Elise J. Schmidt
Online Speech
Graduation Speech
1
Special Occasion Speech
(Graduation Speech)
Preparation Outline
Purpose:
At the end of my speech my audience and fellow grads will feel inspired to achieve new
goals.
Introduction:
Hello and welcome everyone to the greatest day yet to come in these graduates lives
that are seated before me. I sincerely wish I could be sitting down there amongst you,
rather than standing up here. My first thought of standing before the entire faculty,
friends, and family that would be gathered here today was the total and utter feeling of
fear. I than decided to take charge of this feeling and enjoy being in the lime light. After
all how many people get the chance to speak in front of this many people, who are
forced to listen to them, and cannot leave because they want to see everyone receive
their diplomas. If there is one thing that college has taught me it is that your fears are
only delusions and we can all do whatever we set our minds to.
Central Idea:
Our experiences that we have obtained in college give us the skills and knowledge to be
a success in our lives after graduation day.
Preview:
These past years we the graduates have overcome many fears. We overcame them not
only by our own endurance, but with all the help of all you gathered here today. The
faculty supported us, gave us advice, and guidance when we needed it. Our friends and
family were there whether we needed them to edit our papers, video tape our
presentations or just be there for us. None the less fear was starring us in the face.
Body:
I. Fear has been all around us throughout our education. The nerves of the first day,
the anxiety of exams, and the fear of not knowing what’s next.
A. DeNoon stated that in America the number one fear is public speaking. We’ve all
had to endure this during our educational process. If we can stand up and face
Elise J. Schmidt
Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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the greatest fear in America time after time and come out triumphant we can take
not only that skill with us but take the knowledge that we can do anything that is
placed before us.
B. Franklin Roosevelt said it best when he said “The only thing we have to fear is
fear itself.”
Signpost: Ridding yourself of fear cannot be done alone. Look around you, at your
fellow graduates, your friends, your family, and your professors. These faces have
helped you from the first day and will continue to help you.
II. The people that we see around us have been our support system. These people
combined with our own stamina are the reason why we are seated here today.
A. Your professors have instilled in you the knowledge and skills that you will need
to walk into your career with confidence.
B. Moraine Parks President is quoted in saying that our education that we have
earned here meets the educational and business needs.
C. Your family and friends have been a support system throughout your life and will
continue to be. With their help, your future, like your past can be filled with more
accomplishments.
D. Give yourself a pat on the back, because today all your hard work has paid off
and now you can get paid for it.
Signpost: You have accomplished your goals and our on the way to the next step to the
rest of your life.
Conclusion:
You have conquered your fears; you have pushed through learning plan after learning
plan and studied for countless hours. You have made it and tomorrow starts the first day
of the rest of your life. Just as you have done in the past with your support system you
can continue to succeed and conquer fear. You are now a college graduate, and I take
great pride in being the first to tell you congratulations fellow graduates.
Works Cited
DeNoon, D. J. (2006, April 20). Fear of public speaking hardwired. Retrieved from WebMd:
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/20061101/fear-public-speaking
Roosevelt, F. D. (1933, March 4). "The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself". First Inaugural
Address.
Ruhland, S. P. (n.d.). Moraine Park President Welcome. Retrieved from Moraine Park.
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Online Speech
Graduation Speech
3
Delivery Outline
Purpose:
At the end of my speech my audience and fellow grads will feel inspired to achieve new
goals.
Introduction:
Hello and welcome everyone to the greatest day yet to come in these graduates lives
that are before me. Wish I could be sitting instead of up here. First thought standing up
here fear. Take charge enjoy limelight. Get the chance to speak, people have to listen,
cannot leave. If there is one thing that college has taught me it is that your fears are
only delusions and we can all do whatever we set our minds to.
Preview:
These past years we the graduates have overcome many fears. We overcame them not
only by our own endurance, but with all the help of all you gathered here today. The
faculty supported us, gave us advice, and guidance when we needed it. Our friends and
family were there whether we needed them to edit our papers, video tape our
presentations or just be there for us. None the less fear was starring us in the face.
Body:
III. Fear has been all around us
A. DeNoon stated America #1 fear public speaking. Overcome it, gained knowledge
and skill
B. Franklin Roosevelt “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Signpost: Ridding yourself of fear cannot be done alone. Look around you, at your
fellow graduates, your friends, your family, and your professors. These faces have
helped you from the first day and will continue to help you.
IV. People around us, and ourselves made today possible
A. Professors gave us knowledge and skills
B. Moraine Parks President education that we have earned here meets the
educational and business needs.
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Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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C. Your family and friends
D. You!
Signpost: You have accomplished your goals and our on the way to the next step to the
rest of your life.
Conclusion:
You have conquered your fears; you have pushed through learning plan after learning
plan and studied for countless hours. You have made it and tomorrow starts the first day
of the rest of your life. You are now a college graduate, and I take great pride in being
the first to tell you congratulations fellow graduates.
Learning Plan 13: YouTube URL Address for
Special Occasion Speech Presentation
Student Name: Elise J. Schmidt
The URL address for my Special Occasion Speech Presentation on YouTube is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiJBilHwmkQ&feature=youtu.be
NOTE: Test your URL address to ensure that you are providing the correct one.
Elise J. Schmidt
Online Speech
Graduation Speech
5
Learning Plan 13: Self-Evaluation of Special
Occasion Speech Presentation
Elise J. Schmidt
Online Speech
Learning Plan 13
April 23, 2012
Page 1
Directions: View your videotaped Special Occasion Speech Presentation. Answer these questions by
writing detailed and specific responses.
How did your preparation affect your speech performance? Could you have been more prepared?
My preparation affected my speech performance very positively. I know my flaws when
presenting a speech so I must be prepared as I can be when presenting my speech.
Being prepared allows me to speech slow enough so I do not rush throughout my
speech. It also boosts my confidence so I can look up from my cards. Without being
prepared I would have my head down the entire time. Instead I can occasionally look
my fear into the eyes instead of never.
I think that my greatest strengths during this speech presentation include:
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Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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My greatest strength during this speech presentation was all of my growths. Each
speech presentation I grow more and more. I have gained more knowledge and keys to
being a better speaker and that in itself has become my greatest strength. Taking what I
learn and improving with practice. Other than that I believe my greatest strength was
how close the speech was to me. Having a personal connection to the speech and not
having it just be words makes it to be a better speech and presentation. Thinking of how
great I would feel on graduation day, and about all the people who have been by me
thus far made my mood radiant while preparing and presenting this speech.
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Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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The speaking skills that I can most improve upon include:
The speaking skills that I can most improve on are all of them. Practice makes perfect,
and I am far from it. Although I am better than before taking this course there is room for
improvement.
Provide your insight about the grade that you believed you earned and why you earned this grade for
this speech presentation.
I will not be remembered for good speech giving skills, but I have learned a lot about
speech giving techniques. I believe that I earned a passing grade because I put my all
into this speech. I have only witnessed a select few graduation speeches, and they all
were not worth remembering. My first task that I had to do was research and researches
how to not make people sleep through a graduation speech. The thing that I found most
effective was using humorous stories. I laughed at personal stories that meant nothing
to me, and I had no connection with. For this speech however, I could not do that. I do
not know my professors on a personal level, and a college graduating class is much
larger than one I had in high school. Singling out one or two classmates would have left
the others feeling left out. So I finally came up with a speech that I believe met the
criteria. Although this speech had to be shorter than the others I believe this was the
most difficult because of the little background I had in it. The time frame was hard to fit
as well. If I told a story, I felt I was leaving parts out just to meet the time requirements
so I scratched that idea. As previously stated I am not good at giving speeches, but I am
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Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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better than where I was before taking this class. The only help I had previously gotten
was the classic picture them naked or look over their heads making it look like you do
have eye contact. Instead I now know making eye contact makes the speech more
effective. No matter what my grade ends up being I learned a lot, and have become a
better speaker which will only benefit me.
Learning Plan 13: Scoring Guide 1 Special Occasion Speech Presentation
Scoring Guide
Target Competency(ies):






Demonstrate ethical responsibility in public speaking.
Examine research-based evidence, logical reasoning, and examples to clarify, prove and add
interest to the presentation.
Analyze speech organizational patterns (create Preparation Outline).
Demonstrate effective delivery skills.
Evaluate presentations.
Present a speech for a special occasion.
Scoring Standards:
You must achieve 70% of the total points and achieve a "Yes" rating to demonstrate competence.
Rating Scales:
3
2
1
0
=
=
=
=
Excellent
Acceptable
Needs Improvement
Unacceptable
Criteria
SUPPORTING MATERIAL
Values
Elise J. Schmidt
Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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You examine supporting materials (testimony, examples, statistics,
personal experiences) to support ideas. (State criteria)
Yes No
You examine evidence such as author credentials, relevance and validity
of data, and accuracy of quotes. (State criteria)
Yes No
You differentiate between fact, inference, and opinion. (State criteria)
Yes No
You analyze sound reasoning and fallacies. (State criteria)
Yes No
You select from at least three types of supporting material to include in
your Special Occasion Speech, such as illustrations, descriptions and
explanations, definitions, analogies, statistics, and opinions. (State
criteria)
Yes No
SUPPORTING MATERIAL - CORE ABILITY: Think critically and creatively.
You apply the principles and strategies of purposeful, organized thinking.
Yes No
You select possible information and evaluate its appropriateness.
Yes No
You synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Yes No
PREPARATION OUTLINE - CORE ABILITY: Think critically and creatively.
You examine the use of the Audience Analysis to prepare your Preparation
Outline. (State criteria)
Yes No
Your Preparation Outline includes evidence of the use of the Audience
Analysis. (State criteria)
Yes No
You examine organizational patterns that flow from the central idea and
speaker's purpose in creating your Preparation Outline. (State criteria)
Yes No
PREPARATION OUTLINE
You write a specific purpose statement that indicates what your audience
should know after listening to your Special Occasion Speech.
3210
Your Preparation Outline includes an introduction, body, and conclusion
with appropriate transitions (signposts). (State criteria)
3210
You develop your central idea - a one-sentence summary of your Special
Occasion Speech.
3210
The introduction grabs the attention of the audience.
3210
The introduction introduces your subject.
3210
The introduction gives your audience a reason to listen to your speech.
3210
The introduction establishes your credibility to speak on the topic.
3210
The introduction previews your main ideas.
3210
You generate two to four main ideas.
3210
You support your main ideas with supporting points that include facts that
you cite in the Preparation Outline.
3210
You cite at least three sources of information throughout the Preparation
Outline (i.e., According to . . . , etc.).
3210
You insert transitions between the main ideas and/or supporting points to
improve the flow of your speech.
3210
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Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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The Preparation Outline is organized in a recognizable and logical pattern,
such as chronological, spatial, order of importance, compare/contrast,
problem/solution, cause/effect, motivational, or topical. (State criteria)
3210
The conclusion summarizes your speech.
3210
The conclusion re-emphasizes the main points in a memorable way.
3210
The conclusion motivates the audience to take action.
3210
The conclusion provides closure to the topic.
3210
Your Preparation Outline adheres to the specified format from the
textbook on pages 242-244.
3210
Each section of the Preparation Outline is labeled.
3210
PREPARATION OUTLINE - APPLICATION OF 4 C'S OF WRITING
The Preparation Outline is written in complete sentences.
3210
The Preparation Outline is concise; action verbs have been emphasized.
3210
All of the information necessary for the receiver to understand the topic is
present.
3210
No grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors exist.
3210
It is evident that you revised, edited, and proofread the Preparation
Outline.
3210
BIBLIOGRAPHY (WORKS CITED OR REFERENCES)
You cited at least three different sources for your Special Occasion
Speech.
3210
You created a bibliography page in the correct documentation format
(MLA or APA) for the sources you used. (State criteria)
3210
SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECH PRESENTATION
Special Occasion Speech is based on your Preparation Outline.
3210
Special Occasion Speech is 2 to 4 minutes in length. (State criteria)
3210
Presentation includes an introduction, body, and conclusion in an
Preparation Outline framework that uses appropriate transitions between
the components.
3210
The introduction grabs the attention of the audience, introduces your
subject, gives your audience a reason to listen, establishes your
credibility to speak on the topic, and previews your main points.
3210
Special Occasion Speech contains 2 to 4 main points.
3210
You support the 2-4 main points with supporting points.
3210
Special Occasion Speech includes references to at least three outside
sources of information for the different supporting points.
3210
You avoid stereotyping by using appropriate examples and word choice.
(State criteria)
3210
You avoid plagiarism because you verbally cite your sources during your
speech presentation (i.e., According to U.S. News and World Report ,
Author John Marshall states , etc.). (State criteria)
3210
Elise J. Schmidt
Online Speech
Graduation Speech
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Presentation is organized in a recognizable and logical pattern, such as
chronological, spatial, order of importance, compare/contrast,
problem/solution, cause/effect, motivational, or topical.
3210
The conclusion summarizes your speech, re-emphasizes the main points
in a memorable way, motivates the audience to take action, and provides
closure to the topic.
3210
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR SPEECH PRESENTATION
Using your Preparation Outline, you created a Delivery Outline according
to the correct format.
Yes No
DELIVERY SKILLS
You use appropriate language and word choice that are appropriate and
effective for the audience, purpose, and situation. (State criteria)
3210
You use effective vocal skills. (State criteria)
3210
You demonstrate poise and confidence. (State criteria)
3210
You respond to the audience's verbal and non-verbal feedback during the
presentation by adapting your delivery. (State criteria)
3210
You use an appropriate volume for your voice throughout the
presentation.
3210
You articulate your words so they are clearly understood.
3210
You pronounce words correctly.
3210
You vary the pitch of your voice to add life to your presentation.
3210
Your rate of speech can be understood.
3210
You use your voice in a conversational and natural manner, speaking
without memorizing words.
3210
You use speaking notes (note cards), but you do not read from the note
cards.
3210
You make eye contact with the audience in a way that creates rapport
and comfort.
3210
You use gestures effectively during your presentation.
3210
You use movement effectively during your presentation.
3210
You use facial expressions effectively during your presentation.
3210
You demonstrate good posture throughout your presentation.
3210
You meet criteria for ethical responsibility by exhibiting social and cultural
sensitivity. (State criteria)
3210
You exhibit effective nonverbal presentation skills. (State criteria)
3210
DELIVERY SKILLS - CORE ABILITY: Communicate clearly.
You use a language and a style that is suitable to your audience and
purpose.
Yes No
SELF-EVALUATION
You use the criteria in this Scoring Guide (pre-determined criteria) to
Yes No
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Online Speech
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objectively evaluate the content and delivery of your speech presentation.
(State criteria)
Your evaluation includes suggestions for improvement as part of your
responses on the Self-Evaluation form that you completed. (State criteria)
Yes No
You develop a plan for self-improvement that includes strengths and
weaknesses as part of your responses on the Self-Evaluation form that
you completed. (State criteria)
Yes No
DOCUMENTS FOR SUBMISSION
You submit a Preparation Outline for your Special Occasion Speech.
Yes No
You submit a Delivery Outline for your Special Occasion Speech.
Yes No
You submit a bibliography in proper documentation format (MLA or APA)
that document the sources that you used and cited during your Special
Occasion Speech presentation. (State criteria)
Yes No
You complete and submit a YouTube form, if you are required to do so by
the instructor.
Yes No
You complete and submit a Self-Evaluation form.
Yes No
You complete and submit this Scoring Guide following your speech.
Yes No
CORE ABILITY: Act responsibly.
You meet deadlines for coursework.
Yes No