Shape Your Speech

Overview

Students plan, rehearse, revise, and partially present a three- to four-minute informative speech for a specific audience. They choose one age-appropriate topic: how to make a recipe, how to care for a pet, or their favourite sport.

Learning intentions

• WALT plan and organise a speech for a particular audience and purpose.
• WALT reduce information to useful keywords and phrases.
• WALT use clear, accurate information and expressive delivery.
• WALT give and respond to respectful feedback.

Success criteria

• I can organise my speech with an engaging opening, clear main points, and a conclusion.
• I can use accurate information and keywords rather than reading every sentence.
• I can speak clearly, vary my pace, volume, and expression, and stay within three to four minutes.
• I can give specific, respectful feedback and revise one section of my speech.

Curriculum links

• Oral Language — Communicating and Presenting: planning and adapting content for a specific audience and setting.
• Writing — Writing Processes: Planning: making notes and reducing information into keywords and phrases.
• Teaching considerations — Planning and drafting: building sufficient topic knowledge before planning and writing.
• The New Zealand Curriculum values and key competencies: managing self, participating and contributing, relating to others, and using language, symbols, and texts.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and purpose. Teacher opens the opening question and speech examples and asks, “What makes you want to keep listening to a speaker?” Students listen to two brief contrasting introductions, then turn and talk about which is more effective and why.

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: speech structure. Teacher uses the speech structure and delivery slides to model a simple plan: opening, three organised points, and conclusion; explain that content, language, tone, and examples should suit the audience. Students help identify where a speaker could use a question, signposting words such as “first” and “finally”, inclusive words such as “we” and “our”, and a memorable final message.

3. 12–20 min · Choose and plan. Teacher introduces the three options and reminds students to select information their classmates can understand and use. Distribute the speech planning and feedback worksheet; students choose one topic and record the audience, purpose, key message, three main points, supporting facts or examples, and keywords for each section. Conference with students to check that their topic contains enough accurate knowledge for a three- to four-minute speech.

4. 20–27 min · Model and prepare delivery. Teacher demonstrates turning notes into spoken language without reading word-for-word, then uses the rehearsal instructions and delivery checklist to model clear organisation, accurate information, eye contact, suitable pace, volume, and expression. Students practise their opening and one main point quietly, marking places where they will pause, emphasise a word, or use a gesture.

5. 27–35 min · Pair rehearsal and feedback. Teacher places students in pairs and directs them to use the checklist on the speech planning and feedback worksheet. Each student rehearses the speech, aiming for three to four minutes; the listener records one strength and one precise next step for organisation, accuracy, delivery, and timing. Students swap roles and give feedback respectfully, beginning with a specific positive comment.

6. 35–42 min · Revise and present. Teacher asks students to revise one section using their partner’s feedback, then form groups of four by joining another pair. Students present their revised section to the other pair, rather than delivering the entire speech, and audience members ask one respectful, relevant question. Presenters answer using information from their notes and acknowledge the question courteously.

7. 42–45 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher displays the reflection and exit prompt and asks students to name one change that improved their speech. Students complete the final reflection on the speech planning and feedback worksheet, identifying the section they revised, the feedback they used, and one delivery goal for the next rehearsal.

Resources

• the speech planning, rehearsal, and reflection slide deck
• the speech planning and feedback worksheet
• Timer or visible classroom clock
• Pens or pencils
• Optional device or audio recorder for timing and self-review
• Board or display screen

Assessment

• During planning, check that each student has identified a clear audience, purpose, key message, three organised points, and accurate supporting information.
• During pair rehearsal, listen for clear sequencing, keyword use, expressive delivery, and appropriate timing; use questioning to support students whose content is too brief or unclear.
• Collect the worksheet reflection to assess whether students can respond to feedback, revise a section, and identify a next step.

Differentiation

• Support planning with a partially completed example, section headings, sequencing words, and sentence starters such as “Have you ever wondered…?”, “The first important point is…”, and “To sum up…”.
• Allow students who need support to rehearse with a trusted partner, use cue cards with keywords, record their speech, or present a shorter revised section while continuing to work towards the three- to four-minute target.
• Provide topic-specific factual resources or teacher conferencing for students who do not yet have enough knowledge; check recipe safety, responsible pet care, and respectful language about sports and abilities.
• Extend confident speakers by asking them to adapt their tone and examples for a different audience, such as younger students, and explain how their choices changed.