Moving Your Speech Right Along
Objective: The students will learn to write and effectively incorporate transitions into their speeches.
Materials: Students need to bring a rough draft of their working speeches to class.
Steps:
1. Introducing the topic of Transitions will start with a definition. Definition: The American Heritage Dictionary defines transition as a word, phrase, sentence, or series of sentences connecting one part of a discourse to another; a passage connecting two themes or sections.
2. In order to demonstrate the importance of a transition, a short story will be read without transitions.
Jack back packed in the forest. Jack got a tick on his neck. Was Jack stuck? No. Jack was in luck. A man in a truck saw Jack. The truck helped Jack get back.
3. Ask the class to interpret this short story. Should generate some class discussion about whether the story made sense, or not. This should also pose some questions to the students – wanting a more definite well-rounded story.
4. Then re-read the story with transitions.
Jack back packed in the forest. While under a tree Jack felt something crawling on his neck. Jack got a tick on his neck. Jack frantically tried to remove the tick and got sucked into a mud hole. Was Jack stuck? The mud really held him tight, but he saw something far off. No. He thought he was imagining things in the distance, but he wasn’t. Jack was in luck. A man in a truck saw Jack. Jack asked the man for a ride into town to remove the tick. The truck helped Jack get back.
5. Ask the class if they liked that story better.
6. Then explain the concept of the transition as a bridge using examples for the short story.
This means that the point the previous sentence made is carried or bridged over by the next sentence to come. This system helps everything flow smoothly in their speech.
Jack back packed in the forest. While under a tree Jack felt something crawling on his neck. Jack got a tick on his neck.
7. Body Movements and Transitions
Tell students that when giving the speech, they should choose to take one or two steps while speaking the transition sentence. This helps the audience to know that they are coming to another point within their speech. They can not say the sentence and then move, or move and then say the sentence. It should be on fluid movement.
Results: If there is remaining class time students must work on their transition sentences with their speeches, which is why they bring the rough draft to class.
Homework Assignment: Write transitions into speeches, and practice saying the sentence and walking at the same time. They will then practice and present their transitions in class the next day.
Pour the Oil into the Speech
Objective: Students will be able to point out which words, phrases, or sentences are transitions in the paragraphs. Students will also identify why the transitions are needed for the speech.
Materials: Exercise sheets that have six examples of the transitions. Notebooks or white sheets.
Steps:
1. Give the exercise sheets to each students. (The exercise should be picked out from the text book which is using in the class.)
2. Read the two sentences (two examples) which have the underlined words which are transitions in the sentences. Students will recognize which words are transitions in the sentences.
3. Read the two more sentences (two examples) which do not have underlined transitions and students point out the words that they think these are the transitions.
4. Read the two paragraphs (two examples) which have the sentences which are transitions. Students will recognize that there are transitions which are words, phrases, and sentences.
5. Students take 5 minutes to write sentences including the transitions after giving the several topics for making the sentences.
6. Students exchange their sheets that they wrote down the sentences at the step.5, and each student reads and checks the transitions would work well in the sentences.
7. The teacher gathers the sheets after the students finish the step.6, and check whether the students get points in this exercise or not.
Results: Students should be able to put the transitions into the sentences in the speech.
Tweaking the Transition
Name: Date:
Remember the Definition of a TRANSITION:
A connection, or bridge, between the main elements of the speech and between the main ideas within the body of the speech/essay.
Directions: Circle and number each of the three main points of the speech using this sample introduction.
“Ugh! I am so stressed out. If one more person comes up to me with a problem, I am going to explode!” Have you ever felt like this? This summer I learned a few different stress management techniques that really helped my attitude and productivity. It is important to know how to handle stress as so many of us deal with it in our day-to-day lives. Today we are going to explore a bit about stress. But before we set out on our adventure, we need to understand what stress is and what causes it. Then I will let you in on the secret of some stress management techniques I learned this summer. They may seem simple, but believe you me, they work.
Directions: Using the sample introduction provided, write four (4) transition statements.
Write a transition using a LINK
1.
Write a transition using a funny phrase or memorable word.
2.
Write a transition by asking a question
3.
Write a transition using an internal summary
4.
Practice writing some of your own transitions using the techniques you just learned.
Main Point 1: There are numerous advantages to working at a summer camp.
Main Point 2: Living at a summer camp for an entire summer brings about many challenges.
Main Point 3: Cabin leading is one of the most enlightening experiences one can have at camp.
Transition 1:
Transition 2: