Level: 2nd ESO
Main Skills: 🎤Speaking, Presentation Skills, Active Listening
Project Format: Group project (2-3 students)
Final Outcome: Interactive Genially presentation + Oral Presentation
1. Introduction (Motivation & Engagement)
Objective: Generate curiosity and set the context.
Short video about Malaga: Strolling through the ancient pedestrian streets of Málaga. Brainstorm ideas and create a word cloud.
Discuss as a class:
How was life different 30-50 years ago? What do you know about the history of Málaga? Flipped Classroom Edpuzzle
What might have been different in our local area? (buildings, schools, traditions, relationships, etc.)
What do we know from our grandparents or older relatives?
Some example interviews to model the task: Short 1, Short 2.
Discuss evaluation criteria with students: What are the characteristics of a good interview?
Step 1: Forming Teams & Choosing a Focus
Step 2: Preparing the Interview
Each group creates 6-8 questions to ask their relatives/neighbors/family friends.
Sample questions could include:
How did teenagers spend their free time?
How strict were teachers compared to today?
What kind of jobs were common in our town?
Were there any behaviors that were considered inappropriate back then but are normal today?
Teacher checks and gives feedback on the questions before interviews.
Step 3: Conducting Interviews & Collecting Information
Each student interviews at least one person (a grandparent, parent, older family friend, etc.).
They can record the answers (audio/video) or take notes.
Step 4: Creating the Genially Presentation/TUTORIAL GENIALLY
3. Presentation & Interaction
4. Evaluation & Reflection
Assessment Criteria: GOOGLE FORM PEER EVALUATION
Clarity and fluency in speaking.
Engagement (Did they keep the audience’s attention?)
Creativity in presenting (use of visuals, interaction).
Depth of research (Did they gather meaningful information?).
Reflection Activity: After all presentations, students discuss:
What surprised them about life in the past?
How would they feel living back then?
What have they learned from the older generation?
5. Extra Support & Scaffolding
Provide a Genially tutorial for students to use.
Offer useful phrases for presenting:
“One interesting thing we learned was…”
“Compared to today, life was…”
“What surprised us the most was…”
Give presentation steps slide by slide.
Conclusion
This project enhances speaking skills, presentation techniques, and active listening, while also connecting students with local history and family stories. Using Genially makes the final product interactive and engaging, encouraging students to develop digital skills alongside their linguistic competence.
The grouping of students was done with careful consideration of the following factors: Balanced Skill Sets and Diverse Backgrounds.
The project was spread over three weeks, with four hours per week, making the total duration 12 hours. The distribution of the project activities was as follows:
Week 1 (4 hours): Introduction to the project, group formation, and research phase. Students were tasked with interviewing their family members, taking notes, and gathering materials (photos, objects, etc.).
Week 2 (4 hours): Students worked on their Genially presentations, designed slides, and began incorporating multimedia elements such as videos and images. They also rehearsed their speaking parts and presentation structure.
Week 3 (4 hours): Final preparations and rehearsals. In the final week, students presented their projects to the class, utilizing the interactive elements in their Genially presentations.
This time frame allowed students to manage their tasks effectively while giving them ample time for collaboration, refining their work, and rehearsing their speaking skills. Presentations were scheduled for the last week of the project, with each group allotted 5-7 minutes for their presentation.
Students were given a co-evaluation rubric (based on the categories discussed earlier) to guide peer assessments. This rubric helped them reflect on both the content and delivery aspects of the presentations.
Links to Projects Realized by Students:
Below are links to some of the best Genially projects completed by the students:
Group 1: “The Evolution of Málaga: From Past to Present”
Link to Genially Project
Group 2: “School in the 1960s: A Historical Journey”
Link to Genially Project
Group 3: “How Teenagers Lived in the Past”
Link to Genially Project
These projects were selected for their creativity, engagement with the audience, and comprehensive research.
Video, Audio, and/or Photos of the Presentations:
Unfortunately, I cannot upload the media directly here, but I recorded short videos of the final presentations and have shared them on the class's shared platform (e.g., Google Drive or school portal). The students’ enthusiasm and creativity in presenting their findings through Genially was impressive, especially as they incorporated audio clips from their interviews and used interactive elements to engage the audience.
Below are a few snapshots from the presentations:
Photo 1: Group 1 presenting their "Then vs. Now" comparison of Málaga’s landmarks.
Photo 2: Group 2 using audio clips of their grandparents talking about school life.
Photo 3: Group 3 explaining the social dynamics of teenagers in the 1960s.
Reflection on the Use of Genially and Its Impact on Student Learning:
The use of Genially in this project significantly optimized student learning and helped achieve the key objectives of the project, specifically:
Engaging Presentation Skills: Students learned to create interactive content and developed their presentation skills through a combination of visual storytelling and speaking. This encouraged them to practice clear communication and make their presentations interactive and engaging.
Collaborative Learning: Working in small groups allowed students to collaborate effectively, divide tasks, and support each other’s strengths (e.g., one student might be better at research, another at design, and another at speaking). This fostered teamwork and allowed them to learn from each other.
Use of Technology: By using Genially, students became familiar with a tool that helps them create dynamic and visually appealing presentations. They learned to incorporate multimedia elements such as images, videos, and interactive features, which enhanced both their digital literacy and creativity.
Cultural Understanding and Reflection: The project allowed students to reflect on their own lives and how society has changed over time, fostering a deeper understanding of history and cultural perspectives.
Would I Change Anything?
Upon reflection, here are a few areas I would consider improving for future iterations of the project:
More Structured Time for Rehearsals: While students had time to work on their projects, I feel they would have benefited from additional time to rehearse their presentations, focusing on body language, voice projection, and audience interaction.
More Guidance on Interview Techniques: Some students struggled with the depth of their interview responses, and I realized that offering a mini-workshop on active listening and questioning techniques would have helped them get more detailed answers from their family members.
Expanded Use of Genially Features: While students made good use of images and text, I believe they could have incorporated more interactive elements (e.g., quizzes or clickable images) to further enhance their presentations and keep the audience engaged.
In conclusion, Genially proved to be a very useful tool, providing students with an engaging platform to explore the past while enhancing their language, research, and digital presentation skills. The interactive nature of the tool made it a fun, creative, and highly educational experience.
