Also a good time to review the importance of point of view and biases with students!
As a part of my boardgame themed rhetoric and composition course, I asked my college first years to build a business pitch deck as a part of their deliverable over the semester.
Here’s a quick breakdown for anyone interested in a similar assignment for their students! This discussion be part of a general conversation about business writing or presenting.
Preparations:
My learners were already in groups and had completed the following assignments
Working familiarity with the rhetorical triangle and “DOCS”
Approved board game game proposals with feedback from me and peers
Drafted general prototype ideas and reflections for their game components
Discussion of visual analysis and semiotics
Familiarity with design thinking and review techniques
Review of IGDA pitch submission requirements; here’s a great link to guidelines that I used to develop my rubric: IGDA Game Submission Guidelines
Feedback on game design documents
group consultations and meeting with Design Lab and Makerspace experts
Ask students to review posted articles about Fyre Fest (or watch 1 of 2 documentaries before class)
Lesson plan objectives for the day (for a 75 min lesson):
Students will be able to compare and critique presentation styles for different contexts and persuasive situations
Students will be able to identify specific design decisions that will affect their pitch deck building plan
Students will be able to compose and plan their own pitches (outlines and scripts) in groups
Lesson plan flow:
Opening Writing Activity on the Free-Write Forums:
-Describe the best (or worst) best presentation you have seen; what went wrong? What good characteristics would you want to emulate and why? If you have a link to the presentation or presenter, include the URL in your post. Have students share their posts as an opening activity, and note specific similarities and differences.Review Unit 2 progression and sprint layout
Describe requirements for the next project (the business pitch) and introduce the rubric and requirements
Solicit in groups examples of business writing genres and scenarios that students have encountered; this is a great moment to draw on information from student profiles or have students volunteer the types of business environments they have been a part of (as workers, interns etc). Be sure to have them consider the context-specific elements that made writing work so well, you can even draw back on the examples from the opening free-write!
Visual analysis with DOCs and the Fyre Fest Pitch Deck: students had 15-20 mins to analyze the pitch deck (this is after introducing the context etc.).
Visual analysis with samples from the University of Dayton Business Plan Competition; students then review at least 2 pitches (you may want to have them bring headphones or share to reduce the noise). This an also be an activity that is done as a part of homework before the class starts.
Review and remind students of our rhetorical context:
-Business pitch: “What will your game do, (and how will it make money?)”
-Audience: publishers, press, platforms, and players
-Similar relationship between text and visuals as in advertising; difficulty in pitching something you haven’t finished yetBrainstorming session: Students are free to review and analyze sample pitches from previous years, as well as the provided templates and tools and begin the brainstorming worksheet for their groups. They can complete the planning sheet for homework in order to to plan their next sprint.