[Assignment] 60 Second Speech: Pick a Card!

Background Info.

The purpose of this assignment is to develop students presentation software skills and public speaking abilities. Public speaking is one of the most nerve wracking activities for most people. The sooner students can develop the skills for good public speaking they can build their confidence when delivering presentations in class or in their career.

Directions

1. You will pull a card at random from a traditional 52-card deck.
2. The card that you pull will determine what the topic is for your speech.
3. You can redraw one time, but must accept the second card.

Topics

• 2: Describe your most embarrassing moment.
• 3: Describe a time you were scared or afraid.
• 4: Describe the funniest moment of your life.
• 5: Imagine you have been abducted by alien lifeforms. Explain what life is like as a human to the alien lifeforms.
• 6: Describe a time you disappointed someone else.
• 7: Describe something you would change about yourself and explain why.
• 8: Describe a person you would like to spend a day with and explain why.
• 9: Imagine you have just won a major award. Describe the award and explain why it is important to you.
• 10: Describe a time you "saved the day".
• Jack [J]: Describe your most triumphant moment.
• Queen [Q]: Describe your most epic failure.
• King [K]: Explain how you would make school more enjoyable.
• Ace [A]: Draw two more cards and pick one.
• Joker: Student Choice

Writing the Speech

Using this information you will need to plan and write a speech that should take 60 seconds to present. Usually, five to seven paragraphs is required to discuss all of the required information. When planning and writing your speech please make sure that you:

1. Introduce yourself to the audience.
2. Tell the audience what your topic is.
3. Provide details and support for your topic.
4. Thank the audience at the end.

You are required to have a hard-copy of your speech when you present. You can either print it out OR write it down on index cards.

The PowerPoint

Students will also create a PowerPoint to present along with the speech.

Rule #1 of every 60 Second Speech assignment is DO NOT READ DIRECTLY FROM THE POWERPOINT.

The PowerPoint is meant to be a visual aid for the speech, not the focus of the presentation. Your PowerPoint should include the following slides:

1. TITLE SLIDE with NAME, TOPIC.
2. Three slides with information.
3. CONCLUSION SLIDE

Pro-Tips for Great Slides

• Bullet points are usually better than sentences.
• No more than three or four bullet points per slide.
• Use a LARGE font so the audience can read it.
• Make sure the BACKGROUND and FONT COLOR contrast. (e.g. dark background with light font OR light background with dark font)
• No more than one or two pictures per slide.
• Keep sound effects and crazy transitions/animations to a minimum.

Rubric

Please click this link to access the rubric for the speech and PowerPoint parts of the project.

Presentation Dates

• Presentations will begin the week of December 16, 2019.
• A specific presentation order will be determined in class. Students will know at least one week before their scheduled presentation date.
• Students that are absent on their scheduled day will need to make-up their presentation during the next class period.