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select an audio clip from U. S. presidents going back one
hundred years. Form a small group and listen to several
of the speeches. Pretend you are an assistant to the president.
When the president asks you for an honest opinion of his
speech, what is your answer? What are his strengths? How
can he improve? Write a memo to the president with your
suggestions. Thinking
about the president, other leaders, or public figures,
compare what the speaker says — the content —
with how he or she says it — the delivery. In your
opinion, what is the balance between content and delivery?
Is one more important than the other? For extra credit,
videotape a speech of the president, first lady, or other
public figure. Study their delivery — the way they
emphasize certain phrases, how they react to their audience,
whether or not they use humor or tell stories to get their
point across. Play the tape back to your class, pausing
the tape when you want to comment on the speaker’s
techniques or point out good or bad examples of public
speaking.
Click the following titles for a
sample audio clip:
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