1. Participate in variety of collaborative discussions that can be either one on one, group discussions or teacher led discussions, with different partners on topics in grade 8, texts and issues, expounding on other peoples ideas while at the same time expressing their own ideas eloquently. (CCSS.8.1)

a)      Come for discussions while prepared meaning that they should have read and done enough research on the topic of study. The students should thus be able to contribute to the topic, issue or text during the discussion, (New Colorado p-12 Academic Standards, 2008).

b)      The students should be able to follow the discussion rules and the importance of decision-making. The groups should have goals and a way to track whether there is progress while meeting deadlines in addition to definition of specific roles within the group.

c)      Pose questions based on several ideas of the speakers, answer questions from others, commenting with application of ideas, observations and evidence that is relevant to the question.

d)     Recognize new knowledge that others present and offer their views base on evidence given when there is need. (CCSS: SL.8.1d)

e)      Point out an idea that is central to prepare and ask relevant questions for an interview aimed at enhancing the researching and idea development, (New Colorado p-12 Academic Standards, 2008).

f)       Assess how effective the information and technique used during the interview was and whether the information gained was relevant.

g)      Present an oral presentation that is well planned to an audience with a purpose

h)      Show necessary oral presentation skills, verbal and non verbal including gestures, clear enunciation, pace, volume, and language where necessary.

2. Examine why the information was presented in various formats and media, visually, orally and quantitatively, and motives for its presentation, was it political, social or commercial. (CCSS: SL.8.2)
3. Outline the argument of the speaker and the claims, the reasoning and relevance. They should also identify evidence that is irrelevant. (CCSS: SL.8.3)

1. How do audience purpose and content determine the delivery technique?
2. What are the characteristics of a good interview?
3. In report or presentation preparation, how does the speaker identify which relevant information?
4. How do speakers know if an audience is actively engaged in a presentation?

1. Interview techniques are useful to a supervisor when hiring, so that competent candidates are hired, (New Colorado p-12 Academic Standards, 2008).
2. It is possible for public speakers to improve their presentation skills through studying theatre arts.
3. Studying interview footage can be enhanced by use of audio and visual recording so that relevant information is pointed out.
4. Electronic presentations can be applied during oral presentations
5. Electronic tools can be applied to conduct long distance interviews.

2. Skilled communicators are open to other ideas.

Tuesday: Each student should come up with a list of things that were wrong on the worst presentation they had had to listen.

Wednesday: Oral presentation skills where each student is given a peer review form with list of good and bad oral presentation skills. The students will be required to evaluate their colleagues during oral presentation. The forms will be compiled with the teacher’s own evaluation on the student

Thursday: Interview activity. Groups are supposed to act out an interview and the other students will rate the interview in reference to the guidelines of a good interview.

Friday: Guess-my-audience activity. Topics and audience will be distributed and after thirty minutes, each group presents their topic and the other students are supposed to guess which audience was being addressed. Evaluation will be on whether the presentations were done with the audience given in mind.