Subject: Language Arts Grade: Six

Standard: #7: Listening and Speaking

Key Concept: Evaluating oral presentations helps the student understand the effective use of rhetorical devices including rhythm and timing of speech, repetitive patterns, and the use of onomatopoeia (naming something by using a sound associated with it, such as hiss and buzz) for intent and effect.

Generalization: Listening to an established speaker, such as a TV News Personality, can show a student how one uses different patterns of speech effectively and not effectively.

Background: Students need to focus on effective use of language skills. As they prepare themselves to present material orally, identifying effective speech patterns can be helpful. A discussion of what to look for in good speaking (such as the above rhetorical devices) helps them to focus on these in this subsequent lesson.

This lesson is tiered in process according to learning profile.

All Groups: Everyone will watch a clip of the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. The teacher will have to videotape this from a recent show. I suggest approximately ten minutes of continuous narrative. Divide students into groups according to learning profiles: visual learners; kinesthetic learners; auditory learners.

Tier I: Visual Learners

These students will read a news article that goes along with one of the news stories presented by Tom Brokaw. They will read the news article (either from the newspaper or from a notable news magazine like Time or Newsweek), and will identify rhetorical patterns such as repetitive patterns, onomatopoeia, and other devices that seem to make an effect. They will they watch the clip a second time looking for the rhetorical devices presented in it. They will record both these presentations on a checklist comprised of rhetorical devices.

Tier II: Kinesthetic Learners

These students will observe the news clip without the volume turned up. They will look for body language presented and will chart the changes in facial expression or body movement that Tom Brokaw makes during the clip. They will then watch the news clip a second time, writing the phrases down that go along with the facial and body expressions. They will decide whether the expression strengthens or weakens the words spoken in a third column of their notes.

Tier III: Auditory Learners

These students will block out the visual portion of the TV and will solely listen to the clip. One way to do this would be to put paper over the screen; another way would be to audiotape the clip for them to listen to in their group. They should identify the rhetorical devices from listening to the clip the first time. After they have identified all rhetorical devices, they should watch the clip. This time they need to see if the visual adds effectiveness to the audio. They should identify anything else that adds substance to the presentation. Emphasis on words, phrases, or expressions adds to this listening exercise. On their list, they should emphasize any portion that is especially meaningful based on vocal features. Then they can discuss the relative merits of radio presentation as opposed to television coverage based on what they have discovered.

Whole Group:

At the end of this exercise, students should gather in a large group to share what they have discovered concerning rhetorical devices based on their learning preference. Then as a group they can decide what presentation actually is most effective in using rhetorical devices (visual, kinesthetic, or aural). If you need to play a small portion that all groups discuss, they would graphically depict evidence.

Assessment:

Each group should have a list that they have devised as they did their group work. Perhaps the teacher distributed a general rubric with one example of a rhetorical device listed or general categories to look for (e.g. the ones listed in the key concept above). They can turn in their lists, or this can be an initial lesson from which they can write (visual), depict as a newscaster (kinesthetic) or record (auditory) for a follow-up assessment.

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6LL-FAD