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Standards:
Language: 3.11 Use appropriate techniques
for oral persuasion.
Language: 3.12 Give oral
presentations to different audiences for various purposes, showing appropriate
changes in delivery and using language for dramatic effect. Composition: 20.4
Select and use appropriate rhetorical techniques for a variety of purposes,
such as to convince or entertain the reader.
Length
of Time Needed to Complete: Students were given 1 – 1.5 hours on
four separate days to work in their groups to prepare visuals, essays, and
presentations.
Resources/Materials:
Provide
students with markers, poster board, art paper, a copy of a map of the river,
glue, scissors, and note cards, sample travel brochures.
Advance
Preparation:
Place the students into groups of
four, taking special care to ensure that each group has an academically strong
student, as well as a lower level student.
These groups work on creating the Housatonic River Project, which
includes a persuasive essay from each student and four visuals, one from each
student. The four visuals are a map of
the river, a brochure promoting the Berkshires, an advertisement poster that
encourages people to move to the area, and a visual that incorporates
math/geometric shapes in nature. Give
students outlines for the presentation with specific points that students need
to address in their speeches [see “A”
separate inclusion]. This presentation
differs from the presentation given to the elementary school. The focus of this presentation to peers is to
persuade a group of Bostonians [the 8th graders] to move to the
Berkshire area and to utilize all of the resources offered by the
Procedure:
In classroom: After reviewing the
guidelines for the visuals [from Final Project information sheet, see “B”
separate] allow students to work and plan in their groups. Using models of excellent student visuals
from previous years would be a great guide and possibly an inspiration for
other students.
Assessment:
The presentation is assessed
using the Presentation Rubric [see “C” separate] that rates for skills such as
eye contact, voice projection, posture and poise, well-organized information,
use of information to persuade audience, using note cards correctly, using the
allotted time appropriately without speech interrupters, and overall group
organization. Each group presentation
should last ten to fifteen minutes.