Speaker:______Evaluator:______

Public Speaking - Speech #10

Graduation Speech – Focus, Enjoyment, Audience and Delivery

Your next mission is to deliver a graduation speech. Actual graduation speech auditions are scheduled for Monday, May 10th. This “assignment” should be both practical and cathartic. At this point in the semester, you should be prepared to demonstrate all of the skills that you have developed over the past two months including the following:

  • A strong opening
  • A consistently used metaphor or theme
  • An integrated quote that is not a cliché
  • Audience awareness
  • Dramatic use of pitch, volume, tone and rate
  • An effective closing.

You must script this speech and provide annotations to assist in your delivery.

Your speech should range from approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Please keep in mind that actual graduation speeches are capped at three minutes.

Although your style will dictate the way in which you craft this speech, below is a list of “ingredients” that every speech must have.

Formal welcome and acknowledgement of all guests (students, parents, friends, relatives, faculty, administration, community, etc.) Establish your credibility within one or all of those contexts. /10 points

Create a strong and continuous metaphor or theme that has at least five supports/tie-ins throughout the speech. /30 points

  • Example: If you state that graduation is a winding path, mention events and ideas that would be found along that path- You must encounter the weeds if you want to find the flowers. At times the path is easy to navigate; other times you must trek with uncertainty into the muck.
  • Example: If you state that graduation is an event that draws a line where everyone must acknowledge his or her responsibility as an adult, mention what those responsibilities mean or other touch stones that led you there- While this is one of the most important transitions in our lives, there have been others. We each grew up a little when we rode the bus for the first time. We all felt a little more independent when we entered South for the first time.

Employs a strong quotation that is not a cliché /10 points

Specific moments to memorialize or future events to anticipate/10 points

What you personally have learned and the wisdom you wish to impart/10 points

A memorable closing that reminds your audience how to think about this occasion

/10 points

Respect your audience:

  • Courtesies shown (preparation, demeanor, dress)
  • Establishes eye-contact with all parts of the classroom
  • Demonstrates positive body language by using a relaxed and confident posture and smiling.
  • Delivery- vocal energy, volume, cadence and body language all enhance the meaning of your speech /20 points

/100 points

2 copies of speech, each with specific annotations regarding volume, rate, pitch and body language presented on speech due date. /10 points

Name:______Period:______Date:______

Graduation Speech Brainstorming/Survey

How do you feel about graduation? Consider the range of emotions that are a part of this experience.

What does the future hold for you? What are you looking forward to? What do you fear? How might others answer these same questions?

What should every high school graduate keep in mind moving forward? Words of wisdom from recognized sources or those close to you.

What are the most important memories you have? What memories can others relate to.

Identify 3 of the most important things you have learned to this point- how did you learn these lessons?

Who will be attending graduation? Consider grouping people by their “roles” and by their “classifications”

Who would you thank and for what reasons?

Create 5 metaphors for graduation