Oral Communications is a one semester course. Although the course is a graduation requirement, oral communication teachers strive to make students comfortable with the public speaking portions of the course. We, naturally think the class is both fun and useful. Speech (Oral Communications) is not difficult. As a matter of fact, the only students that have ever failed Oral Communications (to my knowledge) have been students who have not completed major speaking assignments or have missed too many classes in order to receive credit according to district attendance policies. Because Speech is a performance-based course (similar to music, band, drama, P.E.), I like to educate students on day one as to the requirements for passing: you cannot pass the class if you miss a major speaking assignment regardless of your grade. That is not to say that there could never be any highly unusual circumstances that occur that could possibly make me rethink policy, but only on a case by case basis--and only for students who have consistently shown a readiness and willingness to participate. Most students do very well, and quite a few have admitted that once they had spoken a couple of times, that they felt pleased with their ability to do something they had never thought possible for them. Many others have claimed that Oral Communications had become one of their favorite classes because you will have numerous opportunities to voice and logically defend your opinions on a variety of topics. REMEMBER, I am here for you. I can be at school early for the students at Heritage, and I can stay late for the students at RHS. You can email me or call me if you have concerns. HOWEVER, you cannot wait until the last minute to seek help or fail to do the step by step processes as they are assigned because you choose to visit with your neighbor in class, work on another assignment, etc. instead of producing something that shows a real effort (right or wrong)--and expect to delay your assignment. A student that claims they are nervous about speaking with a completed speech or outline in hand is a great deal more believable than a student who claims nervousness, but has little or nothing in hand. Take a look at past posts on this blog to view examples, instructions, and web sites to help you with upcoming assignments. Some assignments will change, but there is much information that will be useful. Good luck! Mrs. Taylor
We are going to be getting ready to go to the library this next week to gather information for our informative speeches due April 7. You will be responsible for turning in your thesis statement by April 1st. A formal outline is due at the time you present your speech. You will be responsible for a typed outline and bibliography of sources (at least 2 sources) that will be turned into me before you present your at least 3 minute or longer speech.The bibliography may be added on same page directly after the outline or on a separate page—it should be labeled: Bibliography. You should have enough time to complete the outline and make a copy while we are in the library. I need the outline and bibliography as you are giving your speech. You will present your speech from note cards. Do not ask me if you can use your outline to give your speech from. PUT THE INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED ON NOTECARDS. All you need list are key words to help you remember your next bit of information. Remember practice aloud, with someone watching you. Practice your eye contact and your gestures. Practice sounding conversational. Time your speech, and practice volume. Be energetic and show enthusiasm about your topic and delivery. Remember, if you bring a note from a parent or guardian attesting to the fact that they witnessed you practicing, you will receive 5 bonus points. Outline format and sample speech with completed outline and sample works cited page with bibliographic examples from online are entered below:
Your thesis statement should be specific and probably contain three main points. (no more than five): Example: Babe Ruth was destined for fame starting from his days as a young ball player, then next by getting attention as a result of his remarkable pitching, and finally, by stunning fans as a home-run hitter. These will be the three main divisions that will then be discussed in the body of your speech:
Introduction
Attention: The expression, "The House that Ruth built," does not refer to a house at all, but to a baseball stadium, and that stadium was just recently replaced after 85 years of baseball in New York by a new stadium--dedicated on April 3, of this year, 2009.
Thesis: Babe Ruth was destined for fame starting from his days as a young ball player, then next by getting attention as a result of his remarkable pitching, and finally, by stunning fans as a home-run hitter.
Body
I. Babe Ruth loved to play baseball when growing up.
A.
B.
II. Ruth started his career as an outstanding pitcher.
A.
B.
III. The Babe became even more famous as a home-run king.
A.
B.
Conclusion:
I. Babe Ruth is one of the first and most familiar names associated with the great American pass-time. From his youth till the last time he swung his bat professionally, he was about the game of baseball.
II. So the next time you stand at a ball game, you might also want to take your hat off to the man who brought so many fans to the game that enough money was raised to build the New York Yankee's first stadium in 1923--Yankee Stadium: the house that Ruth built.
Some of the information to fill in the details in the Body of the speech could come from The Babe Ruth Web Site from the Achievements section:
Roesler, Mark. "Achievements." Official Home of The Sultan of Swat: Babe Ruth. com. 29 March 2009
Welcome to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">BabeRuth</span>.comAchievements
Babe Ruth's career mark of 714 home runs stood as the all-time record for 39 years, until Hank Aaron hit his 715th on Opening Day of the 1974 season.
Babe Ruth is the only player ever to hit three home runs in a World Series game on two separate occasions-Game 4 of the 1926 Series and Game 4 of the 1928 Series.
Babe Ruth reached the 500 home run plateau in 5801 at-bats--the second fewest number in history.
Babe Ruth holds the record for the longest complete game victory in World Series history. In 1916, as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Ruth pitched 14 innings to defeat the Brooklyn Robins. He only allowed one run in the first inning, then settled down to shut out the Robins for the next 13 innings for the 2-1 win. The Red Sox would go on to win the Series in 5 games
Babe Ruth led the American League in home runs 12 times (1918-1921, 1923, 1924, 1926-1931.)
In 1927, Babe Ruth's 60 home runs accounted for 14% of all home runs in the American League that year. To put that figure in modern perspective, a player would need to hit over 340 home runs in a season to account for 14% of the American League's total homerun output.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Babe and teammate Lou Gehrig were the most feared hitters in baseball. Remarkably, the dynamic duo combined to out-homer every team in the majors except one in 1927.
From 1915-17, Ruth won 65 games, the most by any left-handed pitcher in the majors during that time.
Ruth's career .690 slugging percentage is the highest total in the history of Major League Baseball. (Slugging percentage is calculated by dividing total bases by at-bats.)
Ruth altered the salary structure of the game - via a trickle-down effect. His highest salary was $80,000 annually in 1930 and 1931. He suffered a $5,000 pay cut in 1932 despite hitting .373, leading the majors in 1931 with a .700 slugging percentage, tying for the lead in homers with 46 and knocking in 163 runs.
After the Red Sox sold him to the Yankees, Ruth single-handedly outhomered the entire Boston team in 10 of the next 12 seasons.
Remember-Outline: If you have a 1, you have to have a 2. If you have an A, you have to have a B. Outline format follows: NOTE: You may have more than 3 main points and more or less supporting material than placed on this format.
Informative Outline Format
Introduction
I.Attention Statement:
II.Thesis:
Body
I.Main Point:
A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
B.
1.
2.
II.Main Point:
A.
1.
2.
B.
C.
1.
2.
III.Main Point:
A.
1.
2.
B.
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion
I.Brief Summary:
II.Memorable and final:
How Humor Heals (Informative Speech Example-bestspeechtopics.com)
I had to spend a week or so in the hospital last year. A minor ear infection turned into some major problems for my immune system. I was fairly depressed and frustrated one night after my doctor had given me the news that still more tests would be needed, which meant another few days in an uncomfortable bed with people poking and prodding at me.
As I thought about it, the pain began again, and I was sure that my condition might only become more serious. About the time I began to wonder if I would ever see my own home again, my best friend from high school stopped by. She was, quite literally, our class clown. She always had a great joke on the tip of her tongue. She was the mascot at the football games because her antics were so funny. Even now I can't help but smile when I think about her. Two hours after she left, I felt great. I had no pain when I woke up the next morning, and that evening, all of my test results were positive. A miracle? Actually, yes. (Attention -Story)Study after study has indicated that humor has interesting healing powers that enable us to change our perspective on situations, triggers laughter that stimulates our cardiovascular systems and reduces levels of certain stress hormones. (thesis statement)
One way that humor can help to heal is that it literally changes our outlook on life. As we laugh, we have trouble seeing life's difficulties the same way. Suddenly, our problems don't seem quite as bad. Humor allows one to distance himself/herself from a painful physical or medical situation while also acknowledging that he or she is in such a situation.
This change in perspective is a powerful healing force. Distancing yourself from a distressing situation allows you to view certain circumstances from a more objective perspective, and this can help you extract powerful emotions that focus on your pain or sorrow. In doing this, you do not reject the painful circumstances surrounding you, but acknowledge the reality of your situation - the good with the bad. Recent mental health studies have shown that laughter can stimulate areas of the brain that release endorphins, helping us to see our situation more clearly.
The benefits of humor, though, aren't all mental. Humor triggers laughter. According to physiological studies, the laughter, in turn, stimulates our cardiovascular systems by increasing the rate at which the heart beats and contracting the muscles. In fact, one study suggested that laughing one hundred times per day is the equivalent of spending ten minutes on a rowing machine.
Another study went so far as to suggest that the benefits of laughter reach far beyond our body system. "Laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones which suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets - which can cause obstructions in arteries, and raise blood pressure," said one researcher. "When we're laughing, natural killer cells that destroy cancer cells increase, as does the level of Gamma-interferon - a disease-fighting protein, T-cells - a major part of the immune system, and B-cells - which make disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter may also increase the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering through the respiratory tract so it helps us to resist colds and viruses." That makes quite a case of the adage "A barrel of laughs a day keeps the doctor away."
Though medically, the interesting healing powers of humor are still being studied by many scientists, humor clearly heals the spirit - a part of every one of us which is often neglected by medicine and science.The healing power of humor is wide-ranging in scope and situation.
Seeing the humor in our painful or emotional situations can free us from the chains we have built around ourselves, helping us to recognize that life is more than anger or pain or sorrow, but that it is full of humor and the contagious sound of laughter. (Summary)
So, in the words of the great Hans Solo, "Laugh it up, fuzzball." (Stirring Ending)
Outline for Laughter Speech
Introduction
I.Story about(class clown who came to visit in hospital and made author of this speech feel better)
II. Thesis Statement:Study after study has indicated that humor has interesting healing powers that enable us to change our perspective on situations, triggers laughter that stimulates our cardiovascular systems and reduces levels of certain stress hormones.
(Transition)One way that humor can help is that it literally changes our outlook on life.
Body
I.When we laugh, we have trouble seeing life’s difficulties the same way.
A.Distancing yourself allows you to view circumstances from a more objective perspective.
1.This can help you extract powerful emotions that focus on your pain or sorrow.
2.You do not reject the painful circumstances, but acknowledge the reality of your situation-the good with the bad.
B.Laughter can stimulate areas of the brain that release endorphins, helping us to see our situation more clearly.
(Transition) The benefits of humor, though, aren’t all mental.
II. Humor triggers laughter and laughter, in turn, stimulates our cardiovascular systems.
A.Laughter increases the rate at which the heart beats and contracting muscles.
B.One study suggested that laughing one hundred times a day is the equivalent of spending ten minutes on a rowing machine.
(Transition)Another study went so far as to suggest that the benefits of laughter reach far beyond our body system.
III. Laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones.
A.These hormones:
1.Suppress the immune system.
2.Increase the number of blood platelets which can cause obstructions in the arteries.
3.Raise blood pressure.
B.When we are laughing:Natural killer cells that cause cancer and Gamma-interferon, a disease-fighting protein, T-cells, a major part of the immune system, and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies all increase.
C.Laughter may also increase the concentration of Salivary Immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering through the respiratory tract so it helps us to resist colds and viruses.
(Transition) The healing power of humor is wide-ranging in scope and situation.
Conclusion
I. Seeing the humor in our painful or emotional situations can free us from the chains we have built around ourselves, helping us to recognize that life is more than anger or pain or sorrow, but that it is full of humor and the contagious sound of laughter.
II. So, in the words of the great Hans Solo, "Laugh it up, fuzzball."
"Business Coalition for Climate Action Doubles." Environmental Defense. 8 May 2007. Environmental Defense Organization. 24 May 2007 .
Clinton, Bill. Interview. New York Times on the Web. May 2007. 25 May 2007 . Keyword: Climate.
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times on the Web 22 May 2007. 25 May 2007 .
Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com. 2 June 2006. 24 May 2007 .
Global Warming. 2007. Cooler Heads Coalition. 24 May 2007 .
Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 14.1 (2007): 27-36.
An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore. Lawrence Bender, 2006.
Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. New York: Springer, 2005.
Milken, Michael, Gary Becker, Myron Scholes, and Daniel Kahneman. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives Quarterly 23.4 (2006): 63.
Nordhaus, William D. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming." American Economic Review 96.2 (2006): 31-34.
Shulte, Bret. "Putting a Price on Pollution; Climate change laws seem inevitable, but their economic impact is unknown." US News & World Report 14 May 2007. 24 May 2007.
Uzawa, Hirofumi. Economic Theory and Global Warming. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2003.
Monday, November 17 will be our last day for informative speeches. Tuesday, November 18, we will begin with discussion and notes on congressional bills and parliamentary procedure, our next big project. Our classroom will present their bills much like Congress does in passing laws. But before the classroom becomes a student congress, we will have to conduct research and each student will have to draft their own bill to submit to the class to be debated and voted upon. Students will have the opportunity to choose their own issue that they feel warrants change in our present system concerning either--school policy, local policy, state law, or national law. Students will receive points for drafting their bills, presenting their bills, and their parliamentary procedure skills which includes points for following parliamentary procedure and for participation in the debates of the various bills. Students must participate in the debates and questioning periods of their class student congress in order to do well on this project which will be worth 125 to possibly 200 points (depending on how we decide to count short debate speeches and how many extra credit points may be earned). Friday, November 21, we will begin our research by going to the computer lab every day through Tuesday, December 2. By that time students will have to have their bills typed and ready to submit to me in order for me to make a copy of every student's (within a class) bill -- so all will have a packet of any current and future bills on the floor. We will begin debate on December 3, and hopefully complete our session by December 12. I will give out a study guide for our semester test which will be given by, or shortly before December 19, our last day of the semester and of Oral Communications for this group of students. The semester test will cover: understanding communication, verbal and nonverbal communication, intrapersonal communication, the informative speaking process, and parliamentary procedure. It will be important that students spend time studying the study guide as the semester test grade will be 20% of the semester grade.
Remember, no school this Friday! Informative speeches are due this week which include a typed outline to be presented to me when you get ready to present. Total points for presentation and outline are 125 pts. I will take volunteers until no one volunteers, then I will call on students--don't miss out on volunteer points. Good luck.
We have been in the library this week working on Informative speeches that are due Monday, November 10. Students must present a typed outline to me just before they step up to present speech. Remember, the speeches are worth 125 pts.--100 pts for content and presentation and 25 pts. for outline. Students may receive additional credit if they bring a note from home signed by parent stating that they listened to child's speech. Extra credit can also be received for volunteering. I am looking forward next week to some interesting speeches and awesome speakers. Thank you.
Students in my classes, remember if you want to see the Halloween drama performances, you must purchase a ticket. All of my classes will be attending on the 31st with the exception of 4th hr. There will be no performances during 4th hr. because of lunch. Price of admission is .99 cents. You may donate the penny to the drama department to make it an even $1.00. We are going to be getting ready to go to the library a few days next week to gather information for our informative speeches due the second week in November. Be thinking of a topic that you would like to give us information about. Remember, do not cross over into the realm of persuasive speaking and try to convince us to support something or somebody, or to change our views on some issue or to make some type of change--you'll have to save any persuasive ideas for later when we do our student congressional bills. You will also be required to submit an outline with your persuasive speech.
I have been teaching for 20 years. I have been teaching in Rogers since 1994 at Oakdale where I taught Speech, Drama, and keystone. I am currently teaching at both Rogers High Schools (first and second hr. at Heritage and 4,5,6, & 7th hrs. at RHS. I am married and have a boy (27) and a girl (21), and a Boxer who is (4).
My family and I were all born in Little Rock, but moved to this area in 1993.
School email and phone:
ptaylor@rps.k12.ar.us --Call
636-2202 at RHS, and call
631-3579 at Heritage High.
Home email and phone: filtaylor@sbcglobal.net
925-2688--
Conference time: 3rd hr.
10:25 - 11:20
