Lesson 1: Why Speeches?

Warm Up

Part 1 - On a piece of paper (Full Loose leaf is preferable), identify a famous or infamous person and a speech that they gave. It can be any person or figure throughout the history of time...

Part 2 - Now, under that person or speech, list all the emotions that speech conjured up in you and why you remembered that speech over the millions and millions of speeches given throughout history.

Come together When we think of these speeches from history, we remember them for specific reasons. Not just because we are told to, but because they make a connection. There is something in those words that reach out to you and grasp your thoughts and emotions.

These are the things we are going to look at in this lesson as we identify Why the use of Speeches in a classroom can be extremely beneficial.

Discussion/Lecture

As you were doing the warm up, there was something that was happening between you and this course. Do you know what it was? You were connecting to the course. Whether you chose a speech you enjoyed or even one you despised, you were engaged in thought. What made you like the speech, what made you hate it, what made you remember it?

That's because the words and circumstances are hitting on certain emotions and triggers. As stated in Metaphor and Emotion: Language, Culture, and Body in Human Feeling that, "Conscious feelings are often expressed in or indeed, are shaped by language..." (Kovecses, pg xi. 2000) Think about as you grew older, and wiser, you realized that at times it was better to stop and think about what you were going to say before you said it. This is because you became aware of the impact your word choice could have on the audience of your following words. Such is the process for those writing speeches. So when using a speech in a history course, pull those students in with an emotional connection. It can help some students relate to the message, or even utterly despise it. What it's doing though is connecting the students to the material. It's no longer just some statistics or facts on a page, it is a real person saying these things. Once a student is emotionally invested, then as an educator you can begin to build upon that emotion.

Now, think of this; no person in history is writing a speech to be forgotten, there's purpose and reason behind it. These words can explain a retaliation for war, a declaration of peace, a cause to stand up for, people to be praised, attention to those in need, or to reflect upon the times at hand. The list of purposes for speeches can be endless. Yet, it is an important key to your lesson. If students are pulled in by the emotion, it is still important they understand the message and the purpose. These speeches can give us that inside look at a time frame and multiple perspectives of people during those times. A phenomenal primary source at your hand, and often times overlooked. If it needs to be reworded for different reading levels and language use, take that time to do so. It can truly be a real difference maker in the classroom.

Guided Practice/Wrap Up

To wrap this lesson up, it's time for you to try out a speech and it's usefulness in the classroom. On that piece of paper from the warm up, think of the next topic you need to teach in class or a time period in history.

Find a speech that you feel would really help students grasp the purpose of the speech and the feelings of that time.

Have them either read, listen, or even follow along while listening to the speech.

Once done, have them write down their feelings of the speech and identify the purpose of the speech.

See what emotions the speech triggered in each student and if they were able to identify the purpose. (What are the issues of that time? How are people reacting? What are they saying?)

If you can't think of one, try this famous one: https://youtu.be/L_YBplucfuk - Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream"