CULTURAL ART NARRATIVE ASSIGNMENT
Instructor: Anthony Smith/ Speech
People from all cultures tell stories (or narratives) about themselves and the
communities in which they belong. Storytellers have been responsible for remembering
and telling the history of particular communities. Stories also help us understand our
own lives. When we recount the events of a day, share memories with friends or even
tell a joke, we engage in the process of storytelling. According to Professor Hopkins in
his 1994 book, Narrative Schooling: Experiential Learning and the Transformation of
American Education, stories or narratives are a “means by which human beings structure
and assign meaning to the flow of experience in the lived life” (p. 128). Because stories
are such an important part of daily living, the first presentation you will be giving will be
a Cultural Art Narrative Presentation.
In the Cultural Art Narrative Presentation, you will select a piece of art and
share with the class a narrative that says something about who you are as a person and
explain why the narrative is meaningful to you. For example, you might select a piece of
art from the Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn collection and share a story of a
turning point in your life that has in some way influenced your life. Or, you might want
to share a story from your family history. A point to remember-many narratives are
meaningful to us because they explain how we relate to particular cultures of which
we are a part.
Keep in mind three things when you begin to ponder which of your many cultural
artifacts you want to present. First, you should select a piece of art. Second, you should
choose a story that is important to you personally. Third, you should be able to explain
clearly how you identify with the art piece and connect to a story you have chosen-How
has this art and through a story helped shape your understanding of yourself? Fourth,
how does this story reflect the values and beliefs of a culture of which you are a member?
In this presentation, you must:
1. Present your chosen narrative
2. You are to bring an art artifact to class that represents a culture with which you
identify
3. Explain how the story and art artifact relates to your own culture
4. Explain how the narrative reflects your relationship to/in a particular culture
5. You must use a 3x5 note card for reference
6. Speak naturally and fluidly—Do Not Read Your Presentation!
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7. Use a clear organization pattern with an intro, body, and conclusion
8. Limit yourself to 3-4 minutes speaking time
9. On the day of your presentation, you are required to turn in a typed speech outline
before your presentation
Sample Outline Format
Follow this template for your typed, formal preparation outline. Type the items in this
outline in bold and then fill in the corresponding information.
I.
II.
III.
Introduction (Must be a paragraph in length)
a. Attention Getter
b. Personal Credibility
c. Thesis
d. Preview
Body
a. Link art artifact to culture (Main Point One)
i.
ii.
iii.
b. Link culture to self (Main Point Two)
i
ii
iii
c. Explain how culture has impacted identity (Main Point Three)
i
ii
iii
Conclusion (Must be a paragraph in length)
a. Refer back to introduction (Refer back to Thesis)
b. Review ( Refer back to Preview)
c. Sense of closure
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