Introduction
Welcome to our first Webquest! The name of the game is "To Speak or Not to Speak..." In this webquest I'm hoping you will research and learn what elements and skills make a public speaker great and effective versus mediocre and ineffective. As well as be able to answer- is public speaking more than just talking in front of people? I'm also looking forward to hearing some of the interesting techniques you find along the way to combat stage fright and jitters. Have Fun and Good Luck!
Task
Since one part of being a great leader is having the ability to speak in front of small and large groups, one of the main focuses this grading period is going to be a 10 minute group presentation on a topic of your choice. You will be responsible for working with a group of 3 others to pick a topic of interest, put together a Prezi or Power Point, and present it to the class at the beginning of next week. Once presentations are complete, you will also be given an extra day to independently write a summary comparing and contrasting two different TED Talks of your choice- one effective and one non effective.
Process
Getting started with the basics:
You will be given one day in class this week to work with your group on selecting a topic that each of you can relate to. I want your topic to be something fun, light hearted, and entertaining. If you need help trying to come up with topic please review this website to give you some ideas. http://www.best-speech-topics.com/funny-speech-topics.html I will need to approve your topic before you get started so as we do not have a duplicates. Every body in your group will be responsible for a job. Designate this today. You will need:
Everyone is responsible for researching the topic and pulling their own experiences to add to the presentation.
1- Responsible for overall flow of prezi and presentation- there should be no disconnect and the presentation should flow even between transitions of changing people.
2- Responsible for for making sure all content is covered and in correct grammatical format. Meaning no spelling and grammar errors througout the whole presentation.
3- Time keeper- Keeps the presentation moving, and between the time range of no less than 8 minutes and no more than 10.
4- Materials- This person is responsible for arranging to use the lab after school, as well as, getting together any additional props or materials needed for the presentation.
Disclaimer: Please note- I'm allowing you to pick your groups of 4, keep in mind you are old enough to pick people you know are going to contribute to your groups success. While you will all be graded individually based on how much you put into this project, there should be no disconnect and I should not be able to tell who did what part.
Next:
Once your Prezi or Power Point is complete, it's time to start researching some of the qualities and skills great public speakers have. I want you to take your own cornell notes on your findings. (While you should review these websites as a group, your notes are not a group effort they are yours.) Take one page of Cornell notes on each of the following websites or similar sites you find relevant to public speaking. When grading your presentation I will be looking for these qualities and skills throughout.
https://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation
http://www.princetonpublicspeaking.com/tips/fear-of-public-speaking-25-…http://www.sfsu.edu/~testing/PSpeakingASLinks.htmlhttp://www.howcast.com/videos/505059-How-to-Speak-in-Front-of-a-Big-Cro…
Finally:
Once all groups are finished presenting, Visit TED Talks and find a high school speaker that you find both motivating and effective. Write a 1 page summary of the topic of discussion, the techniques the speaker uses to captivate his audience, and the language used during his speech. Conclude with why you find this motivating and effective. I also want you to address, the two objectives for this unit- 1- What skills are important when speaking to a group of people, and 2- Is public speaking more than just talking in front of people?
Evaluation
Getting started with the basics:
You will be given one day in class this week to work with your group on selecting a topic that each of you can relate to. I want your topic to be something fun, light hearted, and entertaining. If you need help trying to come up with topic please review this website to give you some ideas. http://www.best-speech-topics.com/funny-speech-topics.html I will need to approve your topic before you get started so as we do not have a duplicates. Every body in your group will be responsible for a job. Designate this today. You will need:
Everyone is responsible for researching the topic and pulling their own experiences to add to the presentation.
1- Responsible for overall flow of prezi and presentation- there should be no disconnect and the presentation should flow even between transitions of changing people.
2- Responsible for for making sure all content is covered and in correct grammatical format. Meaning no spelling and grammar errors througout the whole presentation.
3- Time keeper- Keeps the presentation moving, and between the time range of no less than 8 minutes and no more than 10.
4- Materials- This person is responsible for arranging to use the lab after school, as well as, getting together any additional props or materials needed for the presentation.
Disclaimer: Please note- I'm allowing you to pick your groups of 4, keep in mind you are old enough to pick people you know are going to contribute to your groups success. While you will all be graded individually based on how much you put into this project, there should be no disconnect and I should not be able to tell who did what part.
Next:
Once your Prezi or Power Point is complete, it's time to start researching some of the qualities and skills great public speakers have. I want you to take your own cornell notes on your findings. (While you should review these websites as a group, your notes are not a group effort they are yours.) Take one page of Cornell notes on each of the following websites or similar sites you find relevant to public speaking. When grading your presentation I will be looking for these qualities and skills throughout.
https://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation
http://www.princetonpublicspeaking.com/tips/fear-of-public-speaking-25-…
Finally:
Once all groups are finished presenting, Visit TED Talks and find a high school speaker that you find both motivating and effective. Write a 1 page summary of the topic of discussion, the techniques the speaker uses to captivate his audience, and the language used during his speech. Conclude with why you find this motivating and effective. I also want you to address, the two objectives for this unit- 1- What skills are important when speaking to a group of people, and 2- Is public speaking more than just talking in front of people?
https://www.ted.com/talks
Conclusion
Historically some of the greatest public orators have been presidents, movie stars, businessmen, athletes, and activists. My goal for this unit, is for you to be able to objectively critique not just their speeches, but their stage presence, body language, vocabulary, and ownership of topic.
Who knows, one day you could be the next TED talk presenter or speaker at graduation. Either way I want you to be ready to stand up in front of a large crowd and eloquently deliver your message with ease, comfort, and a little bit of swag to make it your own.
For those of you that do not feel the need to vomit when thinking about speaking in front of large crowds, check out this site to figure out where your place is in realm of the greatest speeches of all time.