Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 8, Speaking & Listening · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What SL.8.5 Means in Plain English
Eighth graders build visuals into the talk rather than decorating it: a line graph at the exact moment they cite the trend, a 15-second clip that shows what words can’t, a photo that proves the claim. Each one has to clarify, strengthen the evidence or earn attention.
Seventh graders (SL.7.5) add visuals that clarify claims and emphasize the key points. Eighth grade asks that each visual also strengthen the evidence, and be woven into what the speaker says. In grades 9 and 10 (SL.9-10.5), students choose digital media strategically, including audio and interactive elements.
SL.8.5 I Can Statements
I can choose a visual that makes my evidence easier to see.
I can refer to each visual at the moment I explain it.
I can cut a visual that only decorates the slide.
SL.8.5 Worked Example
Two slide plans for the same claim about a local creek. One adds pictures; the other adds proof.
Prompt
Your claim: the town should repair the storm drain that empties into Miller Creek. Plan two slides and one clip, and what you will say while each is on screen.
Not YetSlide 1: the title “Save Miller Creek!” over a stock photo of a waterfall, with clip-art fish. Slide 2: eight bullet points copied from my notes, which I read aloud. At the end, a two-minute nature video with music.The waterfall isn’t Miller Creek, the fish prove nothing, the bullets repeat the talk word for word, and the video runs long with no point attached to it.
Meets the StandardSlide 1: a bar graph of our water tests, above the drain and below it, while I say, “Look at the right bar: below the drain, the nitrate reading is four times higher.” Slide 2: my own photo of foam at the drain’s mouth after Tuesday’s rain, while I say, “This is what that number looks like.” Then a 15-second clip of the drain in a storm, introduced with “Watch how fast it fills,” and the screen goes dark for my conclusion.The graph turns the key finding into something listeners see at once, the photo is first-hand evidence from the actual site, and the clip is short and tied to a point. The speaker tells the audience where to look each time.
Moves to Use
Match each visual to one claim or finding, and cut the rest.Choose the format for the job: a graph for a comparison, a photo for proof.Tell listeners where to look: “Look at the right bar.”Keep clips under 30 seconds and say what to watch for before they play.
Common Mistakes with SL.8.5
Slides as a script
Eight bullet points per slide, read aloud with the presenter’s back to the class
Try this: Cap slides at six words plus one image or graph, and keep the full sentences on the speaker’s note card.
Decoration posing as evidence
A clip-art stethoscope on a slide about the hospital’s budget
Try this: Ask of every visual, “What does this prove or clarify?” and delete any slide whose answer is “it looks nice.”
The video that takes over
A three-minute clip filling most of a five-minute presentation
Try this: Set a 30-second limit for clips and require one sentence before each, telling listeners what to watch for.
Random Name PickerFree ToolSpin for a classmate to say what one slide proves or clarifies. A slide nobody can explain gets cut before the final run.Slide criticWhole class