Tropicana Speech Contest
This week we’re going to be working on Tropicana speeches. In case you’re unfamiliar with the Tropicana speech contest, here’s a quick rundown. The Tropicana speech contest starts with a classroom competition, where you’ll have opportunity to earn 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Those who place 1st place will be in competition with the other 6th graders in our school to see who will be able to go on to the district competition. After that, the winner will go on to the State competition and possibly even the National competition. Our class competition will be on April 23rd or 24th, depending on if you are A day or B day. The school competition is on May
Since this is also FCAT week, everything that we work on for the speeches is self-paced. That means that you will work on each section at your own speed. Follow the directions for each activity and at the end you will have a speech!
Each student was given a copy of the speech rubric that will be used both for the class presentations, as well as
The Rough Draft will be worth a quiz grade. The Final Copy on Note Cards will count as a test grade. The speech presentation itself will also count as a test grade, with the Tropicana Rubric being used.
Since this is also FCAT week, everything that we work on for the speeches is self-paced. That means that you will work on each section at your own speed. Follow the directions for each activity and at the end you will have a speech!
Each student was given a copy of the speech rubric that will be used both for the class presentations, as well as
The Rough Draft will be worth a quiz grade. The Final Copy on Note Cards will count as a test grade. The speech presentation itself will also count as a test grade, with the Tropicana Rubric being used.
Step One: Brainstorming
Directions: Write two sentences about each question.
1. What is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?
2. If your house was burning down, your family and pets were safely out of the house, and you could only grab one thing, what would you grab and why?
3. What is one thing that you are an expert about? Tell me the most interesting fact about your thing.
4. What is your favorite place? What makes it special?
1. What is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?
2. If your house was burning down, your family and pets were safely out of the house, and you could only grab one thing, what would you grab and why?
3. What is one thing that you are an expert about? Tell me the most interesting fact about your thing.
4. What is your favorite place? What makes it special?
Step Two: Choosing Your Topic - Interest and Length
When you’re deciding on a topic to use for your speech, it’s important to remember who your audience is. The audience will be a group of people who are mostly strangers to you, who will not know anything about you. They may have no experience with what you choose to talk about. Something else to consider when you are choosing your topic, is whether or not you’ll be able to meet the required time limit of 2-3 minutes. The questions you just answered for Step One are all excellent speech topics (which is why I gave them to you), however know that if you have a totally awesome topic that wasn’t one of the answers to those questions you can still use it. You may want to come and check it with me first though, just to make sure. Write the thesis and main ideas that you’re going to include in your speech in the space provided below.
Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #1: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #2: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #1: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #2: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Step Three: Run it by a partner
Before you go through all of the time and energy it takes to write your speech, it’s a good idea to run it by someone first. You’ll need to find a partner who is at the same place in their packet, share your thesis and main ideas, and have your partner write their name and two comments below. While they’re looking over your speech ideas, you’ll be doing the same with theirs. You’ll need to write your name, one positive comment, and one suggestion for improvement. Go to the Editing Corner to find someone who is also ready to run their thesis and main ideas by a partner.
For the Partner:
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Positive Comment: ____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Suggestion for Improvement: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
For the Partner:
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Positive Comment: ____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Suggestion for Improvement: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Step Four: Frame Your Speech
Before you start putting your sentences together, it’s a good idea to frame the outline of your speech. You’ve got your thesis and main ideas, but what supporting details do you want to make sure you add? Finish your frame to make sure you get all your ideas down.
You’ll notice that under the thesis there’s a space labeled Hook and one under Concluding Statement labeled Powerful Conclusion. Talented public speakers include something of interest to add to the beginning and end of a speech. It can be a story from your life (that’s related to your topic), it could be a joke, or an interesting fact. Any one of those examples can pull your audience in and will help them not only pay attention, but also to remember your speech long after you finish.
Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Hook: ________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #1: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #2: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Closing Statement: ____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Powerful Conclusion: ___________________________________________________________________
You’ll notice that under the thesis there’s a space labeled Hook and one under Concluding Statement labeled Powerful Conclusion. Talented public speakers include something of interest to add to the beginning and end of a speech. It can be a story from your life (that’s related to your topic), it could be a joke, or an interesting fact. Any one of those examples can pull your audience in and will help them not only pay attention, but also to remember your speech long after you finish.
Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Hook: ________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #1: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea #2: ________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Support: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Closing Statement: ____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Powerful Conclusion: ___________________________________________________________________
Step Five: Writing Your Speech (The Rough Draft)
Now you’re going to take your frame and turn it into a speech, this process is pretty much identical to writing an essay. I’m not going to give you a number of sentence or paragraphs that I’m going to require you write. However, remember that the same rules apply to speech writing as any other kind. I still expect to see paragraphs and sentences. Also keep in mind that your speech must meet the minimum time requirement of two minutes, otherwise points are deducted from your score (and therefore your grade).
On your own piece of notebook paper write your speech (in essay form). When you finish, staple it to the back of this packet so that it won’t get lost.
On your own piece of notebook paper write your speech (in essay form). When you finish, staple it to the back of this packet so that it won’t get lost.
Step Six: Peer Edit
You will find copies of the Peer Editing Checklist on the table by the door. Go
to the Editing Corner to find a partner to look over your speech. You will need
to get at least two people to edit your work.
Step Seven: Final Copy (Note Cards)
Now it’s time to write your final copy. Since this is a speech, your final copy needs to be on notecards, if you don’t have any index cards you can use notebook paper cut into four squares. Here’s a list of recommendations to make your speech go easier.
Please remember to turn in your note cards when you are finished with your speech because they will count as a test grade.
- Don’t break up a sentence between two note cards, it’s distracting to both you and the audience when you have to change cards in the middle of a sentence.
- Number your notecards, that way if they get out of order for some reason you’ll be able to easily tell what order they belong in.
- Only write on one side of your cards. That way if they ink bleeds through you’ll still be able to clearly read every word on your cards. Also, it makes it easier for you during the presentation, so you won’t need to be flipping back and forth.
Please remember to turn in your note cards when you are finished with your speech because they will count as a test grade.