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Elements of a Successful Graduation Speech

Elements of a Successful Graduation Speech. Writing. Theme Brevity Specificity Scope/Audience Analysis Bookends. Theme. Your speech should have a comprehensive theme What is theme? Sample themes? Adversity? Friendship? Compassion? Grit? Creativity? Fun?

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Elements of a Successful Graduation Speech

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  1. Elements of a Successful Graduation Speech

  2. Writing • Theme • Brevity • Specificity • Scope/Audience Analysis • Bookends

  3. Theme • Your speech should have a comprehensive theme • What is theme? • Sample themes? • Adversity? Friendship? Compassion? Grit? Creativity? Fun? • Your speech should consistently explain, enhance, deepen, its theme • High school, graduation, moving on, the future, etc, are NOT themes, they are topics • Express/develop theme THROUGH topic

  4. Brevity • Its hot, humid, sunny, and the seats/bleachers are really uncomfortable • Parents and grandparents want to see their kids, kids want to get out of there, etc • Be quick! • Get it, make your point, and get out. Your speech will be better for it. • Brevity requires proper planning, focus, and most importantly REVISION!

  5. Scope/Audience Analysis • High school and college students will often use the “shot gun approach” with respect to anecdotal evidence • Like remember that time, freshman year. . . • OMG, and like, sophomore year on the bus . . . • And all those crazy Mr. Smith days . . . • If you weren’t on the bus, didn’t have Mr. Smith, YOU DON’T CARE, like, AT ALL

  6. Scope/Audience Analysis • You’re speaking to a varied audience here; make sure that you appeal to every member • Teachers • Parents • Classmates • Grandparents • Yourself • This often means striking a balance between building connections with your audience while speaking through/about personal experience

  7. Specificity • Back to the “shot gun approach” to anecdotes • Don’t just throw out all the good times you had in school • These are meaningless essentially. Centered around a topic (high school), with no theme, no scope, etc • Instead, choose moments (1-3 at MOST) carefully • Make sure they appeal to your WHOLE audience • This is generally achieved by advancing/developing your theme • AGAIN, develop theme through topic (anecdotes)

  8. Bookends • Reference your introduction in your conclusion • A properly developed and delivered theme will usually make it easy to bookend your speech • Example: Sam’s Tribute Speech • Nelson Mandela as “The Troublemaker” • Effective use of bookends

  9. Delivery • Speak SLOWLY • Use/display emotion properly • Connect with audience (all members) • Be confident • Pauses • No “fillers” • Don’t apologize or break cadence for mistakes, move on • Be Humble • “Taking credit like he did it by himself, too much pride to realize that he really had help” • You are the speaker, but it isn’t about you! You are SERVING your class and your audience with speech

  10. Evaluation • Evaluate the follow speeches using the peer evaluation worksheets • Also consider • Theme • Brevity • Specificity and Scope • Address these areas on the back of your sheet

  11. Sample Graduation Speeches Creative/atypical graduation speech College Graduation Speech Humorous High School Speech Inspirational Graduation Speech My Wicked Good Graduation Speech

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