TED talk assignment

Choose a topic that you are passionate about and one that you want to share with others. Consider also how engaging your topic will be to your audience (your peers mainly, although the wider Cheshire Academy community could be included in your audience, especially if you are considering using this speech to fulfill your graduation requirement).

Make sure your topic is narrow enough so your speech will not be too vague, but also make sure it is not too narrow so that you will have enough material to fill approximately 5 minutes of speaking.

 Some students may choose a topic that models a “Problem/Solution” type of format, whereas others may wish to format the topic in a “This I Believe” style – you have a lot of freedom in choosing a topic, and your topic may get changed or refined as you begin your research and consider what you truly want to say.

A five-minute speech, spoken at an average rate, should be approximately 650 words long, so that should be your guideline for writing this speech. All speeches need to contain the following elements:

1.       An engaging opening strategy or “hook” that catches the audience’s attention

2.       Well-organized content (different points separated into different paragraphs)

3.       At least three credible sources consulted on your topic

4.       At least one credible source quoted in the speech

5.       A clear “Takeaway” for the audience: boiling down your main point to a few sentences

6.       A strong closing strategy to leave the audience with something profound to think about

This project will be a multi-step process. First, you need to brainstorm and choose a topic. Then, you need to complete substantive research (the final calls for at least 3 credible sources, but you may need to consult as many as 10 sources until you find the appropriate information). Next, you will write and revise several drafts of your speech. After that, you will memorize and deliver the speech in class, and you will have the opportunity for several “takes” with feedback given in between. Finally, you will turn your speech into a multimedia TED talk type of speech, video it or use iMovie to enhance it, upload it to YouTube, and post it on your blog.