Grade by Grade
D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing for Real Audiences

Creating Digital and Media Texts: Slideshows, Podcasts and Blog Posts

D2.1 D3.1 A2.4 A2.5 A2.2 A2.6About 45 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can use the conventions of a slideshow, a podcast episode and a blog post.
  • I can plan, test and improve a digital text using a design process.
  • I can keep my personal information private and get permission before sharing online.

Words to know

digital text
A text made or shared with a computer, tablet or other device.
media text
A text that uses images, sound, video or a mix of these to send a message.
convention
A usual feature of a form that audiences expect, like a title slide or a podcast intro.
podcast
An audio program, usually in episodes, that people can listen to online.
blog post
A short article posted on a website, often with images and links.
design process
Steps for creating: plan, create, test, get feedback, improve.
personal information
Details that could identify you, such as your full name, address, school, phone number or photo.

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you created media texts like comics, infographics and audio announcements, used their conventions on purpose, and used images and recordings only with permission and credit.

In Grade 5 you will create digital texts like slideshows, podcast episodes and blog posts, and use a design process to make them better.

Three digital forms and their conventions

Slideshow

  • A title slide with the topic and your name (first name only if it will be shared online).
  • One idea per slide, with a heading.
  • Few words (short points, not paragraphs), so the audience listens to you instead of reading.
  • Pictures that match the words, each with a credit.
  • A final slide with your sources.

Podcast episode

  • An intro (greeting, show name, today's topic), often with short music.
  • Segments (parts), such as a fact segment and an interview.
  • A clear, lively voice, because listeners can't see you.
  • An outro (thank listeners, preview next time).
  • A script or notes so you don't ramble.

Blog post

  • A catchy headline.
  • Short paragraphs and subheadings, because people read on screens.
  • Images with captions and credits.
  • Links to reliable sources.
Snowshoe Haresphoto• white in winter• brown in summer• big back feetPhoto: creator, sourceTitlePicture +few wordsCredit
A model slide: a title, one picture, three short points and a picture credit. The labels on the right name each part.
FormBest when your audience...Watch out for...
Slideshowis in the room watching you presenttoo many words on a slide
Podcastwants to listen while doing something elselong silences or mumbling
Blog postwill read on a screen and may click linkslong blocks of text; sharing personal information
Choosing a digital form for your audience
Worked example

Let's write a short podcast script

Topic: how to make a bird feeder from a pine cone. Audience: kids who like nature.

  1. Intro: [Short music] Hi, and welcome to Backyard Explorers! I'm Zara. Today: how to feed the birds this winter with a pine cone.
  2. Segment 1, what you need: You'll need a pine cone, string, a spread like sunflower seed butter, and birdseed. Ask a grown-up to help.
  3. Segment 2, steps: First, tie the string to the top of the cone. Next, spread on the seed butter. Then roll it in birdseed. Finally, hang it from a branch you can see from a window.
  4. Outro: Tell us which birds visit your feeder! Thanks for listening to Backyard Explorers. See you next time. [Music]
  5. Check conventions: intro, segments with signal words, a friendly voice, and an outro.

A script with an intro, two segments and an outro. The time-order words help listeners follow steps they can't see.

The design process

Digital creators rarely get it right the first time. They use a design process:

  1. Plan: purpose, audience, form, a storyboard or script.
  2. Create a first version.
  3. Test: play it, click through it, or read it on a screen.
  4. Get feedback from someone in your audience.
  5. Improve, then test again.

Example: Zara recorded her podcast and played it back. Her feedback partner said the steps went too fast, so she added a short pause after each step.

1. Plan2. Create3. Test4. Get feedback5. Improvethen test again
The design process is a loop. Zara tested her podcast, got feedback that the steps were too fast, and added pauses.

Stay safe online

Before anything goes online, ask a grown-up. Don't share your full name, address, school name, phone number, passwords or photos that show where you live. Get permission before you include anyone else's voice, photo or name. Use only pictures and music you're allowed to use, and credit them.

Just for fun

What did the podcast say to the slideshow?

"You've got great looks, but I've got a great voice!" 🎙️

Hands-on activity

Make a three-slide (or paper) slideshow

You need: a computer or tablet with slideshow software, or three sheets of paper and markers.

  1. Choose a topic you know well (a favourite winter sport, a local animal, a family recipe).
  2. Plan three slides: a title slide, one information slide (heading, picture, three short points), and a sources slide.
  3. Create the slides. Draw your own pictures or use ones you are allowed to use, with credit.
  4. Test: present it to a grown-up. Time yourself.
  5. Get feedback: Ask, Was there anything too small, too wordy or confusing?
  6. Improve one thing and present again.

Grown-up note: Supervise internet searches for images, and keep projects offline or in school-approved spaces.

Your turn

1

Name two conventions of a slideshow.

2

What are the intro and outro of a podcast?

3

Why should a slide have few words?

4

Which piece of personal information is safe to share in a class blog post: your full home address or your favourite book?

5

Why does a podcaster need a lively voice?

6

Name the five steps of the design process.

7

You want to put a classmate's photo in your blog post. What must you do first?

More practice: warm-up

1

What is a podcast?

2

What should the last slide of a research slideshow list?

3

Name one convention of a blog post.

4

Should you share your password online?

5

What does test mean in the design process?

More practice: on your own

1

Fix this slide: a full paragraph of 90 words about beavers, no picture, no heading.

2

Write a podcast intro for a show about Canadian winter sports.

3

Which form fits better for teaching people to recognize bird songs: a blog post or a podcast? Why?

4

Your feedback partner says your video's music is louder than your voice. Which design step are you in, and what will you do?

5

Why do blog posts use short paragraphs?

Challenge

1

Plan a three-slide slideshow for Grade 3 students about staying safe online. Give each slide's heading and content.

2

Explain how the conventions of a podcast and a blog post differ because of their medium.

3

A student's video tutorial shows their house number in one shot. What should they do and why?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which is a convention of a podcast?

2.

What is a good rule for slides?

3.

What comes right after testing in the design process?

4.

Which is safe to include in a public blog post?

5.

Why do slideshows include a sources slide?

6.

Which form is best for an audience who will listen while walking the dog?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 5 students draft digital and media texts (D2.1) and produce them with digital tools (D3.1). Strand A connections: media forms and conventions (A2.4), how form and audience shape a message (A2.5), privacy and safety online (A2.2), and using digital tools in a design process (A2.6).

How to help at home:

  • Listen to a kid-friendly podcast together and point out the intro, segments and outro.
  • Set clear family rules for posting anything online, and review projects before they're shared.
  • Paper versions of slideshows and blogs are perfectly fine if you'd rather keep things offline.

Common difficulties:

  • Too much text on slides. Use the rule: three short points.
  • Using any image from a search. Teach them to check whether they're allowed to use it, and to credit it.
  • Skipping the test step. Always watch, listen or click through before calling it done.

Safety note: The pine-cone feeder steps mention a grown-up; check for nut allergies before using any nut spread.