Kindergarten – Grade 2
Show and tell, speaking in complete sentences, listening turn-taking and simple recitation.
Core Academics
Communication, Public Speaking & Media Literacy
Grade bands served: Kindergarten through Grade 12
This subject builds the ability to speak in public and the judgement to evaluate what others publish. Learners practise structured speaking from the early grades — show and tell, recitation, class presentations — and progress to debate, interviewing, moderating and formal presentation. In parallel they study how media is made and funded, how framing and headlines work, and how misinformation, propaganda and AI-generated media spread, learning practical verification techniques.
Why this subject matters
Confident speakers get opportunities, and critical media consumers protect their communities from rumour and manipulation.
Overall learning goals
- • Speak clearly and persuasively to an audience.
- • Structure and deliver effective presentations.
- • Listen actively and question well.
- • Analyse media messages and their purposes.
- • Verify information before believing or sharing it.
Core competencies & skills
- • Public speaking
- • Presentation design
- • Debate and argument
- • Media analysis
- • Fact-checking and verification
Scope by grade band
Grades 3–5
Class presentations, group reporting, recognising advertising and identifying who made a message.
Grades 6–8
Debate, interviewing, slide design, bias and framing analysis, and basic fact-checking.
Grades 9–12
Formal speeches, moderating panels, professional communication, propaganda analysis, and verification of AI-generated media.
Typical learning activities
- • Weekly speaking slots
- • Debate tournaments
- • Media deconstruction sessions
- • Fact-checking drills
- • Peer feedback on delivery
Project examples
- • Class debate championship
- • Student news bulletin or podcast
- • Misinformation awareness campaign
- • TED-style senior talk
Assessment methods
- • Speech and presentation rubrics
- • Debate performance
- • Media analysis essays
- • Verification exercises
Real-world & career connections
- • Media and journalism
- • Public relations and communications
- • Advocacy
- • Sales and leadership roles
FutureTech & AI integration
Deepfake and synthetic-media detection, reverse image search, and responsible use of AI to prepare — not replace — a learner's own speaking.
Expected learner outcomes
- • Graduates deliver a prepared speech confidently.
- • Graduates verify a claim before sharing it.
Where it appears by grade
Related subjects
English Language Arts & Literacy
Reading, writing, speaking and listening from phonics to college-level analysis.
Mathematics
Number sense to algebra, geometry, statistics and pre-calculus pathways.
Science
Inquiry, laboratory work and the Biology–Chemistry–Physics sequence.
Social Studies & Geography
Communities, geography, world history and economics in context.