Writers choice listening and speaking activities grade 9

They provide practical guidelines for conducting the activity and for evaluating students’ answers to questions.. Activity pages include practical tips and suggestions for per-forming th

ActivitiesGrade 9

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Teacher Notes 1–4 iv

Teacher Notes 5–9 v

Teacher Notes 10–14 vi

Teacher Notes 15–19 vii

Teacher Notes 20–24 viii

Listening Actively I 1

Listening Actively II 2

Listening Critically 3

Nonverbal Communication I 4

Nonverbal Communication II 5

Telephone Communication 6

Interviewing 7

The Job Interview 8

Brainstorming 9

Roles in Group Meetings 10

Participating in Groups 11

Introductions 12

The Personal Narrative 13

Impromptu Speech 14

The Demonstration Speech 15

Speaking to Inform 16

Speaking to Persuade 17

Storytelling 18

Oral Interpretation of Poetry 19

Oral Interpretation of Prose 20

Reader’s Theater 21

Debate I 22

Debate II 23

Parliamentary Procedure 24

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The Listening and Speaking Activities booklet consists

of five pages of teacher notes and twenty-four activity

pages Teacher notes discuss the speaking and

listen-ing principles involved in each activity They provide

practical guidelines for conducting the activity and

for evaluating students’ answers to questions Activity

pages include practical tips and suggestions for

per-forming the activity and questions to help students

evaluate the effectiveness of their own and their peers’

participation

Encourage students to articulate and analyze the

prin-ciples involved in each activity The questions at the

end of each activity are designed to help them do this

Students may answer the questions on paper, in small

group discussion, in class discussion, or in a

combina-tion of the three formats A cooperative approach is

encouraged so that students may learn from each

other

Activity 1—Listening Actively I

Objective: To listen to a description and retell it

accu-rately in one’s own words

Suggestion: Point out that much of the information

we assimilate during the course of our lives is through

hearing Re-creating a verbal picture helps sharpen

listening skills

1 Answers should indicate that imprecise listening can

create significant differences between descriptions

2 Answers should reflect an understanding that

listen-ing to oral descriptions is a skill requirlisten-ing close

attention to detail

3 Answers may include visualizing, remembering key

words, or simply paying close attention to detail

Activity 2—Listening Actively II

Objective: To listen to directions and take accurate

note of the details

Suggestion: Point out that giving and following

directions are skills people practice all their lives

Encourage students to share experiences they have

had with imprecise or complicated directions Discuss

with them what qualities make directions easy to

understand

1 Answers should reflect that giving directions requires

precise detail and careful organization

2 Answers should indicate that in taking notes, people

often pick up different information, not all of which

is necessary or relevant

3 Answers should suggest that taking notes requires

good judgment and selection of detail

Activity 3—Listening Critically Objective: To distinguish between fact and opinion.

Suggestion: Remind students that they will spend

much of their lives listening to facts and opinions

Without the ability to distinguish between the two,they could become confused or exploited

1 Answers should reflect an awareness that facts are

not always clear-cut, and opinions are sometimesmistaken for facts Examples will vary

2 Answers should indicate that students are developing

techniques for distinguishing fact from opinion

These might include asking questions, listening tothe use of words, or even observing body language

3 Answers should indicate that sound decisions are

made only on the basis of reliable information

Activity 4—Nonverbal Communication I Objective: To practice nonverbal communication by

acting out a skit

Suggestion: To students who complain that they do

not normally use much body language when nicating, point out that in the absence of words, ges-tures and facial expressions must be exaggerated

commu-1 Answers should indicate an understanding that some

situations are more suitable to nonverbal cation than others

communi-2 Answers should indicate a student’s ability to reflect

on his or her performance

3 Answers should reflect an awareness that body

language is often an unconscious form of nication and, as such, may reveal a person’s truefeelings more accurately than words

commu-Teacher Notes

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Activity 5—Nonverbal Communication II

Objective: To gain insight into nonverbal expression

through the use of nonsense syllables

Suggestion: Point out that solely by tone of voice

people can transmit important information Warm up

for this exercise by asking students to repeat the word

rhubarb lovingly, angrily, proudly, secretively, etc.

1 Answers should indicate the need for exaggerated

verbal mannerisms in the absence of word sense

Students may have mixed feelings about the

experience

2 Answers should reflect an awareness that heightened

emotions are often defined vocally by extremes in

pitch, pace, and volume

3 Answers should show that students understand the

importance of tone of voice when visual contact is

unavailable

Activity 6—Telephone Communication

Objective: To practice the skills necessary for a

success-ful telephone conversation

Suggestion: Point out that in a telephone

conversa-tion empathy must be communicated in words and

tone of voice Help students articulate how tone can

reveal and interpret more than words might suggest

1 Answers may reflect students’ feelings that the

per-son taking the initiative has the more challenging

role, but responses will vary

2 Answers should indicate that facial expressions and

body language are important in face-to-face

conver-sations, while tone of voice takes on more

impor-tance over the telephone

3 Answers should include some benefits and

restric-tions of voice-only communication

Activity 7—Interviewing

Objective: To create a list of thoughtful interview

questions and conduct an interview

Suggestion: Help students create questions that will

elicit informative answers Demonstrate the advantage

of open-ended and follow-up questions by modeling

an interview with a student for the class

1 Answers should indicate an awareness that

compos-ing successful interview questions requires thought and a knowledge of human nature

fore-2 Answers may suggest that even the most scripted

interview can take on a direction of its own

3 Answers should suggest that there is no substitute

for experience

Activity 8—The Job Interview Objective: To take both sides in a mock job interview Suggestion: Point out that even before a candidate

begins to speak at an interview, the potentialemployer is making judgments Model the first fewseconds of a job interview by asking a volunteer toplay the applicant entering the room, shaking hands,sitting down, etc

1 Answers should indicate that both employer and

applicant utilize specific skills in a job interview

2 Answers should point out that honesty, enthusiasm,

curiosity, and intelligence—among otherqualities—are universally acceptable

3 Answers should reveal that students appreciate

some of the skills and challenges involved in jobinterviews

Activity 9—Brainstorming Objective: To think freely and to find stimulus in the

ideas of others through the process of brainstorming

Suggestion: Brainstorming establishes an

environ-ment in which students should feel free to expresstheir ideas As you monitor the groups, steer studentsaway from critical or judgmental comments

1 Answers should indicate an understanding that

brainstorming as a group generates many more ideasthan attempting the same task alone

2 Answers should acknowledge brainstorming’s

poten-tial for creating new and surprising paths of thought

3 Answers should reflect an awareness that

brain-storming is an effective tool in all creative andproblem-solving endeavors Students may proposerules that allow all group participants a chance tovoice their opinions without fear of criticism

Teacher Notes

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Activity 10—Roles in Group Meetings

Objective: To reflect on participation in a semi-formal

group meeting

Suggestion: If time permits, extend this activity to a

class-wide discussion, and vote on the three most

suc-cessful fund-raising ideas Afterwards, ask students to

compare their roles as members of the small and large

groups

1 Answers should indicate an appreciation for the

con-tribution an individual makes to a group

2 Answers should acknowledge the responsibility of a

group to focus on its goal and achieve its task

3 Answers should reflect an awareness that an

orderly group discussion provides direction for the

participants but may inhibit the free flow of ideas

Activity 11—Participating in Groups

Objective: To observe how individuals participate as

members of a task-oriented group

Suggestion: Invite students to share the problems

and benefits they have experienced in working as part

of a team Point out that group productivity increases

when members behave courteously, act cooperatively,

and keep their goal in sight

1 Answers should indicate an understanding that

groups have strengths and weaknesses determined

by their individual members and collective

self-discipline

2 Answers should reflect a student’s capacity for

analy-sis and self-evaluation

3 Answers should point out that a group has the

col-lective strength of its members’ ideas and

experi-ences, but that a group can sometimes be overly

cautious in its conclusions and slow in reaching

decisions

Activity 12—Introductions

Objective: To practice creating and delivering an

organized and entertaining public introduction

Suggestion: This activity will work best when

every-one agrees to accept the central premise: a real

celebrity is coming to the class! The student making

the introduction should appear honored and

enthusi-astic; the audience should be attentive and respectful

1 Answers should reflect an awareness of what makes

an introduction effective

2 Answers should identify the specific techniques that

make an introduction memorable, such as humor,anecdotes, and comparisons

3 Answers should reflect an awareness that an

intro-duction may provide an audience with its firstimpression of both the speaker and the personbeing introduced

Activity 13—The Personal Narrative Objective: To tell an effective personal narrative.

Suggestion: Students should understand that many

skills go into telling a successful narrative Selection ofdetail, humor, tone of voice, pace, focus, and the lesson, or moral, all contribute to an effective per-formance Consider modeling a narrative for the classbased on a first experience of your own

1 Answers should reflect an understanding of the

pos-sible ways to alter a story or its delivery

2 Answers should cite specific techniques, such as

using different voices to portray characters

3 Answers should reflect an understanding of what

constitutes a good story and what speaking niques can make an anecdote more interesting

tech-Activity 14—Impromptu Speech Objective: To make an impromptu speech based on

personal experience

Suggestion: Encourage students who cannot come

up with a memory on the spur of the moment to talkabout their ideal vacation, job, or meal

1 Answers should reflect an awareness that impromptu

and rehearsed speeches require different skills andare evaluated differently by the listener

2 Answers should indicate that students were listening

actively to the content and delivery of their fellowstudents

3 Answers should reflect an awareness that impromptu

speaking is a useful skill in group discussions,question-and-answer sessions, and debates

Teacher Notes

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Activity 15—The Demonstration Speech

Objective: To make a speech demonstrating a simple

process with the assistance of visual aids

Suggestion: Students must assume that their

audi-ence knows nothing about the process they are

demonstrating Encourage them to think through

each step of the process—which way to unscrew a

light bulb, how to make a loop in a shoelace, etc

1 Answers should focus on organization, clarity, and

appropriate use of visual aids

2 Answers should indicate the importance of carefully

choosing and employing visual aids

3 Answers should reflect an understanding that

visual aids are most effective when used to

illus-trate information that would be difficult to

visualize through speech alone

Activity 16—Speaking to Inform

Objective: To research, organize, and present an

informative speech

Suggestion: This exercise calls for only a limited

amount of research Students should concentrate on

organizing their material and developing an effective

delivery with the assistance of note cards

1 Answers should indicate that researching and

organ-izing factual material sets the informative speech

apart from other presentations Opinions will vary

2 Answers should focus on good organization, clear

explanations, and effective delivery

3 Answers should reflect an understanding that

delivering an informative speech from notes

requires rehearsal and improvisational skills

Activity 17—Speaking to Persuade

Objective: To practice persuasive speaking by

present-ing an oral movie review

Suggestion: Encourage students to choose movies that

they feel strongly about Point out that they will find it

easier to be persuasive if their opinions are powerful:

either “you must see it” or “stay away from this.”

1 Answers should indicate that students can evaluate

their own performances and assess the elements

con-tributing to an effective persuasive speech

2 Answers should indicate that nonverbal

communica-tion contributes to the effectiveness of a persuasive

3 Answers should reflect an awareness of the many

professions that frequently employ persuasivespeech, including advertising, law, politics, andeducation

Activity 18—Storytelling Objective: To tell a familiar story from the point of

view of one of its central characters

Suggestion: If students are uncomfortable with the

idea of narrating from another point of view, select astory that you have read in class, and model theprocess for them by retelling the story in the words ofone of the characters

1 Answers should reveal an understanding that no two

characters will tell a story in the same way Responses

to the second question will vary

2 Answers should indicate that students appreciate the

number of skills—dramatic, linguistic, andphysical—that storytelling involves

3 Answers should reflect an understanding of the

choices a storyteller must make when adapting awritten story

Activity 19—Oral Interpretation of Poetry Objective: To recite expressively the lyrics of a song

without the music

Suggestion: Ensure that students select songs with

words that will stand on their own Point out that thelyrics of some effective songs are too simple or repeti-tious to be read effectively without the music

1 Answers should reflect an understanding that

per-forming song lyrics as poetry can draw attention toaspects of a song that were not immediately apparent

2 Answers should indicate students’ capacity for

self-evaluation and an appreciation of the skills involved

in the recitation of poetry

3 Answers should reflect an awareness of creative

choices such as tone of voice, gesture, posture,phrasing, and emphasis

Teacher Notes

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Activity 20—Oral Interpretation of Prose

Objective: To rehearse and perform orally a selection

from a novel or short story

Suggestion: Students may need assistance in

choos-ing excerpts suitable for performance Pre-selectchoos-ing

passages for them will jump start this activity Look

for excerpts that include variety in speaker and tone

1 Answers should suggest awareness of the skills

required for effective dramatic reading Students may

indicate that performing increased their

understand-ing of the literature

2 Answers should discuss how the speakers used verbal

and nonverbal communication to make each

charac-ter distinct

3 Answers should reflect an awareness that

perform-ing orally involves actperform-ing out each character in the

selection; an oral interpretation helps bring the

selection to life

Activity 21—Reader’s Theater

Objective: To create and perform a dramatic scene

from a novel or short story

Suggestion: Suggest that students pretend they are

performing for listeners who have not read the

original work This will encourage them to create

informative introductory and concluding narrations

1 Answers should reflect an awareness of speaking

skills that are essential to group presentations, such

as timing, enunciation, listening for cues, and

work-ing for an overall mood or effect

2 Answers should indicate that a theatrical

presenta-tion gives immediacy to prose ficpresenta-tion but loses much

of the information supplied by the author’s voice

3 Answers may include such considerations as

expressive reading, an informative narration,

thoughtfully chosen excerpts, and effective use of

rehearsal time

Activity 22—Debate I

Objective: To make a brief speech supporting or

opposing an assigned statement

Suggestion: Some students may be at a loss for

sup-porting evidence Encourage them to consult with

peers, and be prepared to serve as an idea bank to

bol-ster their arguments

1 Answers should indicate an awareness of the logical

and dramatic skills involved in effective debating

2 Answers should reflect the ability to identify

exam-ples of solid evidence and faulty reasoning

3 Answers should reflect an understanding that

participation in a debate helps a speaker thinklogically, speak clearly, and listen critically

Activity 23—Debate II Objective: To participate in a brief, formal debate fol-

lowed by questions from the audience

Suggestion: Help students discuss the kinds of

evi-dence they must gather and use to support their arguments Point out that Unit 6 in their textbookcontains appropriate tips

1 Answers should reflect the students’ ability to

evalu-ate the logic of their own arguments

2 Answers should reflect an understanding that varied

evidence, sound reasoning, and effective delivery canhave a powerful effect upon an audience

3 Answers should establish that students are able to

evaluate their performance with knowledge anddetachment

Activity 24—Parliamentary Procedure Objective: To stage a debate observing the rules of

parliamentary procedure

Suggestion: Help students understand the basic rules

of parliamentary procedure Ask a volunteer to study

Robert’s Rules of Order and give a short summary to

the class before the debate

1 Answers should point out that the rules help

main-tain order but also restrict expression

2 Answers should suggest that the chairperson must be

firm, observant, self-confident, fair, and well versed

in parliamentary procedure

3 Answers should indicate that parliamentary

proce-dure is useful for large meetings with a wide range

of opinions Such rules do not serve any purpose

in small, informal gatherings

Teacher Notes

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Activity

Take a few minutes to visualize a room in your home as it looks when you stand in the doorway Include theessential features—the furniture or appliances, windows, and decorations—and where they are in relationship toeach other Then describe that room as precisely as you can to a partner When you have finished, listen to yourpartner’s description without taking notes

When everyone has had the opportunity to exchange descriptions, tell the rest of the class or a small groupabout your partner’s room After each description, give your partner a chance to respond Did you remember theimportant details? Was everything in the right place? Would your partner recognize his or her room from yourdescription? Share with others your experience of listening to a description and retelling it in your own words

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 How did your description of your partner’s room compare with the original version? What might explain the

you take for granted are unfamiliar to your partner

insignificant details

when it is your turn to describe it to the group

inside, and under.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Name Class Date

Activity

Form a group with three or four other students and take turns giving oral directions on how to get to the school

from your home (If you live very near the school, choose a destination that involves a few more steps.) Deliver

your directions at a natural pace, without pausing or stopping to repeat yourself While each speaker is giving

directions, the listeners should be taking notes After everyone has had a chance to speak, compare your notes

with those of the other members Then choose a spokesperson to repeat the directions back to the member who

first gave them

Compare the directions you gave with those the spokesperson gave back to you Were there many differences?

What was it about your information or your listeners’ notes that might explain any inaccuracies?

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 How easy or difficult did you find giving directions? On another occasion what changes could you make in

order to be more clearly understood?

2 How did your notes compare with those of your fellow group members? Did you include too much or too

little information? Explain

3 What did you learn about taking notes from this activity?

Listening Actively II

Tips

that the order is correct and that you are not leaving out any essential steps

half a mile, and straight ahead.

clearer Street names are not always enough

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Activity

With a group of three or four other students, select a general topic with which you are all familiar (Examplesmight include sports, music, movies, local politics, or various school subjects.) Then spend a few minutes writingten statements about your topic Five of these statements should be factual and five should represent an opinion.Make a list of your statements, identifying each one as either fact or opinion as follows:

Appoint a spokesperson to read your group’s statements to the class After each statement is read, ask the class tovote on whether it is fact or opinion Keep a record of the class’s answers on the chalkboard At the end of yourten statements, compare your answers with those of the class Did the other students agree with your definitions?Were there any statements that might have been either fact or opinion?

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 How easy or difficult did you find writing the statements of fact and opinion? Which kind of statement gave

you the most trouble? Explain why

2 When listening, how did you decide whether a statement was fact or opinion? Were there some statements

that you found confusing? Explain

3 Why is the ability to distinguish fact from opinion an important skill to develop?

Listening Critically

Tips

know to be true

or “In my opinion.” Many opinions are worded to sound like factual statements

judgment—as everyone knows, all of us will agree, the best, the worst These indicate

opinion rather than fact

factual content

statements makes you think “I agree” or “Hey, wait a minute,” it is probably an opinion

statement is an opinion

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Name Class Date

Activity

With a partner choose a conversation or confrontation that young people typically experience that you can act

out Examples might include explaining to your mother why you got home late, trying to persuade a reluctant

friend to go to a dance, or trying to break it to your little brother that he didn’t make the team This is not an

ordinary skit, however: you are going to perform without using words

Spend a few minutes rehearsing your skit Try to include the expressions, gestures, and body positions that

peo-ple might use in the situation you have chosen Then perform your skit for the class Afterwards, ask your

audi-ence to describe the situation you acted out as precisely as possible Were other students able to guess exactly

whom you represented and what you were “saying” nonverbally?

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 What situations did you and your partner consider performing, and why did you select the one you did?

2 Were you comfortable performing without words? Which aspect of the character you portrayed did you find

easiest to communicate?

3 Why is it important to be attuned to people’s nonverbal communication? How can nonverbal

communica-tion sometimes be more honest than verbal communicacommunica-tion?

Nonverbal Communication I

Tips

Gestures and facial expressions generally don’t have much importance if you’re simply

discussing the weather

When performing your skits, exaggerate normal actions, gestures, and facial expressions

head represents guilt

pretend to be speaking the words your character might be saying Move your mouth

if you wish but do not talk

expres-sions Putting yourself in another character’s position often increases understanding

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Activity

With a partner think of a telephone conversation in which the caller is breaking some interesting news to a

friend (I got a full scholarship to Harvard I didn’t get the part in the show My dog is really sick.) Imagine the tone

of voice that the speaker would use to express his or her emotions in the situation you have chosen Then

rehearse this conversation using only the word rhubarb In other words, the entire content of the message must

be expressed through tone of voice Try to make your conversation last at least thirty seconds

Perform your conversation in front of the class and afterwards ask members of the audience to guess what wasbeing said If the class is confused, ask them for suggestions and try performing the conversation again

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 How did it feel to speak using words that were unrelated to your topic? What did you do with your voice in

order to make up for the lack of meaning?

2 Which parts of your conversation were easiest to perform? Why do you suppose this was so?

3 What would you say are the differences between a telephone conversation and a face-to-face conversation?

Nonverbal Communication II

Tips

as who will speak first and who will do most of the talking

your way when it is time to perform

rele-vant You may find it easier to sit so that you cannot see your partner Holding amake-believe receiver to your ear may also improve your performance

are repeating If you sound convincing, the audience will begin to forget that you aremerely repeating the name of a vegetable

voices (and don’t laugh)

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Name Class Date

Activity

Form a group of four—two sets of partners Each pair will role-play a telephone conversation in which the

caller—a distant relative or a pen pal you have never met—is planning a visit to your hometown for the first

time He or she wants information about what your town is like, what people do for entertainment, and when

you might be free to get together

Briefly decide which of you will play the visitor who is making the call Then sit back-to-back and stage your

conversation for the other set of partners The caller should introduce himself or herself and start making

inquiries The hometown resident should aim to be friendly and informative When it is your turn to listen,

make note of how the conversation begins and concludes Listen to how questions are asked and information is

given Listen also for pauses and the tone of voice used by each speaker After both sets of partners have taken

their turns, discuss the skills needed to conduct a successful telephone conversation

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 Which of the participants in this conversation do you feel had the harder role to play? Explain.

2 What were the challenges in talking to someone you couldn’t see? How did you deal with those challenges?

3 What are the advantages and disadvantages of communicating only by telephone?

Telephone Communication

Tips

voice and choice of words are crucial in making a good impression

make his or her job easier by volunteering useful information

have asked? What information would you have given?

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Activity

In a small group, write a list of questions that you feel would give an insight into a person’s character during aninterview Spend a few minutes discussing the questions and then select eight to ten that seem particularly inter-esting Each member of the group should then make a copy of this master list

Find a partner from another group Take turns interviewing each other, using your prepared questions and ing brief notes on your partner’s responses After completing both sides of an interview, return to your originalgroup Compare the interview results with those of your fellow members Which of your questions proved mostsuccessful in drawing out the interviewee? Which questions that you were asked made you respond thoughtfully

tak-or enthusiastically? What conclusions would you draw about successful interviews?

Questions for Response or Discussion

1 Which of your questions produced the most interesting information? Why do you suppose this was so?

2 Did the interview go as you had expected? Explain.

3 What did being an interviewee teach you about interviewing skills?

Interviewing

Tips

are often successful.) Questions with one-word or yes/no answers lead nowhere

flow of conversation

interview

some interesting follow-up questions

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Name Class Date

As a class, write a list of interesting jobs that are available to people your age Then with a partner select a job

from the list; each pair should choose a different job Spend the next few minutes with your partner becoming

an “expert” on the job you have chosen As employers, how would you identify a suitable applicant? What

ques-tions would you ask? What qualificaques-tions would you look for? With your partner, write a brief job description

including a list of the job’s duties Then list the qualifications the perfect job applicant would possess Exchange

job descriptions with another pair of students Read the duties and qualification carefully If you were applying

for the new position, how would you present yourself to make the most favorable impression on a potential

employer?

Switch partners with the pair of students you traded job descriptions with With your new partner, take turns

interviewing each other Play the role of the employer for the first job you discussed and of the applicant for the

second As employer, take an interest in the applicant Ask questions about his or her experience As applicant,

promote your good qualities without sounding boastful For the purposes of this activity, feel free to invent

details about your life

Questions for Responses or Discussion

1 Which side of the interview—employer or applicant—did you find easier to conduct? Explain your answer.

2 What personal qualities would impress any employer, regardless of the job?

3 Based on this activity, what advice would you give to someone applying for a job?

The Job Interview

Tips

interest

answers with nervous chatter

spontaneous answer