The purpose of this speech is to persuade your audience about an important issue to you and one that will/should be considered important by your audience members as well.
The Assignment – Part I The first step is to identify a topic that you find interesting or about which you have great passion. You may want to complete a brainstorm or a mind map to analyze: (1) what you already know about the topic and (2) what you may need to research about the topic. This step will help you to narrow your topic down so that it will be a manageable size to meet the allotted time requirement. Another advantage to completing this step is that it will help you to create a logical, organizational pattern for presenting your information such as: YOU MUST USE Monroe’s Motivated Sequence in your speech:
Attention
Need (Problem)
Satisfaction (Solution)
Visualization
Action
This is a persuasive speech where you are trying to convince your audience to take an action or adopt an ideology. Therefore, controversial subjects are permissible for this particular speech. Here are some examples of topics: 1. Gun Control 2. Organ Donation 3. School Uniforms
The Assignment – Part II Once you have selected your topic, formulate a thesis statement that clearly states your opinion on the subject. Are you pro or con? When thinking about your thesis statement Answer these three questions:
Why does the topic interest you?
What does the audience stand to gain by your presentation?
What are the two or three key informational areas that your speech will address? (Your answer to this question will guide the development of the Body of your speech.)
The Assignment — Part III The third part of the speech is perhaps the most important step. Research! At the end of your speech, you will need to include a minimum of five (5) different sources (with citations that follow APA formatting) that you directly referenced or quoted in your speech (This is called an oral citation). All data used to develop your speech should be noted on your Works Cited and throughout your outline using in-text citations. If you need assistance with research, please see one of the librarians in the Library on the main campus, or visit the Writing Center or Tutoring Center.
The Assignment — Part IV Now it is time to write your speech. Your speech should be long enough that it meets the minimum requirement of 6 minutes, but not so long that you exceed the maximum requirement of 8 minutes. Points will be deducted for not meeting the time parameters. Generally, a persuasive speech will have the following sections:
A greeting to your audience. A statement of your name. Do NOT read the title of your speech! Do NOT state the purpose of your speech! Pause with silence after stating your name and before beginning your introduction. This pause is a signal to your audience that you are now transitioning into your speech.
An Introduction that grabs the attention of your audience and provides a thesis statement that will foreshadow what you will talk about in your speech.
Main Point #1 (Problem) will adequately cover this area of your speech with quotes, statistics, and examples to support your claims. Be sure to include your sources for your audience. This is NOT a paper for English class. Therefore, you will need to actually tell your audience from where you got your quote or statistic, etc. Here is an example for how such as statement might be made with full attribution: “According to Cathleen Kruska, Sr. VP for Organizational Development, in a lecture presented at the Safeguard National Convention in July, 2002, ‘Attitude is a choice.'”
Main Point #2 (Solution/Visualization)
Main Point #3 (Call to Action)
A Conclusion that summarizes all three of your main points and revisits the purpose of your speech. You may also include “words of wisdom” or a pithy quote, to end your talk.
A “call to action” that clearly communicates what you want your audience “to do” or “to think” as a result of seeing your speech.
An expression of gratitude to your audience. Add a pause (like stage direction if you were reading a script) between the end of your conclusion and the expression of gratitude.
The Assignment – Part V: Develop a PowerPoint presentation according to the guidelines given by your instructor. The PowerPoint should contain at least 10 slides. Switching slides frequently makes for a better presentation. It is recommended that this presentation has between 15 and 20 slides that follow the rules of a PowerPoint. Refer back to the Module on Visual Aids for additional guidelines. Read the Module on Visual Aids. Remember that this is a tool — it is a visual aid — for your audience to better understand the information you are presenting. It is NOT for you directly. Make sure to follow the RULES of a PowerPoint for this assignment found in your textbook. Submission Guidelines: When you have drafted a readable outline of your speech, submit it to your instructor for your course in Canvas by the due date. You will receive both written and verbal feedback from your classmates
The Assignment – Part VI: For this speech, you will compose a four (4) part, full sentence outline.(1) Introduction (2) Body (3) Conclusion(4) Works Cited
The Assignment- Part VII: Once you have developed your Full-Sentence Outline, you will practice the speech at least 8 times in front of an audience, and then you will put together a delivery outline (not graded) and transfer the delivery outline to notecards for the delivery of the speech.
The Assignment- Part VIII: Deliver the Speech. The time limit for the speech is 6-8 minutes.
