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Although it is only one part of the Academic Decathlon
competition, the Speech portion can sometimes be the most intimidating - as well
as the most fun. We will be slowly creating our speeches over the first
two months of class in a series of activities designed to help students first
brainstorm, then refine ideas for speeches. The next step involves
drafting the speeches and refining the written versions. Finally we will
begin to memorize the three and a half minute speeches, using techniques of
presentation in order to get them ready for the competition.
Task #1 - Three-Speech A to Z
Step 1 - Brainstorm some topics you'd like to speak about and select three main
ones you would like to give a try. Try to think of things that will have
interest to a broad audience. It should be something to interest not only
your peers and family and friends, but also your other target audience:
55-year-old, white, Republican males. Though personal topics often work best,
feel
free to choose controversial (or uncontroversial) topics. Here are
some of the topics students did in the 2003 and 2007 competitions (just for an idea):
The Music of the Spheres - An Astronomy
Summer Camp |
My Ascent of Mount Whitney (A Metaphor
for Life) |
Why Loud, Booming Car Stereos Make Me
Cheer! |
The Thing on My Head: Why I Wear a Hijab |
What Do You Want on Your Tombstone? |
"A Panda Walks Into A Bar...": Grammar
Made Visible |
Step 2 - List the letters A - Z (26 letters) for each of the three topics you
choose. Then come up with a word or phrase or idea or quote beginning with each
letter listed. Do this for all three topics. These MUST be typed.
Step 3 - type them up, if they're not typed already, bring them to class. (Turn-in date, TBA,
30 points) Once in class, we will form groups and pass around /
read around the topics, rating them with
or
or
or
or
or
or
. Students will then rate their own topics on the basis of what they
feel will be the most productive. In consultation with the teacher,
each student will choose what they feel is their strongest topic.
Task #2 - Expanding Your Topic
The next step in preparing the speeches, for your topic, come up with:
1.
A snazzy title (1 pt.)
2.
An opening hook. You are not going to have to stick with this, but I am curious how you envision starting your speech.
It can be a quote, an anecdote, a gesture, or an image (spoken - no props
allowed) (1 pt.)
3.
A statement of the purpose / theme of your speech; this is also a
summary sentence which explains the intent, the point of your speech. (1 pt.)
4. A profile of the person LEAST likely to be
naturally interested in your topic; this will be just a couple of sentences or a
short paragraph (1 pt.)
A statement of how your speech will involve that person (1 pt.)
5. 2 pertinent quotes; these should be from published
sources - not just something your mom said one day. Be sure to cite the
source. (2 pts.)
6. A 5-point/sentence outline of the shape of your speech
(5 pts.)
As you can see, there are 12 points possible but this task is only graded
on the basis of 10 points!
These MUST be typed.
Task #3 - Choosing and Expanding Your Strongest Topic
Once this has been done, you will
need to create a 5-point ( paragraph by paragraph) outline of what they want to say.
In this outline, show where
you will include quotes, and where you choose to use dramatic
effects (pauses, bursts, expressions, or gestures). Of course you will
include a bullet-list of your important sub-points as part of this. There is no clear
length required for this outline, but it is worth 15 points. These
MUST be typed.
Task #4 - Speech Draft Writing
Write (and type up) a rough draft of your speech. Be sure
to spell and grammar check it. I will not accept hand-written drafts.
Points will be deducted for spelling errors. 30 points possible.
You will need to bring three copies of your rough draft in for full credit.
One will be for the teacher, the other two will be for your reading partners.
We will do a read-around in which we comment on the following: (1)
is there a good "hook" or opening? (2) is there a solid conclusion/ending?
(3) does the body support your basic thesis and lead to the conclusion?
(4) what are the weaknesses of this? (5) what are the strengths of this?
We will write comments on these as read-arounds. These MUST be typed.
Task #5 - Spicing Up Your Vocabulary
With a colored marker, on a copy of your speech rough draft, you
will find all the variants of the verb "to be": am, are, is, were, will be, etc.
You will then hunt down all the variants of the verb "to go": go, goes, went,
gone, etc. You will then seek out all variants of the verb "to have":
have, has, had. Next to go? All the variants of "to say" and "to
make". If it is not being used as an auxiliary verb, it must be
purged. You will then work to remove every single one and replace it
with more succinct (or colorful) verbiage.
Next on the chopping block? You must remove all monosyllabic adjectives (big, tall, fat, nice, good, etc.)
as well as all their variants (better, worst, bigger, nicest, etc.) of and replace them with
more concise terminology. After all that we will work together to see what
genuinely barbarous things have emerged and return the original forms back to
their rightful place if need be. We will also work to include quotes
- IF applicable to your topic. (You should NOT change the original quotes
if they use any of the above words...) You will then re-type your speech with your
new, improved vocabulary included therein, staple your old version to the back
of it, and turn it in. (15 points for the new
typed version)
Task #6 - Final Read-Arounds and Written Revisions
Swapping your speech with several partners, you will read each
other's now revised speeches and give more written comments on them. (This
may be done with an appointment clock or can be done less formally). Take notes
on their comments. Make adjustments as needed for yet another revision.
Task #7 - Timing Yourself - Listening to Others'
Time yourself. Your speech will ultimately have to land
between three and a half and four minutes. We will all be shooting for
3:45' time lengths. In class you will read your speech to others in class
and they will time you. You will then need to shrink or stretch your
speech to fit the time. WARNING: you will need to pace yourself -
read clearly and calmly, it is normal in the heat of the moment to give a fully
memorized speech a bit too fast! Take your friends' comments on what parts of your
speech were effective, and what parts dragged. Modify accordingly.
At the end of all this, you will hand me yet another draft of your speech, with your estimated time printed at the top.
You will present your speech to me (read or memorized) and I will time you to
see if you come out on target. As you present to each other, be sure one
of you keeps time while the other speaks, holding up signs for 3:30, 3:45, and
4:00. (You will get 30 points, minus 1
point for every second over 4 minutes or under 3 1/2 minutes.)
Task #8 - Working on Inflection (Presentation to the Teacher
Team)
Take a double or triple-spaced version of your speech and go
through it underlining all the words and phrases you want to particularly
emphasize vocally. Practice your projection. Be sure to indicate parts of
your speech in which you slow down, speed up, or speak softly. Mark these
moments in your copies or use musical notation (accel., rit., cresc., dim., sfz,
ppp, ff, etc.). Read your speech to several other students who can
point out areas in which you fail to enunciate or articulate your words clearly.
Mark these words and practice them singly as well as in the context of your
speech. Get a really big Jawbreaker candy, put it in your mouth and give
your speech - see if your friends can understand you! Don't forget your
inflection. Time yourself - be sure you are still on target, make changes
as needed. Turn in a copy of this annotated version to me for 15 more points.
Task #9 - Choreography
The time has come to do your dance! Think out movements
which will enhance the meaning of your speech - both with hand/arm movements,
facial gestures, and body movements. Remember, you are not allowed to use
any props... other than yourself. Make use of yourself! Careful
though! Don't become distracting, but pick and choreograph your speech
with motion. Type in these movements with a different font, possibly in
the off-spaces of your double-spaced speech. Time yourself - be sure you
are still on target, make changes as needed. Turn it in with full choreography
for 15 more points.
Task #10 - Memorizing the Words, the Emphases, and the
Gestures
Now you are ready to memorize. Use your gestures and
inflections to help you structure your speech. Do it all, not just word
memorization, but work to memorize the totality (be sure your timing is still
good). Do it again, paragraph by paragraph. Break it up - start in
the middle - start with the last paragraph, go back one and carry on.
Practice it in noisy places. Have people give you feedback. Do it in
front of a mirror. Videotape it and watch. Do it again. Do it
some more. Over and over. Get comfortable with it. Start dreaming
about it. Be able to pick it up in the middle of a conversation about
something else. In short: Memorize it. Points?
Priceless.
Task #11 - Speech Clocks
The teacher will set up a speech clock for the class.
(Draw a clock, indicating noon, 3, 6, and 9 - find different partners and sign
up for appointments with them - you put their name on their clock and they put
your name on theirs at the same times - then you will "meet" when that time
comes.) This will give you good one-on-one practice with your speech.
As you present to each other, be sure one of you keeps time while the other
speaks, holding up signs for 3:00, 3:30, and 4:00.
Task #12 - Presenting and Becoming a Winner! Yeah!
And the final task: formal presentation! This may be to a
teacher, a panel of graders, or even the full-on competition!
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