Grade 08

National Forensics League: Dramatic, Oratorical, and Extemporaneous Speaking

National Forensics League: Literary Interpretive Performance

Students participating in debating and public speaking activities must research extensively to bolster their credibility. When writing speeches, students must construct arguments that explain or persuade, proving those arguments with substantive evidence. Research does not happen fleetingly. It is a persistent process, and students must constantly revise their speeches and debate cases with new, and relevant information.

Debaters and speakers analyze research found for its application to arguments constructed. Students also should show sensitivity to diverse views and cultures, as well as historical factors that influence perspective is key in building a credible speech or debate case. Finally, they must understand the ethical importance of honesty, citing sources they have consulted.

Building a working vocabulary pertaining to an issue is important in any act of communication, and particularly when trying to sway an audience – or judge in speaking or debating competition. Often, conflict with an issue arises through semantics alone, and being able to frame an issue through a well-reasoned interpretation of meaning is an important skill.

Public speaking, and especially debating, examines issues of importance in a civil society. Students use myriad political and legal nonfiction works to explicate matters of public policy, explaining geopolitical and economic factors that influence the inherent forces at work with a particular speech or debate topic. Where applicable, weigh interdependence of foreign policies as they relate to peace, human rights, trade and global ecology.

One of the most important skills public speaking and debating teaches students is to select and excerpt relevant information to support their ideas. This requires a careful evaluation of the validity of sources, any inherent biases, and corroborating information. Debaters also must be prepared to challenge the credibility of their opponents’ evidence.

Stephen Toulmin’s approach to reasoning in argumentation forms the foundation for points debaters make, for persuading an audience, or for offering a specific position on a given question. In this, students must formulate a specific claim, offer evidence to back that claim, analyze the issue through the lens of the evidence, and explain the overarching impact that argument has on the issue at hand. Students must be aware of counterarguments, particularly in debate, where they must defend against them.

While public speaking and debating activities seem inherently focused on listening and speaking literacies, effective writing skills to produce coherent ideas that are shared orally are critical. Care must be taken when outlining a speech or debate case to consider the overall coherence and cohesion of ideas, so that an audience can follow the speaker’s lines of reasoning. Speakers who truly want their words to be memorable employ a variety of stylistic devices to figuratively illustrate their ideas. Finally, since every speaking and debating event has its own particular set of rules and audience focus, students must customize their written notes or manuscript to specific demands and/or judging paradigms.

Writing and preparing to speak is an ongoing, organic process of brainstorming, drafting, and revising. Students constantly react to feedback they receive from their judges and coaches. Public speaking and debating activities rely heavily on the use of technology to develop and revise speeches and debate cases, to collaborate with peers, particularly as students call up digitally stored research, and old drafts of speeches and debate cases, which they revise.

All speaking and debating activities involve the exchange of ideas, which happens as a result of the presenter engaging with audiences while speaking, influencing viewpoints of judges and other contestants. Participants take notes during debates, cross-examine one another, and focus attention to arguments made and the credibility evidence used. In interscholastic competition, all of this happens in a “multi-institutional setting” (Brendan Kelly, Ph.D.), maximizing reach of the exchange of perspectives. In a classroom or practice setting, instructors encourage students to evaluate their peers’ ideas, and offer feedback, bolstering the engagement in speaking and listening.

Some speaking and debating events allow students to use visual supporting material to augment audience understanding of content. Even where the rules do not allow for this, students can use textual tactics to illustrate their ideas.

Debaters and public speakers must use language effectively, and with a formal register, to communicate their ideas. This impacts their credibility in the eyes of the judges who evaluate them, as well as their peers who listen and learn from one another. Figurative language can help students carry a greater impact with their words, making their message resonate better in the minds of their judges and peers. When writing debate cases or speech manuscripts, students use correct conventions of written language.

When students choose a literary text to perform, they must consider the themes, characterizations, setting and author’s overall message. They then draw upon this information to select passages to form a “cutting” appropriate to the time constraints of competition, delving into the themes and meanings to create meaningful performances that explore various facets of the human condition, bringing the author’s intent to life. The performer must select the most poignant passages to perform, to drive expression of their central thematic concept, and to show character progression and/or progression of ideas. Performers do not write the text they interpret, but they do craft and arrange their cutting in such a way that demands the same critical thinking skills employed in writing. The narrative and/or dialogue should acknowledge human motivations and conflicts.

The performer derives themes from literature to craft an original introduction that prepares an audience to understand tone and purpose of the interpretive performance. When preparing to interpret texts, performers reflect on impressions gained from those texts, to convey those ideas.

Writing and preparing performance is an ongoing, organic process of thematic analysis, cutting, practicing, and adjusting. Students constantly react to feedback they receive from their judges and coaches. Performers rely heavily on the use of technology to develop and revise cuttings, to collaborate with peers, particularly as students call up old drafts of cuttings, which they revise. Competition motivates students to incorporate tactics and ideas they encounter from listening to their peers perform, to improve their own performance.

Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.

Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 53.)

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 53 for specific expectations.)

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.

Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.

Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.

Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.

Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.

Spell correctly.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.

Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.

Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 53.)

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.