History of American Public Address (UW Oshkosh 96-422) Spring, 2002

Instructor: Dr. Tony Palmeri
phone: 424-4422
Office: A/C 406 (Hours: 8-11 T/Th and by appointment)

SYLLABUS

 

Required Text: Howard Zinn (2001). A People's History of the United States. New York: Harper & Row.

Course Description: In the United States, public speeches have shaped historical events while paradoxically being shaped by them. By learning about past events and speeches, we will be better able to understand present events and perhaps realize our responsibility to speak out for what we believe in. We may also come to a better understanding of how to recognize, prepare, and deliver a "great" speech.

Course Objectives: After taking this course, students should be able to:

  1. identify major public address themes in United States history.
  2. identify and discuss the influential speakers and speeches of United States history.
  3. perform an oral interpretation of great speeches.
  4. determine what constitutes a "great" speech
  5. compose a persuasive manuscript speech.
  6. deliver a persuasive manuscript speech dealing with his or her own perception of the "state of the union."

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Course Requirements:

  1. Class Participation (100 points)
  2. Blackboard Discussion (100 points)
  3. Speaker Analysis Paper (200 points)
  4. Oral Interpretation speech/manuscript (300 points)
  5. Student State of the Union Speech/manuscript (300 points)

Grading Scale

Necessary Policies

  1. Please arrive to class on time.
  2. Academic dishonesty will be penalized in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the student handbook.
  3. Late papers subtract 20 points for each day late (Subtraction begins at the end of the class period in which the paper is due).
  4. All papers must be typed.
  5. Two absences are allowed with no penalty. Subtract 20 points for each unexcused absence.
  6. Please be ready to speak on your assigned day.

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Explanation of Course Requirements (further explanation will be given in class and on the course Blackboard web page)

  1. Class Participation (100 points): Especially because this is a senior level class, it is important that we all share our ideas. The best class participation is that which demonstrates having actually read the assigned material for the day.
  2. Blackboard Discussion (100 points): I have created a Blackboard web page for this course (see attached handout). Each student must participate in on-line discussions dealing with the course material.
  3. Speaker Analysis Paper (200 points): The paper is due on Friday, April 19. The paper must be at least 10 pages long and must address all of the items on the "Speaker Analysis Checklist" (attached).
  4. Oral Interpretation Speech/Manuscript (300 points): All manuscripts are due on April 1 (Monday). The speeches will take place all of that week. The general idea is to select a theme from American History (e.g. third party movements, education, etc.) and locate at least three different speeches (all by different speakers) that address the theme. Then, put together a manuscript consisting of an introduction that explains the significance of the theme, a body that presents blocks of quotes from the three speeches, and a conclusion that reinforces the importance of the theme for today's society. The oral interpretation speech must be 8-10 minutes. The manuscript is worth 200 points and the oral interpretation speech is worth 100 points.
  5. Student State Of The Union Speech/Manuscript (300 points): President Bush recently delivered his State of the Union speech. What is your view on the State of the Union? Your speech must be 10-15 minutes and be delivered in a manuscript style. The manuscript is worth 200 points and the speech is worth 100. We'll discuss this in more depth in class and on the Blackboard site.

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Speaker Analysis Checklist

I. Brief Rhetorical Biography of the Speaker

  1. Life chronology
  2. Family influences (class, occupation, values)
  3. Public career and important experiences
  4. Forces shaping values and ideology
  1. Education and rhetorical training
  2. Nature and extent of public speaking experiences
  3. Significance of oratory in the speaker's life and career
  4. Methods of preparation and delivery
  5. Characteristics of general rhetorical style

II. The Rhetorical Situation for the Speech

  1. What issue led to the decision to speak?
  2. What was the specific occasion for the speech?
  3. What were the prevailing opinions on the issue?
  1. What were the demographics of the audiences? (size, age, background, etc.)
  2. What were the audiences' level of knowledge about the speech topic?
  3. What were the audiences' attitudes toward the speech topic?
  1. What were the situational or institutional constraints?
  2. What constraints were created by the audience?
  3. What constraints were created by the speaker?

III. Speech Purpose and Arguments

IV. Organization, Style, and Delivery

  1. How does the introduction frame the issue(s) for the audience(s)?
  2. Is the purpose made clear in the introduction?
  3. How does the structure of the arguments contribute to persuasion?
  1. Did the language give life to the ideas and arguments? (Give examples & quotes)
  2. What was unique about the speaker's style?
  1. Was the speech impromptu, extemporaneous, or prepared?
  2. What did observers say about the quality or effect of the delivery?

V. Historical and Rhetorical Value

VI. Bibliography

VII. Attach text of the speech

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Blackboard Web Page

Each of you has an account on the course web page containing course information, daily announcements, a discussion board, external links, and other features. To access the web page, follow the steps below.

  1. Start with an Internet browser such as Netscape or MS Internet Explorer.
  2. Type in the address http://www.uwosh.edu/blackboard
  3. Click the Login button on the left side of the page.
  4. Type in your username. This is the same as your UWO email account. It is formed by the first five letters of your last name, followed by your initial, then the last two digits of your social security number
  5. Type in your password. (It is initially set to your 7-digit student ID number).

You will be taken to you "Bb" page. The page will contain a list of the courses you are enrolled in that have blackboard pages. Choose History of American Public Address under My Courses. Please e-mail me (Palmeri@uwosh.edu) when you have successfully logged in to the page.

The opening page contains class announcements. On the left side, you will see buttons for Announcements, Course Information, Staff Information, Course Documents, Assignments, Communication, External Links, and Tools. These links will take you to different areas of the page. Under Tools, you may select the Personal Information option to modify your account information (suggestion: change your password).

Our web page will have a very active discussion board. Each week there will be a new discussion question. For this week, our "discussion" will consist of introducing ourselves. Click the Communication link on the page and then go to Discussion Board. You'll see that I have started the discussion with "A Little Bit About Your Professor." When you send your introduction, please place your name in the subject line.

If you have trouble accessing the page, please e-mail me (Palmeri@uwosh.edu)

Return to Explanation of Course Requirements

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Weekly Schedule

Week #1: Course Introduction

Week #2: Native American Condition

Week #3: Colonial and Contemporary Sermons

Week #4: The Debate Over The US Constitution

Week #5: Abolitionist Rhetoric

Week #6: The Rhetoric of Women's Rights

March 16 -24: Spring Break

Week #7: Wealth and Poverty

Week #8: Student Oral Interpretation Presentations

Week #9: War and Peace

Week #10: The Civil Rights Movement

 Week #11: The Rhetoric Of Student Rights

 Week #12: Writing a Public Address

Week #13: Student State of the Union Speeches

 Week #14: Student State of the Union Speeches

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