Name______________________________
American Author Speech Unit
Goals:
 I can read and analyze a variety of texts to determine author’s purpose and theme.
 I can prepare and present an informative speech with effective voice and nonverbal communication.
Assignment: Your task is to research an American author and read and analyze two pieces of literature written by
that author. You will then create a 4-6 minute informative speech on the author and his / her work.
Requirements:
 Choose an author and the two texts to study.
 Read and analyze the two texts.
 Research information related to the author’s life and writing career. You must include at least three credible
sources; Wikipedia and the like will not be accepted.
 Create an outline for your speech detailing the necessary components. Be sure to create a properly
formatted MLA works cited page.
 Create a slideshow of images that corresponds with your speech. The images should coincide with the
information you are presenting. There should not be any words on the slideshow. You must include at least
five slides.
 Develop a 4-6 minute informative speech to present to your classmates. You may use up to five notecards
but should only include bulleted points of emphasis.
 Be sure to sign up for a speech day.
Organization and Requirements of Speech:
 Introduction
o You must include a formal introduction to grab the audience’s attention: brief narrative, important
quote, or another creative approach approved by the teacher.
o The introduction must include five fun facts about the author (interesting information about the author
and his / her work; do not include biographical information). And then include three of the five
categories listed below:
 Who influenced the author?
 What influential events did the author experience?
 How did the time period influence the author?
 What genre did/does the author write?
 Describe the author’s writing routine or quirks.
o Preview Statement: This should be at the end of the introduction and its purpose is to inform the
audience on what is included in your speech. Please include the author you studied, the title of the
two texts, and a brief overview of the connection(s) you made.
 Example: John Steinbeck’s novels The Pearl and Of Mice and Men are powerful texts that
connect with the thematic ideas of oppression and the outcasts of society.
 First Text
o In this section of the speech, you will provide a brief overview of the text. Be sure to include, at a
minimum, the following requirements:
 a 75 word summary of the text; this must be in your own words.
 a theme statement most prevalent to the text
 two direct quotes to support the theme
 transition into the second text



Second Text
o In this section of the speech, you will provide a brief overview of the text. Be sure to include, at a
minimum, the following requirements:
 A 75 word summary of the text. This must be in your own words.
 a theme statement most prevalent to the text
 two direct quotes to support the theme
 transition into the connection sections
Connections
o In this section of the speech, identify at least one connection made between the two texts and/or
author.
 Text to Text
 author’s style
 voice
 diction
 syntax
 time period
 thematic idea
 Text to World
 modern works of literature
 music
 current events
 movies
 television shows
 Text to Self
 personal lesson learned
 significant, relatable experiences
Conclusion
o Briefly summarize the information in the speech. Follow the same order as presented.
 The last sentence(s) should leave a lasting impression on the audience. Be creative.
 Example: Through John Steinbeck’s works, the oppressed and the outcasts of society are
given a voice they so deserve.
Texts and Authors
Ambrose Bierce (choose two)
 Short Story: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
 Short Story: “Beyond the Wall”
 Short Story: “The Stranger”
Kate Chopin (choose two)
 Short Story: “Story of an Hour”
 Short Story: “Regret”
 Short Story: “Desiree’s Baby”
Ray Bradbury (choose two)
 Short Story: “The Veldt”
 Short Story: “The Sound of Thunder”
 Short Story: “The Pedestrian”
Stephen Crane (choose two)
 Short Story: “The Blue Hotel”
 Short Story: “The Pace of Youth”
 Short Story: “A Dark Brown Dog”
Truman Capote (choose two)
 Short Story: “A Christmas Memory”
 Short Story: “The Thanksgiving Visitor”
 Short Story: “Miriam”
William Faulkner (choose two)
 Short Story: “Barn Burning”
 Short Story: “Dry September”
 Short Story: “A Rose for Emily”
F. Scott Fitzgerald (choose two)
 Short Story: “Winter’s Dream”
 Short Story: “Babylon Revisited”
 Short Story: “Head and Shoulders”
Susan Glaspell
 Short Story: “A Jury of Her Peers”
 Shorty Story: “The Last Sixty Minutes”
John Grisham
 Short Story: “Fetching Raymond”
 Short Story: “Fish Files”
Nathanial Hawthorne (choose two)
 Short Story: “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” “Young
Goodman Brown”
 Short Story: “The Birthmark”
 Short Story: “The Haunted Mind”
Ernest Hemingway (choose two)
 Short Story: “A Soldier’s Home”
 Short Story: “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
 Short Story: “Fathers and Sons”
O. Henry
 Short Story: “The Gift of the Magi”
 Short Story: “The Ransom of Red Chief”
Langston Hughes
 Short Story: “On the Road”
 Short Story: “Thank You, Ma’am”
Zora Neale Hurston
 Short Story: “Drenched in Light”
 Short Story: “Spunk”
Washington Irving
 Short Story: “The Devil and Tom Walker”
 Short Story: “The Wife”
Shirley Jackson
 Short Story: “The Lottery”
 Short Story: “ The Haunting of Hill House”
Stephen King
 Short Story: “The Things They Left Behind”
 Short Story: “A Face in the Crowd”
Jack London
 Short Story: “To Build a Fire”
 Short Story: “The White Silence”
Joyce Carol Oats
 Short Story: “Accursed Inhabitants of the House of
Bly”
 Short Story: “ Life After High School”
Tim O’Brien (choose two)
 Short Story: “The People We Marry”
 Short Story: “How to Tell a True War Story”
 Short Story: “The Things They Carried”
Flannery O’Connor
 Short Story: “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
 Short Story: “The River”
Edgar Allan Poe (choose two)
 Poem: “The Raven”
 Poem: “Annabelle Lee”
 Short Story: “The Fall of the House of Usher”
 Short Story: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”
Mark Twain
 Short Story: “Celebrated Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County”
 Short Story: “Luck”
Kurt Vonnegut
 Short Story: “The Big Trip Up Yonder”
 Short Story: “2 B R 2 B”
Edith Wharton (choose two)
 Short Story: “The Reckoning:
 Short Story: “The House of the Dead”
 Short Story: “A Venetian Night’s Entertainment”
You are required to submit a final copy of your outline that includes the research and a works cited page. Use the
outline format below as an organizational tool.
I.
Introduction
A. Attention Getter
B. Five Fun Facts
C. Additional Topic #1
D. Additional Topic #2
E. Additional Topic #3
F. Preview Statement
II.
First Text
A. 75 Word Summary
B. Theme
a. First Quote
b. Second Quote
C. Transition
III.
Second Text
A. 75 Word Summary
B. Theme
a. First Quote
b. Second Quote
C. Transition
IV.
Connections
A. Connection
a. Explanation
V.
Conclusion
A. Summary of Main Points
B. Lasting Impression
May / June Calendar: Calendar may be subject to change.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
5/1
5/2
-Assign Speech
- Research / Choose
Author & Print
Stories
5/8
5/9
5/5
5/6
5/7
-Read and Analyze
Text #1
-Read and Analyze
Text #2
-Develop Summary & -Research Author
Theme
-Research Author
5/12
5/13
5/14
5/15
5/16
-Work on Outlines
-Work on Outlines
-Work on Outlines
-Create Visual Aid
INSTITUTE DAY
5/19
5/20
5/21
5/22
5/23
-Finalize Outline &
Visual Aid
-Components of
Speaking
Short Story Speech
Practice
Short Story Speech
Practice
Short Story Speech
Practice
5/26
5/27
5/28
5/29
5/30
NO SCHOOL
-Outlines Due
Practice
Practice
Practice
6/2
6/3
6/4
6/5
6/6
-Final Outlines Due
-Speeches
6/9
-Speeches
-Speeches
-Speeches
-Speeches
6/10
6/11
6/12
Review Day
Final Exams
Final Exams
Final Exams
Name________________________________
Text Analysis
Goals:
 I can develop a concise, direct summary of a text.
 I can analyze a text to determine the most important theme and support that theme through the use of direct
quotes.
Directions: After reading each text, develop a 75 word summary and a theme statement. Support the theme with
two direct quotes; cite the quotes accordingly.
Text #1:
Summary of Text (75 words)
Theme Statement:
Quote to Support Theme:
Quote to Support Theme:
Text #2:
Summary of Text (75 words)
Theme Statement:
Quote to Support Theme:
Quote to Support Theme:
Name________________________________
Researching the Author
Goal: I can research and identify important information related to an author and his / her writing career.
Directions: Use the following chart to guide your research. Be sure to print the research and staple it to this
document. Finally, don’t forget to include the research on the works cited page.
*Choose three of the five to include in addition to the fun facts.
Introduction Components
Fun Facts about the Author
*Who influenced the author?
*What influential events did the author
experience?
*How did the time period influence the
author?
Research Found
*What genre did or does the author
write?
*The author’s writing routine / quirks
Preview Statement: Now that you have researched, gather the information you would like to include in your speech
and write your preview statement.
Name___________________________________
Connections Between Texts
Goal: I can determine a significant connection between two texts.
Directions: After you have researched the author and analyzed the two texts, determine a significant connection.
You are to choose at least one type of connection. Use this chart to organize your findings.
Type of Connection
Text to Text
 author’s style
 voice
 diction
 syntax
 time period
 thematic idea
Text to World
 modern works of literature
 music
 current events
 movies
 television shows
Text to Self
 personal lesson learned
 significant, relatable experiences
Analysis / Significance of Connection
Name______________________________________
Presentation Notes
Goal: I can actively listen to a classmate’s speech and take copious notes on important information.
Directions: As you listen to each speech, take notes on the following categories.
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Presenter:
Title of Text #1:
Title of Text #2:
Information on Author:
Themes in Texts:
Text #1:
Text #2:
Connections:
Name______________________________
Outline & Research
1
2
American Author OUTLINE RUBRIC
3
4
5
x5 = _________

The outline is properly formatted according to MLA (heading, header, font, spacing, title, etc.)

Outline includes all of the components of the speech (introduction, main points, conclusion).
o The components are organized logically.

The outline is proofread and punctuated correctly.

Research is cited properly (MLA).

Printed research is stapled to the outline.
o All research that is included in the outline and works cited page is printed and submitted.
Works Cited
1
2
3
x2 = _________

At least three sources are cited.

The sources coincide with what is included in the outline.

The page follows MLA format (header, title, alphabetical order, hanging indent, spacing, font, etc).
TOTAL: _________ / 31 points
Name______________________________
American Author Speech RUBRIC
Introduction
 Attention Getter
 Five Fun Facts
 Additional Topic #1
 Additional Topic #2
 Additional Topic #3
 Preview Statement
1
2
3
4
5
6
x3 = _________
Text #1




1
2
3
4
x5 = _________
75 Word Summary
Theme
First Quote
Second Quote
Text #2




1
2
3
4
x5 = _________
75 Word Summary
Theme
First Quote
Second Quote
Connections
 Connection
 Explanation
1
2
x7 = _________
Conclusion
 Summary of Main Points
 Lasting Impression
1
2
x5 = _________
Organization & Development
1
2
3
 Ideas or organized logically
 Ideas are developed and thoroughly explained
 Transitions are used to move from one idea to the next; all ideas flow together
x4= __________
Visual Aid
1
2
 Photos coincide with content of speech
 Enhances but does not distract from speech
x7 = _________
Speaking Component
1
2
3
4
5
x6 = _________
 The speech was between 4 – 6 minutes long.
 The speaker dressed appropriately for the speech.
 Proper eye contact was delivered.
 Volume, inflection, and rate were rehearsed and effective.
 Words were articulated and pronounced correctly; language was formal.
 Appropriate nonverbal methods were used to emphasis the verbal message (facial expressions, gestures, body
language, posture, etc.).
TOTAL _________ / 138 points