Welcome!
Welcome to our SPEECH page. Here you’ll find some of the resources needed to wade deep into the wondrous waters of our class. We’ll experience some works by well-known and well-versed speakers, we’ll prepare & share some of our own speeches, we’ll talk about speaking, analyze speaking, then talk some more. It’s a SPEECH class, after all, and one that requires the spoken word. So, fill those lungs, loosen up that larynx & those lips, and prepare those pipes for some powerful speaking experiences!
Public speaking is not easy for anyone. It will be hard work and, at times, nerve-wracking. But we will approach it as a learning community. All for one & one for all, or something like that.
Mostly, I am hopeful that our experience will be enjoyable and enriching and one of growth for us all. I am excited to share this brief experience with you & watch you flourish as you continue to find your voice.
Course Materials
Just click on the links below to find helpful resources.
NOTE: Daily assignments & updates will be served up using our Google Classroom page, so you’ll probably begin there and sometimes end up back here.
INTRO STUFF
- Love Letter to My Students
- Speech Intro
Letter(uh…Video) - Syllabus – SPEECH
- Mercy Core Values
- Who Have You Been (uh…. We should probably do this ALOUD!)
- Excel Grade Tracker (Be in control of your own destiny & know where you stand!)
- SoapBox Speech Permission Slip
- Morning Announcements
AREAS OF EXPLORATION:
- Speech Interest Inventory (What Are YOU Thinking?)
- Super Speeches Have Structure & Sing
- From Lungs to Larynx to Lips, Just How Important is Human Speech? CHOKE ON THIS!!
- Types of Speeches (Manuscript – Memorized – Extemporaneous – Impromptu)
- Social & Impromptu & Introductions, Oh My!
- The Body Electric (From Legs to Lungs to Larynx to Lips – Exercises That All Add Up)
- Building a Memory Palace (Exercising Those Memory Muscles)
- FOUNDATIONS & FEEDBACK
- Oral Interpretation
- Storytelling
- SPEECHWRITING
- Informational Speech (Demonstration w/Props to the Props?)
- Persuasive Speech
- Debates
- YOUR FINAL TAKE!
(One last question: How does a PODCAST fit into all of this speech exploration?)
Some Go-To Resources for SPEECHES:
- The Most Popular TEDTalks of All Time (VIDEO)
- 3 Speeches to Inspire Your Own Public Speaking (Harvard Professional Development)
- Top 100 American Speeches of 20th Century (UW Madison & Texas A&M)
- Top 100 – w/video/audio/transcript (BVT Lab Student Study Center)
- Top 100 – w/audio & transcript (AmericanRhetoric.com)
- Top 5 – 20th C (w/subtitles)
- Top 1o Most Popular Orators in History (WatchMojo)
- Famous Speeches That Changed the World (Biography.net)
- 49 Important Speeches in the 21st Century (AmericanRhetoric.com)
- 25 Iconic Speeches You’ll Want to Watch on Repeat (Marie Claire)
- Some Speeches for Rhetorical Analysis (w/some brief teacher commentary)
- Some Nice Rhetorical Analysis Exercises (Thanks, Texas!)
- MOVIE Speeches (AmericanRhetoric.com)
- Tales2Go: Famous Speeches
- A Hodgepodge of Public Speaking Speech Topics & Ideas (MySpeechClass.com)
- And Why Not a Spoken-Word Commencement from Harvard?!
- Harvard Orator Speech 2017
- Harvard Orator Speech 2019
Some Go-To Resources for SPEAKERS:
- TED’s Secret to Great Public Speaking (VIDEO 8 mins)
- How to Speak So That People Want to Listen (VIDEO w/exercises 10 mins)
- 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have
- Ethos, Logos, Pathos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking
- How to Use the RULE of 3 in Your Speeches
- How to Make Reading a Speech Not Like Reading a Speech
- 5 Speech-Writing Lessons from Obama Inauguration
- Improving Oral Presentations (From JT Cacioppo, one of my favorite undergrad profs! RIP)
- TED’s Speech Coach: 7 Zoom Mistakes You Might Still Be Making & How to Raise Your Video Skills
- Make Body Language Your Super Power (YouTube :13 mins)
- 3 Ways to Hack Your Brain To Conquer Your Nerves (INC)
- 6 Public Speaking Tips to Hook Any Audience (YouTube :10 mins)
And a Couple of All-Around Helpful Resources:
- Rock Your Speech Class
- 6 Minutes Speaking & Presentation Skills: Your Guide to Be a Confident & Effective Speaker
- Toastmasters International
- Toastmasters – Rochester, NY
- National Speech & Debate Association