Public speaking is a real fear for many people but something everyone must learn how to do while in school. It starts with simple things like show and tell and book reports. Mrs. Schutz’s 2nd-grade students had their first experiences with presenting oral book reports and did a phenomenal job.
The second graders have spent the past two weeks presenting oral book reports on a famous person. This is the first time these students have conducted research, created and used notecards, and presented the information in front of an audience. They spent several weeks before spring break reading and researching about the person they chose. They then determined what were the most important things to speak about and prepared their notecards. They put together costumes so they could dress in character during the presentation to the class. Parents were able to watch their child’s presentation via Google Meet. The students shared why their famous person was important, how that person made a difference in the world, and how he/she influenced and inspired others. All of the heroes the students chose had several traits in common. They stood up to injustices, fought for equality, led by example, showed tremendous courage, and didn’t let fear stop them from doing what was right.
The best part of this project was watching how moved and inspired the children were as they read and learned about the changes that these people fought for and the incredible obstacles that they overcame. They learned how God uses people in mighty ways. As the second graders conquered their nervousness about presenting, there is no doubt that God will use them to make a difference in the world too!
