Speak Up Project

Due Date- December 14th

Practice with partners – December 15 and 16th

Speeches: Monday 12/19 – Thursday 12/22 (3-5 minutes in length)

Mr. Lucas

Assignment

  • Write a speech on a topic you feel passionately about ( also one from the list of topics I provided) We can negotiate if you want to do something not on the list
  • Follow the rubric for your speech along with the provided Speech Outline Template which will
  • be due 1 week before your scheduled speech.
  • Watch or read a great speech and write a paragraph response to why it was considered one of the greatest speeches ever. I will provide a list and some links.
  • Everyone asks how long my speech has to be. Don’t ask that; instead ask how good my speech should be? Imagine the speech is like a good steak or if you are a vegetarian a good cut of tofu’. If the steak is small but delicious no one cares about the size, just like if your speech is short but outstanding no one is going to worry about the length of it. Make sure your speech is extremely focused, so the length of your speech will not matter.
  • Prepare! You are going to spend a lot more time preparing for the speech then giving it. The more time you prepare the better the speech will end up being. Do your research, practice at home and get ready to amaze the crowd with your awesome speech.

Public speaking is an important skill. The goal should be to communicate effectively their position on a topic that they care about. Many students are wary of speaking in public; I hope to alleviate some of their fears by giving them an opportunity to give a short speech on a topic relevant to their lives.

Possible Topics

Student Life

  • Are websites like Facebook and Twitter substituting for Face to Face interaction?
  • Should homework be banned? Pros and Cons
  • School uniforms should be mandatory?
  • Should teachers be paid based on students’ performance?
  • Is there too much testing in schools? What alternatives are out there?
  • Does access to the internet distract and hurt students’ performance in school?

Political or Global Issues

  • What can be done about poverty in America?
  • Immigration reform, what can be done?
  • War on Drugs, is it worth it? Should marijuana be legalized?
  • Women in the military?
  • Should gay marriage be legal in the United States?

Current Affairs

  • Isn’t health care insurance the right of all Americans?
  • Should violent video games be banned?
  • Is climate change real? Should we be worried? How can we protect our environment?
  • Cell phone use in schools?
  • Are kids to hooked into electronics? What are the risks? Do IPods make kids anti-social?

Constitution or Bill of Rights

  • Amendments- Gun rights, privacy?