Standard 2: Communicating Orally

This is lesson #3 in the text unit series for The Democratic Process by Mark Friedman. The lesson will explore citizen’s individual rights, which rights were influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman democratic process, and current challenges to democracy. Students will read the text for background information, make personal and real-world connections, and research current challenges to democracy and how it impacts their lives.

The unit will prepare students to understand Greek and Roman influences on democracy in the United States, identify individual rights and freedoms, determine the difference between protected and unprotected rights, examine the rule of law, and evaluate the relevance of modern-day government. The activities in the unit will allow students the opportunity to participate in close reading, annotate text, and collaborate on research projects to gain a deeper understanding of democracy, government, and the rule of law.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

In groups, students will decide how to promote their technology. Students will develop an impromptu 2-minute presentation in a format of their choice to share information about their technology with the school and community in this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

In the third part of this four-part lesson, student groups will collaborate to present a multimedia presentation based on their previous research on the influence of Athenian democracy and its government principles.  Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration.  In the final part of this lesson, students will deliver their presentation to the class and demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt.

Type: Lesson Plan

In the third part of this four-part lesson, student groups will collaborate to present a multimedia presentation based on their previous research on the influence of the Roman Republic and its government principles. Students will take notes on others’ topics when they are not presenting. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the final part of this lesson, students will demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will research ancient Greece to learn about democratic principles of government in ancient Greece using informational texts, websites, and other resources. Students will each complete their own KWHL graphic organizer, then work with a group to paraphrase information gathered from the texts, and create a group poster containing important facts/information learned about the ancient Greek democratic principles of government. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will create a presentation with information about a personal book selection using available presentation software. A student checklist and template are provided.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the messages that a speaker can knowingly (or unknowingly!) convey to the audience through body language, eye contact, posture, voice inflection, and gestures. Students will participate in a short activity to practice voice inflection, volume, and tone. Students will also deliver a presentation about how the speech they selected is an effective example of how to deliver a speech.

Type: Lesson Plan

This MEA asks the students to decide which company would be the “best and the worst” to use to purchase scuba diving masks for Tino’s Scuba Diving School to provide to their diving certification students. Furthermore, the students are asked to suggest which type of scuba diving masks should be purchased in term of multiple panes – single pane mask, double pane mask, full face mask, skirt color, fit, durability, and price. Students must provide a "top choice" scuba diving mask to the company owner and explain how they arrived at their solution.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explore what makes a passage poignant by analyzing an important chapter from the historical fiction novel, The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox. In cooperative groups, they will use their prior knowledge of figurative language, conflict, theme, and characterization to identify a passage that has high emotional impact, relating to the journey along the Middle Passage during the slave trade. As culminating assessments, students will present their group's textual analysis to the class.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, “Out with the Old in with the New”, students will discuss elements of a positive work environment, differing leadership styles and their effects on a workplace. Students will then create a roleplay scenario in which they brainstorm an alternate outcome for the case study.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, “A Peer Review Committee Accepts a Challenging Task,” students will brainstorm proposed questions regarding the case study. Then, in their groups of three, students will use a role-play strategy to share their thoughts about the case study. Students can make real-life connections using examples of other situations that may benefit from a Peer Review Committee.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, We Need to Hire, students will discuss professionalism, privacy, and phone etiquette. Students will practice professional phone skills, such as making a call, answering the phone, and taking/leaving a message.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, “Helping to Keep Friends Safe,” students will determine how important it is to understand the privacy settings of social media sites. They will see the danger of how strangers can see their location if they do not adjust their privacy settings correctly on their social media sites.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this activity intended for the debate classroom, students will break up into groups of four and select a stance for debate from the list provided. They will be arguing that the group/individual they selected has the most influence over the government.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will learn how to select, cut and perform Declamation as a debate event.

Type: Teaching Idea

In this activity intended for the debate classroom, students will examine the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights to determine if an assigned fairy tale character is innocent or guilty according to their rights in a simulated court of law.

Type: Teaching Idea