General Contest Information

This contest provides opportunities for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to evaluate speeches given by others; to explore the use of the voice and body in speaking situations; to examine the different purposes for speaking; to organize ideas; to prepare and deliver various speeches; and to develop self-confidence.

Contestants will draw three topics and have three minutes to prepare a speech, which must be presented without any notes. The contest gives participants experience in thinking, organizing, formulating clear thoughts, and delivering those thoughts to an audience effectively.

The maximum time limit for each speech is five minutes. There is no minimum time limit. Students who exceed the allotted five minutes shall be penalized one rank.

Sample Topics

• A good parent...

• A law should be made that...

• Courage is...

• Freedom is like the ocean because...

• If I could only accomplish one thing in my life, I would like to...

• If I wanted to impress someone, I'd tell them about my...

• If I'd known my parents when they were teenagers...

• Little Red Riding Hood should have...

• Loyalty should be given to...

• Other cultures...

• Professional athletes' salaries...

• Teenagers would be better off...

• The one world event I remember most about this year is...

• You can make a child feel special by...

• If I could be president for a day, I'd...

• Of the five senses, my favorite is...

• If I played a role in a TV show, I'd play...

• If I taught junior high school, I'd...

• If I were an author, I would write about...

• If I were the leader of a new settlement on the frontier, I'd...

• If I were the opposite sex, I'd...

• If I wrote a personal mission statement, it would say...

• To get respect...

• It's OK to rebel when...

• People often stereotype...

• The strength of America lies in...

• To me, success in life means...

• Why people are afraid to fail...

• Teenagers smoke because...