Speeches Lesson Plans

Students listen to King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. They use a fill-in-the-blanks worksheet to express their dreams for the world in a format similar to King's speech.

Young scholars examine their prior knowledge of the space program. After reading an article, they explore the conclusions of the Columbia accident. In groups, they research various space programs and discover the scope of NASA. They write speeches lobbying for or against the continued funding of NASA.

Students research the manatee to find out why it is endangered. They write speeches they might give to boaters who are interested in helping protect the manatee. They access websites which enlighten them regarding the plight of the manatee.

Seventh graders deliver an informational speech. In this public speaking lesson, 7th graders prepare, write, and deliver an effective speech using visual aids. Lesson includes ready-to-print attachments. Differentiated support and extension activities are suggested.

Seventh graders write informational speeches on theirfavorite foods, sports, music, etc. The written speech should have a strong introduction, supporting detail and conclusion and follow a specific structure, such as cause/effect, problem-solution or compare-contrast.

Fourth graders make a five minute speech on the life of a famous person.

Students study the causes and effects of King Philip's War. In this Native American history lesson, students examine the options that the Native Americans had in 1676 New England. Students weigh the pros and cons of the situation and then write expository essays about the content of Sachem's speech.

Students see that freedom of speech is not absolute and that society and the legal system recognize limits on the freedom of speech. They explore issues in which freedom of speech conflicts with other values.

Students continue their public speaking skills by writing an either/or speech. Individually, they complete an outline on what they want to discuss and give their speech to the class. To end the lesson, they complete a rubric for each speaker and offer constructive criticism.

Write and work with authors on the Scholastic Website to promote the recognition of various genres.  Young writers will participate in activities based on the type of writing such as biography, descriptive, folktales, mystery, news, and speech writing. Links to resources are provided and many extensions ideas are offered.