SPEECH Jar: Explanation and Ideas

Hello Everyone!

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To practice both our writing and speaking skills, we are going to be doing an activity called the SPEECH JAR. Everyone will be providing topics on slips of paper, and then I will fill the jar with them. Each person will then draw a topic from the jar to do a short speech on for the class.

This first speech will be a prepared one.

  • The speech should not be more than one minute long, give or take 10 seconds.
  • You should provide us with up to three interesting facts about your topic, which may require some research.
  • Your speech should have a strong introductory sentence that is not, “Hello, my name is so and so and I would like to talk about ….”
  • Your speech should have a strong concluding sentence that is not, “And thank you for listening to my speech.”
  • You can read your speech from a sheet of paper.
  • Your speech should be in the format of a paragraph, which we will be practicing in class.
  • You will have two days to prepare your first speech, due on Wednesday, October 26th. You will be given some class time to prepare.

Our second speeches will be extemporaneous speeches.

  • Same requirements as above, but you will only have an hour to prepare your speech after drawing a topic.
  • Speech topics will be drawn in the morning, and then speeches will be delivered in the afternoon!
  • This speech activity will be announced the morning we are doing them!

A good speaker uses:

  • Inflection/Tone
  • Expression/Enthusiasm
  • Enunciation (each word is clear)
  • Volume
  • Eye contact
  • Appropriate hand gestures
  • Good body posture
  • Appropriate speed — not too fast, not too slow.

Some tips:

  • Start with a web brainstorm about the topic
  • What would be your opinion on this topic? That could be your topic sentence.
  • Find three supporting facts. Don’t make them too long or too complicated.
  • Write a quick outline. What three things do you want to say? Write it in short form first, then write a bit more about each of those points.
  • Try not to start each sentence in the same way. Avoid always saying, “I think…”
  • Avoid repetition. Each sentence needs to be different.
  • Don’t start sentences with words that are meant to be connectors between ideas. For example: But, However, And, Because, Although

Here is the Speech Jar Rubric ! And here is the Sample Speech About Mondays from class. Good luck!

 

Ms. D