EF_Challenge_Teacher_Toolkit

EF Challenge

Toolkit for teachers Lesson one Speech Overview (10 minutes)

–– Explain to students that they are going to learn how to write a speech. As a class, brainstorm what is key to great speech writing and write their ideas on the board.

–– Now write the following headings on the board and ask students to think about how they relate to speeches: WHO, WHAT, HOW. –– Discuss and elicit the following answers: WHO: Identify your audience — Who will be listening to your speech?

WHAT: Identify your topic and main points — What is your speech going to be about?

What are the main points going to be?

HOW: Identify its length — How long does the speech need to be? (Explain that this is important because it will determine what information is presented and how much of it.)

–– Explain that having this basic outline will make the speech easier to write. To make sure students understand this information, put students into groups. Write the following topic on the board: What does sustainable development mean to you?

–– Explain that this is their topic, and they should write a speech outline for it using the headings WHO, WHAT, HOW. Tell them to list their main speech points in order of importance.

–– Give groups a couple of minutes to do this, and then have them share their outlines with the class.

Speech Structure (5 minutes) Write the following on the board: –– Introduction –– Body –– Conclusion

Ask students what the above refers to. Elicit the answer, Speech Structure. Ask them what kind of content should be in each section. Elicit the following answers: –– Introduction—Tell the audience what the speech is about.

–– Body—The main points expressed in detail, with evidence to back them up.

–– Conclusion—A summary of the speech.

Targeting Your Audience (10 minutes)

–– Tell students that the first thing they need to consider in detail when beginning to write their speech is their audience. Not only WHO they are, but HOW they are likely to think. The speech should be written from the target audience’s point of view in order for them to be captivated by it.

–– Tell students to look at their most important point from the outline they wrote in the Speech Overview of this lesson, and to think about how to best explain it, so their audience understands it.

–– Point out that in order to write from their audience’s point of view, they might like to consider the following: –– think of a real person, or a type of person, who would most likely be listening to the speech.

–– think of someone who represents the majority of that type of person –– imagine they are a friend who is sitting by your side, eagerly awaiting to hear your wise ideas –– give this person a name, for example, Tom, to make them more real –– Give groups a minute to identify their audience, and then brainstorm how they would best explain their first main point to Tom. Go through the following tips: –– write down exactly what you intend to say is if talking directly to your audience. (Note: Even though professionally, it’s not customary to read from anything more than cue cards with bullet pointed notes, sometimes having everything written down, rather than just an outline, can act as a safety net, especially if it’s your first ever speech. It will also make it easier to recover from nerves with a full set of notes to fall back on.)

–– illustrate your point with proof to back it up –– If any students need extra assistance, tell them to ask themselves the following questions: How should I shape my information to meet Tom’s needs? Should I provide anecdotes to illustrate my main points? What level of language would suit my topic that Tom will relate to most?

–– When groups are finished, have them share their ideas with the class.

Language (5 minutes)

Tell students that after preparing the rest of their main points, they need to check the following: –– Tone of language (Is it right for the occasion?)

–– Sentence length (Are your sentences too long and complicated? Shorten them and don’t use unnecessarily difficult vocabulary) –– Vocabulary (Are there any words used that your audience may not understand? Remove them.)

–– Voice (Does it sound right? Say everything aloud after writing it down. You could also record yourself speaking on your mobile phone so you can listen back to it.

Remind students that when writing a speech, they have to keep in mind that sentence flow will be fairly different than, for example, writing in an essay. You use whole sentences and part sentences, and you insert asides like you do in casual conversation. The only difference is, you are the only one speaking.

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EF Challenge

Toolkit for teachers

Linking Points (10 minutes)

–– Tell students that once they have perfected how to express all their main points, they need to start thinking about how to join them together so that they transition from one to the other in a natural flow.

–– Tell students to imagine a puzzle. Each piece of a puzzle should slot together smoothly to create a complete picture. If the pieces aren’t joined together correctly, the resulting picture isn’t going to be clear. The same idea applies to speeches. Listeners need to be given clear links between ideas. If a speech contains more than three main points, each point needs to add to the last.

–– Offer the following examples: –– We’ve talked about one benefit of getting enough sleep, but let’s consider another. I believe ... What follows is the second main point.

–– We’ve talked about two benefits of getting enough sleep at night. One: While we’re asleep, the brain stores new memories, which makes it easier to learn new things. Two: Sleep helps our immune system to fight off diseases. So what might be a third? How about metabolism and weight gain?

This third advantage ... What follows are details and proof supporting the third main point.

Write the following on the board, put students into new groups, and have them work together to create links to transition from one point to the other: Topic: What are the benefits of home schooling?

Point 1: You can strengthen your bond with your children.

Point 2: You can tailor lessons to fit your children’s learning styles.

Point 3: You can protect your children from outside negative influences.

Point 4: You can take breaks during traditional school terms and make them educational.

–– Have groups share their transitions with the class.

–– Before closing the lesson, tell students in the next lesson they will focus on writing a conclusion, an introduction, a final checklist, and how to present their speeches.

Lesson two The Conclusion (8 minutes)

–– Ask the class what things they think should be in the conclusion of a speech. Brainstorm ideas as a class and write them on the board in a mind map.

–– Regardless of what has been written on the board, stress that the ideal conclusion should be highly memorable for the audience. A great conclusion will linger in their minds long after the speech is over, and will include a call-to-action accompanied by a summary of the main points made during the speech. If students don’t know what ‘call-to-action’ means,

offer the following examples: If you were a politician, a callto-action might be to vote for you in the next election. If you were selling a product, a call-to-action might be to invite the audience to take advantage of a limited-time discount.

–– Put students into groups, and tell them to look over the notes they’ve made on various topics from the previous lesson and to choose one to write a conclusion for. Tell them to think back to their original motives for giving the speech, to ask themselves what they want people to do after listening to it: Was it to motivate the audience? Was it to persuade the audience to have a specific opinion about something? Was it to offer interesting information?

–– Have students brainstorm and write their conclusions in their groups and then have a representative from each group present their conclusion to the class.

The Introduction (8 minutes)

–– If students are wondering why you are focusing on the introduction last, explain that in order to write a great introduction, they must know the content of their speech back to front.

–– Explain that a great introduction will make every single ‘Tom’ in the audience want to listen to their speech. It will make Tom forget about his hectic morning, or the chores that need to be done when he gets home. In short, it will get Tom’s attention and keep it until the very end.

–– Ask students how they think they can do this, and elicit the response, “with a hook.” Explain that a –– hook can come in many forms, and it all depends on the content of the speech. The idea is to work out what that one thing is that is going to hook Tom’s attention, and hone in on that immediately.

–– Explain that to figure out what the hook is, they need to ask themselves, once again, Why am I giving this speech? Tell them that when they have their answer, to again consider their call-to-action. What do I want the audience to do after listening to my speech? Finally, they need to think about Tom, and ask themselves the following: If I were Tom, what would appeal to me? Humor? Shock attack? Academic tone? A quick outline of what you are going to cover so Tom knows it’s worth staying? A special deal that Tom is going to get at the end of the speech? The promise of something free?

–– When students have finished writing their hooks, have them share them with the class.

–– Tell students to watch the entire speech, ‘The simple power of hand washing’, at home, and identify how the introduction, main points, and conclusion, are presented.

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EF Challenge

Toolkit for teachers

Reviewing Your Speech (4 minutes)

Tell students that completing their speech doesn’t mean they are finished. They need to thoroughly check that everything is in order, and to do this they need to read it through several times, each time focusing on different aspects. Have students the following checklist aloud: 1. Check that the main points are in the correct order, that each point has supporting examples 2. Check that the introduction and conclusion are as effective as possible.

3. Check that the transitions are clear and can be followed easily.

4. Check tone and language.

5. Read it aloud, slowly, and time it.

6. If it’s too long, make amendments. Start by cutting supporting information, rather than main points, especially if more than one supporting example is used. Make sure nothing has been repeated. If there has, then cut it out.

Presenting Your Speech (20 minutes)

–– Say the following: Posture, Eye Contact, Hand Gestures, Voice, and ask students how they are relevant to the lesson (they are things to consider when delivering a speech). Tell students that honing these four skills will ensure a sound presentation.

–– Write Posture on the board, and ask students what it means and why it is important when giving a speech. Elicit an answer along the lines of the following: Posture is the way in which we hold our bodies. If someone is slouching and/or looking at the ground, it shows they are not confident. If they are standing straight, head facing forward, feet slightly parted, it shows that they are confident and ready to speak.

–– Do the same for Eye Contact, Hand Gestures, and Voice: Eye Contact: It is important to look at the audience when giving a speech. It shows confidence, enthusiasm and a belief in the topic. If we are looking away from the audience, it shows nerves and/or boredom.

Hand Gestures: This is the way in which we move our hands to show what we mean to say. Hand gestures can emphasize the message of a speech. They can highlight key words, and various other details. Gestures should not be overused, however, as it can become confusing and draw the focus away from what we are trying to say.

Do the following activities with students to help them understand each point more clearly: Posture Activity: Have students to go to the front of the classroom in turn. For each student, call out a different type of posture, for example, ‘Look at the ceiling’. The other students need to say what the student is doing, and explain why it is inappropriate posture. Close the activity with a student showing an example of good posture.

Eye Contact Activity: Have students go to the front of the classroom in turn. Write two lines of speech onto a piece of paper (it can say anything) and have them memorize it, and recite it (repeatedly) with confidence, maintaining eye contact with the rest of the class. Tell students in the audience to raise their hand when they think the speaker looked them directly in the eye. The student can stop speaking once three students in the audience have raised their hands. Continue with the rest of the students.

Hand Gesture Activity: As a class, brainstorm some phrases and gestures which would match them. For example, “Let’s see...” would match with rubbing/scratching one’s chin, and frowning in thought. Have individual students demonstrate them in front of the class.

Voice Activity: Have students recite a tongue twister with different intentions in mind. For example, have students say the following, I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits, with a different purpose each time: to impart important information, to reveal a sad anecdote, to promote serious thought, to express excitement, etc. Remind students to focus on intonation, articulation, pitch, speed, pauses, and volume.

Final Words

–– Tell students to practise delivering their speech in the mirror, or record themselves on their phones.

–– Tell them to watch it back and make sure their posture, eye contact, hand gestures, and voice are all professional and appealing.

To close the lesson, tell students to watch a few speeches on TED.com to help them with their own. If time permits, watch one in class.

Voice: This is the way in which we use our voice and it is important for emphasizing specific information, and also for showing emotion. Practising intonation, articulation, pitch, speed, effective pauses, and volume, will ensure great delivery. It will make the speech more interesting and help the audience to understand exactly what is being said.

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EF Challenge

Toolkit for teachers

Lesson three

The Perfect Speech – A Checklist for Students

The video The speech has to be video recorded meaning they can use graphic elements and music to enhance the impact of their entry. Here are a few tips to consider: Location: Find a location where the voice is clearly audible.

Avoid noisy environments and consider using a microphone to boost sound quality.

Music: Music is a powerful tool that can add extra emotion to their speech. However, be careful that the music doesn’t overpower their vocals. After all, it’s you we want to hear.

Images: Animated visuals can support their arguments in a variety of ways. However, they should keep in mind that EF Challenge is a speech competition so the focus should be on the spoken message.

Examples Get inspired by watching a selection of last year’s entries that tackled the issue of what it means to be a global citizen.

• Mikołaj Niczyj from Wroclaw, Poland • Hortense Ibled-Michelot from Paris, France • Yuka Fukusima from Tokyo, Japan • Khanh Quynh Ly from An Giang Province, Vietnam

Before you go on stage and give your speech, make sure you can check off everything on our list. That way, winning over the hearts and ears of the jury will almost be like a walk in the park: –– Answer the question “What does sustainable development mean to you?”

–– Write a speech with a clear structure –– Write like you talk –– Practice. A lot.

–– Practice in a big space with a microphone –– Memorize the speech –– Breathe –– Speak for at least three but no longer than five minutes –– Have cue cards as a backup - they will be your safety net –– Be creative, inspiring and entertaining –– Avoid jargon and unpronounceable words –– Speak loudly and proudly –– Make eye contact. Smile. Relax.

Good luck!

If your students need an extra boost of motivation, show them the great experience that awaits the winners: EF Youth Leadership Forum 2017 in New York City

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EF Challenge

Toolkit for teachers

Speeches examples: “Farewell to Baseball Address”

It seemed as if the luminous career of Lou Gehrig would go on forever. The Yankee’s first baseman and prodigious slugger was nicknamed the Iron Horse for his durability and commitment to the game. Sadly, his record for suiting up for 2,130 consecutive games came to an end when at age 36, Gehrig was stricken with the crippling disease that now bears his name. On July 4, 1939, the Yankees held a ceremony to honor their teammate and friend. They retired Gehrig’s number, spoke of his greatness, and presented him with various gifts, plaques, and trophies.

When Gehrig finally addressed the crowd, he did not use the opportunity to wallow in pity. Instead, he spoke of the things he was grateful for and what a lucky guy he was.

The Speech by Lou Gehrig

“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career to associate with them for even one day?

Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert – also the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow – to have spent the next nine years with that wonderful little fellow Miller Huggins – then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology – the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy! Sure, I’m lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift, that’s something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that’s something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it’s a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that’s the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break – but I have an awful lot to live for!”

Graduation Speech at Maharishi University Jim Carrey, 2014 “You could spend your whole life imagining ghost worrying about the pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here and the decisions we make in this moment which are based in either love or fear. So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach…ridiculous to expect.

So we never dare to ask the Universe for it. I’m saying I’m the proof that you can ask the Universe for it. My father could have been a great comedian but he didn’t believe that was possible for him. So he made conservative choice. Instead he got a safe job as an accountant. When I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you could fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love.”

“You’ve got to find what you love” This is a prepared text of the Commencement address delivered

by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.

The speech

….Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960’s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

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