Content Focus: Public Speaking in Communications Class (UW-Oshkosh CAPP Speech)

Language Focus: Speaking

Vocabulary Focus: Anxiety, Pinching, Coiling, Slab Building, Sculpting

Standards:

• UWS12A34: Develop and deliver presentations to convey information and ideas in a logical fashion.
• UWS12A39: Use feedback and self-evaluation to improve oral communication.
• UWS12A53: Know sources of interference & how those interferences affect communication.

Arts Integration: We learn the vocabulary and techniques of clay and ceramics

Lesson Objectives:

• Learn about speaking anxiety
• Create an anxiety monster drawing that metaphorically represents the biggest obstacle you have with public speaking and includes ways to combat it.
• Learn clay techniques and create the anxiety monster with clay, using the drawing as a guide.
• Present anxiety Monsters to class.

Activities: I use this project at the beginning of my speech class to try to help students’ work on their speaking anxiety.

• Day One: I start with the speaking anxiety handout and go over the causes, impacts, and some solutions. Go over the anxiety monster slideshow (also linked in Canva presentation). Draw anxiety monster, name it, write what it does and how to combat it.
• Day Two: Go over the clay techniques slideshow (also linked in Canva presentation). Create the monster out of clay, based off the drawn picture.
• Day Three: Students paint their clay creations. Students share their creations with a small group.
• Day Four: Students present their pictures and clay creations with the class. Students discuss what their monster does and how they will defeat it throughout the semester.
• Follow-Up at End of Semester: Students write a reflection about how they defeated their monsters throughout the semester. Students “destroy” their monsters (to show they metaphorically destroyed their anxiety).

Engagement/Introduction: Start with explaining what speaker anxiety is, then go over anxiety monsters.

Assessment Procedure: It’s their first speaking assignment, so it’s really just a plus/Delta feedback sheet, telling them things they can improve on and things they did well. It’s more of a “baseline” than anything.

Materials: acrylic paint, brushes, Model Magic Clay

Supporting Documents: Lesson Plan, Presentation

Contact: Sara Klein