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60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+65 XP
Pupils work on their own device

Questions and the Unexpected

This lesson helps you prepare for audience questions and technical issues in presentations by predicting five likely questions and writing answers, adding and hiding backup slides, exporting a PDF of your deck, and practising answering without notes in pairs.

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    1 - Introduction ~5 mins

    Welcome

    Illustration for IntroductionToday: five predicted answers, two hidden backups, a PDF safety copy, and a short partner drill.

    You will:

    • Write five questions with short answers
    • Hide two backup slides in your deck
    • Export a PDF into your portfolio folder
    • Answer a partner without slides

    Warm-up

    If the projector failed two minutes into your talk tomorrow, what could you open instead?

    You need not know every answer cold, the prep stops a tough question wrecking the talk.

    2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins

    ConceptWhy it mattersExample
    Predicted Q&A: five questions, one-line answersYou answer calmly"How much does a night cost?"
    Hidden backups: slides skipped until neededDetail stays off the main talkA cost slide if money comes up
    PDF backup: {{code:02_talk_deck.pdf}}Works if the live deck failsOpen the PDF offline
    Question drill: answer without slidesYou speak the answer, not read it-

    3 - Step-by-step Task: Prepare for Questions and Tech Failure ~18 mins

    Use disposable practice files only. Copy the sample Q&A into {{code:09_qa_prep}}, then hide two backups and export a PDF on {{code:09_practice_deck}}.

    Do not put sample GAA slides in {{code:02_talk_deck}}.

    Before you click: Hidden slides show a faint mark and skip in a normal show. You can still open one live, then carry on. You will practise opening one hidden backup in the steps below before you export the PDF.

    Sample talk (copy these Q&A pairs into {{code:09_qa_prep}}):

    Topic: Starting a Friday club night at the local GAA club.

    • Q1: How much does it cost to run one night? About €80 for hall hire and a basic kit.
    • Q2: Who is it for? First years and TY students new to the club.
    • Q3: What if nobody turns up the first week? We still run a short skills session and invite friends the next Friday.
    • Q4: Do you need a coach every week? A qualified coach for the first four weeks, then trained senior players.
    • Q5: How do people sign up? A simple form linked from the club socials, open from next Monday.

    Backup A title: Full cost breakdown. Body lines: Hall hire €50 · Basic kit €20 · Coach (first month) €10 · Total ~€80.

    Backup B title: Sample Friday timetable. Body lines: 18:00–18:15 arrival and warm-up · 18:15–19:00 skills · 19:00–19:30 small games and pack-down.

    4 - Common Issues ~3 mins

    Common Issues

    IssueSolution
    Hidden slide still appearsCheck the hidden mark on the thumbnail, then restart the show
    Cannot find Hide or SkipRight-click the filmstrip thumbnail, or use the Slide menu
    No PDF or wrong folderDownload as PDF; move from Downloads. Practice: {{code:09_practice_deck.pdf}}. Real deck later: {{code:02_talk_deck.pdf}}

    5 - Portfolio Build: 09_qa_prep and Question Drill ~19 mins

    Independent Practice

    Your goal: Ready your talk for questions and a tech fail on Talk Day.
    Time: ~20 minutes
    Task:

    1. Your files (about 12 minutes)

    • In {{code:09_qa_prep}}, replace the sample with five questions about your own talk, each with a one-line answer. Starters: How much? Who is it for? What if? Who runs it? How do people join?
    • Find the claim in your talk someone is most likely to push back on, and make sure one question and one backup slide cover it.
    • In {{code:02_talk_deck}} only, add two backup slides about your own topic and hide both.
    • Download {{code:02_talk_deck}} as a PDF the same way you did for the practice deck, and keep {{code:02_talk_deck.pdf}} in {{code:Digital_Presentations}}.

    2. Checkpoint: put your hand up when the two hidden backups and {{code:02_talk_deck.pdf}} are done. The drill starts after that.

    3. Question drill (about 7 minutes)

    • In pairs, the asker holds your question list and you answer with the screen blank, then swap.
    • If you are waiting for a partner, rehearse your answers aloud.
    • If your mind goes blank, say "Good question. The short version is" and give one sentence.
    Success criteria:
    • {{code:09_qa_prep}}: five own questions, short answers, sample gone
    • {{code:02_talk_deck}}: two hidden own-talk backups, no GAA sample
    • {{code:02_talk_deck.pdf}} in {{code:Digital_Presentations}}
    • Three answers without slides (or solo rehearse)
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