Amy Cody suggests these TED Talks for use in Middle School and says, “I used these for a speech unit to point out various techniques used in a speech- but my 8 graders really got into all of these.”

Consider them for speech classes and also as springboards for writing critiques as well as  argumentative and persuasive essays.

Videos

The Myth of Violence- http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence.html (look at speaker presentation, visual aids, use of resources, speaker’s purpose and use of proof, etc.)

What’s the Right Thing to do: http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_sandel_what_s_the_right_thing_to_d…  (watch how speaker uses a story to begin his speech, polls the audience- pulling them in, moves out from podium)

How Schools kill creativity- http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity….  (notice how speaker uses humor at start, purpose 3:15, uses humor again, gives a story 3:40

How to make a splash- http://www.ted.com/talks/alexis_ohanian_how_to_make_a_splash_in_soc… (show all- notice how he uses visual to enhance his speech)