Ceremonial speech assignment for younger students

This was the ceremonial, or special occasion, speech assignment for middle school students ages 10-14.

• Topic: “What are three things you have learned (or that inspired you) from a character in a book you have read?”
• Length: 4 minutes – 1 minute for each main point, plus 1 minute to cover the introduction, transitions and conclusion.
• Structure: The students should use a three-point structure and include a metaphor for their character in the speech. There are two pattern options for main points.
  1. Categorical pattern: Each main point should be a lesson learned with the metaphor mentioned anywhere in the speech. For example, “From Harry Potter I learned that you should look out for your friends and family.”
  2. Comparative pattern: Each main point should be a comparison between the character and the metaphor, where the metaphor is mentioned in each main point. For example, “Another way that Harry was like a snowy owl is that he was protective of those he cared about. Snowy owls are very protective of their families and will even fight bigger predator like wolves, according to National Geographic.”
• Outside sources: None are required except for the book from which the character is taken, which should be used for examples. Other sources may be used if desired, as in the example above.
• Visual aids: Optional.