Lyrics

Chorus
Public speaking, don’t be freaking
Just listen to the RRR technique in… (×3)
Public speaking, don’t be freaking
Just listen to the RRR technique in public speaking

Verse I
Have you ever seen a hip hop show
Where the emcee’s completely locked into the flow?
His words are clear, his voice is loud
And she really knows how to interact with the crowd
In public speaking you need the same types of things
It’s important to keep the audience engaged
So use eye contact, make sure you look around
Don’t just stare at the page or the sky or the ground

Keep a steady pace, make sure you don’t rush
Project your voice, don’t let it be hushed
‘Cause you could have some great points to convey
But they mean nothing if we can’t hear what you say
Humor is a great way to break the ice
And to emphasize your points, hand gestures are nice
And you can make your talk stronger with visual aids
Like a PowerPoint®, photo, or a graph that you made

Chorus

Verse II
Public speaking’s easier when you feel refreshed
So the night before, make sure you get plenty of rest
And it’s always critical that you know your audience
When it comes to this, just use some common sense
If you’re talking to a panel for college admissions
Use vocab. that shows intellect and ambition
But if you’re talking is a group of third graders instead
All those big words would go over their heads

Be sure to use voice inflection when you speak
‘Cause if you talk in monotone you’ll put the people to sleep
And the best way to master all of these tactics?
Practice, practice, practice!
Practice with your family, practice in front of a mirror
Practice so that every word is clearer
Practice builds confidence and makes you less nervous

Resources

Further Reading

Website: Education World: The Educator’s Best Friend
Books in Education Article: “Speaking Up, Speaking Out: A Kids’ Guide to Making Speeches, Oral Reports and Conversation”
This article reviews the book, Speaking Up, Speaking Out: A Kids’ Guide to Making Speeches, Oral Reports and Conversation. If able to acquire from the library, this book will be helpful for providing further reading on public speaking.

Website: International Debate Education Association (IDEA)
This website will provide students with databases of speech topics and arguments for debating. It also provides pointers for becoming a better debater.

Website: School for Champions
Strategies to Succeed in Public Speaking
This website offers several tips for becoming a better public speaker.

Lesson Plans & Activities

Website: ABCTeach
Write a Speech
This worksheet teaches students how to think critically about forming a speech.

Website: Education World: The Educator’s Best Friend
It’s Up For Debate
This activity asks student to engage in debates about various topics as to develop their public speaking skills. It also provides links to other debate activities.

Website: The Educator’s Reference Desk
Adopting a Dress Code
Students are asked to create a mock jury, and then other students present cases for or against a new school dress code. This activity helps students to become better public speakers, and better analysts of speeches and arguments.

Website: The Educator’s Reference Desk
Battle Bars
By writing an essay about why one candy bar is better than another and then sharing it with the class, students develop their persuasive public speaking (and writing!) skills.

Website: The Educator’s Reference Desk
Delivering a Persuasive Speech
This activity teaches students about how to deliver a persuasive speech. It involves both performing and analyzing others.

Website: The Educator’s Reference Desk
Effective Speaking in a Debate
This activity teaches students how to deal with stage fright in relation to public speaking. (Though it is intended for high school students, it could work for middle school students, too.)

Website: The Educator’s Reference Desk
Four Corners Debate
This classroom activity asks students to choose one of four positions on a controversial topic chosen by the teacher. Students must then defend their position to the class.

Website: The Educator’s Reference Desk
Introduction to Argument
This activity breaks down the process of creating a strong argument, and asks students to think critically about how to approach public speaking.

Website: PBS: Standard Deviants TV
All About Public Speaking
This website provides helpful hints for becoming a strong public speakers, as well as a quiz and links to other resources.

Website: Pete’s PowerPoint Station
Speaking and Listening
This is a collection of PowerPoint presentations to use in the classroom, ranging from how to write a speech to 101 ways to improve your communications skills.

Website: Teaching Ideas
Speaking Nonsense
This classroom activity teaches students to drop negative speaking habits and to pick up stronger ones.