Dartmouth Academy English Department – Persuasive Speech Writing
Lesson
Learning outcome (to include a
PLT objective)
Students will improve their ability
to_______________ as they:
Levelled Learning Outcomes
(referenced to specific grade criteria)
Reading & Writing
Assessment Objectives
Speaking & Listening
Assessment
Objectives
Differentiated Learning Activities (to include tasks that develop students’
independent learning skills (Kagan structure, peer- and self-assessment
activities and timed tasks)
resources
1 How essential is
the art of rhetoric?
As a team worker, you:
 WILL explain ideas/opinions to others
 SHOULD emphasise important points
 COULD highlight essential details
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Starter: Persuade me not to set home learning in this lesson
Main Activity: What makes a great persuasive speech/Rhetorical devices in Braveheart clip
Reflection: How essential is the art of rhetoric?
Home learning:
PowerPoint - Lesson 1
Rally Table sheets
Rhetorical devices cards
Braveheart battle speech
2 What makes a
great persuasive
speech?
As an effective participator, you:
 WILL identify some rhetorical devices
 SHOULD explain how they are used
 COULD evaluate their effectiveness
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Starter: Revisit last lesson – Timed Pair Share*: What makes a great persuasive speech?
Main Activity: Student-led lists of rhetorical devices for wall poster/revisit ‘No H/L’ task
Reflection: Verbal peer-evaluation of groups’ ‘No H/L’ presentations
Home learning: (For unpersuasive students) Write a persuasive speech about H/L
PowerPoint - Lesson 2
*Click here for link to
Kagan’s Co-operative
learning tasks
3 Rhetorical devices
in the movies
As an effective participator, you:
 WILL identify some rhetorical devices
 SHOULD explain how they are used
 COULD evaluate their effectiveness
AO2i-iii select material
and make comparisons;
develop and sustain
interpretations; explain
and evaluate effectiveness
of language
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Starter: Identify rhetorical devices in film clips
Main Activity: Use transcripts to compare/contrast the speeches – which is/are the most
effective?
Reflection: Groups feedback on most/least effective speeches
Home learning:
PowerPoint - Lesson 3
http://www.americanrhetori
c.com/moviespeeches.htm
Rhetorical devices cards
Speech transcripts
4 How do rhetorical
devices help the
speaker achieve
the purpose of
his/her speech?
As a team worker, you:
 WILL identify some rhetorical devices
 SHOULD explain how they are used
 COULD evaluate their effectiveness
AO2i-iii select material
and make comparisons;
develop and sustain
interpretations; explain
and evaluate effectiveness
of language
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Starter: Card-match: rhetorical device + explanation + example.
Main Activity: Listen to MLK’s speech/identify rhet.devices and explain effect on audience
Reflection: Ask or Add student questioning re. how rhet. devices are used to manipulate
Home learning: Three PEE+E paragraphs on how effective the rhetorical devices were in
fulfilling the purpose of MLK’s speech
PowerPoint - Lesson 4
Rhetorical Devices cards
Ask/Add cards
5 What makes some
speeches good
and others bad?
As an independent enquirer, you:
 WILL explain which speech is most and
least effective
 SHOULD refer to features of speeches
 COULD make comparisons between
speeches
AO2iii – explain and
evaluate effectiveness of
language
Starter: What is the difference between a good speech and a bad one? (A good speech
will…; A bad speech will…)
Main Activity: Listen to a selection of speeches from The Guardian’s Greatest Speeches of
the 20th Century – which are the most/least effective and why
Reflection: RALLY ROBIN: Discuss what makes the speeches (in)effective?
Home learning:
PowerPoint - Lesson 5
Link to speeches:
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/
theguardian/series/greatspee
ches)
6 Which topic will
you speak about?
As an effective participator, you:
 WILL explain ideas/opinions to others
 SHOULD identify potential problems
 COULD suggest good research tips
Starter: Students given task sheet to choose topic for their individual speeches
Main Activity: Teacher one-to-one to discuss/’Round table’ discussion of students’ choices
(e.g. reasons for choosing topic, possible drawbacks, etc.)
Reflection: How will you research your chosen topic?
Home learning: Research and collate material for speech for next lesson
PowerPoint - Lesson 6
Speech task/topics sheet
7 Researching
information for
your speech
As an independent enquirer, you:
 WILL find information from a range of
sources
 SHOULD summarise best information
 COULD synthesise and compare
information
AO2i, iv - select material
and make comparisons;
understand social and
cultural context
Starter: Timed Pair Share* – the topic you have chosen, why, and what research you will do
Main Activity: Research lesson in library or ICT; alternatively, plan speeches using material
from last H/L
Reflection: Share good websites/written literature for research; raise problems & provide
solutions
Home learning: Mind-map and categorise research for first draft of speech in next lesson
*Click here for link to
Kagan’s Co-operative
learning tasks
8 How to write an
effective opening
to your speech
As a self-manager, you:
 WILL write an effective opening fit for
audience and purpose
 SHOULD vary sentences to engage the
audience
 COULD develop your opening using
imaginative language
AO3i, iii –task &
purpose; sentence
structures for clarity and
effect
AO1ii-iii – listen and
respond; interact with
others
Starter: Rhetorical devices Diamond 9
Main Activity: Use success criteria to help write and then assess opening paragraph
Reflection: Peer-assessment of opening paragraphs
Home learning:
PowerPoint - Lesson 8
Rhetorical devices Diamond
9
Success criteria (4-6; 5-7)
9 First draft of
persuasive speech
As a self-manager, you:
 WILL write an interesting speech fit for
AO3i-iii – task &
purpose; language;
AO1ii-iii – listen and
respond; interact with
Starter: Punctuation practice
Main Activity: Write the first draft of the speeches; refer to success criteria when doing so
PowerPoint - Lesson 9
Punctuation practice sheet
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Dartmouth Academy English Department – Persuasive Speech Writing
Lesson
Learning outcome (to include a
PLT objective)
Students will improve their ability
to_______________ as they:


audience and purpose
SHOULD vary sentences and use
several rhetorical devices
COULD use imaginative language and a
range of rhetorical devices
Levelled Learning Outcomes
(referenced to specific grade criteria)
Differentiated Learning Activities (to include tasks that develop students’
independent learning skills (Kagan structure, peer- and self-assessment
activities and timed tasks)
resources
Reading & Writing
Assessment Objectives
Speaking & Listening
Assessment
Objectives
sentence structures for
clarity and effect
others
Reflection: Peer-assessment of first drafts; amend speeches as appropriate in light of peercomments
Home learning:
Success criteria (4-6; 5-7)
AO3i-iii –task & purpose;
language; sentence
structures for clarity and
effect
AO1ii-iii – listen and
respond; interact with
others
Starter: Centre of the Universe – statements about rhetorical devices
Main Activity: Finish first draft of speech/refine it using rhet. devices effectively/practise
reading aloud
Reflection: Peer-assessment of first drafts; amend speeches as appropriate in light of peercomments
Home learning: Prepare your final draft and practise your delivery
PowerPoint - Lesson 10
Centre of the Universe
statements
Rhetorical devices sheet
Success criteria (4-6; 5-7)
10 Refine your
speech with
rhetorical devices
As a self-manager, you:
 WILL write an effective opening fit for
audience and purpose
 SHOULD vary sentences to engage the
audience
 COULD develop your opening using
imaginative language
11 Assessed
Speaking and
Listening (Pt 1)
As an effective participator, you:
 WILL vary your expression/vocabulary
 SHOULD use some rhetorical devices
 COULD a range of rhetorical devices to
make a compelling case
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Starter:
Main Activity: Student-speeches (min.4 minutes each)
Reflection: Peer- and self-assessment of students’ speeches
Home learning:
Students’ own prompt cards
or sheets (remember:
they’re not allowed to
simply read from a preprepared speech)
12 Assessed
Speaking and
Listening (Pt 2)
As an effective participator, you:
 WILL vary your expression/vocabulary
 SHOULD use some rhetorical devices
 COULD a range of rhetorical devices to
make a compelling case
AO1i-iii –
communicate clearly;
listen and respond;
interact with others
Starter:
Main Activity: Student-speeches (min.4 minutes each)
Reflection: Peer- and self-assessment of students’ speeches and class-feedback of their
assessments
Home learning: (Use as baseline; prep for next SoL) Write a short story (2 sides of A4)
Students’ own prompt cards
or sheets (remember:
they’re not allowed to
simply read from a preprepared speech)