PSMinis

Mini-Speeches

1.    Before we start in on our first round of “real” speeches, we will first be doing three mini-speeches. These will be worth 25 points each.
    A.    5 points for intro: attention getter, intro of topic, preview of points
    B.    5 points for body: organized points and clear transitions
    C.    5 points for conclusion: overall conclusions, review, clincher
    D.    5 points for delivery: eye contact, smoothness, posture
    E.    5 points for time

2.    These speeches are 1 - 2 minutes long. Time limit is important. For every 10-second interval you are over or under time, you will lose one point. This will be the general policy for all speeches, but here is the point breakdown for the mini-speeches.

        0:50-0:59    -1    2:01-2:10
        0:40-0:49    -2    2:11-2:20
        0:30-0:39    -3    2:21-2:30
        0:20-0:29    -4    2:31-2:40
        0:10-0:19    -5    2:41-2:50

3.    You do NOT have to get up in front of the room, at least not for the first one. We will put our desks in a circle for the first one, and you can speak from your chair. For the second one, you will be standing at the podium with the desks in their regular semicircles.

4.    Notecards are REQUIRED. Remember, either 3 x 5 or 4 x 6. After you give your speech, you will pass your cards to me to turn in.

5.        Be creative with these. Have fun. Just make sure you keep them CLEAN and school appropriate!!! (Remember my three simple rules....)

6.    In your first mini-speech, you will address one of the following:
    A.    What is your favorite TV show, movie, or book? Tell us a bit about it and explain why you like it? Ideas: Characters you like or identify with. Humor. Drama. Adventures. Setting. Action. Actors/actresses. Messages/themes.
    B.    You have been given an unlimited budget for the vacation of your dreams. You can choose to explain where you would go, what you would do/see, who would go with you, how you would travel, what you would buy, what you would eat, etc. You MUST explain why you would choose this vacation.
    C.    In which period of history would you liked to have lived and where? Give reasons for your decision. What would be good about this period? Who would you want to meet? What events would you want to witness? What kind of life or role would you have? Would there be any disadvantages about this time?

7.    For your second mini-speech, you may choose one of the three following topics:

    A.    What do you see as the biggest problem facing teenagers in our area today? Where does this problem come from? Who is responsible? Is it a new problem or one that past generations also faced? What are some of the negative results of this problem on you or your friends? What do you think needs to be done to help solve this problem?
    B.    What is the most important lesson you have learned from your parents, friends, teachers, coaches, etc.? How and when did you learn this lesson? What was it that really made this lesson sink in? How do you think you will apply this lesson to the rest of your life?
    C.     What does being successful mean to you? Does it related to money, status, family, friends or something else?   What would make you feel successful in your life? Who do you think is successful and why?

More Tips:

1.    Double space on your notecards.

2.    NUMBER your notecards!!!

3.    Put your name or initials and your class hour on the back of each card.

4.    Please practice reading them through at least a couple times!!!!

5.    Be conscious of your posture and body movements, both when sitting and standing. Sit/stand up straight and be still! Keep your feet flat and try to look at your entire audience.

    6.    Watch your time limit--your adrenalin rush may make you speak faster in class. Be sure to have enough written.

    7.    Written out speeches may go more smoothly if you are nervous and want to plan your words carefully, but doing your speeches from notes or some notes/some sentences is also a possibility as long as fluency doesn’t suffer.