Portfolio Assignment 1.2: Collaborate and Orate Use rhetorical strategies and the principles of persuasive speaking in your own presentation. The Declaration of Independence was a pivotal document which changed the world in many ways. It was discussed, written, and voted on by some of the greatest minds of the eighteenth century. These men spent hours of time and energy applying their varied gifts to creating the ideas which it embodies. But that was in the seventeenth century, we now live in a different United States of America than the one which broke away from Great Britain. There are many people and groups who feel that the Declaration is outdated and doesnt apply to the modern America. However, there are also many who hold the document as sacred and feel that its ideals are timeless. Which side of the fence do you stand on? You will give a speech about your standpoint but, like the document in question, you will not come up with all your ideas on your own. Your speech/presentation will require personal reflection and group collaboration. Your first task is to determine what your argument is going to be. What will you try to persuade your audience to do or believe? So ask yourself, Do I feel the Declaration of Independence is outdated, or do I feel that it has application for us today? After youve answered yes or no, sit down and write a one paragraph free write which starts like this: The Declaration of Independence is applicable today because . . . , or The Declaration of independence is not applicable today because . . . That gives you your main point, your argument. Now you need to collaborate and see if you can refine it and get better ideas. Use the checklist to aid your collaboration. Read over this rubric and checklist before you begin. Presentation Checklist and Signature Form Heres what to do: First, organize a group of three to five individuals. (Thats you plus two more or you plus four more.) You will meet with them on more than one occasion so be sure they are people you will have access to. During your first meeting ,you will present your basic argument to the group (you may want to give them copies of the Declaration). This will be a brainstorming session. Ask them questions such as: What are some ideas you can think of that support my argument? Can you think of a different way of wording my argument? Are there stronger arguments than the ones weve been discussing? Be sure to take notes or assign a scribe to keep minutes of the meeting. Using your notes, create a clear one-sentence statement for your argument, which includes three supporting reasons. Another name for this one-sentence argument is a thesis statement. Meet with one member of your group. Share with them your new argument. Ask them for ways to improve or strengthen your argument. You might focus on questions such as Are there weak words which could be replaced? Do you think the supporting reasons are strong enough? Work through a revision together. Take your revision to the group for a final meeting. This time assign one or two members to be the negative side of the argument. You want them to attack your argument. Your job is to listen to their arguments understand their side and then come back with your own argument. Do not get in a fight, and be respectful of the views they express. Pay attention to the details you use to support your reasons. These will become part of your speech. Write your speech. It should consist of these five sections and the final condition, like so: A catchy introduction which grabs the readers attention and introduces your argument. A section about your first reason and its three supporting details. A section about your second reason and its three supporting details. A section about your third reason and its three supporting details A conclusion which flows naturally from the rest of the speech and restates your argument. Be sure to include an example of all three rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, and logos) somewhere in the speech. Practice giving your speech by recording yourself, either an audio or video recording. Save the recording to send to me for grading. Print out a copy of the Presentation Checklist and Signature Form and use it to help you put the finishing touches on your presentation. Youll also need a member of your audience to fill it out and sign it. Finally, give your speech in front of a live audience. Here are tips for public speaking. This is a formal speech, so you should not use slang. Dress appropriately; part of the ethos of your speech is how you look. Dressing in a shirt and tie (for boys) and nice blouse and skirt or slacks (for girls) will also send a message to your brain to speak and act more professionally. Look up and make eye contact with the people youre speaking to, but dont stare at your audience (staring makes people uncomfortable) Speak loudly and clearly. To make your speech more interesting, vary the loudness and type of voice you use. This is also a way to add pathos to your speech. You may move a bit during a speech, and gesturing (appropriately, not too much) can help relieve some of your nervousness. When you are finished, ask an adult member of your audience to fill out the Presentation Checklist and Signature Form. Scan the completed form and include it with your assignment for Portfolio 1. Be sure to save your assignment as a .doc or .PDF file. Im looking forward to seeing your speech!

Portfolio Assignment 1.2: Collaborate and Orate Use rhetorical strategies and the principles of persuasive speaking in your own presentation. The Declaration of Independence was a pivotal document which changed the world in many ways. It was discussed, written, and voted on by some of the greatest minds of the eighteenth century. These men spent hours of time and energy applying their varied gifts to creating the ideas which it embodies. But that was in the seventeenth century, we now live in a different United States of America than the one which broke away from Great Britain. There are many people and groups who feel that the Declaration is outdated and doesnt apply to the modern America. However, there are also many who hold the document as sacred and feel that its ideals are timeless. Which side of the fence do you stand on? You will give a speech about your standpoint but, like the document in question, you will not come up with all your ideas on your own. Your speech/presentation will require personal reflection and group collaboration. Your first task is to determine what your argument is going to be. What will you try to persuade your audience to do or believe? So ask yourself, Do I feel the Declaration of Independence is outdated, or do I feel that it has application for us today? After youve answered yes or no, sit down and write a one paragraph free write which starts like this: The Declaration of Independence is applicable today because . . . , or The Declaration of independence is not applicable today because . . . That gives you your main point, your argument. Now you need to collaborate and see if you can refine it and get better ideas. Use the checklist to aid your collaboration. Read over this rubric and checklist before you begin. Presentation Checklist and Signature Form Heres what to do: First, organize a group of three to five individuals. (Thats you plus two more or you plus four more.) You will meet with them on more than one occasion so be sure they are people you will have access to. During your first meeting ,you will present your basic argument to the group (you may want to give them copies of the Declaration). This will be a brainstorming session. Ask them questions such as: What are some ideas you can think of that support my argument? Can you think of a different way of wording my argument? Are there stronger arguments than the ones weve been discussing? Be sure to take notes or assign a scribe to keep minutes of the meeting. Using your notes, create a clear one-sentence statement for your argument, which includes three supporting reasons. Another name for this one-sentence argument is a thesis statement. Meet with one member of your group. Share with them your new argument. Ask them for ways to improve or strengthen your argument. You might focus on questions such as Are there weak words which could be replaced? Do you think the supporting reasons are strong enough? Work through a revision together. Take your revision to the group for a final meeting. This time assign one or two members to be the negative side of the argument. You want them to attack your argument. Your job is to listen to their arguments understand their side and then come back with your own argument. Do not get in a fight, and be respectful of the views they express. Pay attention to the details you use to support your reasons. These will become part of your speech. Write your speech. It should consist of these five sections and the final condition, like so: A catchy introduction which grabs the readers attention and introduces your argument. A section about your first reason and its three supporting details. A section about your second reason and its three supporting details. A section about your third reason and its three supporting details A conclusion which flows naturally from the rest of the speech and restates your argument. Be sure to include an example of all three rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, and logos) somewhere in the speech. Practice giving your speech by recording yourself, either an audio or video recording. Save the recording to send to me for grading. Print out a copy of the Presentation Checklist and Signature Form and use it to help you put the finishing touches on your presentation. Youll also need a member of your audience to fill it out and sign it. Finally, give your speech in front of a live audience. Here are tips for public speaking. This is a formal speech, so you should not use slang. Dress appropriately; part of the ethos of your speech is how you look. Dressing in a shirt and tie (for boys) and nice blouse and skirt or slacks (for girls) will also send a message to your brain to speak and act more professionally. Look up and make eye contact with the people youre speaking to, but dont stare at your audience (staring makes people uncomfortable) Speak loudly and clearly. To make your speech more interesting, vary the loudness and type of voice you use. This is also a way to add pathos to your speech. You may move a bit during a speech, and gesturing (appropriately, not too much) can help relieve some of your nervousness. When you are finished, ask an adult member of your audience to fill out the Presentation Checklist and Signature Form. Scan the completed form and include it with your assignment for Portfolio 1. Be sure to save your assignment as a .doc or .PDF file. Im looking forward to seeing your speech!