Understanding what makes a powerful speech
I can identify and explain what makes a powerful speech.
Understanding what makes a powerful speech
I can identify and explain what makes a powerful speech.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Malala’s Nobel speech demonstrates that texts can have multiple purposes in order to engage an audience.
- Malala demonstrates an effective use of humour alongside her important messages of education and peace.
- Like Malala, successful speeches engage their audiences, through a range of rhetorical devices.
- Logos, ethos and pathos give writers different ways of speaking to their readers.
Keywords
Activist - someone who is actively engaged in bringing about social, political or environmental changes
Advocacy - speaking or acting on behalf of oneself or others to promote a cause or idea
Rapport - to create and establish a positive connection between a writer or speaker and their audience
Credibilty - to be trustworthy and believable
Obligation - a duty or responsibility that someone is required to fulfil
Common misconception
Persuasive, issue based speeches have to maintain a serious tone.
Look at Malala's use of humour and anecdote. By engaging the audience in this way she holds their attention enough to make them listen to the serious messages.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding what makes a powerful speech, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding what makes a powerful speech, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Spoken language: the language of change unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to 'Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel speech' which can be found in the additional materials
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
We must change. We must fight. We must win.
You have to consider the implications of this.
In my short life I have experienced my own challenges.
Why do these situations continue to arise?