Living Wax Museum
Dear Team 4 Students,
Over the past couple weeks you have been working on researching a person of significance. You
have read a biography, taken detailed notes, and are currently working on turning notes into a biography of
your own. In addition to the biography, you are required to give a speech. You will present this speech
pretending to be the famous person or hero you have been researching. This letter is to prepare you for
what you will need to be thinking about as you read your book and prepare for your speech.
Your assignment is to take the information that you collected on your person and write a speech that
you will recite to your classmates. You will pretend to be your person, or you may choose to be a close
relative or friend of your person. Whichever you chose, you should have a memorized speech and should
come dressed as that individual on the day of the Living Wax Museum. Props and costumes are highly
recommended; however, we do not want this to be an expense for your family. If you do not have the
appropriate items at home, your costume may be created with paper. You may get paper supplies from
school.
Your speech should be about 30 seconds to a minute long, approximately 10 sentences, and include
the most important facts about the person. You will speak the words as if you are that person, a close
personal friend, or a relative. Your costume, paper or real, should reflect the era in which your character
lived. You must include the reason why your person is famous.
When you give your presentation on May 6th or 7th, you will be assessed on the following:
1.
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5.
The presentation should be well organized in sequential order, with smooth transitions, well-defined
ideas, and details.
You should vary your rate of speech and voice tone for emphasis and dramatic effects.
Your voice should be heard clearly at all times.
You should face the audience, stand balanced on both feet, make eye contact, and use gestures that
enhance the presentation.
Your costume should demonstrate that you used effort and thought in reflecting the era and
personality of your person.
In order to include all of these above parts in your speech, it will be expected that you practice
multiple times. Try presenting in front of different family members, friends, and even in front of the mirror
or your dog. The more you recite your speech, the more comfortable you will be when you present.
Your speech and planning sheets are due on Monday, April 28th. Students in Ms. Halsted and
Mr. Vinter’s homeroom classes will present on TUESDAY, MAY 6th. Students in Ms. Nabben and Mr.
Wiedeman’s homeroom classes will present on WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th. Both days the presentations will
begin at 9:30 a.m. On the day of your presentation, you must bring your costume. You will be given time
to change into your costume before the presentation begins.
Each day of presentations, Mrs. Sleight and the Team 4 Teachers will select the 4-6 highest quality
speeches to be video recorded for our school website. In total, 8-12 fourth grade students will be chosen for
this honor. PARENTS: If you do not want your child to be video taped for this project, please let your
child’s teacher know immediately.
Have fun, use your creativity, and if you have questions please contact us at 436-1140.
Sincerely,
Team 4 Teachers
Speech Planning Sheet
1. What will I need to wear in order to show my audience when and where my hero lived?
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2. How will I need to speak in order to show my characters age? What kind of accent or special words will I
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3. What kind of props will I need?
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4. As I pretend to be this character, what will I say that tells the audience about who my character is, where
he or she came from, what he or she thinks and feels, and what has happened in his or her life? Write out
your speech. It should be about 30 seconds to a minute of speaking.
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