diff --git a/collects/unstable/gui/pict.rkt b/collects/unstable/gui/pict.rkt
index 31136abe40..e86df7cb26 100644
--- a/collects/unstable/gui/pict.rkt
+++ b/collects/unstable/gui/pict.rkt
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
    (blank (or w (pict-width pict))
           (or h (pict-height pict)))))
 
+(provide colorize/alpha)
+(define (colorize/alpha pict r g b a)
+  (colorize pict (make-object color% r g b a)))
+
 (define (color c p) (colorize p c))
 
 (define color/c
diff --git a/collects/unstable/gui/slideshow.rkt b/collects/unstable/gui/slideshow.rkt
index 84554fcbd9..f8b725ae1f 100644
--- a/collects/unstable/gui/slideshow.rkt
+++ b/collects/unstable/gui/slideshow.rkt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 (require slideshow/base slideshow/pict
          racket/contract/base racket/list racket/match
          racket/stxparam
-         (for-syntax racket/base racket/list racket/set)
+         (for-syntax racket/base racket/list racket/set syntax/parse)
          "pict.rkt")
 (provide (all-from-out "pict.rkt"))
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
 ;; Revealing slides. Similar to staging slides, can probably be implemented
 ;; in terms of staged slides.
 
-(provide reveal revealing-slide)
+(provide reveal revealing-slide items-slide)
 
 (define-syntax-parameter reveal (lambda (stx) (raise-syntax-error 'reveal "reveal")))
 
@@ -188,3 +188,42 @@
                                     (slide stuff ...))))))
        (with-syntax ([(slides ...) slides])
          #'(begin slides ...)))]))
+
+;; (items-slide ("a" "b" "c") #:title "whatever" (reveal 0 ...) (reveal 1 ...) (reveal 2 ...)
+;; this will show a, b, c on the left side with one of them highlighted at a time.
+;; the first element, a, will be synchronized with showing the first reveal, then
+;; the second element, b, will be synchronized with the second reveal, etc.
+(define-syntax (items-slide stx)
+  (syntax-parse stx
+    [(_ (item ...) (~seq keyword-name:keyword keyword-value:expr) ... stuff:expr ...)
+     (let ()
+       (define max-reveals (length (syntax->list #'(item ...))))
+       (define slides (for/list ([i max-reveals])
+                        (with-syntax ([i i]
+                                      [(keywords ...)
+                                       (apply append (syntax->list
+                                                       #'((keyword-name keyword-value) ...)))])
+                          (syntax (syntax-parameterize ([reveal (syntax-rules ()
+                                                                  [(reveal n pict)
+                                                                   (show pict (= i n))])])
+                                    (let ([show-items
+                                            (for/fold ([start (blank)])
+                                                      ([in '(item ...)]
+                                                       [current (in-naturals)])
+                                                      (vr-append start
+                                                                 (if (= current i)
+                                                                   (text in null (current-font-size))
+                                                                   (colorize/alpha (text in null (- (current-font-size) 3))
+
+                                                                             0 0 0 0.3))
+                                                                 (blank 1 10)))]
+                                          [data (for/fold ([start (blank)])
+                                                          ([thing (list stuff ...)])
+                                                          (lt-superimpose start thing))])
+                                      (slide keywords ...
+                                             (ht-append
+                                               show-items
+                                               (blank 50 1)
+                                               data))))))))
+       (with-syntax ([(slides ...) slides])
+         #'(begin slides ...)))]))