Steps for Extemporaneous Editorial Speech
Name _________________________________
Goal: To understand another person’s opinion while formulating your own, and to
practice extemporaneous speaking, source citation, and reading comprehension.
1. Using your iPad, go to Dictionary.com, look up the definition of the word
“editorial,” write down the definition below.
Editroial:______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Using your iPad, go to one of the following newspaper sites and go to the
opinion section: dallasnews.com, latimes.com, chicagotribune.com, or you
can download the USA Today app. Find an editorial that you want to read.
Make sure you open the full document. Do not choose a Letter to the Editor.
3. Read the article. Concentrate on discovering the opinion of the author. Feel
free to highlight or make notes on the article where needed. You can do this
by copying and pasting the article into a document or by taking a snapshot of
it, or you can also make notes on a separate piece of paper.
4. Complete the following:
Name of newspaper: ________________________________________________________________
Title of article: _______________________________________________________________________
Name of author: _____________________________________________________________________
Date it was published: ________________________________________________
Central Opinion of the author: _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Speech presentation. You will share the information you gathered from the
editorial with the class and express your own opinion.
Steps for Presentation: This is an extemporaneous presentation. Do not write
down everything you plan to say. Speak using your notes and from your
knowledge of the editorial.
1. Give the source information: “According to (author) in the article titled (title)
from the (date) (newspaper or magazine)”
2. Explain the central opinion of the article. Elaborate and summarize
supporting information that was written in the article.
3. Give your opinion and explain why you agree or disagree with the author.