The Power of Words: Literacy and Expression · 2nd Class

Active learning ideas

Public Speaking Confidence

Active practice builds real confidence in public speaking because students learn by doing, not just listening. These activities create safe spaces to try skills repeatedly, turning first-time nerves into familiar comfort.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Communicating
• NCCA: Primary - Exploring and Using

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

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• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs Practice: Eye Contact Mirrors

Students pair up with a 1-minute speech on a personal topic. One speaks while maintaining eye contact; partner holds a mirror or signals with gestures for lapses. Switch roles, then discuss what worked best.

Analyze how effective eye contact strengthens a speaker's connection with their audience.

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs Practice: Eye Contact Mirrors, remind partners to switch roles every 30 seconds to keep both students engaged in the mirroring.

What to look for

After practicing a short speech, ask students to give a thumbs up if they remembered to make eye contact with at least three classmates. Then, ask them to share one word that describes how they felt before speaking.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

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• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Anxiety Strategy Drills

Groups of 3-4 brainstorm anxiety triggers like forgetting lines. Each student role-plays a trigger, applies a strategy such as power poses or slow breaths, and receives group feedback. Rotate roles twice.

Design practical strategies for managing anxiety when presenting in front of a group.

Facilitation Tip

In Small Groups: Anxiety Strategy Drills, circulate with a timer to model how to pause for breathing between trials.

What to look for

In pairs, students deliver their short speeches. The listener uses a simple checklist: Did the speaker say 'Hello'? Did the speaker say 'Goodbye'? Did the speaker speak clearly? Listeners provide one positive comment about their partner's speech.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

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• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Speech Structure Relay

Divide class into teams. Teacher provides a topic; teams build a speech by adding one part at a time (opening, point, close) via representative speakers. Full speeches are performed and voted on for clarity.

Construct a logical organizational structure for a speech to ensure audience comprehension.

Facilitation Tip

For Speech Structure Relay, prepare index cards with speech parts written in large font so students can reference them easily during the race.

What to look for

Students write or draw one strategy they used to feel more confident while speaking. Examples could include taking a deep breath, standing tall, or thinking of a happy place.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

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• 25 min · Individual

Individual: Rehearsal Recordings

Students prepare a 1-minute speech, record themselves on tablets practicing eye contact and structure. Watch playback, note one strength and one tweak, then re-record for improvement.

Analyze how effective eye contact strengthens a speaker's connection with their audience.

Facilitation Tip

Before Individual: Rehearsal Recordings, set up devices on stable surfaces to avoid wobbly footage that distracts from the focus.

What to look for

After practicing a short speech, ask students to give a thumbs up if they remembered to make eye contact with at least three classmates. Then, ask them to share one word that describes how they felt before speaking.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model vulnerability by sharing their own public speaking mistakes and fixes, which normalizes the process. Avoid over-correcting during early attempts; instead, highlight small progress to build momentum. Research shows that repeated low-stakes practice with immediate feedback reduces anxiety more effectively than isolated performance.

Students will speak clearly, make natural eye contact, and use simple structures for speeches. They will also share strategies they find helpful for managing anxiety during practice.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Small Groups: Anxiety Strategy Drills, watch for students who think nerves mean they cannot speak at all.

  Use the drills to show that taking three deep breaths slows the heart rate and quiets the mind, proving anxiety can be managed with simple tools.

• During Pairs Practice: Eye Contact Mirrors, watch for students who believe eye contact means staring at one person.

  Have partners practice scanning the room by focusing on each other’s forehead or nose bridge, then slowly moving their gaze to include all corners of the room.

• During Speech Structure Relay, watch for students who insist speeches must be memorized perfectly.

  Use the relay’s note cards to demonstrate how structure guides delivery, allowing students to see that clear openings and closings matter more than exact wording.

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Methods used in this brief

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