1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Format 1 = the piece you already picked for your VET interview (slides, video, podcast, or another option). Today you only lock the title order for that piece.
You stop decorating and start building the skeleton: titles only, before a single bullet or image goes near it.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Build structure before design using the thumbnail strip or a numbered outline
- Apply one idea per slide and write titles before body content
- Create a titles-only structure for your format 1 piece (slide deck or equivalent outline)
Warm-up
Think about the last talk, video, or pitch you watched. Could you retell it as five short titles in order? If you can, the structure worked. If you only remember colours and animations, the structure was missing. Hold that thought for today's build.
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
Start with the finished skeleton. Your teacher will read the titles aloud.
Worked example: Aoife's titles-only structure
Aoife is pitching custom phone cases for local GAA club supporters at her VET interview. Format 1 is a slide deck. Before any design:
- Custom cases for club supporters: what I'm building
- The gap I'm filling
- Who buys and why
- What I've made so far
- Costs, price, and break-even
- What I need next
- Skills this project proves
Seven titles. No bullets. No images. That is today's standard.
Quick check: could Aoife deliver a two-minute pitch from these titles alone?
Before we move on: write your Something Real topic in four words on a sticky note (or a corner of your page). Keep it visible for independent practice.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Structure-first — lock title order before body, images, or design | Wrong story order cannot be saved by themes later | Aoife writes seven titles before any photo of a case |
| One idea per slide — each slide or section carries one claim | One idea keeps the examiner listening, not reading | "Who buys and why" stays one slide on its own |
| Titles before body — every title first; body empty until the arc works | If titles alone present well, the skeleton is ready to fill | Titles alone already sound like a coherent VET pitch |
How to check the order: left thumbnail strip (slides) or a numbered list (outline).
Format 1 reminder: slides path saves {{code:sm2_vet_presentation_v1.pptx}}. Non-slides path saves {{code:sm2_vet_structure_outline_v1}} with the same one-idea sequence.
How to adapt the pattern (teacher model)
Same seven slots, different project. Café work-placement rewrite:
- My café placement: what I'm showing
- The skill gap I needed to close
- Who I serve and what they need
- What I've done on shift so far
- Time, tips, and what I track
- What I need to practise next
- Skills this placement proves for VET
Slots stay the same; only the words change. You will do this for your own story in independent practice.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~15 mins
Two paths, same standard.
- If format 1 is slides: follow the platform steps below with your teacher. Build Aoife's titles-only practice deck. Leave every body area empty.
- If format 1 is not slides (podcast, video, infographic, or another option): use the numbered mini-path below while the class builds slides.
Non-slide mini-path (practice file)
- Go to {{code:onedrive.com}} or {{code:drive.google.com}} and open {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}}.
- Create a new blank document. Use the same word app your class normally uses in {{code:sm2}} (Word for the web or Google Docs).
- Rename the file to {{code:sm2_structure_practice_aoife}}.
- Type Aoife's seven titles as a numbered list (1 to 7). Titles only.
- Optional: add rough timings beside each title (for example 0:00, 0:20).
- Read the titles aloud in order. No full script and no design.
Empty slides or a sparse outline can feel wrong. That is the point today. If you can pitch from the titles alone, the skeleton is doing its job. If you are on the outline path, a bare numbered list is not unfinished work: it is the same skeleton the slide group is building, just without the deck.
Important: this practice file is only for learning the method. Your real VET structure file comes in independent practice under a different name.
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I started picking themes, colours, or images before I finished the titles | Stop design work. Delete extra images or theme changes if they distract you. Finish the full title list first. You are not behind; design comes in a later lesson on this same file. |
| My slides already have long bullet lists from a template | Select the body placeholder text and delete it. Keep only the title on each slide. Template body text is not your structure. |
| I saved the practice file as my VET filename by mistake | Rename the practice copy to {{code:sm2_structure_practice_aoife}}. Your own structure must be a separate file: {{code:sm2_vet_presentation_v1.pptx}} (slides) or {{code:sm2_vet_structure_outline_v1}} (non-slides). |
5 - Independent Practice ~20 mins
Independent Practice
1. Path and filename. Open {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}}. Slides path: create {{code:sm2_vet_presentation_v1.pptx}} with 5–9 slides, clear titles only, empty body areas. Non-slides path: create {{code:sm2_vet_structure_outline_v1}} as a short document in the same folder with numbered titles, one idea per section, optional rough timings only.
2. Stems (use if you need a starting arc). What I'm making; The gap; Who it's for; What I've done so far; Costs or time I track; What I need next; Skills this proves.
3. Fallback if Something Real is still unclear. Keep Aoife's seven slots and rewrite each title for your project area with honest placeholders. Example rewrite: The gap I'm filling becomes The gap: no cheap club-branded cases near the pitch.
4. Read-aloud check. Read your titles aloud as your interview arc before you stop. Do not use the Aoife practice file as your KA file.
- Slides path: {{code:sm2_vet_presentation_v1.pptx}} is saved inside {{code:sm2}}; non-slides path: {{code:sm2_vet_structure_outline_v1}} is saved inside {{code:sm2}}
- You have 5–9 titled sections or slides, each carrying one clear idea linked to your Something Real project (placeholders OK if the project is still forming)
- Body areas are empty (or the outline has titles and optional timings only): no full paragraphs, no image collage, no theme polish yet
- You can retell your VET story out loud using only those titles, in order, without inventing missing steps
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