The History Kids
The History Kids
Bristol, RI 02809
United States
Patriotic Declaim Competition
Event: Patriotic Declaim Competition
This is an excellent event for a museum/school partnership.
Students learn about American tragedies and triumphs through classic poems and speeches from around the world and from America’s founding fathers, finest patriots and greatest poets.
Rational: RI Grade Span Expectations for Civics &Government Grades 5,6 2 (5-6) –1
Students demonstrate an understanding of United States government (local, state, national) by…
a. exploring democratic values such as: respect, property, compromise, liberty, self-government, and self-determination
b. . identifying enduring documents (e.g., Bill of Rights, U.S. Constitution) that reflect the underlying principles of the United States
exhibiting and explaining what it means to be a responsible citizen in the community
Eligibility: All elementary students in grades 3 through 5.
Date: The end of April or the first week of May so that students may use the April vacation to research and memorize the chosen piece.
Place: The Colt Auditorium is perfect for this. If another school or schools wish to become involved the Historic Bristol Statehouse will welcome the event. There is also the Ballroom at Linden Place, Burnside Room at the Town Hall and the Herreshoff Room at the Rogers Free Library.
Materials: Students and parents sign a form stating the student intends to enter the competition and the piece he/she has chosen, if known.
Web site catalog of suggested poems and speeches.
Coaches, available various times the two weeks before the competition, who will listen to the students, recommend improvement in volume and pacing.
Judges, usually 5 to 10 of parents, teachers, veterans
Judging criteria (rubric) for entrants and judges
Certificates of merit/citizenship/achievement for all contestants
Format: The student goes up to the microphone and announces her/his name, the title of the piece and the author. The contestant declaims while the judges circle the scores.
In the past, winners have been announced over the intercom. This is somewhat unsatisfactory.
* The Declaim Competition should be filmed and broadcast over cable TV or the district web site. However, this has not been done although the students give wonderful performances.
*The contestants should be treated to a small reception while the judges tally the scores.
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Name:
Patriotic Declaim Competition
Judging Criteria | |
Circle the points earned--with 5 the highest score and 1 the lowest. | |
Declamation—the recitation of a piece of literature or speech 1. The selection is of high literary merit and is appropriate for this event. 2. The Speaker should study the author and the situation for which the piece was written to determine the author’s intent.
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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The piece has been memorized. (Prose is more difficult to memorize than poetry.
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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The speaker has improved in the art of oral communication by practicing the piece’s elaborate syntax and sophisticated sentence construction. 1. Poetry should keep the rhythm without becoming sing-song. 2. The great, long sentences of some speeches should be understood as the intended whole thought.
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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The speaker has improved in the delivery of the piece. 1. The piece is spoken clearly and with sufficient volume. 2. The speaker is comfortable declaiming. 3. Eye contact with the audience is maintained. 4. The speaker conveys proper emotional tone. |
1 2 3 4 5 |
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Total points | |
Copyright 2009 The History Kids. All rights reserved.
The History Kids
Bristol, RI 02809
United States
