Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Choice Board (Google Doc).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• INTRODUCTION

  Have your students proceed to the introduction section of their Google Slide document. Direct your students to view the linked video clip, answer the related questions on the slide, and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #1: Power and Significance (1:57). Author Andrew Carroll talks about the power and significance of presidential speeches throughout U.S. history.

  • Based on the clip, “what makes an extraordinary presidential speech?”
  • What types of presidential speeches does Carroll prefer? What examples of these types does he provide?
  • According to Andrew Carroll, how do presidential speeches reflect the President himself?
  • Carroll references President John F. Kennedy’s tribute to Robert Frost, and how the speech was given during a time of peace. Visit this site and listen to the speech. What do you hear?
  • REFLECT: How might speeches given by presidential candidates differ from speeches given by sitting or former presidents? Explain.

• THE SPEECHES

  Direct students to the speeches section of their Google Slide document. Instruct your students to select one of the fifteen options listed on the slide. Note: you can also assign one or more specific options to your students, if you choose. The video clip times of each option are listed below to help you make those determinations based on student interest or ability and your goals for the lesson.

  Have your students view their selected video clip(s) and answer the following questions on the respective slide(s):

  • Who makes up the audience, and how does the speaker try to connect with the audience?
  • What is the theme of the speech, and how do you know?
  • Evaluate the tone and pacing of the speech, and how they may both be influenced by the audience.
  • What claims are made in the speech, and what evidence is provided to support the claims?
  • Summarize any calls to action provided by the speaker.
  • Assess the effectiveness of the speech, describing its most and least appealing moments.

• LIST OF SELECTED SPEECHES

  • Ronald Reagan 1984 Iowa Caucus Speech (Clip #2, 20:19, Republican).
  • George H.W. Bush 1988 South Carolina Rally (Clip #3, 12:23, Republican).
  • Bill Clinton 1992 New Hampshire Speech (Clip #4, 18:23, Democrat).
  • Bob Dole 1996 New Hampshire Rally (Clip #5, 9:25, Republican).
  • George W. Bush 2000 South Carolina Speech (Clip #6, 23:23, Republican).
  • John McCain 2000 Michigan Rally (Clip #7, 27:39, Republican).
  • John Kerry 2004 New Hampshire Speech (Clip #8, 19:08, Democrat).
  • Barack Obama 2007 Iowa Rally (Clip #9, 29:16, Democrat).
  • John Edwards 2008 Nevada Rally (Clip #10, 21:17, Democrat).
  • Hillary Clinton 2008 Speech in Advance of Super Tuesday (Clip #11, 27:04, Democrat).
  • Mitt Romney 2012 Nevada Caucus Speech (Clip #12, 10:44, Republican).
  • Donald Trump 2016 South Carolina Speech (Clip #13, 39:53, Republican).
  • Bernie Sanders 2016 Michigan Rally (Clip #14, 51:44, Democrat).
  • Marco Rubio 2016 Super Tuesday Speech (Clip #15, 16:36, Republican).
  • Joe Biden 2020 South Carolina Speech (Clip #16, 22:49, Democrat).

• REFLECTION & CLOSURE

  After your students are finished with their chosen or assigned speech(es), have them proceed to the reflection & closure section of their Google Slide document. Provide time for your students to reflect on their responses to the questions above, in preparation for a share-out activity with their peers.

  Have your students form groups of approximately three, with each each group member having studied a different Historic Campaign Speech. Instruct your students to have a guided conversation about their speeches, responding to the questions below in their Google Slide documents.

  • In your group, discuss each of your speeches, noting any similarities and differences.
  • With the same group, discuss whether you think the speeches you watched were “historic” and why or why not.
  • Discuss with your group which speech(s) would most closely align with a speech that you might give, and why.
  • With your group, reflect on how campaign speeches change over time, location, purpose, and with the specific candidate.

• SUMMATIVE WRITING PROMPT

  After your students are finished sharing their findings from the lesson, direct them to complete the final culminating writing on the last slide of their Google Slide document, and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having now listened to a Historic Campaign Speech, reflect on the introduction clip of the lesson and assess the importance of Power and Significance in campaign speeches. Make sure to cite evidence from the lesson.