Pecha Kucha: Washed Out
Tell students that they will be creating a Pecha Kucha video to compare and contrast blackface and whitewashing. Explain that a Pecha Kucha presentation is a slideshow with 20 images (one per slide) and each slide is paired with 20 seconds of spoken audio. PechaKucha explains that, in this type of presentation, “you’ve got 400 seconds to tell your story, with visuals guiding the way.”[1]
Next, show one of the example Pecha Kucha presentations to the class and have them answer the questions in the Student Material.
- How did the strict 20-second-per-slide timing affect your experience as a viewer?
- Did the pacing feel too fast, too slow, or just right? Why?
- Were the visuals effective in supporting the presenter’s message? Why or why not?
- Was the narration clear and engaging? What made it effective (or not)?
- What is an element this Pecha Kucha had that you would like to replicate? What is one thing you’d want to do differently?
Now, have students access the Washed Out Brainstorming activity and go through it with the class. Explain to students that their presentation must include:
- Two examples of blackface and two of whitewashing.
- Analysis of similarities and differences between the two.
- Discussion of the impact on audiences of both practices.
- Argument for which has a bigger impact and why, supported by examples.
Explain that the format must be:
- 20 slides, displayed for 20 seconds each (6 minutes and 40 seconds total).
- Slides should primarily feature visuals or key phrases, not blocks of text.
- The narration must address all required points concisely and clearly.
Students will make their Pecha Kucha presentation using the Digital Story Maker. If students have not already completed the Digital Storytelling unit, go through it with the class.
In the student material, students will be guided to both the Story Table chapter and Digital Story Maker chapter details on how to use both of these tools.
- PechaKucha 20x20. (n.d.). https://www.pechakucha.com/about ↵