Creative and Critical Thinking

ASSIGNMENT 3: What Makes a Great Speech?

Learning Target (Curricular Competencies):

  • Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written, oral, visual, and multimodal texts
  • Explore appropriate spoken language formats for intended purposes
You just created a list of tips for potential speech givers.  Watch the speeches below and assess the impact of the message as well as how well the speech giver used the tips you suggested. 

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States.  This is his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention which really introduced him to Americans.

Malala Yousafzai's story has inspired millions. Here's a brief look at the young activist in her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize emphasizing the need for all of us to stand with Malala in her fight against horrific human rights abuses and fight for women's rights for education, not just in the Middle East, but all around the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using the tactics of nonviolence and civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs and inspired by the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi.
Task: 
Choose ONE speech  and assess the impact of the message as well as how well the speech giver used the tips you suggested. If you'd like to review a different speech, speak to your teacher.  These are my favorite speeches.  You might consider other powerful orators such as Steve Jobs, Justin Trudeau, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.  Your goal is to review and discuss the effectiveness of 3 different speeches.  You can write paragraphs or submit in point form for each speech.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Speech is thoroughly assessed based on the impact and skills used.  Ideas generated are thoughtful and unique.

Written Expression:  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission: 

Use the "1.3 What Makes a Great Speech?" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.