Rockridge Secondary Public Speaking Competition

You will be writing and delivering an original speech or monologue as part of the Rockridge Public Speaking Competition. You will present this speech to your English class, and the top speeches from each class will then move forward to present to their grade. Finally, the top speeches from each grade will continue forward to the school-wide competition where students will compete in junior (gr.8-9) and senior (gr.10-12) categories. THE SPEECH CATEGORIES: Serious, Humourous, or Dramatic Monologue (1) Serious An informative topic o This might be a topic that you feel have an interest in, an issue in the news, a historical event, a sport, a person or organization, or how something works. o Your goal is to help your audience learn about the topic. Give them background information, statistics, and introduce them to multiple opinions or points of view. Examples could include: cancer; tornadoes; mental illness; Zoology; astronauts; marathon running; lie detectors; the Greenhouse Effect; dinosaurs; celebrities; the Industrial Revolution A controversial or persuasive topic o This might be a cause or a topic that you feel passionate about. Take a position. Examples could include: The Kyoto Accord; poverty; bullying; saving the whales; the Downtown East side. An inspirational topic: o This might be about a poem, piece of writing or event that moved or empowered you; a person or organization. It might be a rags to riches story, or something about overcoming adversity. Discuss the reasons why it is inspiring. Examples could include: WeDay; Steve Jobs; a sports figure; a family member A personal topic o This could be an anecdote, an essay about a person who is interesting, or an essay about an issue that affects you or people in general.

(2) Humourous Are you an aspiring stand up comic? Do you have funny stories or ideas that are appropriate but side-splitting? Then this is the category for you! o Examples could include: your parents; flatulence; the art of wooing a guy/girl; a satirical take on conventional topic; self-deprecation

(3) Dramatic Monologue A dramatic monologue is spoken to someone: to yourself, to an unseen character (i.e. you see them but the audience doesnt), to the audience, or to your god. It is a speech that happens in context: something has happened before to prompt these thoughts. It is a speech where the actor stays in character throughout and the actor wants a certain kind of reaction from the audience: you must have an intention. Gestures, facial expressions, and movement should come naturally from your words and intentions, and should fundamentally support your words. Other features: Can be serious or humorous, as long as it is ORIGINAL content. o You may choose to create a fictitious character, or adopt the persona of a real person You may wear a costume and use one vitally necessary prop. Must be memorized. THE LENGTH REQUIREMENTS Grade 8-9 10-12 Serious or Informative Speech 2:30-3:30 mins 3:30-4:30 mins Dramatic Monologue 2 minutes 2 minutes

PRESENTATION DATES: DATE Class Rounds (English class) Grade Rounds (Players Hall) Monday, March 3, 2014 Monday, March 3, 2014 Monday, March 3, 2014 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Friday, March GRADE 10 9 12 8 11 ALL BLOCK OF EVENT 1-2 1-3 1-4 2-2 2-3 * Adjusted block rotation in effect

Monday, February 24

School Round (Gym)

ASSESSMENT: See Presentation Rubric for your grade level.