Vocabulary Speech
(200 points)
This assignment will serve three purposes: one, it will give you an
opportunity to continue to make progress on your public speaking
skills; two, it will give you an opportunity to try out a new method of
vocabulary acquisition, one that is based on the research of Robert
Marzano; three, it will enhance our class’s working vocabulary.
Products:
* Three to five minute speech/presentation given in front of the
class that…
- demonstrates good public speaking technique, particularly
the use of a powerful TEASER opening.
- teaches us the denotation and connotation of the word.
- invites us to use or work with the word in some way.
* Vocabulary research notes
* Word-o-Graph (8 x 11)
* Connotation-rich Sentence (8 x 11)
Process:
1. Choose a word from the SAT Prep Advanced Vocabulary List.
You’ll want to note that the rubric specifies that the Practitioner
column requires this to be a word that few students in the class
have an understanding of.
2. Go to the google doc. (link on my page) titled “English 10 Vocabulary
Speeches.” Find your class, make sure no one else
has selected the same word, and then claim the word by
placing your name and it on the chart.
3. Look up the denotation (dictionary definition) of the word. I have spent a
good deal of time looking around at different dictionaries and have found
websters.com and dictionary.com to be fairly weak. (They show up first on
google searches because they pay). I have created links to a few of my
favorite online dictionaries, like the straightforward yourdictionary, on the
schoolwires page. Copy and past dictionary definition into your
notes. I sometimes find it fun to look up words in Wikipedia as well; this can
give you a deeper understanding of the etymology (or history) of your word.
4. Seeing how it works in context. Go to any webpage that has a search
button or use the google trick below and search for your
word being used in context. I love using entertainment weekly, the New York
Times Magazine, or ESPN.com for this. Find three
sentences that use your word and copy and paste them into your notes.
Google Trick: you can search for a particular term on any site by using the following google
formula:
term site:websiteadress.com
example:
draconian site:nytimes.com
Computer Trick: How to find a word on a webpage. To find a word on a webpage, hit
Command+F (for find). Depending on what kind of computer you are using a box will show
up somewhere, which allows you to type in a search term.
5. Paraphrase x 5. Now that you have explored the connotation of
your word – the way it is used in real contexts – you are ready to
put it into your own words.
a. first, define the word, borrowing at least two words
from the original definition but making sure they do
not appear in the same order as in the original definition.
b. second, define the word, borrowing no words from the
original definition (other than articles like “the”).
c. define the word through an example:
____________ means _________________________________; for example,
(give us a sentence here that uses the word).
d. in a sentence or two, explain what your word is and what it is not
(but may be related to).
e. Import the word into your life. In a sentence or two,
explain the role this word plays in some aspect of your life.
6. Create your Word-O-Graph. This image must contain the word, written
large enough that it can be seen from the back of our classroom, and some
kind of visuals that help reinforce the meaning of the word.
7. On a second piece of 8 x 11 paper, write out a sentence, large enough to be
seen from the back of the classroom. This sentence
should give us a clear sense of the word’s meaning.
8. Plan out and rehearse your speech!
http://yourdictionary.com
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aWZCbTnjQQLeUEVJZFVfPO9oBgJsYgmFM
eQQgJbreZc/edit?usp=sharing
Rubric
Novice
Developing
Practitioner
Expert
Does not make eye contact
with the audience.
Makes some eye contact with
some of the audience.
Makes varied inconsistent
eye contact with the entire
audience.
Makes varied and sustained eye contact
with the entire audience. Uses eye
contact breaks to underscore transitions
in the speech.
2. Voice
Speaker speaks in a
monotone or a voice that is
clearly uncontrolled.
Uses some variance in pitch,
rate, and volume to
appropriately enhance their
meaning. Practice and control
are evident.
Uses much variance in pitch,
rate, and volume to
appropriately convey their
meaning.
Uses variance in pitch, rate, and volume
to appropriately convey their meaning
throughout. Exhibits practiced
purposeful control.
3. Body
Language
Uses no body language that Speaker uses some body
inappropriately reinforces language that appropriately
his/her meaning.
enhances their meaning.
Delivery
1. Eye
Contact
Speaker uses much body
Speaker uses body language that
language that appropriately appropriately enhances their meaning
enhances their meaning.
throughout speech.
4. Filler
Words
("uh")
Frequently uses filler words Smooth flowing language, with Smooth flowing language,
Smooth flowing language, totally devoid
or phrases, or pauses
occasional filler words or
with one or two filler words of any filler words or verbal tics.
inappropriately, pauses as if verbal tics.
or verbal tics.
at a loss.
5. Timing
Not within 20% of the
allotted time.
6. Opening
7. Conclusion
8. Transition
Words/ Verbal
Road Signs
9. Vocabulary
10. Focus on
Topic /
Organization
Within 20% of the allotted time Within 10% of the allotted
time
Within allotted time
No clear opening. Audience
is unsure what the topic
and/or theme is. No Basis
for audience to predict or
follow.
Opening only orients
the audience to the
topic or theme but not
both. Audience has
some sense of what
will follow.
Opening grabs the audience’s
attention, is skillfully and clearly
connected to main topic of
speech, demonstrates
understanding of audience and
subject, and establishes
pattern/expectations for the rest
of the speech.
Opening surprises us and gets us
learning something new or feeling
something from the get-go. In other
words, opening demonstrates powerful
pathos, ethos, or logos.
No clear conclusion. The
speech just seems to stop.
There is some
restatement of the
main theme and major
support.
Clear restatement of main theme
and major supports. Provides a
clear sense of what audience can
or should do with information
you have provided.
Creative restatement of main theme
and major supports. Strong call to
action or beliefs. Ending surprises us
but makes sense!
Does not supply any words
and/or phrases that link
ideas, such as sequence
markers, logical
connectors, etc.,
throughout.
Supplies a few words
and/or phrases that
link ideas, such as
sequence markers,
logical connectors, etc.
throughout.
Inconsistently supplies words
and/or phrases that link ideas,
such as sequence markers,
logical connectors, etc.,
throughout.
Supplies words and/or phrases that
link ideas, such as sequence markers,
logical connectors. "As I said earlier..."
etc., throughout.
Uses vague and weak
language and/or uses
language that violates
school honor code.
Uses occasional strong, Uses strong accurate language
accurate language that throughout that is appropriate to
is appropriate to the
theme and audience.
theme of the audience.
Seems to stray from topic
and off into side issues.
Focuses on topic with
some major tangents.
Opening may fail to
establish the speech’s
purpose and/or
speech peters out at
the end. Main idea may
get lost in the jumble.
Uses precise, evocative language
throughout that is appropriate to the
theme and audience. Makes successful
use of two or more rhetorical
techniques (analogy, comparison,
paraprosdokian, etc.).
Focuses on topic with few major Focuses tightly on topic. Tangents are
tangents. Key idea is placed in a purposeful and connected to theme.
prime spot in the speech.
Key idea(s) are emphasized.
Employs repetition to remind
audience of central topic.
Novice
Developing
Practitioner
Expert
- chooses a word for
- chooses a word that is - chooses a word that is unfamiliar to
Vocabulary Word
which he/she already
unfamiliar to him or her
Choice
knows the connotation
but may be familiar to
be used in different parts of
most of the class.
speech.
- gives a partial
definition of the chosen
word or a full definition
that matches a different
word.
- gives clear denotation of
the word.
- explains how chosen
word compares to similar
words.
Speech Content # 2:
explanation of the
word.
- asks the audience a
- has the audience,
question about the word. working individually or
Speech Content # 3:
in pairs, do something
Audience
with the chosen word.
participation
Word-O-Graph and
Context Sentence.
Vocabulary Notes
- creates a word-o-graph
on 8 x 11 paper.
- writes a context
sentence that uses the
vocabulary word.
- creates a word-o-graph
on 8 x 11 paper that is
clearly visible from the
back of the room and
uses some visual imagery
associated with the
word’s connotation.
- writes a context
sentence that correctly
uses the vocabulary
word.
All of the practitioner
the him or her and to most of the class. - chooses a word that can
- concisely explains the denotation and
fully explains the word’s connotation
(usual contexts, underlying meaning,
different uses, etc.).
- explains how chosen word compares to
similar word, pointing out the nuanced
difference in its usage.
- uses exemplification in explanation of
the word.
- explains how chosen word
compares to other difficult
academic vocabulary,
teaching us those words
simultaneously.
- explains word in the
context of different
disciplines (history, science,
math, etc.).
- explains word in relation to
what we are learning in this
class.
- connects word to previous
vocabulary presentations.
- creates an authentic context for
students, working individually or in
pairs, to learn how to use the word.
- creates an activity that is fun, engaging,
and helps us more fully understand the
vocabulary word.
- creates handouts for the
class to go along with
activity
- connects activity to what
we are currently learning in
the class.
- creates a word-o-graph (by hand or
with a computer program) that is clearly
visible from the back of the room. 8 x 11
paper.
- uses effective visual puns or imagery to
help us remember the word’s
connotations.
- writes a context sentence that implicitly
explains the connotation of the word.
- experiments with new
online software – like
Logomaker – to create wordo-gram.
- context sentence
demonstrates some of the
principles of good writing
we have been studying in
class.
- context sentence connects
to important content in this
class or in other shared
disciplines (social studies,
science, etc.)
- looks up dictionary
denotation but also looks
into word etymology.