The Lesson Visuals can be projected with a LCD projector or a Smartboard
Prep and Tech
Technology: LCD projector, laptop, speakers, student computers, and Internet access
Handouts
There are no handouts for this lesson.
Objectives
Students will learn effective public speaking skills.
Students will apply these skills to their presentations and practice delivering their oral and multimedia presentations.
The class will watch an animation that explains the Eighth Amendment's right to a fair trial and clips of historical speeches. Students will discuss strategies for effective public speaking. Groups will finish their PowerPoint presentations. They will practice their presentations taking into account strategies for effective public speaking.
Focusing Question
What are the elements of effective public speaking?
Mini Lesson
Evaluating Historical Speeches (15 min.)
Introduce the focusing question that guides this lesson. Connect this question to the previous lesson.
Show and discuss Program 6: Right To a Fair Trial.
Explain to students the importance of public speaking throughout American political history. Tell students that many elections have been won or lost based on the public perception of a candidate or an issue after watching a political debate or ad campaign.
Show The Power of Public Speaking. Discuss with students the role that the speeches played in influencing important political elections and the Civil Rights movement. Discuss the importance of appearance and demeanor in political debates. Discuss the role of images in ad campaigns.
Guide students to identify key elements from political speeches that they can apply to their own presentations. Explain to students the concept of a Town Meeting. Remind students of the presentation process for the class Town Meeting in Lesson 6.2.
Inform students that today they will complete the details of their presentations and begin to rehearse their presentations in a group.
Direct students to use computers. Remind them of the final touches they should make to their PowerPoint presentations. Stress the importance of a good script, strong visuals, and noting sources. Ask students to continue working on their presentations. They should use the Handout 5.2b: Presentation Rubric to make sure each slide will enhance their presentations.
Some of you researched the Trials and Terrorism issue that deals with the rights of terror suspects. Now we are going to watch a short animation that reviews the right to a fair trial. Then I will show you how to work with your group to deliver your presentations effectively.
Let’s talk about this animation. What is the right to a fair trial? Sample Responses: It is the right to a speedy public trial in front of a judge and jury. It is also the right to have a lawyer help to defend you.
Which amendments to the Bill of Rights contain the right to a fair trial? Sample Response: The Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the Bill of Rights.
What does Liberty think would happen if we did not have the Fifth and Sixth Amendments? Sample Response: Liberty says that without the Fifth and Sixth Amendments the government could throw people in jail anytime they liked for as long as they liked.
Who is the woman in the animation who talks about justice being blind? What does she mean? Sample Response: She is Blind Justice. There are many statues of Blind Justice in front of courthouses. She wears a blindfold and holds a scale. The scale symbolizes weighing evidence and the blindfold shows that she is not influenced by anything other than the law.
Student Activity
Practice Public Speaking (20 min.)
Remind students that each of their spoken parts is very important and that their use of the computer should not distract them from giving a strong oral presentation. Remind students of the public speaking lessons they learned from watching political debates and ads earlier in the lesson. Note: If there is time, you may want to save each individual presentation on a flash drive and load it onto the computer connected to the LCD projector.
As students finish their presentations, ask them to rehearse their multimedia presentations as a group. Students need to practice standing up, speaking, and using the PowerPoint software.
Have students practice presenting at the front of the class, one group at a time. Provide constructive comments for each presentation. Model effective public speaking practices as necessary. Other groups can continue practicing at their tables. This will also make it easier to begin the presentations in the next lesson. Transfer all of the presentations to one computer.
Lesson Summary
What are the elements of effective public speaking? (5 min.)
Revisit the focusing question. Ask students to identify the elements of effective public speaking that they focused on while practicing their presentations.
Homework Activity: Ask students to continue practicing their presentations at home. Encourage them to practice in front of friends and family members.
Assessment
Use the oral presentations students practiced in class to assess their understanding of effective public speaking skills.
