Public speaking, demonstrations, and illustrated talks are all speaking competitions held at County Events. They have a lot in common, but there are some important differences between the three.
What’s the difference?
- Public speaking uses NO visuals and has slightly different time requirements from demonstrations and illustrated talks
- A demonstration teaches HOW TO do something – props are brought in to help visualize how something is done; demonstrations can be presented with a partner
- An illustrated talk is a speech with visual aids such as a Powerpoint presentation or poster boards; these talks do not need to demonstrate a “How To”, they just share information on a topic
How are they the same?![youth giving a demonstration](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
- All are styles of public speaking
- All should be related to your 4-H project or experiences
- All provide a chance to move on to District Events
- All will be shared at the County Events live competition on March 29
Judging and Rubrics
- All ages of youth are eligible to participate in any of the 3 competitions; Cloverbuds will receive participation ribbons; all other youth will be judges using the modified Danish system
- All 3 events are judged on speech content, the 4-H member’s appearance and projection, and the organization of the speech. For details for each event, check out the rubrics below
- Public speaking has its own rubric – click here!
- Demonstrations and illustrated talks use the same rubric – click here!
Moving on to District and State
- Public Speaking
- The top 2 youth in the junior, intermediate, and senior age divisions at County Events move on to District Events (held May 4th in Yulee)
- The top 2 seniors for the entire district move on to the state competition (held at 4-H University)
- Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks
- Any junior, intermediate, or senior who receives a blue or high level red at County Events and practices with the 4-H agents moves on to District Events (held May 4th in Yulee)
- Any senior who receives a blue ribbon for a demonstration or illustrated talk at District Events will move on to the state competition (held at 4-H University)
Preparing Your Speech
- Choose a topic that is interesting to you and that you can relate back to your 4-H project or experiences
- Review the rubric for your competition – be sure to note the time limits for your age group and practice meeting them
- Practice, practice, practice – if you want to practice with the 4-H agents, call us and schedule a time
- For other tips about public speaking, check out this blog
- For more information on preparing your demonstration or illustrated talk, click here
County Events registration is open now through March 15th. To register, go to: https://county-events-2019-nassau.eventbrite.com