Passionate Coppell High School sophomores shone a light on the ideas of justice, inequality and poverty through their PechaKucha presentations.

PechaKucha, meaning “chit chat” in Japanese, is a fast paced presentational style that harnesses the power visuals and concise explanations. The presentational style is used in over 750 cities in the world, in the format of 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each.

Going hand in hand with the idea of change being explored by students this unit, teachers used the presentations to help students question social injustice in an interactive style on Monday, April 25.

“By creating the PK presentations, [students] are exploring how patterns repeat but also how we can actually create change,” English II teacher Sam Neal said.

The presentations were centered around a certain historical fiction novel read by students earlier in the year. The books were referenced during their presentations to enhance the presenters argument.  

Sophomore Carson Maher talked about the effects of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) on soldiers, referencing the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. His story is based on O’Brien’s experience in the Vietnam War, emphasizing the difficulties soldiers faced when returning to society.

Students drew references from historical events such as the Holocaust which tied into their theme of social injustice. PechaKucha presentations helped students understand how patterns repeat and how they can create change.

“The presentations were very educational and make me question what I can do to fight poverty, inequality and justice,” sophomore Tanmai Singhania said. “The English department should definitely continue implementing the PechaKucha presentations, they were very effective.”

Students also explored the effect of petition sites, impact of Twitter polls, and awareness caused by social media, addressing their essential question of how to effectively create global change.

This year was the second annual PechaKucha Day, giving the English department more clear expectations to help the presentations flow more smoothly.

Students from each English class were assigned various tasks such as designing the parent invitations, controlling the computer and being host speakers.

The presentations involved many members of the school and reached out to parents and the community to create awareness about global issues.
“The presentations have had impact on understanding global change and addressing problems as the next generation,“ sophomore Izzy Droz said. “The presentations were definitely successful and enlightening this year.”