Finding Their Voices: Fifth Graders Deliver Powerful Speeches
When Zoe Zujkowski ’33 stepped up to the podium to speak about air pollution and sustainability, she did so with confidence. Inspired by climate change activist Greta Thunberg, Zujkowski chose a timely topic that captured urgency and hope.
“Greta was really impactful in her work and made a big difference even though she was so young,” Zujkowski explained.
As part of their unit on public speaking, Michaela Boller’s fifth grade students tackled thought-provoking topics that answered the question: How can I help? Their speeches covered issues including artificial intelligence, autism, social media and women’s sports. The presentations were the culmination of the unit, which included researching and writing the speech that connected to being a power for good.
“Public speaking is such an essential skill, and I believe that the earlier we get students up on stage to speak in front of an audience, the easier it will become,” Boller said. “I also believe that public speaking and Harkness learning go hand in hand at Masters.”
Hudson Lopez prepared a speech about space exploration and enjoyed researching information about the Artemis II mission and the Hubble telescope. “I read four essays on the Hubble, which were great,” he said. Lopez hoped his speech “piqued the audience’s interest about space exploration and reading more on NASA.gov.”
Zujkowski’s message offered simple, practical ways to make a difference. “Try to be a bit more sustainable, even if it's just a little bit, like when you're brushing your teeth, turn off the faucet, or turn off the lights when you leave a room. Even though they're tiny things to do, they're really impactful,” she said.
Boller was filled with pride for all her students: “They worked so hard on these speeches, and performing in front of such a large crowd was no easy task.”
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