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Lesson 6 of 6
  • Year 8

Telling a story: pitching ideas to an audience

I can create and confidently pitch a design idea.

Lesson 6 of 6
New
New
  • Year 8

Telling a story: pitching ideas to an audience

I can create and confidently pitch a design idea.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Architects respond to 'requests for proposals', creating an outline of how they would meet the brief for a project.
  2. Architects have to pitch their ideas in a clear and concise way and show how their idea is unique to win the job.
  3. When presenting an idea, architects think of it as a story, with a beginning, middle and end.
  4. Public speaking is a crucial skill and there are techniques we can use to help with our nerves.

Keywords

  • Pitch - a short, clear presentation that explains an idea and persuades others to support or choose it.

  • Brief - a set of instructions or goals for a project that guides the design process.

  • Proposal - an outline of your idea showing how it meets the brief and why it’s the best option.

Common misconception

Some students think pitching means just reading out facts about the design.

A strong pitch is more than just facts. It’s a story with a clear beginning, middle and end that shows your idea solves a problem and stands out from the rest.


To help you plan your year 8 art and design lesson on: Telling a story: pitching ideas to an audience, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Remind students it’s okay to pause, breathe and speak slowly — confidence comes with practice, not perfection.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pencils, paints, fineliners, pens, paper, card, old magazines/papers, scissors, glue

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words and the definitions.

Correct Answer:perspective drawing,how depth by making objects appear smaller as they get further away

how depth by making objects appear smaller as they get further away

Correct Answer:vanishing point,the spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet

the spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet

Correct Answer:horizon line,a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

Q2.
The spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet in a perspective drawing is called the ...

distance point.
disappearing point.
Correct answer: vanishing point.

Q3.
Architects use perspective in their drawings to show how a building will look from a specific viewpoint.

Correct answer: True
False

Q4.
Perspective drawing needs ...

a horizon line and a cityscape.
a sunset and a vanishing point.
Correct answer: a horizon line and a vanishing point.

Q5.
Which of the following is true?

One-point perspective helps show people in street scenes or in a corridor.
One-point perspective helps show details in street scenes or in a corridor.
Correct answer: One-point perspective helps show depth in street scenes or in a corridor.

Q6.
Which of these describes drawing a horizon line?

Correct answer: a straight line horizontally across your page, showing eye level
a straight line vertically across your page, showing eye level
a straight line diagonally across your page, showing eye level

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What is a pitch?

A pitch is a short but complex way of sharing your idea with others.
A pitch is a long way of sharing your idea with others.
Correct answer: A pitch is a short, clear way of sharing your idea with others.

Q2.
Good design must be inclusive and accessible to all.

Correct answer: True
False

Q3.
A proposal is ...

a plan that shows how your design idea subverts.
a plan that shows how your design cannot meet the brief.
Correct answer: a plan that shows how your design idea meets the brief.

Q4.
A strong proposal will ...

tell a personal story and move the client to tears.
Correct answer: tell a story and communicate the architect’s ideas to the client.
tell a story and impress the client with things they don't understand.