How Do We Get People to Listen to What We Have to Say?

This is the question that the 6th, 7th and 8th graders will try to answer as they prepare speeches for this year's Modern Woodmen of America's speech contest. The topic for the contest is "What does it mean to be a hero?" Students will create and present a 3-5 minute speech that focuses on this topic. While they are brainstorming, researching and writing their speeches, students will also be learning strategies and techniques that they can incorporate into their writing to ensure that their audience remains engaged with their speech. Some of these include: writing engaging leads, using emotion, using repetition, incorporating powerful quotes, and concluding in a way that leaves the audience thinking.