Five-Week Plan
This sequence teaches students to speak at moments that matter: welcomes, acknowledgements, tributes, toasts and celebrations. The unit emphasises brevity, specificity and respect. Students learn that a good occasional speech is not a general speech with a fancy opening; it is shaped by the occasion itself.
The shape of the unit
| Week | Focus | Core moves | Formative evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Occasion and purpose | Analyse ceremonies; distinguish welcome, tribute, toast and eulogy; record a baseline. | An occasion analysis and a 60-second baseline. |
| 2 | Welcomes and tributes | Practise acknowledgements; write a tribute with specific detail and consent. | A welcome draft and a tribute paragraph. |
| 3 | Toasts, stories and humour | Draft a toast; shape a short story; test gentle humour. | A toast and a story outline. |
| 4 | Brevity, protocol and staging | Cut a speech by a third; research cultural protocol; rehearse in the space. | A cut draft and a protocol note. |
| 5 | Write and deliver | Draft, rehearse, deliver and reflect on one change. | A short occasional speech and a written reflection. |
A typical lesson
| Time | Routine | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Voice warm-up and a one-line welcome. | Prepare the voice and the occasion. |
| 10 minutes | Analyse a short ceremonial speech or scene. | Notice what the occasion requires. |
| 10 minutes | Teach one occasional move. | Make the choice visible. |
| 15 minutes | Draft and deliver a short speech. | Move from analysis to use. |
| 10 minutes | Give and receive specific feedback. | Test whether it fits the occasion. |
| 5 minutes | Reflect and record one change. | Make improvement deliberate. |
Week by week
Week 1: Occasion and purpose
Begin with the question: what is this gathering for? A welcome creates belonging; an acknowledgement recognises people and Country; a tribute honours a person; a toast celebrates a milestone; a eulogy mourns and remembers. Students analyse the audience, the setting, the time available and the emotional register. They record a one-minute baseline speech for a familiar occasion. Keep recordings private by default.
Week 2: Welcomes and tributes
Students learn the anatomy of a welcome: who is being welcomed, by whom, to what, and why it matters. They practise acknowledgements of Country and of distinguished guests, following local guidance. Then they write a tribute to a person they know or a public figure, using specific detail rather than generic praise. Consent and privacy are central: no private story without permission.
Week 3: Toasts, stories and humour
A toast is short, warm and focused on a person or occasion. Students draft a thirty- to sixty-second toast and a short story with a clear turning point. They test gentle humour and learn why punching down is never worth the laugh. The week ends with a paired delivery and one specific piece of feedback.
Week 4: Brevity, protocol and staging
Occasional speeches are usually too long. Students cut a draft by a third and notice what survives. They research cultural protocol for a specific occasion, including who should speak, what should be acknowledged and what should not be said. They rehearse in the space, check the microphone and plan for the transition to the next speaker.
Week 5: Write and deliver
Students choose an occasion: a welcome, a tribute, a toast, a graduation message or a commemorative speech. They draft, rehearse, deliver to a small audience and reflect on one specific change. The reflection should name the technique, the effect and the evidence.
Materials
- A room with space to stand and a place to set notes.
- Printed occasion-analysis and tribute-planning sheets.
- Phones or tablets for recording, with consent and storage rules.
- A glass and a non-alcoholic drink for toast practice.
- A timer and a visible clock.
- Optional microphone and speaker.
What students produce
| Product | Purpose | Keep it manageable |
|---|---|---|
| Occasion analysis | Identifies purpose, audience and register. | Four bullet points. |
| Baseline speech | Gives a starting point. | 60 seconds, private by default. |
| Welcome draft | Practises inclusion and accuracy. | One short paragraph. |
| Tribute paragraph | Practises specific, respectful detail. | One person, one quality, one example. |
| Toast | Practises brevity and warmth. | 30–60 seconds. |
| Story outline | Practises narrative shape. | Situation, turn, resolution. |
| Protocol note | Practises cultural respect. | Three points. |
| Cut draft | Practises brevity. | One third shorter. |
| Final speech | Integrates the skills. | One to two minutes. |
| Reflection | Makes learning visible. | 100–200 words. |
The occasion is the boss. A speech that would work at a birthday may fail at a funeral. Analyse the room before you write a word.
Routines that save time
- One-line welcome. Each lesson begins with a student welcoming a named group in one sentence.
- Specific praise. Replace “They were great” with one concrete detail.
- Thirty-second toast. Practise brevity with a visible timer.
- Protocol check. Ask who should be acknowledged before any ceremony task.
- Cut one third. Every draft is cut before delivery.
Common planning errors
- Treating all occasions the same. Register and length vary.
- Writing a general speech. The occasion should shape the content.
- Overloading the tribute. One quality and one example is enough.
- Forgetting protocol. Acknowledgement is not decoration.
- Letting humour dominate. Warmth is not a comedy set.
- Running long. Occasions have their own rhythm.
- Speaking for others. Invite voices rather than inventing them.
Next, read outcomes and skills to see what the unit builds towards. The occasion and purpose page begins the conceptual work.