Step 1: Warmup

Duration: 10 minutes

Purpose: Students will practice speaking in public. The tongue twisters will help students be aware of their own voice, personal doubts and fears, inner talents and courage, pacing, rhythm, and annunciation.

Implementation:

Students will spend time reading tongue twisters to one another to the best of their ability. Students should observe the way they sound, project, annunciate, their pacing, inflections etc.

At the end of the warmup have students answer these questions:

• Were the tongue twisters easy? Were they hard?

• What were you aware of while you were reading the tongue twisters out loud?

• Would you be confident reading these in front of an audience?

• If you had more time, how would you prepare?

• Who would have a hard time with these? What would be the barrier that would hinder them? (ex: non-verbal individuals, English learners, individuals with speech impediments etc.)

Resources/Materials:

• Slides 1-7 (intro slides, skip if appropriate)

• Warmup Slides 8-10

• Tongue twisters PDF

Assessment: Practicing pacing, rhythm, and annunciation

Step 2: Instructional Activity - Amplifying Your Voice

Duration: 20 minutes

Purpose: Students will analyze first hand accounts of two Asian Americans who came to public speaking differently: personal backgrounds, confidence levels, intentions, and purposes. The takeaway students should take from this is that people who write and perform speeches can come in from anywhere, whether they are naturally charismatic or if they had to work on it for a while.

Implementation:

Students will be asked to think about the power of words and how they are used to enact action, change, inform, provide reason, and/or persuade.

Students will be asked to review Otto Lee’s interview and answer the following:*

• What did Otto learn about himself through public speaking?

• What were the intentions and/or purpose of Otto’s speech?

• What sort of reaction did their speeches elicit? Was this expected?

Students will be asked to review Connie Young Yu’s interview and answer the following:*

• What were the intentions and/or purpose of Connie’s speeches?

• As a woman and a minoritized voice, how was she overshadowed by others who were eager to seek the spotlight?

• What were ways in which Connie resisted such silencing?

*Please create a graphic organizer if appropriate (not included)

Crafting a speech takes time, practice, and intentionality. Some speeches speak to everyone, and other speeches are for a few. Not everyone will agree with what is being said and that is alright. Yet, for the person writing and reciting the speech they will have to be prepared for the response, for better or worse.

Resources/Materials:

• Slides 11-15

• Otto Lee Oral History

• Connie Young Yu Oral History 2

Assessment: Guiding Questions

Step 3: Crafting a Speech - Persuasive Speech & Valedictorian Speech

Duration: 20 minutes

Implementation:

This class assignment will have students crafting their own speeches to be turned in as an audio/video recording for credit. Students will have a choice to do either a persuasive speech on a topic they care about, or construct their own valedictorian speech.

These speeches will give students the opportunity to share with their classmates ideas, opinions, and thoughts that they do not normally share, but done in a way that will enlighten, inspire, and motivate others to use their voices as well. Students will review the provided links for persuasive speeches and valedictorian speeches and choose the format that best suits their comfort level and abilities.

By the end of the class students will have chosen the speech format they will be using and come up with at least three topics/ideas for their speech. Speech rough drafts need to be reviewed by the instructor before they are recorded. Speech length needs to be 1-2 pages. Recordings will be uploaded in a school approved cloud service.

Resources/Materials:

• Slides 16-19

• Persuasive Speech

• Valedictorian Speech

• Valedictorian Speeches examples

• Persuasive Speeches examples

Assessment: Crafting a persuasive or valedictorian speech rough draft

Step 4: Reflection

Duration: 10 minutes

Implementation:

Students will watch an interview with Martin Luther King Jr. ’s advisor and speech writer Clarence B. Jones.

The video will demonstrate that even when a speech is already finished and ready to be read out loud, sometimes inspiration can strike.

Students will learn that they do not have to be stuck reading what they have already written if it means better words and emotions find their way to them before the start time.

Resources/Materials:

• Slides 20-21

• How Martin Luther King Went Off Script in ‘I Have a Dream’ Video

Assessment: Students will understand that great speeches can be inspired on the spot. It takes an understanding of your message, your audience, and your own voice to speak truth into power.