lesson plan for writing speech

Vote for Me! Developing, Writing, and Evaluating Persuasive Speeches

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

To deliver an effective persuasive speech, students must formulate logical arguments and back them up with examples. In this lesson, students will study political campaign speeches to explore the characteristics of effective persuasive speechwriting and oral argument. While using an online tutorial and looking at examples, students learn what makes a strong speech. A second online tool helps them learn how to formulate a persuasive argument. Students then apply this information in two ways: by writing their own speeches and evaluating others'.

Featured Resources

ReadWriteThink Persuasion Map : Use this interactive tool for any lesson in which students need to create a piece of persuasive writing.

From Theory to Practice

• Persuasive writing can take many forms including essays, letters to the editor, classified advertisements, and speeches.
• In political speeches, writers use precision to make the speech more easily understood.
• In a short persuasive speech, it's important to have an introduction that states the position of the speech clearly; this is followed by at least three pieces of evidence to support the position.
• Students should examine the various ways persuasion is used in everyday life before they begin writing their own persuasive pieces.
• Persuasive writing is easily incorporated into content areas such as science and social studies.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Computers with Internet access
• LCD projector and screen
• Persuasive Speech Checklist
• Persuasive Speech Rubric

Preparation

Student objectives.

Students will

• Develop critical thinking skills by learning about the characteristics of an effective speech, both how it is written and how it is delivered, and then applying these criteria to sample speeches
• Formulate an argument, including the use of examples to support a thesis, using an online tool that helps them organize their ideas
• Develop skills in persuasive writing and oral delivery by writing a one-minute persuasive speech and presenting it to a small group of their peers
• Interpret and evaluate persuasive arguments using a rubric to assess their peers' speeches

Session 1: The Characteristics of a Strong Speech

Session 2: persuasive writing, session 3: effective speech delivery, session 4 convincing their classmates.

• Explore the "Record It" section on the Speechwriting website. Listen to the student speeches and discuss and evaluate them using the Persuasive Speech Rubric . You can also have students record their speeches for the site.
• View and discuss some actual campaign speeches and compare them to the students' speeches.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Observe student participation in the initial discussions about what constitutes an effective speech. Collect the Persuasive Speech Rubrics from the first session's discussion and review them to make sure students are correctly applying the criteria to the sample speech. If you observe some consistent misconceptions, address these at the beginning of Session 2.
• Review each student's Persuasion Map and speech and offer him or her feedback using the Persuasive Speech Rubric.
• Observe students both when they are practicing their speeches and while they are working in their groups. Review the completed Persuasive Speech Rubrics to determine that they understand how to apply the criteria to evaluate a persuasive speech.
• Strategy Guides
• Lesson Plans
• Calendar Activities
• Student Interactives

Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.

Election Day is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

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