Research and Presentation

Foundations: Good Morning Show

At the core of our elementary school curriculum is the Good Morning Show. This daily event offers young students the tools to present on subjects of their choosing. Students in K through 5 participate in this unique program by making three to six oral presentations per year and observing and discussing their peers' presentations. The three-minute presentations on self-selected topics are diverse, entertaining, and informative.

Students are required to conduct extensive research and preparation for their presentations. Early instruction in public speaking lays the foundation for our students to become great leaders and communicators in higher education and in life.

Presenters receive constructive feedback about five aspects of their presentation:

• Evidence of preparation
• Audience learning
• Creativity
• Audio-visual aids
• Personal affect

Building Skills: Forum

Forum is the Middle School complement of the Good Morning Show. In Forum, students in grades 6 through 8 deliver research or performance-based presentations. The presentations are longer and far more extensive than Good Morning Show presentations, allowing the student to engage deeply in the subject that they have chosen to present. Students follow detailed guidelines and instruction which encourage high level public speaking skills.

These presentations are built around group themes. This allows individual presenters to build on each other's work and nurture an extended dialogue on a group of ideas.