Leadership is behavior, so this book is built around a short task done in the room each
week. The page sets it up and the class does it in groups of four: one speaker, standing or
sitting a few steps away, and three listeners as the room. A listener checks off what they
saw. Every task has a smaller version with one partner. No week asks a child to speak to
the whole class; if you want a whole-class moment, offer it to volunteers. The task is at
most 10 minutes of class time a week, on top of the two pages. Three weeks need a
little more: about fifteen minutes of writing before week 31's task, about ten minutes to
plan and make a visual before week 32's, and time between weeks 17 and 18 to find an
answer, from you or the school library. Weeks 10 and 32 need plain paper. That is a real cost, and it is the
part a pilot would learn the most from.
Every check mark a classmate makes names something that could be seen or heard. Nothing on any
checklist describes what kind of person a child is, and nothing is scored or compared
across students. The only comparison in the book is week 35 against the same student's
week 1.
Private weeks (1, 4, 16, 27, 35). On these weeks a student
writes about their own feelings in a box marked Only you read this. Do not collect it,
read it or ask about it, and the room task never asks for it. A listener holds page 2 to
check it off, so students write in the private box only after the page comes back; run it
last. If a child volunteers
something serious, that is a conversation for you and the school counselor, not the
page or the group.
The Room Log is a separate notebook or folder the school supplies. Students
copy into it; the workbook pages stay in the workbook. Private boxes never go in the
log, which students are asked to show a grown-up.
Eye contact is never required. The behavior is facing the room. Some children,
including many autistic children, find eye contact painful. California's SL.6.4 names
"appropriate eye contact" along with volume and clear pronunciation. This book sits beside
SL.6.4 but teaches facing the audience and looking up from notes instead, and its
paraphrase of the standard says so. If your school assesses SL.6.4, facing the room can
stand in for eye contact without any child being made to do something that hurts.
Nerves are never measured. No task asks a student how nervous they were, and the
book never scores or compares it. Week 4 is private.
A student who finds a task hard does it with a smaller audience, not a pass. Each
week below says what the smaller version is.
The 7 answers in the tables below, and every room task's fit in its stated minutes,
are checked by verify.py, which runs on every build. For a room task, that
means its turns, setup, changeovers and named untimed parts add up within its minutes; a
script cannot tell whether one turn holds everything a student says in it, so the turn
lengths here were also read by hand.
Speaking to a room: settling before the first word, a voice that carries, an opening, nerves (private), one idea at a time, signposts, precise words, pace, a visual, and an ending that lands. Week 1 records where each student starts, with no score.
Week 1Where I Start
Self · sits beside: SL.6.4Private week
The point
A starting point for every student in front of a room, with no score. Week 35 repeats this exact task and checklist, and is compared only with the same student's week 1.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four: three listeners sitting together, one speaker a few steps away. Give a topic every student can talk about, such as how to do something they are good at. One turn each: up to 45 seconds of talk and one question.
What counts as seeing it
Said what the talk was about in the first sentence means the topic was named before anything else. Answered the question that was asked means the answer was about that question, even if it was short.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller. A seated speaker does every step; standing is never required.
Watch for
Generous checking. Say before you start that an empty box is not a mark against anyone, and that a generous check mark now makes week 35 meaningless.
Challenge Zone
Any real observation of a grown-up's first ten seconds, with no judgment of the person.
Week 2Fill the Room
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
A voice that carries for a whole talk, from a full breath, not from shouting.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, listeners as far from the speaker as the room allows. Agree on the raised-hand signal before you start, and say it is help, not a complaint.
What counts as seeing it
Kept the last word of each sentence strong means the ends of sentences did not fade.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller. Distance can grow slowly: start close and step back each try.
Watch for
Shouting. Volume from breath sounds steady; volume from the throat sounds strained and tires fast.
Challenge Zone
A paragraph read across a room, with the listener's report of the last words.
Week 3Your First Ten Seconds
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
An opening gives the room a reason to listen within ten seconds: a question, a true fact, or a moment.
In the room
5 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 5 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Each speaker gives two openings for one topic. Facts must be ones the student knows are true; the page says so.
What counts as seeing it
Opened without warm-up words means no "um, so, my talk is about."
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Invented statistics used as openings. A fact opening needs a real fact; a question or a moment is fine instead.
Challenge Zone
The kind of opening a real talk or show used, named correctly.
Week 4The Nerves Are Normal
Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week
The point
Nerves are normal and do not have to go before you begin. A slow breath and a first sentence are enough.
In the room
5 minutes · groups of 4 · 30 seconds a turn · 1 round
120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 5 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. The breath is in for four, out for four, twice. The sentence can be about anything. Say before you start that nobody talks about how nervous anyone was.
What counts as seeing it
Did the breath twice before speaking is seen as a pause with a slow breath; nobody has to count aloud.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller. A seated speaker does every step; standing is never required.
Watch for
This is a private week. Do not collect or ask about the private box. Never ask a student to rate their nerves.
Challenge Zone
The breath used before something else, such as a test.
Week 5Stand, Breathe, Begin
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
The four steps before the first word: arrive, settle, wait for quiet, begin.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Listeners watch only the seconds before the first word, then the 20-second talk.
What counts as seeing it
Settled, standing or sitting means still feet or a still seat and quiet hands, for a moment.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller. A seated speaker does every step; standing is never required.
Watch for
Speakers who start talking while still walking to their spot.
Challenge Zone
The four steps used to answer a question in class.
Week 6One Idea at a Time
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
One main idea per part, finished before the next, in an order a room can follow.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. The seed task is on the page; then each speaker explains something they can do in three parts.
What counts as seeing it
Finished a part before the next means no jumping back.
Answers
The order for the seed talk
b, a, d, c
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Three parts that are really one long part. The listeners saying each main idea back shows it.
Challenge Zone
A three-part route to the library, in order.
Week 7Signposts
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4a
The point
Signposts tell the room where the speaker is: first, second, next, finally.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round
180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, 45 seconds each, at least three signposts. Listeners count on their fingers.
What counts as seeing it
Put signposts at the start of a part means the signpost came before the part's idea.
Answers
Signposts in the garden talk
4
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Signposts stacked at the start, then none. One per part is the point.
Challenge Zone
A four-part talk with a signpost per part.
Week 8Words That Fit
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4a
The point
Precise words, and defining a word the first time the room hears it (SL.6.4a's precise language and domain vocabulary).
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Words come from class this year, so no student needs anything from home.
What counts as seeing it
Defined the word the first time means the definition came with the first use, not at the end.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Definitions that use the word itself. The page's model, "which means," helps.
Challenge Zone
Three loose sentences from the student's own writing made precise.
Week 9Pace and Pause
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
Pace you choose on purpose, and a pause before what matters.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Each speaker says the three sentences printed on page 1 two times, fast and then slow with a pause.
What counts as seeing it
Paused before the last sentence means a clear breath-length gap.
Answers
Seconds at 120 words a minute
75
Seconds at 100 words a minute
90
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Students who read the slow try in a robot voice. Slower is not flatter.
Challenge Zone
A measured words-a-minute figure from the student's own reading, with the arithmetic shown.
Week 10Show It
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.5
The point
One simple visual for one idea, big enough for the far listener (SL.6.5).
In the room
7 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group, plus about 2 minutes for drawing the visual. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 7 minutes the page allows.
Hand out plain paper. About two minutes to draw, then groups of four, 30 seconds each. Paper keeps page 2 free for the listener checking off.
What counts as seeing it
Put the visual down and faced the room again means they did not talk to the paper.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Visuals with many words. Thick lines and a few words.
Challenge Zone
The one idea a real chart shows, in one sentence.
Week 11Land the Ending
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4a
The point
A conclusion says the main idea again in new words, gives one thing to keep, and stops.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Give each speaker a topic and its main idea, such as "The library: it is the one quiet room everyone can use." Each ending is 20 seconds.
What counts as seeing it
Stopped after the last line means a quiet moment, then nothing added.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
"So, yeah" endings. The quiet after the last line is the ending.
Challenge Zone
A rewritten story ending that lands.
Week 12Take the Floor
Review · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
Pull the first trimester together, and pick two things to keep practicing.
In the room
7 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 7 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, 45 seconds each, using two skills from the table.
What counts as seeing it
Spoke so the far listener could hear means the listener did not need to raise a hand.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Students picking the weeks they found easiest. Point them at a box that was empty.
Challenge Zone
A skill and where they saw a grown-up use it.
Trimester 2 · Weeks 13 to 24
Take the questions
Taking questions from a room: inviting them and waiting, restating them, answering on point, a question that stings (private), not knowing and coming back with the answer, mapping an argument (SL.6.3), asking a hard question well, being challenged in public, side talk, and losing your place.
Week 13Invite Questions
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.1c
The point
Inviting questions, and waiting through the quiet that follows.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 75 seconds a turn · 1 round
300 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. The speaker talks 30 seconds, invites, counts to five silently, then calls on someone.
What counts as seeing it
Waited through the quiet means no talking in the gap, even if it felt long.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Speakers who fill the quiet with "or not, that is fine." The quiet is the invitation working.
Challenge Zone
"What questions do you have?" used for real, and what happened.
Week 14Say the Question Back
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.1d
The point
Restating a question so the whole room hears it, then answering the room.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 90 seconds a turn · 1 round
360 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 8 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. After a 20-second talk, each of the three listeners asks one question; the speaker restates it, then answers. Each turn is about 90 seconds.
What counts as seeing it
Kept the question's meaning means the restated question asked the same thing.
Answers
The say-back that keeps the question
a
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Say-back b, which turns a why question into a what question. It is a different question.
Challenge Zone
A restated question in a real class discussion.
Week 15Answer, Then Stop
Voice · sits beside: no standard
The point
Answer what was asked in one or two sentences, then stop.
In the room
7 minutes · groups of 4 · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 7 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, two rounds. Give a topic per speaker; listeners ask short factual questions about it.
What counts as seeing it
Stopped after answering means they waited for the next question rather than adding more.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Answers that start with "So basically, well..." Answer first.
Challenge Zone
Five questions with one-sentence answers.
Week 16When a Question Stings
Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week
The point
A question that stings: breathe out, use a steady line, answer the question rather than the tone.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 2 rounds
320 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 8 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
The speaker first says one sentence about something they like, so the card has something to be about. Make the question cards before class, made up and about ideas, such as "Why would anyone care about that?" Never write a card about a real student or about anyone's family, looks or background.
What counts as seeing it
Let the asker finish means no answer started before the question ended. Nothing on this list is about whether the sting showed; a voice that shakes is fine.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
This is a private week. Do not collect or ask about the private box. If a card lands harder than intended for a student, stop and swap it.
Challenge Zone
Three steady lines of their own, practiced with someone they trust.
Week 17When You Do Not Know
Self · sits beside: SL.6.1c
The point
"Not yet": say you do not know, say what you do know, say how you will find out.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Make question cards the students are unlikely to know, such as how old the school building is. Each student keeps their question and finds the answer before week 18, from you or the school library.
What counts as seeing it
Did not make up an answer means no guess stated as fact.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Students who guess to avoid saying they do not know. The page's "Do not guess" box is the point.
Challenge Zone
An answer found before week 18, with where it was found.
Week 18Find Out and Come Back
Presence · sits beside: no standard
The point
Keeping the week 17 promise: the question, the answer, and where it came from.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, about 30 seconds each, then one question. Students who could not find an answer say what they tried; that still keeps the promise.
What counts as seeing it
Said where they found it means a source someone could check, such as a book and page.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Students who feel they failed because they did not find it. Saying what you tried counts, and the checklist says so.
Challenge Zone
A second fact from a different source.
Week 19Map the Argument
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.3
The point
Map an argument: the main point, each claim, and which claims have support (SL.6.3).
In the room
7 minutes · groups of 4 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round
180 seconds of turns per group, plus about 2 minutes for a listener saying each map back. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 7 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Each speaker gives a 30-second argument with a main point and two claims; listeners map it in their heads, and one says the map back, about 30 seconds. On page 2 each student maps one argument they heard.
What counts as seeing it
Gave two claims means two separate claims, not the main point said twice.
Answers
The unsupported claim
d
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Calling a claim unsupported because you disagree with it. Unsupported means nothing is behind it, not that it is wrong.
Challenge Zone
A mapped opinion piece or letter.
Week 20Ask a Hard Question Well
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.1c
The point
A hard question tests the idea and can be answered. An attack is about the person and cannot.
In the room
9 minutes · groups of 4 · 45 seconds a turn · 2 rounds
360 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 9 of the 9 minutes the page allows.
Make idea cards before class: made-up, light ideas such as "Recess should be indoors all winter." One asker per turn, and the speaker checks off the asker's page 2. Two rounds, with a new asker each turn, so everyone asks twice.
What counts as seeing it
Asked something the speaker could answer means it had an answer, even a hard one. The speaker checks these for the asker.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Hard questions that drift into mocking tone. Tone is part of the question.
Challenge Zone
Three hard, fair questions about a real plan.
Week 21Disagree in Public
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.1d
The point
Challenged in public: acknowledge what is fair in the other view, then answer with a reason.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Light questions only, such as the best time for recess. Each student disagrees once and is disagreed with once.
What counts as seeing it
Said what was fair in the other view means words such as "You are right that..."
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Acknowledging and then folding. The speaker can keep their view; acknowledging is not giving in.
Challenge Zone
A real moment of acknowledgment in a debate or interview.
Week 22Keep the Room
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.1b
The point
Bringing a room back from side talk calmly: pause, "I will wait," pick it up.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round
180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Make cards that tell one listener when to start a quiet, made-up side talk. Say clearly it is practice. Nobody is named or told off.
What counts as seeing it
Spoke to the whole room means the speaker did not single out the listener.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Speakers who scold. The calm moves work better and keep the room on their side.
Challenge Zone
A calm move a real speaker used.
Week 23Lose Your Place, Find It
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
Every speaker blanks. A way back: breathe, check notes, say the last thing again, go on.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round
180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Students write three words on a card or scrap of paper in the warm-up; any paper is fine. Groups of four. A listener says "Stop" at a moment the speaker does not expect.
What counts as seeing it
Went on without apologizing means no "sorry, sorry" before continuing.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Students who feel embarrassed by the stop. Say before you start that the stop is planned and is the practice.
Challenge Zone
A surprise stop handled at home or with a friend.
Week 24Take the Questions
Review · sits beside: SL.6.1c
The point
Pull the second trimester together with a talk and a real question time.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 75 seconds a turn · 1 round
300 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, 30 seconds of talk then two questions each.
What counts as seeing it
Restated each question means both questions were said back.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Question time skipped because the talk ran long. The talk is 30 seconds so the questions fit.
Challenge Zone
Questions taken after a real explanation.
Trimester 3 · Weeks 25 to 36
Lead without a title
Leading without being put in charge: starting something, speaking to an adult as an equal, being brushed off (private), a request that can take a no, introducing someone, chairing a question time, and the year's informative presentation (W.6.2 and SL.6.4a). Week 35 repeats week 1 exactly.
Week 25Lead Without a Title
Presence · sits beside: no standard
The point
Leading without a title: notice what needs doing, say it, ask for help.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. Ideas must be small and in class, with nothing from home and no money, such as tidying the reading corner.
What counts as seeing it
Thanked the person who offered means a thank you by name or to their face.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Ideas that are really rules for other people. Starting something is not telling others what to do.
Challenge Zone
The idea actually started, and what happened.
Week 26Speak to an Adult as an Equal
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.6
The point
Speaking to an adult as an equal: formal, respectful, and owning your point.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round
180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Make cards for made-up adults, such as a librarian or a coach. A listener plays the adult; the other two check off.
What counts as seeing it
Made one point with a reason means one point, not a list.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Formal turning into small: apologizing for asking. The page says formal is not the same as small.
Challenge Zone
A real point made to a real adult, only if the student chooses to.
Week 27When You Are Not Taken Seriously
Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week
The point
Being brushed off: it stings, it does not mean the point was wrong, and there is usually a next step.
In the room
5 minutes · groups of 4 · 30 seconds a turn · 1 round
120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 5 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four on the made-up moment on page 1 only. Nobody describes a real adult or a real time it happened.
What counts as seeing it
Kept to the made-up moment means no real names or thinly disguised real stories.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
This is a private week. Do not collect or ask about the private box. If a real story comes up, move the group back to the made-up one.
Challenge Zone
Two calm sentences the student would say.
Week 28Make a Request
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.6
The point
A request names one thing, gives a reason, and is ready for a no.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Make cards for made-up adults who always say no, so every student practices the response. The requests are role-play.
What counts as seeing it
Asked if there was another way means the words, or close to them, after the no.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Arguing after the no. Thank you and another way is the move.
Challenge Zone
A real request, only if the student chooses to.
Week 29Introduce Someone
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.6
The point
Introducing someone: name, why they are speaking, one thing about them, hand over.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round
160 seconds of turns per group, plus about 1 minute for pairs asking each other two questions first. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
About a minute in pairs to ask a couple of questions and check what is OK to share, then groups of four. Each partner is speaking to say one thing they like doing, so the introduction has a reason to give. Anything they like doing counts; nobody has to name a strength.
What counts as seeing it
Said one thing about them means something the partner agreed could be shared.
Answers
The part missing from the introduction
Why they are speaking
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Facts the partner did not agree to share. Ask first, every time.
Challenge Zone
A real introduction of someone to someone new.
Week 30Run the Room
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.1b
The point
Chairing a question time for someone else: open, call on people fairly, keep time, close.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 90 seconds a turn · 1 round
360 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 8 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four with four jobs, changing each turn: chair, speaker, two askers. Each turn is 90 seconds, as the plan on the page shows.
What counts as seeing it
Called on people in turn means nobody asked twice before someone asked once.
If it is hard for a student
Do it in a group of three: the student chairs, a partner speaks, and one more person asks. A chair needs someone to call on, so this is the smallest version that is still chairing.
Watch for
Chairs who answer the questions themselves. The chair runs it; the speaker answers.
Challenge Zone
Chairing a real question time, only if you agree.
Week 31Write It Out
Voice · sits beside: W.6.2
The point
The informative paragraph the presentation will come from: topic, two facts, one definition, a sum-up (W.6.2).
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Give about fifteen minutes in a writing lesson for the paragraph on page 2, before the room task. Topics come from class, so no research from home is needed.
What counts as seeing it
Defined one word means a definition, not just the word.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Opinion creeping in. Informative explains; it does not argue.
Challenge Zone
One more fact, from a class book.
Week 32Plan the Presentation
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4a
The point
Plan a 90-second informative presentation in five parts, with a visual (SL.6.4a, SL.6.5).
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 50 seconds a turn · 1 round
200 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Give about ten minutes before the room task, in a writing or art block, to fill in the outline on page 2 and make the visual on plain paper. Then groups of four, a 35-second try of the topic and fact 1, which is how long the plan gives those two parts.
What counts as seeing it
Kept to 35 seconds means the try, not the full presentation.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Outlines written as full sentences to read aloud. A few words per part.
Challenge Zone
Three timed practices getting closer to 90 seconds.
Week 33Give the Presentation
Voice · sits beside: SL.6.4a
The point
Give the presentation, then hear the topic and the two facts said back.
In the room
10 minutes · groups of 4 · 2 minutes a turn · 1 round
480 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 10 of the 10 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, up to 90 seconds each, then about 30 for the listeners to say back the topic and facts.
What counts as seeing it
Showed the visual means the paper was held up and pointed to, not only on the desk.
If it is hard for a student
Give the presentation to one partner, who also checks off the boxes. If a student wants an adult to listen instead of a peer, that is also a smaller audience. A seated speaker does every step; standing is never required.
Watch for
Speakers reading the outline word for word. Encourage looking up, but a student who needs the outline in view keeps it face up.
Challenge Zone
The presentation for someone younger, with one word changed.
Week 34Take Questions on It
Presence · sits beside: SL.6.1c
The point
Question time on the presentation, chaired by a classmate.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 75 seconds a turn · 1 round
300 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four. A 20-second summary, then a listener chairs two questions from the other two.
What counts as seeing it
Said "not yet" instead of guessing, if needed counts only if they did not know; leave it empty otherwise.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Askers trying to catch the speaker out. Questions are to learn more, and the chair can say so.
Challenge Zone
A better answer to the hardest question, written down.
Week 35Look Back
Review · sits beside: SL.6.4Private week
The point
The same task as week 1, with the same checklist, compared only with the student's own week 1.
In the room
6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round
240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, exactly as in week 1. Use the same kind of topic.
What counts as seeing it
The checklist is identical to week 1's, and the week 1 notes apply.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller. A seated speaker does every step; standing is never required.
Watch for
Students comparing pages with each other. Collect nothing and post nothing.
Challenge Zone
A summer plan for one empty box, small and checkable.
Week 36Hold the Room
Review · sits beside: SL.6.4
The point
Hold the room one last time: one thing the student can do now, an example, and one question.
In the room
8 minutes · groups of 4 · 90 seconds a turn · 1 round
360 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 8 of the 8 minutes the page allows.
Groups of four, up to 60 seconds of talk and one question each.
What counts as seeing it
Gave an example from the Room Log means a real page, named.
If it is hard for a student
Do the same task with one partner as the audience. The student still speaks and still gets checked off; only the audience is smaller.
Watch for
Talks that list everything. One thing, with one example, is the assignment.
Challenge Zone
A letter the student will actually open next year.
The strands
SelfWhat happens in you in front of a room: nerves, a question that stings, not knowing, being brushed off. Most of the private weeks are here.
VoiceShaping and giving a talk, and listening to one well: openings, signposts, precise words, endings, restating, mapping an argument, the presentation.
PresenceComposure and leading without a title: settling, pace, inviting and chairing questions, side talk, requests, introductions. Thirteen weeks, up from twelve at Grade 5.
ReviewPulling a trimester together, and the bookend with week 1.
Notes for a school
Where this sits in the line. Grade 3 is about leading yourself, Grade 4 one other
person, Grade 5 a small group, and this book a whole room. It is the last printed leadership
year; from Grade 7 the strand belongs to the web app program.
It does not need the earlier books first. No week assumes a student had them.
Made-up situations. The sharp questions in week 16, the side talk in week 22, the
adults in weeks 26 and 28 and the moment in week 27 are all made up. No task asks a student to
name or play a real person. Any real request to a real adult is a Challenge Zone choice, never
required.
A Grade 6 student could be handed several books this year: mathematics, science,
entrepreneurship, financial literacy and this one. They are alternatives a school chooses
among, not a set.
The standards are ones the book sits beside, not ones it teaches in full. They are
California's Grade 6 Speaking and Listening standards, including the California addition
SL.6.4a (the informative presentation), with W.6.2 for week 31. Several weeks sit beside no standard, and the page says so
rather than stretching one to fit.