You will learn
- Plan a short talk.
- Speak clearly.
- Use eye contact.
- Answer a question.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Choose a topic you know.
- Plan a beginning, middle and end.
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Look at your audience.
Words to know
a talk given to an audience
the people who listen
looking at the people you speak to
how loud you speak
1. Discover: My pet cat
Tolu stands up. Good morning, class. Today I will talk about my cat, Zuri. She looks at her friends and speaks clearly. She shows a picture. At the end she says, Thank you. Does anyone have a question?
Think: What did Tolu do well?
2. Understand: Giving a talk
Idea 1: Plan
A presentation has a beginning (say hello and the topic), a middle (facts) and an end (thank the audience).
Idea 2: Speak well
Use good volume, speak slowly and use eye contact. Stand tall.
Idea 3: Questions
Listen to questions. Answer with a full sentence. Say I do not know if you are not sure.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Beginning
How did Tolu begin?
- What did she say first?
Answer: Good morning, class. Today I will talk about my cat.
Example 2 (We do it together): Aid
What did she show?
- A picture.
Answer: a picture
Example 3 (You try): End
How did she end?
Show the steps and answer
- Thank you…
Answer: Thank you. Does anyone have a question?
Did you know?
Many people feel nervous before a talk. Practice helps a lot.
Why this matters
Talks build confidence and clear thinking.
4. Explore: Plan a talk
Plan a one-minute talk.
- Choose a topic.
- Write three facts.
- Plan the start and end.
- Practise aloud.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can plan a talk.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Good morning. Today I will talk about ___.
- First, ___.
- Also, ___.
- Thank you for listening.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is an audience?
listeners
Question 2. What is eye contact?
looking at people
Question 3. What is volume?
how loud
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A talk to an audience is a ___.
- People who listen are the ___.
- Looking at listeners is ___.
- How loud you speak is ___.
- Tolu talks about her ___.
Level 2: Grow
- How should you speak?
- How do you end?
- What can you show?
Level 3: Stretch
- Why practise?
- Why eye contact?
- Why plan?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Give a one-minute talk to your family.
Show a sample answer
a talk
Another one. Practise a talk in front of a mirror.
Show a sample answer
practised
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Slow down.
Fix: Look at people.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can plan a short talk.
- I can speak clearly.
- I can use eye contact.
- I can answer a question.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Plan beginning, middle and end.
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Use eye contact.
- Thank the audience.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Collaborative storytelling. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a presentation? [1 mark]
- Name the three parts of a talk. [3 marks]
- What is eye contact? [1 mark]
- Give two tips for speaking well. [2 marks]
- Explain how to prepare a talk. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- a talk to an audience [1]
- beginning [1]; middle [1]; end [1]
- looking at the people you speak to [1]
- speak slowly [1]; speak clearly or look at people [1]
- choose a topic [1]; plan parts [1]; practise aloud [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- A talk to an audience is a ___.
- People who listen are the ___.
- Looking at people is ___.
- How loud you speak is ___.
- A talk has a beginning, middle and ___.
- True or false: speak slowly.
- True or false: look at the floor.
- Name the cat.
- End with a ___.
- Give a short talk.
Homework
Give a one-minute talk to your family.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A talk to an audience is a ___. | presentation | 1 |
| 2. People who listen are the ___. | audience | 1 |
| 3. Looking at people is ___. | eye contact | 1 |
| 4. How loud you speak is ___. | volume | 1 |
| 5. A talk has a beginning, middle and ___. | end | 1 |
| 6. True or false: speak slowly. | true | 1 |
| 7. True or false: look at the floor. | false | 1 |
| 8. Name the cat. | Zuri | 1 |
| 9. End with a ___. | thank you | 1 |
| 10. Give a short talk. | a talk | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 presentation; 2 audience; 3 eye contact; 4 volume; 5 cat. Level 2: 1 slowly and clearly; 2 thank the audience; 3 a picture. Level 3: 1 be confident; 2 connect; 3 be clear.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Plan a short talk | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Speak clearly | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Use eye contact | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Answer a question | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Speaking too fast. Slow down.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use talk cards.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child gives a short talk. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Be a kind audience.
- Ask a question.
- Praise effort.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: plan a short talk; speak clearly; use eye contact; answer a question.
Prerequisite knowledge. Understanding media messages.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Model a talk.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the plan.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise.
Independent activity (10 min). Share.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Is it clear? Do I look at people?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use cue cards. Extension. Add visuals.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Speaking too fast. Slow down.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use talk cards. Enrichment. Add a picture. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Speaking & Listening; Grade 2 » Writing. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.2.4 and SL.2.6; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (speaking and listening). These sources informed the lesson.