I’ve heard of teachers who don’t require their students to do the speeches when they get to that part of the book. I not only think that speeches can be a fun experience for the students where they get to learn more about something that interests them, but I also feel that we are doing them an injustice if we neglect these assignments. These young men will, Lord willing, be standing up in front of the church giving devotions or preaching one day. These young women will, Lord willing, be teaching Sunday school classes or leading ladies’ Bible studies one day. We need to take advantage of these opportunities which are already right there for us in the text books, and not just require our students to do them, but to encourage them to do them, inspire them to do them, and then to sit and smile at them when they do a good job. Especially if they show up in a coon skin cap, a leather-looking shirt, and have a map of the U.S. with the Oregon Trail marked on it.