“TED Talks Gov” - AP US Government Almost Final Project
You will be asked to research a topic of your choosing that connects to politics or government and prepare a 5-7 minute “TED Talk” to deliver to your classmates on that topic. You have a lot of freedom to pick a topic that sincerely interests you!
TOPICS:
Your topics will need to be approved by me before you move any further. There will be a lot of lee way in choosing your topic, I really want you to choose something that interests you.
PROPOSAL:
Once your topic is approved, you will begin crafting a “TED Talks Gov” proposal. The proposal must include:
The TED Talk topic
A working title for your TED Talk
A brief explanation of the information you will need to research and gather
A brief explanation of what you hope to be able to share and accomplish by the end of the TED Talk
Examples of Topics and Working Titles:
★ Political Beliefs of Millenials v. Gen Z - “How Our Beliefs Will Impact our Political Future”
★ Political Fiction in the Current Political Climate - “Political Fiction Becomes a Political Reality”
★ Social Media is Decreasing Real Action - “The Slaktivism is Real”
★ The Future of Roe v. Wade - “Battle Royale: A Challenge to a 50 year Old Precedent Upon Us?”
★ Me Too Movement - “Me Too, Too Far?”
RESEARCH:
After you have submitted your proposal, you will begin your research using credible sources and accurate, reliable data.
You should have a document where you record your research notes and compile a reference page (either MLA or APA) of at least 4 sources
ABSTRACT:
When you have gathered all of the information that you need to demonstrate a deep understanding of your topic, you will prepare an abstract of your topic. An abstract is a summary of the work you have done and your findings. This will help boil your research down and get you ready to write your script
The abstract should include:
Topic/Title
Brief overview of topic (2-3 sentences)
Summary of your findings (1 paragraph)
Summary of the argument you will make/answer to a question (1 paragraph)
Your reference page
SCRIPT:
Now you are ready to write your TED Talk script. Your TED Talk should be ~3 minutes (no more than 4) and have a logical flow and organization to it. Think about the following elements:
Hook―How do you establish a connection with your audience so you can get them to “buy into” the idea and topic you
are presenting?
Explain the topic/background - INFORM the audience
Make an argument or answer the question you are informing them about. Why do your findings matter?
Closing―Reconnect with the audience and close with a point of lasting impression.
I encourage you to think about the following when you are preparing the script:
Who is in your audience? (Academic setting of people who have studied government)
How can you use humor in your speech? (Appropriate and still professional)
