You need to plan and prepare a talk on a subject of your choice. This talk should last between 2-3 minutes and you must be prepared to deliver it on Tuesday 22nd November. You may use props and/or visual aids but you must not make a Powerpoint with lots of writing . You may include photographs in a Powerpoint but this a talk you are delivering to the class (not reading from the slides). You will be given one hour in class to begin your research and then the further preparation and rehearsal is up to you!

Hints and Tips

• Choose a topic which you are confident about – it is your choice so make sure you will have enough to talk about for 2-3 minutes.
• Know your purpose – why did you choose this subject? Will it be interesting for your peers?
• Know your audience – you may need to use technical or topical words but you are talking to your peers so make sure you explain it well.
• Do research and make notes your topic – it should be clear you are explaining the subject in your own words.

Use humour and anecdotes – win your audience by making them laugh.

Please use the success criteria below to help you shape and rehearse your talk. This is what you will be assessed on.

Success Criteria:

• Eye contact: the speaker should look at their audience (everyone) from time to time. Check to see they are listening to you.
• Body language: try to stand still and look confident. No fidgeting about or staring at the floor. Use your hands to ‘talk’ but don’t overuse them.
• Tone and pace of voice: try to use a clear voice which should naturally rise and fall when you are talking. No mumbling, whispering or speaking too fast.
• Fluency: Try to talk for the full time without pausing or using fillers such as saying eh, ummmm.
• Length of talk: you should rehearse and time your talk to ensure it is between 2-3 minutes.
• Organisation of content: the information should be organised in a way that it makes sense and flows.
• Use of notes/cue cards: headings and key points can be noted to aid memory and act as a prompt without the speaker reading the whole talk. You may not need to use notes but if you do, you should only be glancing at them, not reading directly from them.
• Easy to understand and holds the audience’s attention: the information given should be easily understood by the audience. Even if the speaker is an expert on their subject, they should remember to explain it really clearly. If the audience doesn’t understand they will lose interest.
• Use of visual aids: visual aids such as photographs, items of clothing or equipment related to the talk, can enhance a talk by keeping the audience’s attention and interest. For example, if the talk was about a favourite hobby and the child played golf, the visual aid might be a golf ball and club. If you have a prop, use it! Don’t pass it around while you are talking because people will stop paying attention to you.
• Clear introduction, middle and ending: a clear introduction will tell the audience what the talk is about and it should ‘hook’ the audience. Try to avoid ‘I am going to talk about about…’ or ‘My solo talk will be about…’. It may also let the audience know why you have chosen the subject. The middle of your talk is the ‘meat’ of your talk and should contain interesting facts to keep the listeners attention. A conclusion is important to let the listener know that the talk is finished. It is a good chance to summarise the key points and thank the audience for listening.