You can use these low-prep lessons filled with public speaking tips in middle or high school ELA. They make for great icebreaker activities! Back to School Public Speaking Activities Back to School is the perfect time to strengthen your student’s public speaking skills. These public speaking tips and activities are a great way to build classroom community, so you can achieve multiple goals within the same class period.  I’ve blogged before about using Children’s Books to Teach Public Speaking, so if you haven’t already read that post, go check it out! 🙂 Low-stress Public Speaking Activities Back to School Peer Interview Project Students brainstorm open-ended questions and use them to interview a classmate. Then, they present to their classmates in very short presentations. I really love this activity because it helps students understand open-ended vs.