Lesson 6.2: Presenting in the Assembly


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Prep and Tech

Technology: LCD projector, laptop, student computers, and Internet access

Lesson Visuals

Objectives

Students will learn the importance of public debate in a democracy.
Student groups will present their multimedia presentations on their issues.

Focusing Question

How do we evaluate a persuasive presentation?

Mini Lesson

Making Final Preparations (5 min.)

Introduce the focusing question that guides this lesson. Connect this question to the previous lesson.
Provide students with time to complete last-minute preparations for the Assembly debate.
Use a flash drive to transfer all of the presentations to a central computer attached to a LCD projector.

Preparing for Student Activity:

Instruct students to open up their presentations.
Use the LCD projector to project students' PowerPoint presentations while they speak.

The focusing question for this lesson is: How do we evaluate a persuasive presentation?

In previous lessons we researched and wrote about our issues. We practiced public speaking and created a visual presentation to support our views. Today we are ready to present in the Athenian Assembly.

Every group should open up their presentation so that I can save them onto this flash drive. I will use this flash drive to show your presentation on the computer and LCD projector at the front of the class.

I am now going to open up the folder with all of the presentations on this computer. I will call each group up one at a time to present.

Today, we are acting as members of the Athenian Assembly. We are all going to make big decisions that may have life or death consequences. Our decisions may make Athens stronger or weaker. We will be debating and voting on whether or not to build the Parthenon, and whether or not to go to war against Sparta.

When you are presenting, do your best to convince your fellow Assemblymen to vote your way. If you are in the audience, listen carefully so that you can make an informed decision when you vote.

Now that we have had a chance to express our views and hear everyone’s opinions, we are going to vote. In the Athenian Assembly, they voted by a show of hands. The leader of the Assembly would ask everyone to vote by raising their right hands when he announced each position on the issue.

This is an interesting method of voting because everyone had an opportunity to see the way everyone else voted. In our country, voting is done privately.

Everyone must vote on each issue. Democracy does not work unless people participate in important government decisions. Let’s begin. Keep your hand raised until I finish counting. Be proud to support your position. Do not let the views of others influence your decision.

All those in favor of building the Parthenon, raise your hand. All those against building the Parthenon, raise your hand. All those in favor of going to war against Sparta, raise your hand. All those against going to war against Sparta, raise your hand.

Here is the final vote count for each position. You have all made an informed decision and voted, just like the members of the Assembly did in Ancient Athens. In the next class, we will find out what the Athenians actually voted for – and the consequences of their decisions. Remember that in a democracy the people are responsible for the consequences of their decisions.

Student Activity

Delivering Presentations (35 min.)

Call the first group up to the front of the class to give their presentation.
Give each group about five minutes to present in front of the class.
Note: If there is time after all of the groups present, allow students to offer rebuttals. Instruct them to come to the front of the class one at a time to make a final, passionate plea to the Assembly. You may decide to break up the presentations over two days, so that each issue has a full day of debate. If so, there will be more time for students to rebuke each other’s arguments. The extra time for improvised rebuttals can heighten the suspense of the vote and increase the students’ investment in their positions.
After students have given their presentations and the class has had an opportunity for final rebuttals, explain how voting in the Assembly worked in ancient Athens.
Remind students that everyone must vote on both issues. Explain that without civic participation, democracy cannot exist.
Ask students to vote on each issue by raising their hands. Count the number of votes for each side of each issue. Record the vote. Show the final tally for each position.
Explain to students that in the next lesson they will learn how the Athenians actually voted on these issues, and they will learn the consequences of their decisions.

Lesson Summary

How do we evaluate a persuasive presentation? (5 min.)

Ask students questions about how to evaluate a persuasive presentation.

Assessment

Review in-class presentations. Assess students' understanding of the issues debated in the Athenian Assembly, as well as their skills as public speakers.