Bend 1: Writing a Position Paper: Games Based on
Fictional Violence-Diverting or Harmful?
Session 1: Debating Positions to
Develop a Complex Argument
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In your literary essays, you analyzed themes in
literature, you wrote about how authors developed
these themes, and you wrote about the craft they
used as well as the ideas they suggested.
The themes that you wrote about were ones that
have moral implications, not just in the novels you
read, but also in life. Those moral implications
related to decisions about how fictional characters
choose to be, and how you as a person might
choose to be.
Analyzing the moral ideas that a story suggests and
the ways the author suggests these ideas is work
you can do with nonfiction.
A nonfiction text that at first seems lighthearted can
actually be tackling a serious issue.
Debating Positions to Develop a
Complex Argument
Together we will be reading “High-Jinks:
Shoot Out.” As a piece of journalism, it is
entertaining. It tells a good story. But it
also reveals some real moral dilemmas
raised when kids play games that simulate
violence--these role-playing games like
Killer.
 Just as you argued your points in your
literary essays, you can argue your points
about important issues raised by nonfiction
texts.

The Purpose of this Unit
The issue of how violence shapes teens is
a serious one. Today you’ll be thinking
about the impact of simulated violence on
teens. It will be interesting for you to
compare and contrast these topics, to
figure out what you think about the lasting
effect of imaginary versus real violence on
teens and what that means about how
teens should be treated.
 In this unit you will hone your argument
skills and dive into a troubling, real-life
ethical dilemma.

Today’s Teaching Point

Oftentimes, texts will suggest debatable
issues, or ethical dilemmas that are hard
to figure out. In order to determine their
own stance on complicated issues,
writers sometimes decide to argue one
side or the other, using all of their
argument skills.
Our Debate Topic
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Today, you will be debating a position that is
assigned to you, while your opponent will use the
same text to argue an opposing view.
You will need to think analytically to find evidence
and formulate some main points, then defend your
argument using convincing reasons and evidence.
Here are your positions:
Partner 1
Partner 2
Teens SHOULD be allowed
to play violent role-playing
games.
Teens should NOT be
allowed to play violent roleplaying games.
As I’m Reading…
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The article tells an interesting story and
teaches a lot of fascinating facts, but it doesn’t
come right out and say, ‘This shows that these
games are bad for kids,’ or ‘This proves that all
kids should play these games.’
You will need to do the thinking work. Read
and listen closely, thinking about what this text
suggests about this issue that could support
your position.
As I’m reading, jot notes and quotes to gather
evidence that supports your position.
Defending Academic Points of
View
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Now we’re going to take it up a notch. This time,
you will be defending more academic points of
view. I’ll tell you your positions. Then you will
want to review all of the evidence you’ve gathered
so far as well as what you collect as you listen to
the rest of the article.
Here are your new positions:
Partner 1
Role-playing games with
simulated violence are
perilous for kids.
Partner 2
Role-playing games with
simulated violence are
diverting for kids.
Defending Academic Points of
View
Since you’re arguing more academic,
sophisticated positions, take a minute and
rehearse with someone who shares your
point of view.
 If you are a 1, partner with another 1, and
likewise, if you are a 2, partner with
another 2.
 Compare your points and add in any
evidence or explanation that will help you
strengthen your position.
 Then, reunite with your original partner to
share and defend your position.
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Time to Switch!
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Many of you were wanting to argue the
opposite point of view, while others were
comfortable with the point of view you
defended-which means you should try the
other side to stretch your argument muscles
and see what new thinking you come up with.
It is time for you to switch positions with your
partner and reread the article. Look for
evidence and quotes that support your new
position. Then, compare and sharpen your
skills with someone who shares your viewpoint
before you defend your position with your
partner.
Writers Use Exemplars to Plan
their Writing
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The work you did on defending your positions
should serve you well as rehearsal for writing
arguments. In this unit you will be working on
writing position papers.
Position papers are essentially the same as
argument essays, but sometimes you’ll add in
more context for your argument, and you have
to be fair to others’ points of view.
Together we will look at a position paper that
an eighth-grader wrote to the former mayor of
New York City, Michael Bloomberg. She
turned it into a letter, in the same way you will
turn your positions into letters later on.
What Did She Do Well?
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In her introduction, Olivia very clearly states
her position on the issue-that she believes
sports should be kept in high schools.
In each section, she tackles a different reason
to support her opinion, and she ordered those
reasons in a logical way.
She began with a reason that is very specific
to students, academic success, and end with
the reason that feels most universal, bringing
people together.
With your partner, think about her elaboration
moves. Discuss some of the specific kinds of
evidence you notice in her letter.
Homework

Tomorrow you will need to be ready to
begin drafting. Our initial debates were
just to get you started. You need a plan
for your writing, including your overall
claim, your reasons, and the evidence
you want to include.
Session 2: Flash-Drafting
Arguments while Working on
Specific Writing Goals
Get out the plan you worked on last
night, and use it to quickly talk with your
partner about how your argument will
go. If you have notes, get those out as
well.
 Discuss how you will begin:
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 What claim did you come up with?
 What are your main points?
 What evidence are you planning on
including?
Today’s Teaching Point
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Writers do more than simply plan what
they will be writing about. They also
pause to set writing goals. It helps to
ask yourself these questions:
 What should I work on this time?
 What specific goals can I set that I can
tackle right now?
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Tools like checklists, anchor charts, and
mentor texts can help you set goals.
Flash-Drafting a Position Paper
One goal for you today is to flash-draft,
or quickly write, a complete position
paper. A position paper is one form of
an argument essay.
 Good position papers
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 Introduce the audience to the topic
 State a clear claim supported by reasons
and evidence
 Strive to be fair to other viewpoints
Using Tools to Help in the
Drafting Process
You all know how to use a checklist to
assess your writing once you’ve got a draft
going. However, you can also use a
checklist to help set yourself up to write the
best possible draft.
 Please look at the 8th Grade Argumentative
Writing Checklist and find a few items that
you think you can get even better at as you
flash-draft a position paper.
 Star at least two items you would like to
work on as you draft today.

Other Tools to Help in the
Drafting Process
Another tool that may be helpful is to use
mentor texts. Mentor texts will help you not
just set goals, but also figure out how to
work toward them.
 I have some other sample mentor texts
such as argument essays, literary essays,
and flash-drafts of text-based arguments.
 Use these to aid in modeling your writing
after an accomplished author if you find
yourself getting stuck.

Time to Work!
You are ready to begin drafting once you
have a crystal clear vision of what you’re
working on.
 Get the goal-setting work done first.
 Make sure to write your goals at the top
of the page you will be writing on.
 Then, hop to it! Be ready to share at the
end of class!
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Time to Share!
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Now that you have had time to flash-draft, I
want you to take a few minutes and choose a
particular part, or parts, where you worked
hard on a specific goal. It could be your lead,
including evidence gracefully, using powerful
transitions, or another technique.
Put a star in the margin where that part is.
Exchange papers with your partner and write
some notes to each other about what parts are
working well and any ideas for possible
improvement.
Use the checklists to incorporate more
academic language into your feedback.
Using Exemplars As Inspiration
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Please get out your copy of Olivia’s letter to
Mayor Bloomberg. Then we will read through
“Speech to the School Board.”
These are both examples of on-demand
position papers. The writers only had one
period to write. Each writer does some work
at the very beginning of the piece, to organize
the writing so it’s clear, to stir up readers’
emotions, and to explain interesting evidence.
As you look at each piece, notice how they
approached some of the moves that you have
set as goals for yourself.
How to Write a Position Paper
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A position paper is one form of an argument essay: it introduces
a topic, it states a clear claim supported by reasons and
evidence, and it strives to be fair to other viewpoints.
Use your position as a lens to gather, sort, and rank evidence.
Rethink your position, then defend it using reasoning and
evidence.
Choose your strongest argument and plan how to argue it.
Then plan the introduction, conclusion, and the evidence (weigh
and rank it).
Write a strong introduction/lead
 Hook the reader (explain why your argument is significant or provide a
compelling fact, statistic, or anecdote).
 Provide specific context (backstory) for your position and other positions.
 Name your position clearly (and possible state other positions).
 Orient your readers to the overall line of argument you will develop.
Homework
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Tonight, work to specifically mentor or model
your writing after a writer who shines at this
work.
Try one or two of the moves the author makes.
Get in the habit of doing your strongest writing.
Refer to the anchor chart to remember your
tips.
Come in tomorrow ready to show how you
tried at least two paragraphs of significant
revision or experimentation based on the
author you chose.
Session 3: Angling Evidence to
Support Specific Points
Last night, you went home with the goal
of trying out one or two of the moves
you admired from an exemplar
argument. This work is important to set
you up for success in high school and
college.
 Take a minute to share the work you did
with your partner.
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Today’s Teaching Point
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Writers angle their evidence to convince
their readers that their argument is valid.
Writers don’t just plop down facts,
quotes, and statistics, expecting their
evidence to speak for itself. Instead,
writers explain how the evidence is
significant, showing how that evidence
illustrates each point.
Using Text Evidence to Support
Your Argument
When you use quotes or stories in your
writing, it’s important to remember that
those things alone will rarely make the
point for you. In fact, the same bit of
evidence can also be spun so that it
makes opposite points.
 You need to ask yourself, “How could I
use this bit to support one side or the
other of the debate over whether roleplaying games are good or bad for kids?
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Using Text Evidence to Support
Your Argument
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I want to look for evidence that supports
the argument that these kinds of games
might sound bad at first, but can actually
be good for kids.
The judge…makes a pie chart of death—the
order of killing assignments, which he or she then
distributes to squads shortly before opening day.
“I’m looking for some good massacres early,”
this year’s judge said as the competition began,
the second week in May… “I’ve arranged at least
one boyfriend-girlfriend kill that .” (Martin, 2009, p.
27)
Analyzing Evidence
Let’s think about whether this evidence
relates to the question of role-playing
games being good for kids or not.
 The first thing I notice is that the article
doesn’t talk about that. I won’t be able
to find a quote that tells me the answer.
 Are there things in the article that could
be used to support the side of the
argument that I’ve been given—that
these games can be good for kids?
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Analyzing Evidence
As I was looking for evidence, I thought
about what an important role the judge
plays. That’s a pretty big job for a kid.
 Watch how I take this evidence and explain
it in a way that makes it work for our
argument.
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This evidence shows that role-playing games,
including these violent ones like Killer, are good
for kids. For example, some kids end up taking
on leadership positions, with a lot of
responsibility in those games-- like when the
judge in this game thought carefully about the
order of the killing assignments.
Supporting Opposing Positions
If you were thinking that the evidence is
just perfect for that side of the argument,
I want you to see that I can just as easily
used THE SAME EVIDENCE to make
the opposite case.
 Let’s think about how we can use this
evidence to argue the other side.
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Showing the Opposite Side
The evidence shows that these violent
role-playing games are not good for
kids. In particular, they give kids too
much power over each other. For
example, the judge in this game of
Killer sets up the squads and the
order of the killings, and that means
he sets upperclassmen against lower
classmen, he sets girlfriends and
boyfriends against each other—it’s
just too much power for one kid to
have over his classmates.
Evidence is Often Neutral
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When you are looking for evidence, you
don’t need to look on and on and on for
the exactly perfect line that says just
what you want. Instead, take some
evidence that is relevant and that that
could be spun one way or another—and
then think carefully about which way the
evidence warrants.
Your Turn!
Let’s look at a new bit of the text
containing new evidence. Half of you
will use this evidence to prove that these
games are good for kids, while the other
half of you will try to prove that they are
not.
 It will be up to you to work the evidence
to make the case that you are assigned.
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Your Turn!
In 2007, Jake Protell, a freshman,
distinguished himself by ferreting out the
itinerary of a field trip that two targets were
taking to Tel Aviv. Protell took a car to
Newark Airport, found the victims before they
passed through security, and dispatched them
using two bathtub “squirt fish.”
“I had to get special permission from the
judge for the squirt fish, because I didn’t want
to take my gun anywhere near an El Al
counter,” Protell, now a junior, recalled, as he
paced Pierrpont Street, three water guns
shoved inside the pocket of a hoodie. (Martin,
2009, p. 28)
Your Turn!
Partner 1: Your job is to angle the
evidence to show that these games are
good for kids.
 Partner 2: Your job is to angle the
evidence to show that these games are
NOT good for kids.
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Expanding Research
When the evidence didn’t explicitly
support either side, you did some clever
thinking to use it to make your case.
 Don’t be tempted to just plop evidence
into your argument. Instead, unpack it
like you did today.
 Take the parts that make your case,
explain those parts, and angle them to
support your position.
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Expanding Research
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It’s important that you don’t simply skim
through articles looking for some perfect
line that exactly fits your argument.
Instead, look at the material, then pause
and think, “Could this support what I’m
thinking?” You read in an analytical
creative way.
Expanding Research
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Today, I’ve left out some new sources that you can
read in the same careful, analytical, creative way.
They tell you about the impact of other violent video,
like Call of Duty. I have chosen these sources on
purpose because I know that they have a lot of
information to offer.
As you work with the evidence so that it supports
your big ideas, your big ideas may change. You’ll do
new thinking. Your work today and tonight will be to
do this new research and to write a whole new draft,
one that advances whatever ideas you end up with
after today’s research.
As You Are Working…
Remember you’re not only looking for
evidence for ideas you already have,
you’re also looking to DEVELOP those
ideas.
 For some of you, your original claim and
reasons will still be sound, and your new
draft will advance the same thesis and
reasons exactly. You should still aim for
a full-scale elaboration effort, bringing in
new research and new thinking.

Writing More Effective
Introductions
You know that strong argument
introductions place the argument.
Another move that argument writers
might make in an introduction is to
include a quote or paraphrase an author,
to help the audience understand some
of the specific debates taking place.
 Be sure to craft an effective introduction
in the new draft you will be working on.
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Homework & Deadline
Your publishing deadline will be five school days from
today. Make sure you are keeping up with your drafting!
 In high school & college, many teachers will say, “Have
the first two pages of your paper ready for Tuesday. Have
the next two pages ready for Thursday.” It sounds like
micromanaging, but it’s actually really helpful when
someone makes sure you’re getting your paper written bit
by bit.
 For tomorrow, bring in the first page to page and a half of
your most up-to-date draft, which incorporates your
newest research for that part of the paper.
 Keep in mind: When you analyze quotes from literature,
you sometimes write the quote and then write long about
it (half a page or more for one quote). You can do that
with nonfiction quotes, too. Try that if you find yourself
getting stuck.
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Session 4: Using Connotative
Language to Paint a Tone
Yesterday, I had a student ask me what the word
prodigious meant in the article “High Jinks: Shoot
Out.” Why did the author say prodigious and not
just say smart-and why did he make these kids out
to be prodigious when what they are doing is
hacking, and that could also be called illegal?
 Today we will look and see if this was a one-time
choice or if the author does this a lot. Does he
often choose overblown words that really play up
the kids’ intelligence?
 With your partner, reread paragraphs three
through six. See if the author did this in other
places.
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Today’s Teaching Point
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Today I want to remind you that writers
do things on purpose. You know that
fiction writers choose their words on
purpose to create a specific tone-but
today we’re reminded that nonfiction
writers do as well. Nonfiction writers
make their case, advance their ideas,
not just with evidence but with specific
language and comparisons they use.
Changing the Tone of an
Argument
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Let’s take a look at the argument we did
together yesterday. I’m going to try to
paint some words across it, particularly
adjectives and verbs, to try to make it so
you condemn these kids-you think of
them as irresponsible, naïve, insensitive.
While I do that, you might imagine the
words you would add to do the oppositeto make it seem like these are the most
brilliant, innovative, persevering kids.
Revisiting Our Argument

The kids from St. Ann’s move across the
five boroughs and beyond as they play
this game. Some kids travel as far as
Connecticut, other kids to New Jersey.
They gather information from other kids,
they get parents to help, they involve
cab drivers; these kids take this game
seriously.
Changing the Tone of an
Argument
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The subversive kids from St. Ann’s
move range across the five boroughs
and beyond like wolves as they play this
pack game. Some privileged kids travel
as far as Connecticut, other well-heeled
kids to New Jersey. They gather
information from gossip with other kids,
they coerce get parents to help, they
bribe involve cab drivers; these kids take
this ferocious game seriously.
Changing the Tone of an
Argument
I realize that I went a little overboard
with my descriptions, but you get the
point. I wanted to use language to make
the reader judge the kids, not admire
them.
 By carefully selecting adjectives and
verbs, you can stir your reader up to
condemn these kids and this game.
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Your Turn!
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Now it is your chance to try this. Using
the same paragraph, work with your
partner to create an admiring tone.
Make your reader think these are the
most creative, brilliant kids and this
game is fabulous.
Changing the Tone of an
Argument

The innovative kids from St. Ann’s move
courageously across the five boroughs and
beyond as they play this ambitious game.
Some daring kids travel as far as
Connecticut, other daring kids to New
Jersey. They collaborate ingeniously with
gather information from other kids, they
generously involve get parents to help,
they befriend neighborhood involve cab
drivers; these inventive and determined
kids take this ground-breaking game
seriously.
Using Words with Connotative
Meanings
You’ve been choosing words that have
connotative meanings. Connotative
means they are suggestive. They stir up
a whole lot of images or feelings for the
reader. They’re powerful, so be choosy!
 You’ll want to do this in your own writing
as well. It might be that you want to
create a certain tone in one part and a
different tone in another.
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Supporting an Argument
It’s important to remember that it’s not
enough to find valid evidence, because the
evidence itself doesn’t support an
argument. What supports the argument is
the way that you spin, unpack, or explain
the evidence.
 One way to do this is by asking and
answering questions. You should
anticipate the kinds of questions that others
might ask, and answer them in a way that
supports your argument.

Let’s Look at an Example
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Original Passage: Benjamin Rose talks about how
violent video games are fine, because he likes them.
He says, “I started playing that game at 11 years old
and still remember the first fight my first character got
into.”

Revised Passage: Benjamin Rose talks about how
violent video games are fine, because he likes them. He
says, “I started playing that game at 11 years old and still
remember the first fight my first character got into.” But is
that such a good thing, for him to remember his first fight?
Why is that so good? Wouldn’t it be better if he could
remember the first peace treaty he created, or the first war
he ended in these games? He talks about it like it’s great,
but actually, it’s not.
Argument Writers Help Readers
See Things in a Certain Way

Look at the following picture. Do you
see an old woman or a young woman?
Tell your partner what you see.
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INSERT ILLUSION HERE!!!
Argument Writers Help Readers
See Things in a Certain Way
The same image can be viewed as two
very different women, depending on one’s
perspective. Good argument writing is like
that as well. The same evidence can be
viewed in very different ways depending on
the perspective of the person who is
explaining it.
 Today you experimented with tone and
word choice to present a certain point of
view to convince others of your argument.

Analyzing & Commenting on a
Source’s Bias or Tone
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You can also consider ways that the
author of a published source has made
choices that further a particular idea or
convey a tone. Commenting on an
author’s tone is another way to make
your case even if the author’s claim is
different from your own. Listen to this
excerpt from ‘Shooting in the Dark’ by
Benedict Carey, from the New York
Times.
An Excerpt from ‘Shooting in the
Dark’ by Benedict Carey

“The young men who opened fire at
Columbine High School, at the movie
theater in Aurora, Colorado, and in other
massacres had this in common: they
were video gamers who seemed to be
acting out some dark digital fantasy. It
was as if all that exposure to
computerized violence gave them the
idea to go on a rampage-or at least it
fueled their urges.”
Commenting on Tone
Could you hear how this author painted a
tone with this systemic violent languagewords like massacres, rampage, and dark
digital fantasy?
 Now let’s suppose I am writing an
argument in favor of violent role-playing
games. I can comment on this author’s
tone in such a way that I am using his
language as evidence to support my claim,
even though his claim is the opposite.

Commenting on Tone

I could write, “Opponents of violent games often try to
demonize the games themselves, making the case
that it’s the games, not the players, that cause the
trouble. These opponents often pepper their
arguments with strong language to evoke certain
emotions in their audience. For example, Benedict
Carey of The New York Times, in his article “Shooting
in the Dark,’ chooses words such as massacres, dark
digital fantasy, and rampage to describe the video
games played by the Columbine shooters. His word
choices connote a world of evil and violence to sway
his audience against video games. It’s as if Carey is
trying to imply that the games themselves are
responsible for real world violence. However, what
Carey fails to recognize is that it is the players, not
the games, that cause violence in the real world.”
Homework
As you become more skilled at
composing arguments, you also become
more skilled at studying an unpacking
the arguments of others. Tonight, study
TV commercials, blogs, or arguments
between family members. Take note of
how the author is making their case.
 Continue to write, revise, and hone your
draft so that you will be ready to make
your case in a couple of days.

Session 5: Writing Powerful
Conclusions
Tomorrow you will need a clean, complete
draft of your position paper, so that you can
work on the kind of final editing that you
can only do when your draft is clean
enough to read with that kind of lens.
 Find what you’ve got so far for a
conclusion, and show it to your partner. Go
ahead & actually read it, and tell your
partner what work your conclusion does.

Today’s Teaching Point

Argument writers call to mind familiar
strategies to write strong conclusions,
including not just restating a claim, but
also leaving the reader with new
thinking.
Powerful Conclusions Might…
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Restate the claim, finding another way to say the
same thing
Leave readers with something to think about
Show how the claim of the essay has significance in
your own life or the lives of your reader
Suggest a further way of acting or of thinking
Show how your own position slightly shifted
Demonstrate how you are being fair to other
viewpoints
Describe the significance of your argument for
stakeholders
Offer additional insights, implications, questions,
challenges
Critique the Writing of Older
Students
A former student is currently studying for
the SAT and has been doing a ton of
essay writing practice. Let’s study his
work and give him some advice.
 I’m not going to tell you what his claim is
because you should be able to figure
that out if his conclusion has all of the
parts it should have. Let’s take a look.

Thomas’s Conclusion
Working Well
Tips
Critique Your Own Conclusion

Analyze your conclusions with your
partner, this time reading them closely,
using this chart, and come up with one
quick compliment and one quick revision
strategy you know that will help you to
raise the level of your conclusion.
Finalizing Your Draft
It’s crucial that you arrive at what you
consider to be a near-final version of
your position paper. Take a moment
and tell your partner what work you must
do today.
 You’ll want to do your best to attend to
spelling and conventions so you’re not
leaving that all until the end, and pay
particular attention to incorporating your
thinking, your thinking, your revision.

Tips for Digital Publishing
For some of you, the process of getting
your work typed and polished for
publication is very long and arduous. For
others, the process is super quick. I was
thinking that, in some ways, getting ready
to digitize a paper is not that different from
getting ready to fly a plane.
 To get ready to write a paper, or fly a plane,
you need to follow a checklist. Take a look
at the emergency publishing checklist to
make sure that you have hit all the
important steps.

Homework

Your homework for tonight is to finish
digitizing your drafts, making sure to
follow these guidelines exactly. If you
need help inserting page numbers or
with any of the other formatting, come
talk to me and I’ll show you what to do.
Session 6: Getting Ready to
Publish
Your job for today is to finish the drafts
of your position papers.
 Make sure you attend to presentation
and conventions, using the tools such as
mentor texts, checklists, exemplars, and
digital editing tools. Then, work with a
partner to get a second pair of eyes.

Checking the Most Urgent
Conventions

Please make sure that you have
followed the steps from the convention
checklist you will receive. If you need
help, please see me or ask a classmate.
Homework
Tonight, I would like you to print your
position papers and read it aloud to
someone as rehearsal for giving your
TED Talk.
 Every time you print your own writing
and read it over, you will find small
mistakes. Additionally, a listener can
help to point out awkward phrases or
adjectives that you may have
overlooked.

Session 7: Giving Speeches More
Impact
I want to play you a clip of a very skilled
speaker. His name is Cory Booker, and in
this clip he’s giving a commencement
address to the graduating seniors at
Williams College in 2011. Cory was mayor
of Newark and is now a senator for the
state of New Jersey. However, this isn’t a
political speech; it’s a speech to young
people about how to fulfill their destinies.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vA2dT
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
Today’s Teaching Point

When speakers rehearse their
speeches, they practice techniques that
will make them more confident and
compelling.
Rehearsing for Speeches
As you rehearse for your speeches, you
will want to read through your papers and
mark them up, thinking about which lines to
emphasize, which examples you want to
bring alive, how you want to pace yourself.
But you also need to do more than that.
 You want to lean on the techniques that
actors, poets, politicians, lawyers,
advocates, and activists use.
 Let’s take a look at the following tip sheet.

Tips for Rehearsing & Giving
Confident and Stirring Speeches






Mark up your speech. Make notes in the margins
when to slow down & make eye contact, underline
words to emphasize.
Remember to breathe between lines and
paragraphs, and before you move to a new point.
Make eye contact.
Vary your tone of voice-quiet (to be serious), rising
tone and volume (call to action), intonation (to show
your own emotional response to content).
Try “power positions” to feel more confident-stand
tall, open posture, shoulders back.
Use gestures to emphasize points-use your hands to
make points, act out parts with small gestures,
communicate with audience.
Demonstration Speech

As I read a part of my speech, listen for the
specific technique I am using. Then, try to
describe how that technique affects the overall
impact of the speech.
 “Regardless of whether or not one enjoys games that
have violence in them, the time has come to admit that
they can be damaging. The world we live in today has
too much violence in it…In the time of Trevon Martin…of
Columbine…acting as if any shooting can be just a game
is irresponsible. It’s irresponsible to teach teens that
when you shoot someone, they get back up. It’s
irresponsible to teach them that it’s okay to play at
something that people face for real. It would be better to
give kids real guns and set them to hunting their own
food—than to teach them that guns are playthings that
don’t really hurt anyone.
Your Turn!

Now it’s your chance to try this out. I’ve
printed out a small part of Cory Booker’s
speech for you to use. With your
partner, work to try one technique at a
time and listen to the effect of each.
Make sure to offer one another feedback
and take turns presenting your ideas.
Rehearsal Time
This is your chance to work on your own to
rehearse your speeches. Think about the
decisions you want to make. Do you want
to quietly annotate your piece first? Do you
want to rehearse with a partner or alone?
Do you want to get any advice or feedback
from students with performance
experience?
 In just a few minutes, you will move into
small groups to do a full rehearsal of your
speeches and get some feedback.

Attending to Clarity &
Conventions


Sometimes, when you read your work out
loud, you discover pieces that simply aren’t
working for you. Some sentences may be too
long or unwieldy, making them difficult to
deliver. Consider breaking them into smaller,
punchier sentences. Add commas or
semicolons to guide you to pause while
delivering your speech.
Also, be on the lookout for too many adjectives
or adverbs, like very or hugely or really, that
are tempting to toss in to strengthen your
argument, but don’t really add much to the
meaning.
The Role of Direct Address in
Argument

Let’s take a minute to look at the lead
and ending of a position paper written by
a former student. I want you to pay
particular attention to a technique she
uses called ‘direct address,’ which is a
method by which you address the
audience by name, and occasionally by
you.
Homework


Many of you may still be in the process of typing your
speeches and making sure they are in the right
format. That’s important, but you must also take the
rehearsal part of your preparation very seriously. The
words that Cory Booker spoke were powerful, but
they never would have been heard and appreciated
without his masterful delivery. As you rehearse, listen
for ways to improve your writing.
Rehearse your speech at least three times. Practice
in front of a mirror, making sure you lift your head,
pause to let your points sink in, practice gestures, and
make eye contact with your audience.
Recording Your Speeches
Today you and your partner will take
turns recording one another making your
speeches. Remember all of the
techniques we have discussed, and
keep your checklist handy.
 While you are working, be sure you are
aware of how much time you have to
complete this activity. You will be
presenting your recorded speeches in
class tomorrow!
