ELA Name: ______________

Teacher’s Notes: Intro to Public Speaking

Hello! Thank you for downloading this activity. I hope that these materials will save you time and energy, and that this guide will make life even easier. - About This Product Sometimes students need to hear a message from an expert OTHER than their parents and teachers. I hope this set of lessons will persuade your students that public speaking skills matter and inform them about what some of the best practices are. These are all flexibly designed and EDITABLE to ensure that they can fit your classroom the way you need them to. For example, the speaking activity could be used in a variety of speaking tasks, from think-pair-share to Socratic Seminar to just an informal group or whole class discussion. The video guided notes can be used in-class or assigned as homework. No matter how you sequence the activities, I hope they give your students the foundation of speaking skills that you want! Fine Print: Disclaimers

x I claim no endorsement or affiliation with the NGA or CCSS (Common Core State Standards). I’m not the creator of these standards – I just teach them -

x I also claim no affiliation with TED or any of its speakers. About Sharing: Does your teacher friend want a copy? I do firmly believe in sharing IDEAS freely with all teachers. However, I humbly ask you to not directly give copies of my products to all of your teacher friends or department. If they’d like to use these materials, please direct them to my store, OR they can buy additional licenses THROUGH you at a cheaper rate! Leave Your Feedback! If you feel comfortable leaving a review/rating of this product, you can earn TpT credits to use toward future purchases! I take all comments very seriously and welcome your feedback. Questions? Email me anytime at tptsara@gmail.com. You might also like… My other speaking materials. Click on the icons to view!

ELA Name: ______________

INTRO TO PUBLIC SPEAKING Pre-Assessment

1. What past experiences have you already had in public speaking? (Giving speeches, presentations, etc.)

2. There’s an ELA standard that says: “Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples…”(SL.6-7-8.4). What things do good speakers do to accomplish that?

3. The second half of that standard says: “…use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.”

a. How exactly should you do that? (What does that mean?)

b. Does all of that really matter? Explain.

4. Does your negativity or positivity matter while speaking, either in a speech or just a conversation? Explain.

5. Do your voice and body language REALLY matter, or do people exaggerate the importance of this? Explain.

6. Does your structure (order of ideas) matter, or do you just need to make sure you say everything that you want? Explain.

ELA Name: ______________

INTRO TO PUBLIC SPEAKING (As taught by TED talks)

Complete the guided notes about each of the four videos.

Julian Treasure: “How to speak so that people want to listen” (10 minutes)

Video Objective: I can list ways to make the content and delivery of my speaking more effective.

1. What are some of the main points he makes about the CONTENT of when we speak? Avoid: Do:

1. Gossip 2. __________ 3. Negativity 4. __________ 5. Excuses 6. Lying & Exaggeration 7. Dogmatism (the confusion of facts and _________)

1. Honesty 2. Authenticity 3. Integrity 4. _________

2. The Speaker’s Toolbox:

a. Register : We vote for politicians with _______ voices b. Timbre: Research says we want voices that are “rich, smooth, ______” c. Prosody: Avoid being monotonous, overly repetitive, or incorrect questioning tone d. Pace

i. Speed – varying for emphasis ii. Silence – dramatic pausing

iii. “Don’t need to fill it with ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ e. Pitch f. Volume

3. Warm up your voice before speaking

a. Arms up & sigh down b. Lip warmup: “Ba” and buzz c. Tongue: exaggerated “La” and rolling an R d. “The Siren”: We to Aw

4. “What would the world be like if we were speaking __________ to people who were _________

consciously in environments that were actually fit for purpose?”

BIG IDEA: What can you do with your voice to be a better formal AND informal speaker?

ELA Name: ______________

Amy Cuddy: “Your body language shapes who you are” (21 minutes)

Video Objective: I can describe how non-verbals can impact my short and long term behavior.

1. Nonverbal expressions of power and dominance: a. Animal kingdom: expanding and taking up ______ (opening up), either chronically or in the

moment.

2. When Feeling Powerless: a. We “close up”, wrap ourselves up, make ourselves _____; we don’t want to bump into the

person next to us.

3. We tend to complement the other’s nonverbals a. We do the opposite; if someone is powerful with us, we become small.

4. Students express confidence in class

a. What does she say about the relationship between body language and gender?

b. What impact does this science have on students in the classroom, including participation grades?

5. “Fake it ‘till you make it” a. “Do our bodies change our minds?” b. Powerful people:

i. More assertive, confident, optimistic ii. Think more ______ & take more ______

iii. Testosterone: ______ (they are confident) iv. Cortisol: ______ (they can manage stress well)

c. Experiment: i. High power poses for 2 minutes

ii. Risk tolerance: 86% more willing to gamble iii. High power = 20% increase in testosterone, 25% decrease in cortisol

d. “Our nonverbals govern how we think and feel about __________.”

6. Meaningful life changes & applications: a. Evaluative, social threat situations b. Public speaking and selling c. Job interviews d. What is her advice about what to do in the moments before a job interview?

ELA Name: ______________

e. Have an authentic “presence” and being yourself f. What is the speaker’s response about people who feel “fake” doing this? (In other words,

what does she claim is the effect of using these techniques OVER TIME?)

g. “Don’t fake it ‘till you make it… fake it until you __________ it.” h. “Tiny tweaks can lead to big ___________.”

BIG IDEA: What is the relationship between your behavior and your success?

Christopher Emdin: “Teach Teachers How to Create Magic” (7 minutes)

Video Objective: I can list ways to keep an audience’s attention.

NOTE: This TED talk’s target audience is teachers and people in the education industry. HOWEVER, his points still apply to all public speakers. Don’t be distracted by the focus on the classroom; listen critically and think about what he is suggesting about how to keep an audience’s attention!

1. Listen to his introduction, where he discusses what teachers and students are doing “right now”. a. What is he doing with his WORDS to create structure and flow?

b. What is he doing with his VOCALS and/or body to hook you?

2. What does he suggest is the flaw in most teacher education programs?

3. What does he say that “on the other hand, amazing educators…” are doing? What makes them different?

4. How do his vocals, body, and word choices evolve over the first 3 minutes of the TED talk?

ELA Name: ______________

5. He uses the terms “master teachers”, “master narrative builders”, and “master storybuilders” synonymously. What is he implying that teachers (OR PUBLIC SPEAKERS) must be able to do?

6. Who does he suggest “knows” how to engage audiences the best?

7. According to Emdin, Mark Twain once said, “Proper preparation [teaching] is so important that it can change bad morals to good.” What does this quote suggest about the power of persuasion (and therefore the importance of effective speaking)?

8. Emdin has coined a term called “Pentecostal Pedagogy”, describing the speaking techniques used in many black churches.

a. Summarize the concept:

b. How can this apply to non-teachers/public speakers?

9. Emdin insists that “magic can be taught”. What are some ways he suggests that speakers improve their skills?

BIG IDEA: How do you create “magic” while public speaking?

ELA Name: ______________

Nancy Duarte: “The Secret Structure of Great Talks” (18 minutes)

Video Objective: I can describe the characteristics of effective speech structures.

1. “The way that ideas are conveyed the most effectively is through _________.” 2. With stories, you get a physical reaction; presentations often __________. 3. ___________ had a 3-Act structure:

a. Beginning b. Middle c. End

4. Hero Archetypes: the audience needs to be the “hero” of the idea (during a presentation). 5. Joseph Campbell’s Hero Archetype:

a. Likable hero in an ordinary world b. Call to ____________ c. Hero’s refusal of the call d. Meeting with the mentor e. Crossing the Threshold

6. (A way to combine Aristotle and Joseph Campbell):

a. Act 1: Beginning – Likeable hero b. Act 2: Middle – Encounters roadblocks c. Act 3: End – Emerges transformed

7. Gustaf Freytag: 5-Act story structure (plot pyramid)

a. Exposition b. Rising Action c. ____________ d. Falling Action e. Denouement

8. DRAW the “shape of a great presentation” below:

9. Description of the steps in #8: a. Establish “what is” (the status quo) – also known as THE PROBLEM b. Compare to what “could be” – also known as THE SOLUTION

i. Make the gap as big as possible c. (Repeat this throughout speech)

i. Make what’s normal unappealing ii. Break down audience resistance (also known as COUNTER-ARGUMENTS)

d. Call to action – describe the world as a “new bliss” or a utopia

ELA Name: ______________

10. Examples: a. Steve Jobs: iPhone launch

i. Adds in videos so it’s “not just him talking” ii. Made them laugh and clap

1. Audience involvement 2. Physical interaction/movement

iii. Marvels at his own product – models for the audience how he wants them to feel iv. Compares his phone to “sucky competitors” v. Live demonstration of product (not just pictures on his visual aid)

vi. Tells personal stories (especially when his clicker breaks!) vii. Ended with a sense of continuance

b. Dr. Martin Luther King: “I have a dream” speech

i. Used breaths and pauses effectively ii. Had a cadence and a rhythm

iii. Used repetition often iv. Used metaphors and visual words (make complicated ideas simple, like “scenes”) v. Used familiar songs, scriptures, and political references (allusion)

vi. Caused audience to clap often (again, audience physical involvement) vii. Goes back and forth between bad and good more rapidly at the end to increase

“frenzied pace” viii. He “reached inside the hearts of the audience” to create his new bliss

11. Does THIS speaker (Nancy Duarte) use this speech structure in her TED talk (this video)? Explain:

12. NOT IN VIDEO: Where else do you think this structure is used in the world?

BIG IDEA #1: Does the order of ideas matter while public speaking?

BIG IDEA #2: Are storytelling and speaking the same thing?

BIG IDEA #3: How do good presenters involve their audiences?

BIG IDEA #4: How do good presenters use details in their speeches?

ELA Name: ______________

Group Discussion Answer these questions individually and as a group.

I Say (my opinion)

We Say/They Say (the group’s opinion)

What was the purpose or motive of

these speakers?

Are they credible experts? How do you

know?

Are the TED speakers “right” about public

speaking skills, or does it vary by the person and their

argument?

How necessary are public speaking skills

in teens? Why?

How necessary are public speaking skills

in adults? Why?

Is there a “right” way to give a speech, or can you have your

own personal style?

What ideas were consistent across the TED speakers? (Were there any patterns in

their content?)

What would all (or most of) the TED

speakers agree that you could do NOW in order to be a better

speaker?

How well would you rate your individual participation in your small group’s discussion?

(Circle with 5 being best): 1 2 3 4 5

ELA Name: ______________

Reading Activity: Does Public Speaking Matter? (Hint: The experts say “yes”.)

4 3 2 1 Student is able to not only read and understand non-fiction, but can also critically respond to its content in writing and in interactions with others.

Student is generally able to read and understand non-fiction, based on written responses and interactions with others.

Student can somewhat read, understand, and share main ideas of non-fiction with others.

Student does not show an ability to read, understand, and/or share main ideas of non-fiction with others.

In this reading jigsaw activity, you will read 1 article from the list below and then share that information with others. (You will reciprocate by receiving information from their articles too.)

x Article #1: Every Entrepreneur Needs to Master Public Speaking (Forbes) x Article #2: Career Advice: Why public speaking is a critical skill (Computer World) x Article #3: 5 reasons everyone should take a public speaking course (USA Today) x Article #4: Why You Need to Be a Decent Public Speaker (US News & World Report) x Article #5: Public speaking skills not just important for presidential debates (Dayton Daily News)

Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4 Article 5 What REASONS does this article give for the need for good public speaking skills? (Make a bullet list)

What ADVICE does this article give for speakers?

ELA Name: ______________

(“Does Public Speaking Matter” continued)

Use the information from all 5 articles to answer the questions below (individually):

1. How are speaking skills necessary to GET or KEEP a job?

2. Does the importance of speaking skills vary by what kind of job you have, or is it important for everybody? Explain.

3. What do YOU think is the best piece of advice given by one of the articles? Explain why you chose it.

4. When could YOU have to use public speaking skills in your life, either as an employee or in your personal life?

5. What ideas seem to be shared by all of the article authors? (What patterns do you see?)

6. Are the article authors credible experts on this topic? How do you know?

ELA Name: ______________

INTRO TO PUBLIC SPEAKING Post-Assessment

1. How have your opinions and/or knowledge changed after the videos and articles? Explain.

2. There’s an ELA standard that says: “Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples…”(SL.6-7-8.4). What things do good speakers do to accomplish that?

3. The second half of that standard says: “…use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.”

a. How exactly should you do that? (What does that mean?)

b. Does all of that really matter? Explain.

4. Does your negativity or positivity matter while speaking, either in a speech or just a conversation? Explain.

5. Do your voice and body language REALLY matter, or do people exaggerate the importance of this? Explain.

6. Does your structure (order of ideas) matter, or do you just need to make sure you say everything that you want? Explain.

7. Do you feel any more ready (or at least prepared) to give your own speech? Explain.

ELA Name: ______________

INTRO TO PUBLIC SPEAKING: ANSWER KEY (As taught by TED talks)

Complete the guided notes about each of the four videos.

Julian Treasure: “How to speak so that people want to listen” (10 minutes)

Video Objective: I can list ways to make the content and delivery of my speaking more effective.

5. What are some of the main points he makes about the CONTENT of when we speak? Avoid: Do:

8. Gossip 9. Judging 10. Negativity 11. Complaining 12. Excuses 13. Lying & Exaggeration 14. Dogmatism (the confusion of facts and opinions)

5. Honesty 6. Authenticity 7. Integrity 8. Love

6. The Speaker’s Toolbox:

a. Register : We vote for politicians with lower voices b. Timbre: Research says we want voices that are “rich, smooth, warm” c. Prosody: Avoid being monotonous, overly repetitive, or incorrect questioning tone d. Pace

i. Speed – varying for emphasis ii. Silence – dramatic pausing

iii. “Don’t need to fill it with ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ e. Pitch f. Volume

7. Warm up your voice before speaking

a. Arms up & sigh down b. Lip warmup: “Ba” and buzz c. Tongue: exaggerated “La” and rolling an R d. “The Siren”: We to Aw

8. “What would the world be like if we were speaking powerfully to people who were listening

consciously in environments that were actually fit for purpose?”

BIG IDEA: What can you do with your voice to be a better formal AND informal speaker? Students can respond with ideas about CONTENT or STYLE, i.e. being positive, paying attention to vocals like register, pace, and volume.

ELA Name: ______________

Amy Cuddy: “Your body language shapes who you are” (21 minutes)

Video Objective: I can describe how non-verbals can impact my short and long term behavior.

7. Nonverbal expressions of power and dominance: a. Animal kingdom: expanding and taking up space (opening up), either chronically or in the

moment.

8. When Feeling Powerless: a. We “close up”, wrap ourselves up, make ourselves small; we don’t want to bump into the

person next to us.

9. We tend to complement the other’s nonverbals a. We do the opposite; if someone is powerful with us, we become small.

10. Students express confidence in class

a. What does she say about the relationship between body language and gender?

Women tend to position themselves smaller and lose power

b. What impact does this science have on students in the classroom, including participation grades?

Students with better body language and confidence tend to have better grades because they are participating more.

11. “Fake it ‘till you make it”

a. “Do our bodies change our minds?” b. Powerful people:

i. More assertive, confident, optimistic ii. Think more abstractly & take more risks

iii. Testosterone: high (they are confident) iv. Cortisol: low (they can manage stress well)

c. Experiment: i. High power poses for 2 minutes

ii. Risk tolerance: 86% more willing to gamble iii. High power = 20% increase in testosterone, 25% decrease in cortisol

d. “Our nonverbals govern how we think and feel about ourselves.”

12. Meaningful life changes & applications: a. Evaluative, social threat situations b. Public speaking and selling c. Job interviews d. What is her advice about what to do in the moments before a job interview?

ELA Name: ______________

e. Have an authentic “presence” and being yourself f. What is the speaker’s response about people who feel “fake” doing this? (In other words,

what does she claim is the effect of using these techniques OVER TIME?)

(Students should say something like: It might feel “fake” now, but doing it over time makes it part of the reality of who you are because you have changed, and then it is “you”)

g. “Don’t fake it ‘till you make it… fake it until you become it.” h. “Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes.”

BIG IDEA: What is the relationship between your behavior and your success? Students might say something about HABITS and doing something consistent over time to make positive change.

Christopher Emdin: “Teach Teachers How to Create Magic” (7 minutes)

Video Objective: I can list ways to keep an audience’s attention.

NOTE: This TED talk’s target audience is teachers and people in the education industry. HOWEVER, his points still apply to all public speakers. Don’t be distracted by the focus on the classroom; listen critically and think about what he is suggesting about how to keep an audience’s attention!

1. Listen to his introduction, where he discusses what teachers and students are doing “right now”. a. What is he doing with his WORDS to create structure and flow?

Intentional word repetition

b. What is he doing with his VOCALS and/or body to hook you?

Small hand gestures, good eye contact, upright posture, pausing, not very loud (drawing you in)

2. What does he suggest is the flaw in most teacher education programs?

Teachers are not being given good examples/mentors/instruction on being engaging; college instructors do not practice what they preach

3. What does he say that “on the other hand, amazing educators…” are doing? What makes them different? Engaging students with their speaking skills and creating “magic”

4. How do his vocals, body, and word choices evolve over the first 3 minutes of the TED talk?

He speeds up, gets louder, and confidently commands your attention

5. He uses the terms “master teachers”, “master narrative builders”, and “master storybuilders” synonymously. What is he implying that teachers (OR PUBLIC SPEAKERS) must be able to do?

Speakers need to be able to tell a story or narrative; the content and the performance must matter.

ELA Name: ______________

6. Who does he suggest “knows” how to engage audiences the best?

Non-teachers in the community (i.e. barbers, rappers, performers, etc.)

7. According to Emdin, Mark Twain once said, “Proper preparation [teaching] is so important that it can change bad morals to good.” What does this quote suggest about the power of persuasion (and therefore the importance of effective speaking)?

Being able to speak well makes you more powerful because you can persuade, influence, and/or change other people (your audience)

8. Emdin has coined a term called “Pentecostal Pedagogy”, describing the speaking techniques used in many black churches.

a. Summarize the concept: Preachers vary their vocals (i.e. pauses, speed, volume) and also get the audience involved (ex: “Amen!”) to keep their attention better. He believes that black churches do a good job of engaging their audiences and making their points heard.

b. How can this apply to non-teachers/public speakers?

We can improve our individual skills and work more on audience involvement to keep their attention and make sure that we succeed in our purpose.

9. Emdin insists that “magic can be taught”. What are some ways he suggests that speakers improve their skills?

Observe great speakers or storytellers where the magic is happening, even in unconventional places, and take notes on what they do, which they should then practice themselves.

BIG IDEA: How do you create “magic” while public speaking?

Engage the audience with every part of your content and style.

ELA Name: ______________

Nancy Duarte: “The Secret Structure of Great Talks” (18 minutes)

Video Objective: I can describe the characteristics of effective speech structures.

13. “The way that ideas are conveyed the most effectively is through story.” 14. With stories, you get a physical reaction; presentations often flatline. 15. Aristotle had a 3-Act structure:

a. Beginning b. Middle c. End

16. Hero Archetypes: the audience needs to be the “hero” of the idea (during a presentation). 17. Joseph Campbell’s Hero Archetype:

a. Likable hero in an ordinary world b. Call to adventure c. Hero’s refusal of the call d. Meeting with the mentor e. Crossing the Threshold

18. (A way to combine Aristotle and Joseph Campbell):

a. Act 1: Beginning – Likeable hero b. Act 2: Middle – Encounters roadblocks c. Act 3: End – Emerges transformed

19. Gustaf Freytag: 5-Act story structure (plot pyramid)

a. Exposition b. Rising Action c. Climax d. Falling Action e. Denouement

20. DRAW the “shape of a great presentation” below:

21. Description of the steps in #8: a. Establish “what is” (the status quo) – also known as THE PROBLEM b. Compare to what “could be” – also known as THE SOLUTION

i. Make the gap as big as possible c. (Repeat this throughout speech)

i. Make what’s normal unappealing ii. Break down audience resistance (also known as COUNTER-ARGUMENTS)

d. Call to action – describe the world as a “new bliss” or a utopia

ELA Name: ______________

22. Examples: a. Steve Jobs: iPhone launch

i. Adds in videos so it’s “not just him talking” ii. Made them laugh and clap

1. Audience involvement 2. Physical interaction/movement

iii. Marvels at his own product – models for the audience how he wants them to feel iv. Compares his phone to “sucky competitors” v. Live demonstration of product (not just pictures on his visual aid)

vi. Tells personal stories (especially when his clicker breaks!) vii. Ended with a sense of continuance

b. Dr. Martin Luther King: “I have a dream” speech

i. Used breaths and pauses effectively ii. Had a cadence and a rhythm

iii. Used repetition often iv. Used metaphors and visual words (make complicated ideas simple, like “scenes”) v. Used familiar songs, scriptures, and political references (allusion)

vi. Caused audience to clap often (again, audience physical involvement) vii. Goes back and forth between bad and good more rapidly at the end to increase

“frenzied pace” viii. He “reached inside the hearts of the audience” to create his new bliss

23. Does THIS speaker (Nancy Duarte) use this speech structure in her TED talk (this video)? Explain:

Mostly; she does begin and end with stories, use familiar examples (Dr. King and Steve Jobs), and talk about the “bliss” of a good speech, only sometimes comparing it to bad ones.

24. NOT IN VIDEO: Where else do you think this structure is used in the world? Commercials and informercials! -

BIG IDEA #1: Does the order of ideas matter while public speaking? Yes – compare-contrast and problem/solution structures are effective.

BIG IDEA #2: Are storytelling and speaking the same thing? She implies that the answer is yes; they are similar.

BIG IDEA #3: How do good presenters involve their audiences? Movement (like clapping or cheering) and familiarity (using allusion)

BIG IDEA #4: How do good presenters use details in their speeches?

They give plenty of examples, live demonstrations, allusion/familiar quotes, etc.