What is it & how can you be involved?

Shakopee Saber Speech Team

What is SpeechMSHSL Activity where students compete in one of 13

categories.Public Address Categories

One piece for the whole season – 8 min. Draw Categories

Several Pieces/speechesInterpretive Categories

One piece for the whole season – 8 min.Discussion

CompetitionsInvitationalsSectionsState

LetteringPoints and Behavior Based

National Forensics LeaguePoints based national honor society for speech competitors

Public Address Categories: All speeches are researched and written by the

competitor.Informative – an informational speech using visual aids to

explain and teach about a topic of your choice. Structured similarly to a 5 paragraph essay. Visual aids can be 3D manipulatives or Posters.

Original Oratory – a persuasive speech where you inform the audience on a debated issue, then lay out a logical and researched argument for why your opinion is correct.

Great Speeches – Choose a great speech from history and analyze the rhetoric of the speech. Use this to teach your audience why the speech is one that goes down in history as a great one.

Interpretive CategoriesCategories are dependent on the literature type –

all pieces/ cuttings last 7-8 min.Creative Expression – Any format, must be written

by the competitor.Drama – Piece is from a play or screenplay –

script format.Duo – Any format, two person team.Humorous – Any type of literature that is comedic

in nature.Prose – Short story or novel cutting.Poetry – One poem or several that revolve around

a theme.

Draw CategoriesExtemporaneous Speaking

Competitor researches current events – either domestic or international and writes several speeches on different topics. At tournaments the student will draw a question relating to current events and has 30 minutes to prepare by tailoring one of their speeches to answering the question and practicing the wording of their speech.

Extemporaneous ReadingStudent prepares several predetermined pieces – either prose or

poetry – and at tournaments is given a random cutting from those pieces to perform. They have 30 minutes to prepare their performance.

StorytellingStudent prepares several predetermined folk tales told in their own

words with their own characters etc. At tournaments they are given the title of a story and have 30 minutes to practice the performance of that folktale.

DiscussionNon - performance basedStudents research current events on a predetermined

topic. At competitions they are placed in random groupings of other competitors and are as a group given a task to discuss and accomplish.

This years topic is:

America’s Image Abroad: Re-thinking Our Standing as the Only Remaining Global Superpower

Preparing for this event includes not only researching the topic but also learning how to steer group conversations and influence others in a panel discussion situation.

CompetitionTournaments:

Invitationals – Held every Saturday from Mid January until the end of March. Not required but highly recommended.

Conference –Missota Conference Tournament will be held in Northfield on Thursday 2/20/14 after school

Section – 4/5/14 Mankato WestState – 4/11&12 Blaine High School

Each meet consists of 3 rounds where you are randomly grouped with 6-8 other competitors in your category. You then perform your piece for these other competitors and a judge. The judge evaluates each performance and gives you a rank (1st, 2nd,

3rd etc.) in the round. The round scores are averaged and the top 6 students in each

category are recognized at an awards ceremony at the end of the tournament.

In addition to being recognized individually, round scores give points to the team, and the teams earning the most points overall are also recognized.

Achievement Recognition- besides trophiesLettering – SHS awards letters for speech participation.

Criteria include points based on competitive performance and leadership on the team.

National Forensics League – a national honor society for speech competitorsEach time you compete you earn points based on the ranks

you achieved in your rounds. These points are added together and entered into the NFL online database. Once you achieve 25 points, you are inducted into the league as a merit member. With accumulated points, you achieve different levels (or degrees) within the league.

Since 1925 - 1.4 million students, with more than 120,000 active members in more than 3,000 schools. Nation’s oldest and largest forensic honor society, and is widely regarded as the highest standard of excellence in secondary school speech and debate. 

Benefits to speech competition go far beyond winning and losingSkill Building: Writing, reading, listening, research

methods, organization, interpretation, critical thinking, analysis, language usage, public speaking.

Build self esteem and confidenceLearn how to conduct yourself in a professional

manner.Career Preparation and Resume builder for College

& Job applicationsScholarshipsBe a part of a CommunityMake Friends & Have Fun

Register Online with Activities:

Contact me to let me know that you are registered for the team.

revenson@shakopee.k12.mn.us

Attend the Practice Season Kick Off WorkshopMore information will be coming on this soon. Once

you have registered with activities and contacted me to let me know, you will be included in our communications.

Thank you! We hope to hear from you soon!