Public Speaking Topics

Public Speaking is an important way to highlight the importance of

communication. What we intend to value in these speeches is the way the
audience can see, hear and feel the message of the speaker. For that, the
assessments will be based on these parameters:

CONTENT
- Creativity
- Coherence
- Structure/Speech Development
- Credibility
- Opening and Closing statements (impact)

STYLE
- Eye contact
- Space dominance
- Pace
- Tone
- Voice Projection
- Vocabulary (choice of words)
- Body language (posture/gestures)

Each speech will be graded on a scale of 1 to 10 where Content will represent 50%
and Style the other 50%.
Each participant should select the topic of their choice and deliver a speech (backed
by a presentation) of between 2 - 3 minutes.

Set #1:
a. Things I wanted to say but never did ...
b. Letter to my older self ...
c. My biggest concern for the future is...
d. If you could keep one memory, what would it be?...
e. Happiest ending in three words “...”

Set #2:
a. Friend zone is like when you get rejected from your dream job but they’d still call
you every week to complain about the candidate they picked.
b. Goodbyes hurt when the story is not finished, and the book has been closed.
c. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. Moreover, if you find that you are not, I hope
you have the strength to start all over again.
d. If you love someone set them free. If they come back, it means nobody else liked
them. Set them free again.
e. What hurts the most? Saying something you wish you had not? Or not saying
something you wish you had?
Set #3:
a. Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.
b. In a society that profits from self-doubt, loving yourself is a rebellious act.
c. If you aren’t pocketing a little change from every conversation into some part of
your life, you are investing in the wrong conversations.
d. You can show someone the absolute truth, unfortunately you can’t force them
to see it. Pure ignorance is the worst kind of blindness to cure.
e. We are our choices.

Set #4:
a. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
b. When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
c. We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.
d. The world is full of people who want to pick up the crops of seeds they never
planted.
e. If you want something you've never had, then you've got to do something you've
never done.

Set #5:
a. We just have to accept that some people are going to stay in our hearts. Even if
they don't stay in our lives.
b. Can you imagine the world if we only saw souls, and not bodies?
c. You’ll be surprised to know how far you can go from the point you thought was
the end.
d. I went to the doctor for a throat pain, and he found all the things I ever wanted
to tell you.
e. I hope the person you choose, chooses you too.

Set #6:
a. You are the one I want to spend the rest of my life arguing about things we will
never resolve.
b. I only get sad when someone in the most inconvenient time asks me about you.
c. The problem of humanity is that we assume others show love the same way we
do- and if they don't, we worry it's not there.
d. We loved each other, just never at the same time.
e. I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while
she loved me.
 SPEAKING RUBRIC

Name: ……………………………………………… Date: ………………………… Topic/Assignment: …………………………………………………….

1-2 Does Not Approach Expectations 3 Approaching Expectations 4 Meets Expectations 5 Exceeds Expectations
Completes task Completes task by
Task minimally complete. Partially completes task; lacks
appropriately. elaborating on theme,
Provides little or no important information or
with high level of detail
TASK COMPLETION information. response is too basic.
and/or creativity
Response Response readily
Some parts of the response are
comprehensible; comprehensible;
Most parts of the response not comprehensible; others require
COMPREHENSIBILITY requires minimal requires no
comprehensible to the listener. interpretation on the part of the
interpretation on the interpretation on the
listener.
part of the listener. part of the listener.
Speech halting and uneven with Speech choppy and/or slow with Some hesitation but Thoughts expressed
long pauses or incomplete frequent pauses, most thoughts manages to continue completely with few
FLUENCY thoughts. are complete. and complete thoughts. pauses or hesitation.
Some problems with
Multiple problems with
pronunciation/intonation that
pronunciation/intonation that Sounds somewhat
PRONUNCIATION may interfere with Sounds natural
may interfere with natural.
communication.
communication.

Vocabulary does not convey
VOCABULARY meaning most of the time; too
basic for level.
Grammar is rarely accurate or
GRAMMAR
appropriate for the level.
Vocabulary conveys
Vocabulary does not convey appropriate meaning
Rich and varied use of
meaning some of the time, too most of the time,
vocabulary.
basic for level. appropriate for the
level.
Grammar is mostly Grammar is
Grammar is sometimes accurate
accurate and consistently accurate
and/or not appropriate for the
appropriate for the and appropriate for the
level.
level. level.

Overall Grade: …………………………