Delegation Resource Manual: Month by Month Implementation Guide
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15
YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
Activity (Public Speaking): The Power to Persuade
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help students develop public speaking skills. Students
will be asked to analyze the content of their bills, prepare oral presentations, and make modifications
based on peer and teacher feedback. Completed student-authored bill is a pre-requisite of this
lesson.
Key Words:
constituent
legislation
persuasive speech
Materials Provided:
1)
Handouts
a)
Developing Your Powers of Persuasion
b)
Selling Your Bill
c)
Peer Feedback Form
2)
Copies of congressional speech: Senator Charles Robb of Virginia
Procedure:
1)
Warm Up: Working individually or in small groups have students complete Developing
Your Powers of Persuasion. This should help students think about strategies to use in
persuasive speaking.
2)
Students may begin this lesson after completing the final draft of their legislation.
3)
Ask students to read through the lesson, Selling Your Bill. Questions and activities are
included with this lesson and students should be directed to complete those.
4)
Students may work on this lesson in class individually or with a partner. This lesson can
also be completed outside of class time.
5)
At the conclusion of the lesson, students should be directed to begin work on their class
presentation. Five to eight minutes per presentation gives the student(s) time to
provide background information, explain the core of their bill and to answer questions
by their peers. Students may work in small groups to evaluate one another’s speeches
using the attached peer feedback form.
