Language Arts · Grade 5

Active learning ideas

Public Speaking and Delivery

Active learning works for public speaking because students build muscle memory through repeated practice, reducing the anxiety of live performance. Moving beyond theory, these activities let students feel volume, pacing, and gaze as physical tools rather than abstract concepts, which deepens retention and confidence.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hot Seat
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs Practice: Eye Contact Mirror

Students work in pairs facing each other. One delivers a 1-minute persuasive pitch on a class-chosen topic while maintaining eye contact; partner provides thumbs-up signals for success. Switch roles, then discuss how eye contact changed the connection. Record insights on exit tickets.

Explain how eye contact changes the relationship between speaker and listener.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gesture Video Review, have students record with sound off first to focus on movement before adding vocal delivery.

What to look for

Students present a 30-second persuasive statement to a small group. After each presentation, group members use a checklist to rate the speaker on eye contact (e.g., 'looked at most people'), pacing (e.g., 'varied speed'), and articulation (e.g., 'easy to understand').

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Hot Seat
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Pacing Rhythm Circle

Form circles of 4-5 students. Each speaks a sentence from a shared persuasive text, varying pace as directed: slow for emphasis, fast for excitement. Group claps rhythm to guide. Debrief on how pacing affected understanding and energy.

Analyze the role pacing plays in keeping an audience interested.

What to look for

Teacher plays short clips (15-30 seconds) of different speakers. Ask students to write down one word describing the speaker's pacing and one word describing their vocal variety. Discuss responses as a class.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Hot Seat
• 45 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Visual Aid Showdown

Students prepare one simple visual aid for their opinion pitch. Present to the class in a 2-minute rotation. Audience holds green cards for support, red for distraction. Vote and discuss adjustments as a group.

Evaluate how visual aids can distract from or support a spoken message.

What to look for

Students write one sentence explaining how they will use eye contact differently in their next presentation, and one sentence describing a gesture they might use to emphasize a specific point.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Hot Seat
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Gesture Video Review

Students record a 1-minute speech with gestures on tablets. Watch playback alone, noting effective vs excessive movements using a checklist. Revise and re-record for self-comparison.

Explain how eye contact changes the relationship between speaker and listener.

What to look for

Students present a 30-second persuasive statement to a small group. After each presentation, group members use a checklist to rate the speaker on eye contact (e.g., 'looked at most people'), pacing (e.g., 'varied speed'), and articulation (e.g., 'easy to understand').

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers treat delivery as a skill to be measured and refined, not a talent to be admired. They avoid vague praise like 'good job' and instead ask students to point to specific moments in a peer’s pacing or gesture that added impact. Research shows immediate, concrete feedback improves retention more than delayed or general comments.

Students will demonstrate awareness of their bodies and voices as tools for persuasion through deliberate choices in eye contact, pacing, and gestures. Successful learning looks like clear articulation, varied volume, and purposeful movement that guide listeners rather than distract from the message.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Pacing Rhythm Circle, watch for students who assume that faster speaking always equals more persuasion.

  Pause the circle and have groups practice slowing their pace to match a metronome at 60 beats per minute, then discuss how deliberate slowness can emphasize key points.

• During the Eye Contact Mirror, watch for students who believe eye contact means locking eyes with one person throughout.

  Have partners count how many different listeners they connect with in 30 seconds, then adjust their scanning pattern to include everyone in the room.

• During the Gesture Video Review, watch for students who think any arm movement counts as a gesture.

  Ask students to mute their videos and circle moments where gestures directly reinforce the spoken message, removing random or distracting motions.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Hot Seat