Unit 2
​
Speech

Unit Theme and Plan

UNIT 2: Informative Speaking — Research, Structure, Clarity Integrated with Ongoing Portfolio Development

Activities

Teaching with E.L.O.N.  (Enriched Learning Opportunity Nexus) that seamlessly integrates AI 
Unit Overview:
Unit Purpose
Students learn to research, organize, and deliver an informative speech. They evaluate source credibility, synthesize information, build a clear structure, create effective visuals, and present with accuracy and clarity. Work from this unit is compiled into Portfolio Section 2.


Standards Alignment
  • SL.4: Present findings clearly, logically, and effectively
  • SL.5: Use digital media to enhance speeches
  • SL.1: Participate in collaborative discussions
  • W.8: Gather information from credible research sources
  • RI.1: Cite evidence appropriately


Essential Questions
  1. How do speakers teach information clearly and accurately?
  2. What makes a source credible?
  3. How does organization shape audience understanding?
  4. How do visuals enhance or weaken a speech?


Portfolio Requirements for Unit 2
Students will add the following artifacts throughout the unit:
  • Topic brainstorm sheet
  • Topic narrowing and rationale
  • Research notes and credibility evaluations
  • Speech outline
  • Slide deck or visual aid samples
  • First draft of the speech
  • Peer feedback forms
  • Practice logs
  • Final speech manuscript
  • Teacher rubric
  • Unit 2 reflection
Portfolio checkpoints occur in each lesson.


WEEK 1: Research and Topic Development


DAY 1 — Introduction to Informative Speaking
Mini-Lesson
  • Purpose of informative speaking
  • Types of informative speeches
  • What makes an informative speech clear and engaging
Group Activity: “Teach It to Me Wrong”
Students explain a simple concept incorrectly on purpose. Their partners must identify the source of confusion and correct it.
Discussion follows: What causes misunderstanding? How can speakers prevent it?
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • A topic brainstorm sheet containing five or more possible topics
  • A short explanation identifying a preferred topic and why it interests them


DAY 2 — Choosing and Narrowing a Topic
Mini-Lesson
  • How to narrow a topic
  • How to avoid overly broad or overloaded speeches
  • Determining audience relevance
Group Activity: The Funnel Game
Groups take broad topics and narrow them step-by-step to a clear, specific angle.
Example:
Technology → Artificial Intelligence → AI in Healthcare → AI Triage Tools.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • A narrowed topic
  • A paragraph explaining why this focus is meaningful and manageable


DAY 3 — Research Skills and Source Credibility
Mini-Lesson
  • Types of sources
  • The CRAAP method: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose
  • Evaluating quality and reliability
Group Activity: Source Showdown
Groups rank multiple sources from most to least credible and justify their reasoning.
Portfolio Integration
Students begin research notes that include:
  • Three to five credible sources
  • CRAAP evaluations
  • Bullet-point notes from each source


DAY 4 — Synthesizing Information
Mini-Lesson
  • Summarizing without losing accuracy
  • Paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism
  • Incorporating oral citations naturally
Group Activity: The Thirty-Second Summary Challenge
Students prepare a concise spoken summary of one research source and present it to their group. Peers provide feedback.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Their summary script
  • Updated research notes


DAY 5 — Organizing the Informative Speech
Mini-Lesson
  • Organizational patterns
  • Thesis development
  • Transition writing
Group Activity: Structure Builders
Groups create a thesis, main points, and transitions for assigned topics and present their structure.
Portfolio Integration
Students complete and add a full speech outline using a teacher-provided template.


WEEK 2: Writing and Designing the Speech


DAY 6 — Writing the Body of the Speech
Mini-Lesson
  • Using examples, definitions, and explanatory details
  • Managing technical language
  • Incorporating data clearly
Group Activity: Jargon Busters
Groups rewrite technical or complex passages into audience-friendly language.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Draft paragraphs of their speech
  • A short explanation of how they improved clarity


DAY 7 — Introductions and Conclusions
Mini-Lesson
  • Hook strategies
  • Preview statements
  • Effective closings
Group Activity: Intro Remix
Students revise weak introductions using multiple hook techniques.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Drafts of their introduction and conclusion
  • A brief revision reflection


DAY 8 — Visual Aids and Slide Design
Mini-Lesson
  • Designing clear, effective slides
  • Choosing images with purpose
  • Avoiding clutter and overuse of text
Group Activity: Slide Makeover Lab
Groups improve poorly designed slides to make them clearer and more impactful.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Two to three drafted slides or visual samples
  • A note explaining how their visuals support understanding


DAY 9 — Peer Review and Revision
Mini-Lesson
  • Giving helpful, specific feedback
  • Checking organization, clarity, and accuracy
Group Activity: Expert Panels
Students rotate through panels where classmates evaluate content accuracy, flow, delivery, and visuals.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • All peer feedback forms
  • A revised draft of their speech
  • A written revision plan


WEEK 3: Delivery and Final Presentation


DAY 10 — Rehearsal Day
Mini-Lesson
  • Effective verbal practice strategies
  • Timing the speech
  • Practicing with visuals
Group Activity: Rotating Rehearsals
Students rehearse three times with different partners, focusing on clarity, pacing, and engagement in each round.
Portfolio Integration
Students add a practice log describing:
  • What they worked on
  • What improved
  • What they will adjust for the final speech


DAY 11–12 — Informative Speech Presentations
Assessment
Students deliver a four- to six-minute informative speech that includes:
  • Three credible sources
  • At least one visual aid
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Final manuscript
  • Final visuals or slides
  • Teacher rubric
  • Optional: a link or QR code to a recording


DAY 13 — Unit 2 Reflection and Portfolio Completion
Group Activity: Learning Gallery Walk
Students circulate the room reviewing highlights from classmates’ speeches and leave comments using prompts such as:
  • “Something I learned from you…”
  • “Something I admired about your structure or clarity…”
Portfolio Integration: Unit Reflection
Students respond to three to five questions:
  1. How did research shape your speech?
  2. Which organizational pattern worked best for your topic and why?
  3. Which feedback was most valuable during revision?
  4. How did visuals support your communication?
  5. What would you change if you could deliver the speech again?
Students then verify that all portfolio items for Unit 2 are complete.


Unit 2 Portfolio Checklist
  • Topic brainstorm
  • Narrowed topic + rationale
  • Research notes with credibility evaluation
  • Complete speech outline
  • Draft #1
  • Peer feedback forms
  • Practice log
  • Visual aid drafts
  • Final manuscript
  • Teacher rubric
  • Reflection
​The following activities include AI tools that enhance student engagement, provide data-driven insights, and facilitate personalized learning. 
​GROUP ACTIVITY 1: Rhetorical Strategy Detection Lab
AI Tool: ChatGPT (Advanced) or Claude.ai
Purpose: Teach students how to identify rhetorical devices, tone, and diction using AI-assisted analysis as a starting point.
Procedure
  1. Groups choose a nonfiction speech or article.
  2. They paste the text into ChatGPT or Claude and ask:
    “Identify rhetorical strategies, tone patterns, diction choices, and structural features in this text.”
  3. AI generates a breakdown.
  4. Students compare their own analysis to the AI’s findings, highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement.
  5. Groups refine their definitions of each rhetorical device.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • The AI-generated analysis
  • Their own hand-annotated version
  • A comparison paragraph evaluating AI accuracy


INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 1: Tone and Diction Classifier
AI Tool: IBM Watson Tone Analyzer
Purpose: Provide objective measurements of tone to help students identify tone shifts in nonfiction texts.
Procedure
  1. Students select a paragraph from their nonfiction reading.
  2. Paste into IBM Watson Tone Analyzer.
  3. Record detected tones such as confidence, joy, anger, fear, or analytical tone.
  4. Students reflect on whether the AI’s result matches their interpretation.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Screenshot or written results from Watson
  • A reflection: “Does this match what I felt the tone should be? Why or why not?”


GROUP ACTIVITY 2: Structure Mapping with ExplainPaper
AI Tool: ExplainPaper (AI text simplifier for academic and technical writing)
Purpose: Help students analyze how a nonfiction text is structured.
Procedure
  1. Groups upload or paste a nonfiction text into ExplainPaper.
  2. AI highlights complex sections and provides simplified explanations.
  3. Students use these insights to map the structure:
    • Introduction
    • Claims
    • Evidence
    • Counterarguments
    • Conclusion
  4. Groups create visual maps showing how the text unfolds.
Portfolio Integration
Students include:
  • Their structural map
  • A short explanation of how structure impacts clarity


INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 2: Fact-Checking and Source Verification
AI Tool: Perplexity.ai
Purpose: Teach students responsible research practices by verifying claims from nonfiction sources.
Procedure
  1. Students choose three factual claims from their chosen nonfiction text.
  2. Enter each claim into Perplexity.ai.
  3. Compare the AI research summary to the original text.
  4. Students determine which claims are:
    • Fully supported
    • Partially supported
    • Misleading or incorrect
Portfolio Integration
Students add a “fact-check table” listing the claim, AI findings, and final truth rating.


GROUP ACTIVITY 3: Argument Strength Evaluation
AI Tool: Gradescope AI Experimental Rubric or Turnitin Draft Coach AI
Purpose: Evaluate the strength of arguments using AI scoring to compare group evaluations.
Procedure
  1. Groups paste a selected argument (1–2 paragraphs) into the AI tool.
  2. The AI provides a score or feedback on clarity, evidence, and reasoning.
  3. Groups then create their own rubric and evaluate the same passage.
  4. Groups compare their human-generated evaluation to the AI-generated one, discussing differences.
Portfolio Integration
Students add their group rubric and a reflection comparing human vs. AI scoring.


INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 3: Informative Speech Topic Discovery with Elicit
AI Tool: Elicit (AI research assistant)
Purpose: Help students explore and refine informative speech topics.
Procedure
  1. Students type potential topics into Elicit.
  2. The tool generates:
    • Subtopics
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Credible sources
    • Related research
  3. Students refine their topic based on what Elicit reveals.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • A topic evolution sheet
  • A 5–7 sentence justification of their final topic choice


GROUP ACTIVITY 4: Paragraph Rewrite Challenge (Clarity & Style)
AI Tool: QuillBot (AI paraphrasing & style adjustment)
Purpose: Teach style revision by comparing original and AI-rewritten nonfiction paragraphs.
Procedure
  1. Groups choose a dense paragraph from nonfiction reading.
  2. Enter the paragraph into QuillBot and generate:
    • Standard
    • Formal
    • Simple
    • Creative
      versions.
  3. Groups analyze how meaning changes (or stays the same).
  4. Students rewrite the paragraph manually in their own words.
Portfolio Integration
Students include:
  • Original paragraph
  • AI versions
  • Their own clear rewrite


INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 4: Rhetorical Appeals Coach
AI Tool: ChatGPT Voice Mode (Interactive Coaching)
Purpose: Teach students how to strengthen ethos, pathos, and logos in their informative speech.
Procedure
  1. Students read aloud a draft section of their speech to ChatGPT Voice Mode.
  2. They ask:
    “How can I improve ethos/pathos/logos in this section?”
  3. They test AI suggestions aloud and decide which to adopt.
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • A revised section incorporating selected strategies
  • A written statement of which AI suggestions they used and why


GROUP ACTIVITY 5: Visual Rhetoric Exploration with Canva AI Designer
AI Tool: Canva AI Magic Design
Purpose: Help students understand how layout, imagery, and visual hierarchy support informative speaking.
Procedure
  1. Groups input their speech topic into Canva Magic Design.
  2. The AI creates sample infographics, presentations, and layouts.
  3. Students analyze:
    • Color and mood
    • How information is grouped
    • Clarity and readability
  4. Groups create a “visual rhetoric principles list.”
Portfolio Integration
Students add one selected AI-generated visual and annotate it to show effective visual communication strategies.


INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 5: Fluency Practice with Whisper AI
AI Tool: Whisper (OpenAI automatic speech recognition)
Purpose: Provide transcript-based analysis for clear, organized informative speaking.
Procedure
  1. Students record themselves practicing an early version of their informative speech.
  2. Upload to Whisper, which creates an accurate transcript.
  3. Students analyze:
    • Filler words
    • Repeated phrases
    • Rambling sections
    • Areas lacking clarity
Portfolio Integration
Students add:
  • Annotated transcript
  • A revision plan for their next draft


GROUP ACTIVITY 6: Ethical Language Choices Debate
AI Tool: ChatGPT or Gemini for scenario generation
Purpose: Explore how biased or vague language affects nonfiction clarity.
Procedure
  1. Groups ask the AI:
    “Generate three scenarios where unclear, biased, or emotionally charged language harms understanding.”
  2. Students debate:
    • What went wrong
    • How to revise the language
    • Why clarity and neutrality matter in informative speaking
Portfolio Integration
Students each revise one scenario into clear, neutral language and reflect on word choice.
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