Language Arts · Grade 6

Active learning ideas

Speaking to an Audience

Help your students find their voice and learn that how they say something is just as important as what they say. This topic moves beyond basic presentation skills to explore the art of adapting one's message for maximum impact.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• Ontario Language Curriculum, Grade 6: Oral Communication - Speaking to Communicate

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Pairs

Audience Switch-Up

In pairs, students receive a simple topic, like 'how to build a snowman,' and must prepare a one-minute explanation for three different audiences: a five-year-old, a classmate, and the school principal. They then present their different versions to another pair, focusing on how their language, tone, and complexity changed for each listener.

Explain how you would change your language and tone when explaining a concept to a younger child versus a teacher.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a simple graphic organizer with columns for each audience to help students plan their changes in vocabulary and tone.

What to look for

Use an 'exit ticket' where students must describe in two sentences how they would explain a favourite hobby to a senior citizen versus a close friend.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 60 min · Small Groups

Persuasion Challenge

In small groups, students invent a new school club and create a 90-second persuasive pitch to convince their classmates to join. They must clearly state their purpose and consider what would motivate their peers, using persuasive language and an engaging tone.

Analyze the elements that make a speaker's introduction effective in capturing an audience's attention.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage groups to assign roles like 'lead speaker,' 'slogan creator,' and 'question answerer' to ensure full participation.

What to look for

Students prepare and deliver a 2-3 minute 'book talk' designed to persuade their classmates to read a book they enjoyed. Assessment is based on a rubric evaluating clarity, persuasive techniques, and engagement with the audience.

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

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 30 min · Whole Class

Speech Detectives

Show the class short, varied video clips of speakers, such as a news report, a movie monologue, and a nature documentary narration. As a whole class, analyze each clip, discussing the speaker's purpose, intended audience, and the specific techniques used to achieve their goal.

Compare the language used in a formal speech to the language used in a casual conversation with a friend.

Facilitation Tip

Pause the video after each clip to give students a moment to jot down their thoughts before opening the discussion.

What to look for

Following a presentation, students complete a brief reflection, identifying one aspect of their speaking they were proud of and one goal for their next public speaking opportunity.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin with highly relatable and contrasting scenarios, such as explaining a TikTok trend to a grandparent versus a friend. Use video clips of different speakers as models, pausing to let students identify specific strategies. Provide sentence starters and vocabulary lists to scaffold formal speaking tasks, and foster a supportive environment where students feel comfortable practising.

Upon completion, students will be able to analyze their audience and purpose to make conscious choices about their language, tone, and delivery. They will become more confident and versatile communicators in a variety of situations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Good public speaking just means talking loudly and not mumbling.

  While clarity and volume are important, effective speaking is more about connecting with your audience. This involves adapting your tone, pace, vocabulary, and even body language to suit your specific listeners and your purpose.

• To sound smart, I should use the biggest and most complicated words I know.

  The best words are the ones your audience can easily understand. Using language that is too complex can confuse or alienate your listeners, which means your message won't be effective. Clear and precise language is always better than complicated jargon.

• There is only one correct way to give a speech.

  Different situations require different speaking styles. A formal, prepared speech for a school assembly is very different from an informal, entertaining story told to friends, and both can be powerful and effective in the right context.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play