Welcome to Public Speaking

Course Description

Improve your skills in speaking.  This course will help students acquire self-confidence and poise while developing formal communication skills.  Students will participate in speeches to inform, impress, persuade, and entertain.  These speeches must be completed for course credit to be given.  Other activities in the class may include speeches for special occasions: oral interpretation, and parliamentary procedure, impromptu and extemporaneous speeches, and debate.

In this class you will be required to complete various speeches and debates.  Listed below are the speeches that will be assigned this semester.  Speeches are subject to change and additions / subtraction to the list may apply if applicable.  With most speeches, an outline, 3x5 note cards, and a written manuscript must be submitted to obtain credit.  Most speeches will be worth 50-100 points, which include the written components and the delivery of the speech.  Major speeches will be worth more points.

To promote active listening, each student will be writing a response about the speeches heard in class.  I want each student to take the listening part very seriously; therefore the responses will be turned for a grade.

Readings will be assigned from the text Getting Started in Debate (1^st Semester) and Speech: Exploring Communication (1^st & 2^nd Semester).  There may be a few quizzes throughout the semester, some will be assigned and others will be unannounced.  All information from class may be on the final written exam.

All students will sign up to read the announcements that are on each day of school. This will be considered a formal speech and will count as a grade.  The formal, graded speeches are as follows: (More speeches may be assigned as time allows.)

Mini Speeches

Impromptu

T-Shirt Speech

Me Speech

Pet Peeve Speech

Sales Speech

Announcements

Major Speeches

Extemporaneous / Manuscript / Memorization

Persuasive Speech x2

Demonstration Speech

Informative Speech

Video Taped Commercials - Group Speech

Monologue Performance (Memorization)

Gettysburg Address (Memorization)

Debates (too many to count)

Time limits on speeches will vary depending on the topics.  Students will be required to keep their times within the required amount.

Debate – Must Participate in ONE Scholarly Academic Competitive Debate to Pass 1^st Semester

Forensics – Must Participate in ONE Competitive Speech Competition to Pass 2^nd Semester 

Grades will be weighed as follows: 

Speeches – 70%                                                                                  1^st Quarter – 40%

Assignments – 5%                                                                               2^nd Quarter – 40%

Tests/Quizzes – 10%                                                                                     Exam – 20%

Participation – 15%

Grade Equivalencies 

100% = A     99-90% = A   89-80% = B   79-70% = C    69-60% = D   59% or below = F 

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