Throughout the week, students learned the basic structure of speeches and lessons on effective language use and speech delivery. They applied these to their first assigned speech, a personal narrative speech, which they worked on piecemeal in class every day of the week. 

The speeches covered a wide variety of topics and personal experiences, from transformative leadership positions to encounters with different cultures and ways of life, to climbing a mountain and going to school overseas.

Several students felt nervous at first but proud once their speeches were delivered. After this, they organized into two groups to brainstorm supporting arguments and counterarguments for the issue of whether college tuition should be free. These two groups will engage in a formal debate next week, so stay tuned!

Students working together and conducting research on their phones.