Choosing an Issue

Overview

Lesson 2 of 6 in Voices That Matter. Students explore age-appropriate issues, consider different perspectives and cultural contexts, then complete a speech planning brief identifying a key message, purpose, audience and intended response.

Learning intentions

• WALT select an issue that matters to us.
• WALT define a clear purpose and audience for a speech.
• WALT consider diverse perspectives and cultural contexts.
• WALT use respectful language when discussing issues.
• WALT plan the response we want from our audience.

Success criteria

• I can explain why my chosen issue matters to me or my community.
• I can identify a specific audience and purpose.
• I can write a clear key message and intended audience response.
• I can show respect for different perspectives and use inclusive language.

Curriculum links

• Speaking, writing and presenting: planning ideas and communicating for a clear purpose and audience.
• Oral language: selecting and organising ideas, using language appropriately, and responding to others.
• Critical literacy: recognising that texts and viewpoints reflect different experiences, values and contexts.
• Key competencies: thinking; relating to others; participating and contributing; managing self.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Reconnect and hook

Open with the opening question and image: “Whose voices are heard when decisions are made?” Show a striking image idea such as a school noticeboard covered with speech bubbles from different students. Briefly revisit the unit purpose: powerful speeches can draw attention to an issue and encourage action. Students silently write one issue they have noticed at school, at home or in their community.

2. 5–11 minutes – Model the planning choices

Use the purpose, audience and message examples to model the difference between a broad topic and a focused issue. For example, “the environment” becomes “Our school should reduce single-use plastic at lunchtime”. Think aloud:

• Purpose: to persuade, inform or call for action.
• Audience: a specific group who can listen, decide or respond.
• Key message: the main idea the audience should remember. Emphasise that an issue may affect people differently and that respectful language avoids stereotypes, insults and assumptions.

3. 11–18 minutes – Explore possible issues

Display the issue-starters and perspective prompts. In groups of four or five, students brainstorm possible issues, such as fair access to sport, safer roads near school, screen time, protection of local places, affordable healthy food, animal welfare, inclusion in school activities or reducing waste. Each group records several ideas, then adds one possible benefit and concern for each issue. Remind students not to share private experiences unless they choose to.

4. 18–25 minutes – Test an issue through different lenses

Groups choose one promising issue and discuss:

• Who is affected?
• Who might agree, disagree or have a different experience?
• What cultural, whānau, community or local perspectives should be respected?
• What evidence would we eventually need?

Use the respectful discussion sentence stems. Students practise saying one idea with a stem such as, “From this perspective…”, “Another concern might be…”, or “I want to understand more about…”. Take two or three examples without debating which viewpoint is correct.

5. 25–37 minutes – Complete the speech planning brief

Distribute the speech planning brief. Students independently select an issue and complete:

• My issue and why it matters.
• My purpose: to persuade, inform or call for action.
• My intended audience and why they are appropriate.
• My key message in one sentence.
• The response I want from my audience.
• Two perspectives or experiences I need to consider.
• Respectful words and phrases I will use.

Confer with students, helping them narrow broad ideas and choose an audience who could realistically respond.

6. 37–42 minutes – Pair conference

In pairs, students read their key message and intended response. Partners give feedback using the prompts on the peer-check slide:

• Is the issue clear?
• Is the audience specific?
• Is the intended response realistic?
• Does the wording respect different perspectives?

Students make one improvement to their brief.

7. 42–45 minutes – Share and close

Invite three or four students to share their issue, audience and intended response. Collect the planning briefs, or photograph them for the next lesson. Close by explaining that Lesson 3 will focus on gathering relevant information and evidence for the chosen speech.

Resources

• Voices That Matter lesson 2 slide deck
• speech planning brief
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pens or pencils
• Group tables or areas for collaborative discussion
• Timer

Assessment

• Check planning briefs for a focused issue, clear purpose, specific audience and achievable intended response.
• Listen for respectful discussion, acknowledgement of differing perspectives and culturally responsive language.
• Use pair feedback and brief conferences to identify students needing support with narrowing an issue or clarifying their message.

Differentiation

• Provide a choice board of issue examples, audience options and sentence starters for students who need help generating or narrowing ideas.
• Allow students to plan with a partner, dictate ideas to an adult or use speech-to-text; read worksheet prompts aloud where helpful.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach issue, audience, purpose, perspective and response, and display visual examples with simple definitions.
• Offer extension through the planning brief: develop two contrasting approaches for different audiences, then justify which approach is stronger using purpose, audience needs and likely response.

Extension

Students create a second version of their key message for a contrasting audience, such as classmates versus the school board, younger students versus whānau, or local residents versus students. They write two or three sentences explaining which version is more effective and why.