Lesson Plan: Historic Convention Speeches

The lesson opens with an introductory video clip in which several presidential staff speech writers discuss the process of writing a presidential candidate’s nomination acceptance speech. From there, students then engage in a choice engagement activity, choosing to study one of thirteen historic convention speeches, including those from John F. Kennedy, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Jesse Jackson, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Pat Buchanan, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. After students complete their portion of the choice activity, they then each engage in a small group review to compare their selected speeches, assess whether they think each speech qualifies as ‘historic,’ and reflect on how convention speeches change over time, location, purpose, and with the specific speaker. Finally, students respond to a summative writing prompt that asks them to reflect on the lesson’s introductory video clip and “assess what makes a great convention speech.”