Historical event

Historical event

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Further Resources
Event of historical interest
Your task is to present to a small group an informative speech about an historical event. Your teacher will give you a list of topics and tell you how long your speech will need to be.
 
  • Choose a topic from the list.
  • Carry out some research to find out about your topic.
  • Write the main ideas of your speech on a cue card to help you remember. Do not write out all of the words in your speech.
You can use visual resources such as photos as part of your speech. These will help keep the audience interested.
 

A helpful checklist

Have you:

  • researched your topic?

  • prepared cue cards to help you remember the main points?

  • selected photos or other visual resources?

  • practised speaking with a clear voice?

  • practised speaking without reading your cue cards?

  • timed your speech so that it fits into the set time?

Does your speech:

  • have a beginning, a middle, and an end?

  • entertain or interest your audience?
 
 

Possible topics for research

Covid-19

The Christchurch earthquake

The Kaikoura Earthquake

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption

The Wahine disaster

The New Zealand land wars

The Tangiwai railway disaster

Erebus disaster

The Edgecumbe Earthquake

The Eruption of Mount Ruapehu

The Spanish flu of 1918

 
Task administration: 
  • To undertake this task, students need to be able to plan a speech independently.
  • Prior to the assessment, each student needs to have carried out some research on a particular topic to use as a basis for their speech.
  • A suggested length for this speech is between 1 and 2 minutes.
  • Assessment scoring guides B and D are suitable for this task.
The following Oral Language Assessment Guides – Speaking, can be used with this resource.

Click on the link for more information about the Oral Language assessment guides - Speaking

Copyright: 
wahine sinking
Image: http://www.times-age.co.nz, permission for use.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Speaking
Keywords: 
prepared speech, teacher rating, peer-assessment
Description of task: 
The assessment focus is on an informative speech to a small group about an historical event. Student directions, a checklist, and scoring guides are included.