TAKE NOTE OF THE BELOW GUIDE

Guide to Original Oratory

Original Oratory has to follow the ooooohhhh, ahhhhhhh flow:

Oooohhh: feel the seriousness of the problem: first: mildly annoying nature, and then its increasing gravity

Ahhhhhh: we need to see a way out of the problem: first, with suggestions that calm us down and point our behavior in the right direction; then, with examples of those who overcame the problem by employing the suggestions.

The OO Audience Journey:

1. Uninvolved curiosity
2. Alertness and awareness of a potential problem
3. Agreement that the problem exists
4. Appreciation of the seriousness of the problem
5. Anger or even outrage that the situation is allowed to exist
6. The urgent desire for a solution
7. Reassurance that a solution exists and satisfaction that things can be made right
8. Proposed Structure: The Five Pyramid Method
9. Developed by Joe and Pam Wycoff (Apple Valley High School, MN)
10. Why do we use upside-down pyramids? We start out with a broad topic, but we focus at a point or on a thesis!

Pyramid 1: Introduction

Attention Getter,  Link, Common Ground, Significance, Thesis, Preview, Transition

Attention Getter: grab our attention with a story, illustration, quote, humor, hypothetical questions Link: Link the Attention Getter to us and your topic

Common Ground: What does it have to do with me?

Significance: Cite an authority to support your thesis

Thesis: Whatʼs your point?

Preview: Outline/signpost your speech

Transition: End intro and start first body with clever punch

Pyramid 2: 1st Main Point

Explain it: how, where, or why. Support it (authority), Analysis, Commentary, Harm, Summarize it, and Transition

Things about Pyramid 2:

• This is the lightest and most casual body pyramid
• Utilize humor
• Use facts, cite experts
• Reach out to your audience so that they can identify with your problem

Pyramid 3: 2nd Main Point

• This is more serious than Pyramid 2
• Reach out again
• Use facts, cite experts

Pyramid 4: 3rd Main Point

Explain it

Don’t use quotes or experts; Tell a story (or your story)

• This is the climax of your Oratory
• You either tell your personal story or a heart story about somebody else
• This is 100% serious; no humor, jokes, or statistics; JUST TALK

Pyramid 5: Solution

• Whatʼs your solution?
• Talk about examples of success-Whatʼs the threat of inaction?

• Be very careful with solutions
• You WILL have people who do not agree
• Be reasonable, be realistic, be inspirational

Tips for Conclusion:

• Link back to Attention Getter
• Talk heart to heart- INSPIRE YOUR AUDIENCE
• Add a quote? Itʼs up to you
• Urge us to act
• End creatively (link to intro for full circle)

• What does the audience like?
• Delivery: Someone who looks confident, has high status delivery, has a winning smile, whose eyes reach into the soul of the listeners, who has passion, looks mature, is in control of his/her words, body, voice, audience, and who looks spiffy
• Content: A speech that keeps them interested, makes them go oooohhh-ahhhhh, makes them go through a sequence of emotions, involves a topic that is intriguing, offers varying support, uses clever language, and makes a personal and emotional connection

• Have something for everyone!

• Have examples, stories, personal touches for the goo-goo ga-ga judges

• Have facts, statistics, and cite sources for the intellectuals

• State “the bottom line” for those who donʼt need fluff but just want it handed to them on a plate

• Have “testimony” for  those who need to hear from voices of authority

GOOD LUCK!