Turn Around and Teach (TAT) Talks

The Units of Study, a writing and reading program developed by Lucy Calkins at the Teachers College, Columbia University, greatly changed the writing and reading instruction at our elementary school. While teachers were already using writing and reading workshop, this program provided professional development and resources galore to support our teachers. Our program became more cohesive and focused on authentic reading and writing and brief mini-lessons with immediate practice and time for reflection. Students also build strong relationships with classmates and writing partners, and sharing is an essential component of this curriculum.

One of my favorite units to teach is the 6th grade unit titled "Units of Study in Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing," which culminates in having students present a TAT (Turn Around and Teach) Talk for their class. Students first watched portions of a few inspiring TED Talks and selected a non-fiction topic of interest to read about. 

Sample TED Talk: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- The Danger of a Single Story

I modified this unit to suit both my Advanced Academic Program (AAP/Gifted) and general education students, and students were reading books across many different reading levels. All students were asked to take notes using a Google Doc graphic organizer or could print the Google Doc and take notes by hand.  Some students chose to use sticky notes, while most students chose to use the organizer provided. Our special education teacher modified the graphic organizer even further. Students had to decide upon an overall teaching point or presentation focus and for each chapter include vocabulary and a main idea. Students were also required to use at least one encyclopedia entry and one website while preparing for the presentation. I provided modeling and practice with note-taking using short texts, and students had the option of keeping more detailed notes (bulleted) or identifying only one central idea per chapter. 

For nearly all students, the most challenging element of the assignment was selecting a central idea or teaching point for the presentation. Synthesizing why the book was written and what impact it could have on our lives was a challenge- but hopefully a challenge that all students are proud of completing. A different graphic organizer was provided for presentation-planning, and we spent a lot of time practicing the presentations in small groups. Students were encouraged to have a few simple visuals on a poster, slideshow, or in hand to share while they talked, and presentations were capped at five minutes. In addition to the graphic organizers, students were also given many check-points throughout the assignment and conferenced regularly with one another and with me. 

This assignment took approximately one quarter of the school year to complete, and student presentations were spread over many weeks. The amount of time spent on this assignment in class varied greatly, and some students finished the work and moved on to other projects well ahead of other classmates. These presentations were also recorded and shared on our class site, with student approval. Students walked away from this assignment with improved public speaking abilities and knowledge about many of their peers' passion projects. 

Turn Around & Teach Presentations

Non-Fiction

Tentative Presentation Dates: Friday, February 9-Friday, February 23

For this unit, students selected non-fiction chapter books on topics of interest. Our class first explored strategies for reading challenging non-fiction texts and taking notes, and now it’s time to share what we’ve learned. For this presentation, students should prepare an engaging TED Talk style presentation to teach the class about his/her topic in approximately 5 minutes. The focus should be on how/what information from the text can influence our lives going forward. Why does this topic matter?

Requirements and Process:

Take notes on vocabulary and on the central ideas and essential details in each chapter/subsection

Plan your presentation by writing out a hook and an outline of the order of topics you will include

Mark up your notes (preferred) or rewrite your notes into a presentation script

Select a visual(s) to help get your point across (this may be a presentation with images and text or just a physical poster, photograph, object, etc.). [Cite all sources you use.]

Practice at home and school 

Suggested Structure/Parts:

Hook/Introduction―Establish a connection with the audience; make this topic relatable (consider using anecdotes, humor, rhetorical questions). Also explain the current problem presented in your book. How does this topic relate to our lives today and our future? 

Include the background (context) and vocabulary your peers need to understand this topic (use your notes!). 

Share possible/actual solutions―How do/did they work? What were the successes along the way? The failures?

Closing―Reconnect with the audience; make a call to action. What kind of difference can your readers (and you) make going forward?

Rubric: