Summary
Is that really necessary? Often when telling a story or in their writing, students include details that are irrelevant and off topic. In this lesson, students will analyze Sheldon’s ability to stick to relevant information while being a reference for his friend in an FBI interview. Students will then examine a presidential campaign speech, categorically highlighting relevant and irrelevant information. In the culminating activity, students will write a campaign speech for a classmate running for student body president based on the description of the candidate and the audience they are addressing.
Essential Question(s)
How do I determine relevant information when writing?
Snapshot
Engage
Students will collaborate to complete a Honeycomb Harvest, to match careers with qualities desirable to that profession.
Explore
Students will watch a clip from “The Big Bang Theory” TV show and complete a T-chart to determine the difference between relevant and irrelevant information.
Explain
Students will use strategies of determining purpose and audience in a real-world application while watching and analyzing a political campaign speech.
Extend
Students will apply their new knowledge while writing their own campaign speeches for a friend who is running for student office.
Evaluate
Students will listen to and review each other’s speeches to demonstrate their understanding of how purpose and audience apply to a real-world situation.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Honeycomb Harvest pieces (attached; one set per group)
Relevant vs. Irrelevant T-Chart handout (attached; one per student)
John F. Kennedy Campaign Speech handout (see Lesson Preparation: Printing note)
Student Personas handout (attached; one persona per student)
Persuasive Campaign Speech Rubric (attached; one per student)
Evaluating a Campaign Speech handout (attached; one per student)
Internet access
Writing utensils
Highlighters (2 colors)
Notebook paper
Engage
15 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to introduce the lesson to students by displaying slide 2. Share the lesson’s Essential Question and Learning Objectives on slides 3 and 4 to the extent you feel necessary.
Display slide 5. Introduce students to the Honeycomb Harvest instructional strategy. Group students in pairs and distribute one set of the attached Honeycomb Harvest pieces to each group. Explain to students that they will group the tiles based on which qualities are important for each career. Explain that there can be overlap between qualities and careers. If students need scaffolded instructions, use hidden slides 6–7 to share an example. As they are working, monitor and ask probing questions to help them determine why they chose these connections. Allow 10 minutes for students to complete the task.
When time is up, use slide 8 to facilitate a discussion with the entire class. Encourage questions and discourse. Ask students about any overlap where some qualities would be useful in multiple careers. Encourage students to talk about what it means when a career has multiple attributes shared with another career. Students can even share their own thoughts about their desired potential career field and what characteristics would be useful for that field.
Explore
Move to slide 9 and distribute the Relevant vs. Irrelevant T-Chart handout (attached).
Instruct students to take note of the information Sheldon shares with the FBI agent. Prompt them to determine what information is relevant and what is irrelevant. They will record this information on their handout as they watch the video clip. Display slide 10 and show the video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-M9uIqPLXc
When the clip ends, display slide 11 and facilitate a discussion with students about what they observed. You may group them or facilitate a whole-class discussion.
Explain
10 Minute(s)
Distribute copies of the John F. Kennedy Campaign Speech handout.
Display slide 12 and introduce students to the Categorical Highlighting instructional strategy. Explain to students that they will be categorically highlighting John F. Kennedy’s campaign speech and looking for the relevant and irrelevant information. Instruct them to use different color highlighters for relevant information and irrelevant information. Remind students who the possible audience was for this particular speech and what the purpose of the speech was, to help them note which parts of the speech are relevant and which are irrelevant.
Play the video on slide 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIQSP2HVyWo
When the video ends, display slide 14 and instruct students to turn to an elbow partner to discuss the questions on the slide. Allow students some time to discuss. Then, ask for volunteers to share what they discussed with their partner.
Extend
60 Minute(s)
Move to slide 15 and explain to students that they will be writing a campaign speech for a “friend” who is running for a student office. Review the different student biographies with the class and have students discuss the audience for each student candidate.
Move to slide 16 and tell students to choose one student candidate. When they have chosen their candidate, give them a copy of the student bio from the Student Personas handout (attached) and the Persuasive Campaign Speech Rubric (attached). Instruct students to write a campaign speech for their chosen candidate using the information listed in the bio. Using the Why-Lighting instructional strategy, encourage students to annotate the text of their chosen bio to differentiate between the relevant information from information that might be interesting but not necessary for the speech. Allow students 45–60 minutes, or one class period, to compose their speech.
Evaluate
15 Minute(s)
Distribute the Evaluating a Campaign Speech handout (attached).
Display slide 17. Instruct students to choose a partner, or assign them yourself. Tell students to read their campaign speech to their partner. Partners will complete the handout as they listen to their partner’s speech. Move to slide 18 and review the audience expectations with the students before they begin.
When students have finished sharing their speeches, move to slide 19. Give students 5–10 minutes to discuss their feedback with each other. Then, ask for students to share a positive comment about their partner’s work with the class.
Resources
Big Bang Theory. (2023, August 20). Sheldon Reveals Howard’s Secret to the FBI | The Big Bang Theory [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-M9uIqPLXc
CBS 8 San Diego. (2023, November 22). Senator John F. Kennedy campaigning in San Diego, 1960 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIQSP2HVyWo
K20 Center. (n.d.). Categorical highlighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/192
K20 Center. (n.d.). Honeycomb harvest. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/61
K20 Center. (n.d.). MagicSchool AI. Tech tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/3416
K20 Center. (n.d.). T-chart. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/86
K20 Center. (n.d.). Why-Lighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/128
Kennedy, J. F. (1960, November 2). Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy, Horton Plaza, San Diego, California. JFK Speeches. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/san-diego-ca-19601102