Activity Introduction
In this lesson, students will view an episode of IMAGI-NATION{TV}, focusing on the ‘President of IMAGI-NATION’ segment. They will reflect on what makes someone seem ‘presidential’ and what makes an effective speech. Students will then evaluate speeches made by influential people and use their learning to create their own presidential speech on a chosen theme.
Find all the IMAGI-NATION{TV} episodes on AIME’s YouTube channel.
This lesson is designed to be completed independently by students.
Time required: 70-90 minutes
Tips for Caregivers & Teachers
This lesson is designed to be flexible for use with various year levels and across the curriculum. It can easily be tailored or expanded to focus more deeply on the skills that students are exploring in their classroom context. For example, an English teacher might choose to place more focus on persuasive techniques and the use of verbal and non-verbal language, a drama teacher might focus on slow and clear vocal production and the physical representation of ‘status’, a Health and Physical Education teacher might focus more on how the students express their values and represent diverse audiences in their speech.
- Topics: Creative Thinking, Social Issues
- This lesson is part of a wider program: IMAGI-NATION{TV}
- Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – students can be self-directed
- Syllabus outcomes: EN3-1A, EN3-3A, EN3-5B, EN4-1A, EN4-3B, EN4-4B, EN5-1A, EN5-2A, EN5-5C, EN5-8D, DMS3.2, PDHPE5.1, HT3-5, DRAS3.2
- General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Choose by subject for Primary year level mapping:
EnglishYear 5 English
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements (ACELY1700)
- Identify and explain characteristic text structures and language features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text (ACELY1701)
Year 6 English
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for defined audiences and purposes, making appropriate choices for modality and emphasis (ACELY1710)
- Analyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a text (ACELY1711)
Years 5 & 6 Health and Physical Education
- Recognise how media and important people in the community influence personal attitudes, beliefs, decisions and behaviours (ACPPS057)
Years 5 & 6 Drama
- Develop skills and techniques of voice and movement to create character, mood and atmosphere and focus dramatic action (ACADRM036)
Year 5 & 6 HASS
- Reflect on learning to propose personal and/or collective action in response to an issue or challenge, and predict the probable effects (ACHASSI10, ACHASSI132)
Choose by subject for Secondary year level mapping:
EnglishYear 7 English
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements to promote a point of view or enable a new way of seeing (ACELY1720)
- Analyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose (ACELY1721)
Year 8 English
- Interpret the stated and implied meanings in spoken texts, and use evidence to support or challenge different perspectives (ACELY1730)
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content, including multimodal elements, to reflect a diversity of viewpoints (ACELY1731)
- Analyse and evaluate the ways that text structures and language features vary according to the purpose of the text and the ways that referenced sources add authority to a text (ACELY1732)
Year 9 English
- Listen to spoken texts constructed for different purposes, for example, to entertain and to persuade, and analyse how language features of these texts position listeners to respond in particular ways (ACELY1740)
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for aesthetic and playful purposes (ACELY1741)
- Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)
Year 10 English
- Identify and explore the purposes and effects of different text structures and language features of spoken texts, and use this knowledge to create purposeful texts that inform, persuade and engage (ACELY1750)
- Understand how language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects and can empower or disempower people (ACELA1564)
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements to influence a course of action (ACELY1751)
- Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)
Years 7 & 8 Drama
- Develop roles and characters consistent with situation, dramatic forms and performance styles to convey status, relationships and intentions (ACADRM041)
- Develop and refine expressive skills in voice and movement to communicate ideas and dramatic action in different performance styles and conventions, including contemporary Australian drama styles developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dramatists (ACADRM043)
- Perform devised and scripted drama maintaining commitment to role (ACADRM044)
Years 9 & 10 Drama
- Manipulate combinations of the elements of drama to develop and convey the physical and psychological aspects of roles and characters consistent with intentions in dramatic forms and performance styles (ACADRM048)
- Practise and refine the expressive capacity of voice and movement to communicate ideas and dramatic action in a range of forms, styles and performance spaces, including exploration of those developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dramatists (ACADRM049)
Years 7 – 10 Civics and Citizenship
- Art supplies (optional)
- Device with internet connection
- Pen and paper (optional)
Background Information
AIME created IMAGI-NATION{TV} & the IMAGI-NATION{CLASSROOM} experience to put a mentor in the home every day during the tough times of COVID-19 and beyond. It’s a daily TV show broadcast live on the internet, and it’s a gift for teachers, parents and kids to help make sense of today and imagine tomorrow.
The pursuit is to elevate knowledge; every guest we bring on knows something and has wisdom to share. This show is not just about entertainment to pass the time. We want to remake the mould for the modern hero – from beauty to brains, from selfies to self-knowledge, from hashtags to hope. IMAGI-NATION{TV} is seeking to unlock the best in every single one of us; to inspire a generation of heroes in the form of mentors who fight for a fairer world.
[email protected] from Cool Australia
[email protected] resources are designed for parents and teachers to use with children in the home environment. They can be used as stand-alone activities or built into existing curriculum-aligned learning programs. Our [email protected] series includes two types of resources. The first are fun and challenging real-world activities for all ages, the second are self-directed lessons for upper primary and secondary students. These lessons support independent learning in remote or school settings.
 This lesson has been developed in partnership with AIME. AIME is an Imagination Factory that since 2005, has been creating pop-up Imagination Factories on university campuses around the world to unlock the internal narrative of marginalised kids, taking them from a world that tells them they can’t to a world that tells them they can. Kids who experience the Imagination Factory have gone on to achieve educational parity, rise up as entrepreneurs, and take on a whole new mindset that prepares them for success. |
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Presidential Speeches - Activity Instructions