Amen! Brother!!!
Dynamism
OBJECTIVE: Students will know what dynamism is and how to use it in a speeches.
MATERIALS: Internet and a Computer
STEPS:
1. Explain what Dynamism is.
a. Dynamism is an aspect of a speaker’s credibility that reflects whether the speaker is perceived as energetic.
b. Often projected through delivery.
c. Example: Charisma, possessing charm, talent, magnetism, and other qualities that make a person attractive and energetic.
2. Tell students that they will be watching two clips and that from those two clips they will have to pick out which one contains dynamism and which one does not.
3. Show clips.
a. the church scenes from either Big Mama’s House or The Diary of a Mad Black Woman OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfr5rVBxp4A (Shows Joel Osteen using Dynamism) OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLPeRXkB2j0 (Shows clip from The Gospel using Dynamism)
1. paces stage
2. cries over touching passage from Bible
3. bangs out into song
4. yells
5. sweats
6. shakes fists
7. shows energy, action, expression, and concern
b. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWjrYnjgHeQ (shows boring college class) OR any other boring person giving a boring speech
4. Get student’s reactions/answers and explain what makes each clip either an example or not of Dynamism. (explained under each clip link in #2)
5. Explain ways to incorporate Dynamism into a speech.
a. Speak vividly, lively language
b. Draw clear images of the events you describe
c. Use sharp, fresh metaphors
d. Use active rather than passive verbs
e. Express your ideas with a short, hard hitting oral style rather than a long, wordy written style
f. Use varied conversational-vocal patterns
g. Have an animated body, purposeful movements
h. Use direct eye contact rather than reliance on notes, facial expressions
i. Have a firm upright stance
RESULTS: Students will see and know how to effectively use dynamism in their speeches.
Mandy Brabec
Fall 2009
Were You Listening Before or Now?
Dynamism
Objective: The student will understand the importance of dynamic usage by the end of class.
Materials: The student will only need paper and pencil. The instructor will need an empty plastic treat wrapper (large size) and a honking horn, and a random article from a newspaper or magazine.
Steps:
1. The instructor will define dynamism.
• Dynamism-the quality of being dynamic.
• Dynamic-characterized by constant change or activity.
2. Dynamism will then be explained as to why it is important in a speech.
3. Students will begin to write out the alphabet.
4. Meanwhile, the instructor will begin reading the chosen article in a somewhat monotone style.
A. This will be the example.
5. Repeat the same process only this time the instructor will change the dynamics and randomly add the wrapper noise and honking horn.
A. If desired the instructor may tell the students to write the alphabet backwards.
Result: The students will now know how important it is to use dynamics in a speech.
Objective: In this activity, students will learn about the components that make a speech memorable. They will also then demonstrate how to show power and knowledge when giving their speeches.
Materials: Students will need a pencil and paper;
Steps:
1. First have the students make a list of the qualities that they would consider to make an individual a powerful public speaker. Who are some of the people that they would consider to be effective speech-givers?
• Characteristics like enthusiasm, volume, eloquence or fluidity, gestures, etc…
2. Have them share their list with the class and come up with one for the whole group.
3. Ask the students to consider the question: If an individual is indeed a powerful speaker, do you think that they could convince listeners of things that may otherwise be considered wrong and/or unlikely? (Consider Hitler = bad guy but an excellent public speaker)
4. This activity will require you to stretch the truth a bit. As a short public speaking activity, have the students work on their own to come up with a story to tell to the class. Supposedly they are all going to be true.
5. The trick is that they have to draw from a hat to find out what kind of story (true or “tall”) they will have to write. Some of the students will get instruction slips explaining that they should tell a false story to the class. (This shouldn’t be too wild, rather something that could still remain within the realm of possibility. It should still take quite a bit of truth-stretching.)
6. Ask the students to then share their story with the rest of the class. Those that have the “tall tale” stories should try to be as convincing as possible…the rest of the students should be assuming they are all true.
7. At the end of class, have the “liars” fess up to the rest of the class. It should be fun to see their reactions.
Results:
After the activity, ask the students what worked for some of them /what didn’t? Who seemed to be the most convincing? Why? Which of the components listed earlier were used in order to motivate/intrigue the audience? Were they effective? Discuss…
Kit Mentzer
Fall 2009
I Have a Dream…of Perfect Volume
Volume
OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to identify the three reasons why speakers must vary the volume of their voice and apply this knowledge to their speeches.
MATERIALS: A computer with internet access, cued up to the YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMXaTktUfA (Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech) OR a video of this speech
STEPS:
1. Discuss with the students possible problems speakers might have with the volume of their voices. Students will likely mention voices that are too loud or too soft. The teacher should also mention the voice fading away at the end of sentences (starting out at an acceptable volume but ending at a very low volume).
2. Ask students if they think there is one correct volume for a speaker’s voice. Have them think of situations in which the volume of their speaking voice might have to change and how they would have to change it. Answers could include smaller or larger rooms, microphones or no microphones, distance from the audience, noise level, and the type of audience to which they are speaking.
3. Mention to the class that there are other reasons that an experienced speaker might vary the volume of his or her voice. Begin the “I Have a Dream” video clip, asking students write on their papers the ways the volume of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speaking voice changes. Instruct students to pay attention to the volume of King’s voice more than to his words. Students will watch segments of the clip from the minutes 6:30 to 8:30 (“I Have a Dream”) and 9:35 to 10:55 (“Let Freedom Ring”).
4. After finishing the clip, randomly number students into groups of three. Ask them to compare their notes and elect one speaker for the group who, after about two minutes, will present the entire group’s observations to the rest of the class. Each group of students should notice and discuss the ways King gradually and continually increases the volume of the words he repeats as well as the ways he varies his volume within sentences.
5. The teacher will then ask students to consider why he might have spoken in such a way, basing their discussion upon their emotional reactions to listening to King’s delivery of his speech. With the teacher guiding the analysis, students will identify that King’s variations in volume help him to keep the audience’s interest attention as well as to give emphasis to certain parts of his message.
6. If there is space available in the school, take students into different rooms (such as an auditorium, a gym, and different size classrooms) as well as outside to experiment with volume by reading aloud excerpts from any school-appropriate book or text. Also vary placement of the audience as well as background noise levels.
RESULTS: After identifying the ways in which volume helps a speaker to convey his or her message to the audience, students will be able to apply these principles of volume to their speeches. The next topic the class will discuss will be rate of speaking and its impact on the message.
Nicole Peters
September 9, 2009
Make ‘Em Pay Attention!
TOPIC: Dynamism
OBJECTIVE: Students will learn about dynamism, see popular examples of people famous for their dynamism, as well as learn how to capture some dynamism for themselves.
MATERIALS: Three or four short videos of famous speakers; Each student must have a paragraph of their speech available.
Day 1:
STEP 1: Begin by explaining the concept of dynamism. Show that though content is extremely important, no one will pay attention to the content you worked so hard on if you can’t keep them engaged.
STEP 2: Allow some time for questions and discussion.
STEP 3: Show a video of (1. an effective political speech (2. an effective graduation speech (3. an effective motivational speaker (4. an effective, CLEAN stand up comedian.
STEP 4: After each video, briefly discuss how each speaker’s dynamism affected their speech. Inform the students that class will be meeting on the stage (or gymnasium) the next day.
Day 2:
STEP 1: Review dynamism and discuss yesterday’s speakers.
STEP 2: Discuss ways to use dynamism in your own speech. Talk about physical and vocal ways to make a speech dynamic.
STEP 3: Begin to introduce the idea of dynamism as more of a stage presence or energy than a conscious act.
STEP 4: Ask for a volunteer to start the exercise. Have this person come to the front of the class with his or her speech paragraph. Ask them to sing “Row, row, row your boat” while doing jumping jacks, then immediately go into their paragraph. This increase in body movement should boost the energy of the speaker as well as the audience.
STEP 5: Ask the speaker how they felt, and discuss the audience’s reaction.
RESULT: The students will have learned about dynamism and the different facets it possesses.