communication study course: speech outline

Cultural Film Speech and Outline (Total: 50 pts Total for different Tasks)

TASK 1: Submit a final outline and references of your speech to Cultural Film Task #1 under Assignments (20 Points). YOUR OUTLINE MUST LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THE SAMPLE BELOW!

TASK 2: Upload a YouTube video presentation of your Cultural Film speech as a website link to Cultural Film Task #2 under Discussions in Canvas (20 Points)

TASK 3: Provide feedback for 2 of your peers’ videos by filling out a rubric for your peers under Discussions Cultural Film Tasks #2 in Canvas (10 Points)

The OUTLINE (Refer to the sample below on what your outline should look like):

For this assignment, pick a film that either,

a. Teaches 2 important lessons for our society related to social, political, or other problems. Use your intellectual skills and critical abilities to find a film that you will describe and identify the 2 important lessons in the film;

or

b. Shows at least 2 problematic lessons, characters, or stereotypes. Use your intellectual skills and critical abilities to find a film that you will describe and identify the 2 reasons why the film is problematic.

You MUST consult and use at least TWO professional, credible sources to build on your analysis and include a reference page for these sources. Emphasis should be placed on creativity, the elaboration of arguments, and organization of your different parts of the speech (i.e. introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion).

The written outline you will submit must include 1 title page, 2 pages for the written body, and 1 page for the References. The outline should be double-spaced and typed with your name clearly at the top of each page. Proper MLA or APA writing format, grammar, and language rules must be followed to receive a desirable grade. You will be required to give a speech no longer than 3 minutes (Cultural Film Task #2).

Required organization for this speech outline:

I. Introduction. Include a hook, short background of the film, thesis statement, and a preview of the body.

II. 2 Body paragraphs (1 body paragraph for each lesson or problems in the films). Include a topic sentence for each body paragraph. The body paragraphs should follow the preview of the body in the introduction.

III. Conclusion. Summarize your thesis and preview of the body. Finish with a strong reason to remember.

***Refer to the sample speech paper as a template.***

Grading Rubric for Outline

Introduction

Hook – 1 point

Tie to the audience – 1 point

Thesis – 2 points

Preview – 1 point

Body

Body paragraph 1 – the writer had a good topic sentence, supporting material, and analysis – 5 points

Body paragraph 2 – the writer had a good topic sentence, supporting material, and analysis – 5 points

Conclusion

Summary – 1 pint

Tie back to the audience – 1 point

Final appeal – 1 point

Grammar – 1 point

References page – 1 point

Failure to include a Reference page will result in 10% off the whole speech.

The Speech Presentation:

Please record a video through YouTube and share the video with us through the Cultural Film Task 2 Discussions thread. You may use Powerpoint to display any images, but visuals are not required for this speech.

***SAMPLE***

Criticizing an Object Speech & Paper

Maria G. Smith

Dr. Luis M. Andrade

Communication Studies 11

December 3, 2014

Criticizing an Object Speech & Paper

Introduction

I. Hook: According to the United States Census, in 2010, less than 2 percent of the entire population in the United States identified as Native American (US Census Bureau, 2014).

a. Less than 2 percent of over 300 million people in the United States is quite a small and shocking number considering that Native Americans used to be the predominant group in this country at one point.

II. Tie to the audience: Unfortunately, many of us have heard that the cultures, languages, and symbols of many original Native American tribes have slowly been dying off.

a. Another sad reality is that mainstream America has often taken Native American symbols and objects and commercialized them while stripping those objects of their significant cultural meanings.

b. One of the objects that comes from Native American cultures that will be central to this speech is the Native American moccasin; sadly, many stores sell moccasins and make them commercial products to be sold and bought to maximize corporate profit.

III. Thesis: In this speech I will argue that the commercial use of moccasins strips the objects of their cultural histories and promotes a blind appropriation of cultural objects.

IV. Preview: I will present the following two arguments in this speech: first, the sale and buying of moccasins strips them of their cultural history and, second, this is promoting a blind appropriation of cultural objects in our society.

Body

I. First, the use of moccasins as objects to be sold and bought strips them of their cultural history.

a. In fact, James (2013) argued that although moccasins have become a fashion fad, “not many people know about their unique history within American culture” (para. 1).

b. The term moccasin derives from the word “maskisina,” which meant shoe in the Cree tribe (Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2003).

i. During the time of pre-colonization and during colonization, Native Americans made moccasins to survive the harsh weather and soil of the United States.

i. They made moccasins out of deer and animal hides.

ii. What many people do not realize is that the decorations often depicted the natural environment where the tribes lived (James, 2013).

iii. Often, the bead work and manufacturing process was very different across the tribes.

c. Tribes used moccasins as culturally significant objects. Unfortunately, stores and companies do not inform customers about the cultural history behind the moccasins.

II. Second, the sale of moccasins promotes a blind appropriation of cultural objects in our society.

a. According to Walsh and Lopes (2009) cultural appropriation occurs when one culture takes certain objects, tools, or symbols from another culture for profit, commercial use, or other unethical actions.

b. The authors suggest that cultural appropriation is not always a negative thing.

i. Sometimes, people can learn from other cultures and may gain access to use the other cultures’ symbols and objects.

c. However, negative cultural appropriation occurs when the objects or symbols of other cultures are used without respecting or promoting the history of those groups.

i. One example they provide is the use of Native American clothing, objects, or garments for profit.

d. Knowing that Native American tribes are slowly disappearing, using their objects and garments for profit while ignoring the history of such groups is unethical cultural appropriation (Walsh & Lopes, 2009).

e. The eventual consequence of cultural appropriation is that society is continuously blinded to the history of Native Americans.

Conclusion

a. Summary of main points: In conclusion, I hope that you learned important lessons from this speech. I presented two arguments to show that the history of moccasins is not directly told and that blind cultural appropriation is happening in the commercial use of moccasins.

b. Tie back to audience: I am not advocating that members in this class stop buying moccasins entirely. However, my argument is simply that the commercial sale and buying of moccasins may be stripping us of important history and knowledge about the Native American object.

c. Final appeal: I want to leave you with the final challenge of asking yourself whether you may be using cultural objects from groups without truly investing time in learning where those objects come from and what they may represent.

References

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. (2003). Indian moccasins. Retrieved on November 30, 2014, from http://www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume2/november03/primsource.cfm

James, C. (2013). Did you know…? The history of the Moccasin slipper. Retrieved on November 29, 2014, from http://blog.clifford-james.co.uk/moccasin-slipper/

US Census Bureau. (2014). Facts for features: American Indian and Alaska Native heritage month. Retrieved on November 29, 2014, from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2014/cb14-ff26.html

Walsh, A. N. and Lopes, D. M. (2009) Objects of Appropriation, in The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation (eds J. O. Young and C. G. Brunk), Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781444311099.ch9