Syllabus for Speech, Debate, and Drama

 

Sutton High School Mission Statement:  At Sutton High School, we are committed to providing a foundation on which all students have the opportunity to pursue academic excellence and personal development in a safe, supportive, and challenging learning environment.

 

English Department Mission Statement:  The Sutton High School English Department maintains a high standard of learning in which every student has an opportunity to develop and refine reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills and to become personally responsible for his or her academic growth.

 

The English Department assumes responsibility for the following SHS Learning Expectations: 

q       The Sutton High School student is an effective communicator.

q       The Sutton High School student is a critical thinker.

q       The Sutton High School student works independently

 

Course Description:  Speech, Debate, and Drama

 

This elective English course is a performance-based study of the elements of speech, debate, and dramatic presentation.  The broad objective is to give the student repeated opportunities to communicate before a group in an effective, thoughtful, and relaxed manner.  Students will learn the mechanics of speech and will deliver addresses to communicate information, relate an experience, give a demonstration, and support an argument.  Dramatic readings of prose and poetry will be assigned.  Debate topics will be researched and formally argued.  Students will have experience in moderating a discussion.  The history of drama will be surveyed, and students will read and report on representative dramatic works.  Scenes from plays will be informally produced.  Each student will write and perform a dramatic monologue.

 

Speech, Debate, and Drama:  Overview

 

“Speech, Debate, and Drama” is a non-traditional English course.  You will not read novels, write essays, or be frequently tested in the conventional paper and pencil format.  Instead, it is a performance-based class in which you will prepare a variety of presentations for production in front of others.  Our object in the broadest sense is to better understand how to communicate effectively (both speaking and listening) before an audience, and you presentations will provide repeated opportunities for this experience.

 

Text:  The Basics of Speech:  Learning to Be a Competent Communicator, Third Edition, 1999, by Kathleen M. Galvin and Pamela J. Cooper

 

Course Objectives

 

Speech:

q       Study the elements of communication and the mechanics of speech

q       Give informal readings to the class

q       Prepare, rehearse, and deliver speeches to the class; each student will deliver a speech to inform, to relate an experience, to demonstrate a process or procedure, and to argue a position

q       Deliver prepared readings, both prose and poetry, including the memorized delivery of a poem

q       Become an active, constructively critical listener

q       Lead a group discussion on a particular topic

q       Evaluate and provide feedback to fellow students on their presentation.

 

Debate:

q       Determine and research a debate topic

q       Distinguish between and employ the various forms of appeals and proofs

q       Learn formal debate procedures

q       Participate in formal debate/s

q       Evaluate and provide feedback to fellow students on their debate performances

 

Drama:

q       Learn a survey of the history of drama

q       Dramatically interpret scenes

q       Create a pantomime, both individual and group

q       Improvise a scene

q       Write a short play or dramatic monologue and perform it

q       Evaluate and provide feedback to fellow students on their performances

 

Classroom Expectations

 

Behavior During Class

 

q       Punctuality:  arrive on time, and be ready to work when class begins.  Be in your assigned seat when the class begins. Remain in your seat until the end of class.

q       Preparation:  every day, you need to bring the following:

o       Your copy of the text we’re studying

o       Your English notebook/folder, containing notes, handouts, assignments

o       Pens and notebook paper

q       Participation:  you need to be a part of what’s happening in class, whether working alone or with other students.  Your best effort is expected at all times, both for your own benefit and for the class as a whole.

q       Productivity:  your full participation should ensure that the class period is productive.  Other conditions that help productivity include:

o       Safety (rules relating to safety are part of school wide policy)

o       A comfortable, clean environment (no food, drinks, or gum)

o       A respectful, friendly atmosphere, based on trust, free of negativity

o       Attentiveness to classmates and the teacher

q       Substitute Teacher:  When I am absent, I expect the best behavior from my students.  In the event that the class is taught by a substitute, your responsibility is to help make things run as smoothly as possible.  That means you still need to turn in work that is due, and you need to help ensure that the class period is as productive as usual. A substitute’s report can influence your class participation grade for better or for worse.

q       Disrespect:  Disrespect is NOT tolerated at any time.  Disrespect includes:  interrupting the teacher while she is speaking; interrupting another student while he or she is speaking; yelling across the room while the class is settling down, during group work, or during the last five minutes of the period, sleeping in class, talking over the announcements, criticizing another student, and making another student feel uncomfortable.

q       If I feel that you are being disrespectful in class, I will give you a verbal warning.  The second time I need to speak to you, you will attend a detention with me after school.  You will have one day to arrange a ride.  If you fail to make detention, Mr. Goyette will be immediately notified.

Grades

 

Grades will include homework, quizzes, tests, performances, and participation/feedback given to classmates.  Grades on formal presentations will have the most weight in the grading process. Ample time will be given for preparation and rehearsal of formal presentations, so students are expected to earnestly attempt to provide the class with polished products worthy of our time and attention.  Student presenters must respect this responsibility to the audience, and the audience must at all times respect the individuals who present.

 

Personal Integrity:  Ultimately, your personal integrity and honor matter much more than your grade on a paper or a test.  Realizing this fact, you would not even consider cheating.  But, even if you cheated and avoided detection, you would know that you had taken a short cut, cheating yourself and your classmates.  And if you did get caught… let’s not even consider the consequences!  (But since someone will ask… a zero credit and parental notification are only the first steps for a first offense).

 

Absences and Grading:

 

• If you are absent, it is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed, and to do any necessary make-up work.  You are also responsible for remembering to turn in work that may have been collected when you were absent.   
• Tests must be made up within five (5) days.  If a test has been announced and you are absent on the test day, it is best to make it up on the day you return.
• Homework and pop quizzes must be completed and turned in the first day following an absence.
• If homework is assigned on the day of your absence, the homework must be made up within two (2) days after your return to class.
• NO assignment will be accepted late!  Work will not be accepted after I have taken up the assignment.
• All grades count:  performances, tests, projects, group work, and homework.
• Checking in and out of school does not excuse you from turning in an assignment.  If you have been on the school campus, it is your responsibility to turn in the assignment to me.  Failure to turn work in on the due date will result in a zero on the assignment.
• No extra credit work is accepted; if you care, do your best today.

 

Be careful about getting all your work in.  If you’re missing even a small assignment, it can have a big impact on your grade.  Even if the make up work is difficult or rushed, get it done!  A zero is much worse than an F.  Consider…

 

If student X forgot a 10-point assignment, but earned 10/10 points on the next two assignments, the average of those grades is a D (20/30 – 67%).  Even if student X earns perfect marks on the next two assignments, the average of four A’s and a zero is a B- (40/50 = 80%).  Student Z struggled with the same first assignment, earning only 6/10 points.  Z can earn a better grade than X, without ever earning 10/10 on an assignment.