Speaking: Emphasis, Volume, and Pace

1. Context: 10th grade mixed ability English. Suburban setting with mixed socioeconomic and
cultural backgrounds. Mixed male and female students.
2. Broad, Lifelong Goals: By learning how to use emphasis, volume, and pace to convey mood
when speaking, students will further improve their public speaking skills. By improving their
speaking skills, students will perform better in higher education and professional/career
fields.
3. Specific Daily Objectives: Students will learn to use spoken language (specifically
emphasis, volume, and pace) in order to share their Mood Pomes with their classmates and
teacher.
4. NCTE Standard: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their
own purposes.
5. Assessment /Outcomes: Students will be assessed formally and informally.
An informal assessment will take place during the guided practice portion of the
minilesson. The teacher will observe how well the students can use emphasis, volume,
and pace to convey a certain emotion in a sentence. The teacher will observe how the
students mark the sentences to show emphasis, volume, and pace.
A formal assessment will take place through the application. Students will perform their
Mood Poems for the class. Students must mark their poem to show emphasis, volume,
and pace, and the students performance should include these skills. The students will
also be assessed on eye contact and preparedness (learned in previous minilessons). This
will prove that students can use emphasis, volume, pace, and eye contact to convey an
emotion while speaking. See attached Poetry Performance for assignment criteria and
rubric.
6. Materials: Excerpt from The Great Gatsby, projector, Emphasis, Volume, Pace: Speaking
to Convey Emotion worksheet, Poetry Performance handout, Poetry Performance
rubric, classroom notebook, and pencil.
7. Methods:
Beginning of Class:
The teacher will welcome the students to class.
Teacher will take attendance, and collect any homework from the previous day.
Students should be silent reading.
With remaining time, teacher will check in with a few students in order to check
their progress in the novel.
(10 minutes)

Anticipation:
The teacher will start to tell about her day. The events of the day will not match
the tone of her voice.
o I began my morning by waking up 30 minutes late. Then, my dog tore up
my favorite shirt by using it as a toy. I finally got my dog under control so
I could leave. I got to my car, and realized that I am out of gas. So, I had to
wait 20 minutes for someone to come help me. Finally, I made it to school,
and I realized that I left my bag, with all of my materials in it, at my
house. It has been an insane day!
o The teacher should sound really happy about this.
The teacher will ask the students how they think she feels about her day.
o Example Response: You seemed happy about everything because you
were smiling, your voice was high pitched, and your voice was bubbly
sounding.
The teacher will explain that, along with the words, the way you say something
can convey an emotion. This can be done through the speaking skills of emphasis,
volume, and pace. The teacher that will explain that these skills are important
when speaking because it helps the listener understand how you feel.
(3 minutes)
Overview:
The teacher will define the terms emphasis, volume, and pace. The students
will write these definitions in the Speaking Skills section of their classroom
notebook (section previously created).
Emphasis:
o Student Definition: When added force or stress is placed on a specific
word or syllable. This places more importance on the word or syllable.
Volume:
o Student Definition: The level of sound produced.
Low Volume: The sound is quieter.
Example: The volume is quieter when the speaker is sad.
High Volume: The sound is louder.
Example: The volume is louder when the speaker is angry
or excited.
Pace:
o Student Definition: The speed of performance or delivery.
Example: The pace is usually slower if the speaker is sad or bored.
The pace is usually faster is the speaker is excited.
(5 minutes)
Modeling:
The teacher will model these speaking skills by reading an excerpt from The
Great Gatsby.

The teacher will pass out a copy of the excerpt to the students, and the teacher
will instruct the students to follow along and listen.
After reading, the teacher will ask the students to describe the emotion/mood that
was conveyed.
o Example responses: Suspicious. You put emphasis on the word curious.
You made the word worried drag out. You emphasized a space between
the words in the phrase werent servants at all.
o The teacher will prompt students to explain how they know the emotion if
the student does not explain.
The teacher will project the excerpt onto the screen; the excerpt will have
performance marks written on half of it in order to show emphasis, volume, and
pace. The teacher will explain these markings, and the teacher will read through
the rest of the excerpt while placing marks on the paper.
o Underline words that emphasis is placed on.
o A line ( ) between words to show emphasis on the space.
o An upward arrow ( ) to show increase in volume (higher).
o A downward arrow ( ) to show a decrease in volume (lower).
o An ellipsis (. . .) to show slower pace.
o An asterisk (*) to show faster pace.
(7 minutes)
Guided Practice:
The students will now have a chance to practice these skills with a partner.
Students will partner with the person sitting next to them.
The teacher will pass out the Emphasis, Volume, Pace: Speaking to Convey
Emotion worksheet.
The teacher will instruct the students to complete the worksheet, with their
partner, by selecting an emotion to convey in each sentence. The students should
also mark the sentences in order to show emphasis, volume, and pace.
o Students can use their mood/emotion charts (from the Writing: Mood or
Reading: Mood lessons) in order to help them choose emotions.
o The students may use symbols and markings that the teacher used or
create their own.
As the students are finishing up, the teacher will ask for volunteers to present their
sentences. The partners should write the sentence, with the performance markings,
on the back of the worksheet.
Partners will then come up, place the sentence under the projector, present their
sentence, and explain their markings.
(17 minutes)
Application:
Using these skills, students will perform their Mood Poems to the class.

Students should type their poem using size 12 Times New Roman or Ariel font,
double-spaced. On this paper, students need to use performance marks to show
emphasis, volume, and pace.
o Students should create a key on the back of their paper to describe the
performance marks.
Students will also need to perform standing up straight with their head up and
eyes on the audience (eye contact).
Students should be prepared for their performance (rehears).
Students will have time to practice with a partner two days before the
performances are to take place. The teacher will also perform her poem as an
example on this day.
(3 minutes)
Closure:
The teacher will ask students if they have any questions concerning the homework
assignment.
The teacher will close with any final class or school announcements.
(5 minutes)
8. Adaptations: By participating in a whole class discussion, students have a chance to share
and discuss thoughts with the teacher or peers. For students with special needs, I will allow
them to work with an intervention specialist to complete the assignment as well as individual
conference time with me for guidance, help, and better understanding. I will also allow ELL
students individual conference time with me for guidance, help, and better understanding.
Students who have speech impairments will be allowed time to conference and extra
rehearsal with the teacher. All students will have an opportunity for rehearsal with
supervision and comments from the teacher two days before the performance.
9. Possible Problems & Solutions: A possible problem could be lack of participation during
the guided practice. This can be addressed by providing multiple opportunities for
participation, and encouraging students to participate. By allowing students time to discuss
their responses, students should be more prepared to participate.