting, and appropriate debate.
3) Show additional efforts: dressing up appropraie to your movement, language
appropriate to your movement, vivid examples when attacking others, or other signs
of good preparation and a deeper understanding of your movement.
Presentation Scenario #14
Unit 4 – Presentation Week #7
Title: When I Was Your Age…
Number of students: 3-6
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: familiarize students with the typical welfare systems in some Western
countries and the changes to them in the past few generations. They are also expected to
find out the cultural or social causes for such changes.
Type: Puppet Show
Scenario:
Three families are from China (or Japan), Canada (or Sweden), the USA (or the UK).
Depending on your group size, choose either two or three generations from each family
(grandfather/mother, father/mother and son/daughter, and have them discuss what social
welfare was like when they were/are your age. The people can either defend or complain
about their own welfare system, and criticize or admire others’.
Research required:
You will need to research the welfare systems in the above countries and the changes to
them over the last few generations. Research should be appropriate to the correct time
period. Therefore, for grandparents in their 20s (circa. 1940-60), for parents in their 20s
(circa. 1960-80), and for students in their 20s (circa. 1980-2000).
Presentation preparation:
You will be doing a puppet show, and so you must create a stage for your puppets as well
as the puppets themselves (anything from sock puppets to marionettes to kabuki dolls is
acceptable). You will need to decide, as a group, which puppets you will speak for—it
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might be easiest for one member to do all the puppets from one country and use different
voices for each. You should also decide the specific matters you will discuss: such as
housing, health care, pension, unemployment or anything else you think would make a
good, heated debate.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
4) Have a clear understanding of and give a good presentation of the different welfare
systems and the people’s attitudes towards them.
5) Show a lively, interesting, and appropriate debate.
6) Show additional efforts: good puppet design, personal evidence like photos or
specific items, language featuring ages and cultures, an entertaining show, or other
signs of good preparation.
Presentation Scenario #15
Unit 4 – Presentation Week #8
Title: Cutting your losses
Number of students: 5-9 (1 personnel director, the rest as listed under ‘Scenario’)
Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: to familiarize students with the decision-making process in corporations and human
resources management
Type: Personnel meeting
Scenario:
Tough times have fallen on your Western corporation. Profits are down, your new product has not sold
well, and your market share value is dropping. You can no longer afford to keep all of your staff on the
payroll—but nor can you afford to lose any valuable skills in your business.
Your personnel manager has called a meeting of (all or some of) the following people. He/she will
have to decide, by the end of the meeting, which three will be fired.
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Someone who helped found the company but is privately an alcoholic or drug abuser
Someone who is very capable and efficient but who none of the staff like because of his/her
abrasive personality
Someone who is talented at their job but is openly homosexual, making some other
employees uncomfortable
Someone who is extremely good at designing profitable new products but rarely shows up to
work.
Someone who all the staff like and who helps to raise morale but is in a redundant position
(does the same job as someone else).
The niece or nephew of the company boss, appointed by the boss, but who always makes
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
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costly mistakes.
An older man/woman who is the only person experienced in training new employees but who
has a serious medical condition that may force them to quit or retire any day.
A fast, efficient worker who always finishes jobs on time but is blatantly homophobic, racist
or sexist.
A university student who has multiple language skills and works cheap but has recently been
seen interviewing with other companies.
Each staff member will have the chance to ‘plead their case’ (argue about why the company should
keep them) as well as provide arguments, politely, for why certain other members of the staff should
be ‘let go’ (fired).
Research required:
You will need to research some strategies for effective human resources management (personnel) as
well as company firing or downsizing policies. You need to research how and why a Western company
faces ‘downsizing,’ and how they readjust their organization of personnel to accomplish the same
business work as before. Finally, you will need to research proper meeting procedures and behaviour
for a Western meeting—this is an ‘open-style’ meeting, not a ‘boss-directed’ one.
Presentation preparation:
Each member of the presentation should develop their character’s personality, think about their skills,
and create arguments both for why it is important that the company keeps them AND arguments for
why the company can afford to lose other employees. The group should decide together exactly what
job each member does at the company and then present that employee’s job description, strengths and
weaknesses to the class at the beginning of the presentation.
Members should NOT be reading from papers during the meeting—they should have their own
arguments memorized and should be prepared to respond to other members’ arguments in an
appropriate manner without using memorized/rehearsed counterarguments.
Avoid being comedic—this is a serious matter for the people involved—some of them are about to
lose their jobs! Equally, this presentation should not end in a ‘happy escape’—while there may be
creative ways for the human resources manager to solve the problem, your bosses have ordered you to
reduce the payroll.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
1) Show that each group member understands his/her role in the company and can satisfactorily
defend the importance of their job to the others.
2) Show some natural, spontaneous arguing/debating (most interactions should not be memorized.)
3) Demonstrate an awareness of proper meeting protocol at a Western company meeting.
4) Show extra effort: proper business clothes, set up the stage to look like an office/meeting room,
appropriate business language, and so on.
Presentation Scenario #16
Unit 4 – Presentation Week #8
Title: The history of business
Number of students: 4-12 (4 per group, from 1 to 3 groups)
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Speaking time per student: approx. 5 minutes
Scenario goal: To help students appreciate the connections between businesses and the culture that
they exist in—to see the influence one has on the other and vice versa
Type: Mixed
Scenario:
The penultimate challenge! You are going to create a business from nothing, set during any decade
between 1800 and 1980, in the Western country of your choice. This means you will have to:
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design a product line or a service that serves a need in that period of time (if an original
product, it must be something that could possibly be invented during that time period—in
other words, no computers in 1840)
design advertising appropriate (and POSSIBLE) for that time (ie: they didn’t have TVs until
the mid 1900s)
create both a mission and vision statement for your company that matches the cultural values
of the decade you choose
develop a suitable organizational chart for your company (or describe the key jobs and
positions in your company and how they are fulfilled)
talk a bit about your REAL competition from the same time period and why your
company/product/service is better
predict the future of your company
dress appropriately for that decade
You can use any form of media, acting, speeches or whatever else to accomplish this presentation.
Research required:
You will need to research a period of ten years in the Western country of your choice. You will need to
understand the main cultural movements of that time, and how your business fits into the larger
overall picture of the society in those years. A thorough understanding of the ‘zeitgeist’ (cultural
feeling) of the time and location is key to a successful presentation.
Presentation preparation:
After researching, your main preparation will be deciding who does what tasks in your group and how
to best present your company and the cultural context of the time period to the class—balancing out
responsibilities between group members during the presentation.
Criteria for success:
The successful presentation will do the following:
5) Show an understanding of the culture during the time period chosen.
6) Show strong ties between the company created and ‘Criteria for success Point #1.’
7) Choose an effective way of presenting their company to the class.
8) Show extra effort: proper business clothes for the period, having an actual sample of the product
or service, appropriate business language, convincing advertising, and so on—especially if it fits
with the time period.
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