COMMEMORATIVE
SPEECH
Commemorative Speech
◦ The purpose is to celebrate, praise, or pay tribute
◦ The subject could be a person, a group, an institution, a thing, an event or an idea.
◦ The goal/purpose of the commemorative speech (or tribute speech) is to inspire the
audience through honoring and remembering the past.
◦ Light research will be required (a minimum of two sources, with APA works cited page)
◦ You must include three direct quotes, either from the subject of your speech, from someone
involved in the group or event, or from someone important who spoke or wrote about your
subject. (Include citations for the source of the quotes)
◦ You will be required to turn in an outline and references page(APA style).
◦ Only TWO notecards will be allowed.
◦ The speech should be a minimum of four and a maximum of six minutes
◦ At least one visual aid required
Content of the speech
◦ Because this type of speech is more about honoring the qualities enabling a person,
organization or group to act in the way they did, the speech is not just a recital of
facts…it goes beyond the “informative” to illustrate the qualities or values revealed by
the subject.
◦ The facts about your subject are a backdrop used to demonstrate or illustrate the
qualities being celebrated.
◦ So in thinking about this, what themes or values will you focus on?
Possible themes/qualities
bravery
courage
dedication
loyalty
service
resourcefulness
creativity
originality
adaptability
openness
independence
humor
perseverance
selflessness
kindness
cheerfulness
patriotism
innovation
modesty
respect
humility
patience
caring
sacrifice
determination
focus
passion
conviction
fortitude
responsibility
wisdom
intrepidity
Organizing your speech
◦ Begin with an attention-getter (NOT a question this time)
◦ Work into your thesis statement, which should include the quality or qualities you will focus on
◦ Give biographical information as needed, inserting your own interpretation of the event to
keep the focus on those qualities
◦ You might organize it chronologically, or you might start with an event then flash back to the
past. There is no set organizational strategy.
◦ Be sure to include at least TWO oral citations of sources, including credentials. (As noted
historian Janice Smith noted…”---------”)
◦ Be sure to include at least three direct QUOTES in your speech. These can come in your intro,
body, or conclusion.
◦ In your conclusion, restate the main points you have made and end with an important
thought. Ideally, you should refer back to your attention-getter
Outline
I.
Introduction
A. Attention-Getter
B. Background
C. Thesis Statement (linking your subject with theme/qualities)
II.
Body
A. First main point/example
1. Specifics (with citations as needed)
2. Specifics
B. Second main point/example
1. Specifics (with citations as needed
2. Specifics
C. Third main point/example
1. Specifics (with citations as needed
2. Specifics
III. Conclusion
A. Review main points
B. End with final, important thought
APA Style
◦ In college, you’ll be required to use different methods of citing sources. While most
English and humanities classes use MLA, APA is often used in Social Sciences, such as
Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology, Economics, and Criminology; Business; and Nursing.
◦ You can still use the citations provided in databases or EasyBib, just be sure to select
“APA” as the style
◦ When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means
that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in
the text, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the
reference list at the end of the paper.
◦ You will still use hanging indent, invert author’s names (last, first), and alphabetize your
list.
◦ Title the page “References” instead of “Works Cited”
◦ SEE PAGE 185 OF YOUR BOOK FOR EXAMPLES OF APA STYLE