Shoebox Speech
This will be the first speech of the year and it will help me get to know you better. In order for
me to help you improve your public speaking skills, I need to see where you are right now. Your
total speech should be at least 3 minutes, but no longer than 6 minutes. All shoeboxes are
due and presentations will begin Monday, September 12. Any project that is not
ready on 9/12 will receive a maximum of 70%.
Procedure:
1) Choose 5-7 items that represent who you are.
For example, in my box I would have:
a) A photo of my kids
b) A book
c) A cooking utensil
d) A comedy/tragedy mask
e) A cross
f) A photo card
2) Explain the reason for choosing each item in a few short sentences on index cards.
For example, I would explain the first two items in my box by saying:
a) I chose a photo of my kids because they are very important in my
life. My son, Danny, is 18 and is a freshman in college this year.
He is attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and is
studying to be an actuary. While in college he also plans to be part
of different music and theatre groups. My daughter, Jacque, is 15
and is a sophomore at Narragansett. She likes theatre and music.
One of her strengths is in design so if you notice decorations at my
house, I can pretty much guarantee that she put them together.
b) I chose a book because for the last 7 years I have become an avid
reader. I mostly read books about the Amish or historical fiction.
Some of my favorite authors are Beverly Lewis, Karen Kingsbury,
and Tracie Peterson. In the last 7 years I have read over 400
books. However, in the previous 34 years I only read about 30
books, and most of them were by Dr. Seuss!
3) Decorate your shoebox in a way that reflects your personality.
For example, I might decorate my box with a lot of pictures because I enjoy
photography or I might cover it in shiny paper and write or glue the names of plays
on it because I enjoy theatre.
4) Practice your speech in front of a mirror, a parent, sibling, or friend. This will help you
get comfortable with what you are going to say in class.
5) Don’t stress over this assignment! This is a zero or hero speech which means if you
complete your box and make your speech, as requested in the directions, to the class
you will receive 100%, unless it is late.
Shoeboxes can be found at any store that sells shoes. If you are having trouble finding a
shoebox please let me know and I do my best to help. Also, if you have extra shoeboxes at
home that you can share, please bring them in as soon as possible.