Assignment Guide: Persuasive Speech Outline
Public speaking is a key form of civic engagement. Being a good civil servant means listening to information that’s relevant to your local government, community(ies) and/or school and using public outlets—voting, petitioning, writing or speaking— to participate in democracy.
Public speaking becomes a necessary outlet to advocate for issues that are important to you—it’s a way to become civically engaged. The next two assignments– (1) the Persuasive Proposition Outline and (2) the Persuasive Proposition Presentation– will be your opportunity to advocate for or against an ethical, timely, and contextually relevant public controversy. The goal of this assignment is to create, change, or reinforce a belief or action by addressing a community and/or school problem or controversy. This might mean that you are advocating for an existing policy, or proposing a change to that policy.
By first drafting a speaking outline, and then a persuasive proposition speech on an ethical, timely and contextually relevant topic, you will be addressing a public controversy and advocating for a perspective that you hope your audience will adopt. Keeping in mind: if the issue isn’t publicly controversial – if everyone agrees or if there are not multiple perspectives – you are not persuading; you’re informing.
Prompt
Draft a “speaking,” or keyword outline, mapping out your Persuasive Proposition speech. Consider the following: what current, relevant and controversial community or local government, or school issue will you focus on, and what will you propose your audience do? Maybe you’re planning to propose to keep and reinforce an existing policy or locally held belief. Perhaps you’re going to advocate for a new school tradition or policy. Have you identified a commonly held belief in your community; one that you think your audience might benefit from if they take a different approach or see things in a new way?
You’ll want to select a local government, community or school-based issue, and persuade your audience to adopt a new way of seeing things and/or a new behavior. Possibly, you may advocate that a change is not needed and why. Ultimately, your goal is to identify and explore an existing policy and advocacy for something—maybe a change, a modification, a reinforcement–– something that you think will be better for your intended audience. Of course, you’ll have to do your research, and find at least 2 sources to build not only your knowledge but your case. The outline you create for this assignment, will help you craft a powerful persuasive speech.
NOTE: This assignment does not require you to write-out your entire speech; rather, it asks you to carefully plan, develop and prepare for it. The guide below will show you exactly what to include in your outline.
Expectations
By drafting a speaking outline, and by formulating a persuasive proposition speech on an ethical, timely and contextually relevant topic, you will be addressing a public controversy and advocating for a perspective that you hope your audience will adopt. Keeping in mind: if the issue isn’t publicly controversial – if everyone agrees or if there are not multiple perspectives – you are not persuading; you’re informing.
Topic Selection
The key to an effective persuasive proposition is to identify public controversies by listening and engaging with your government (local or otherwise), community and/or school. What issues are affecting them? What are priorities? Once you’re able to locate a key dispute or controversy, ask yourself:
What is it? What is the problem? Are there more than one? Is this the key problem or are there other hidden issues?
What is the impact? What will happen if the problem is not resolved?
Who’s affected? Who’s being affected or implicated by this problem? Who are the audiences or stakeholders affected? Are the stakeholders a part of my formal audience?
What can solve it? Are there suggested solutions? What can I propose and how do I do this?
For instance, controversies arise when a local government/community/school experiences a problem, so your job is to decipher the breadth and depth of that problem–to learn about the policy/belief so you decide what you want to propose and why. It’s impossible to address all issues in one speech, so researching and prioritizing are key to identifying what advocacy you find most urgent. For any controversy that you can address in a persuasive proposition speech, keep context and power in mind.
Topics to avoid for your outline/speech,* as they are either too complex to explore, or not considered appropriate for an academic or scholarly argument, are as follows:
Death penalty policies/laws
Euthanasia or self-assisted death policies/laws
Abortion policies/laws
The (il)legalization of drugs (e.g. marijuana) policies/laws
Gun rights policies/laws
Global warming policies/laws
* Please do not select one of the above topics, as your work may be returned without grading, and you will be asked to rewrite/refilm it.
Organization
A speaking, or keyword, outline is a planning device used to help you deliver a speech. This outline is usually written using bullet points (using the organizational scheme provided below) when drafting ideas; however, as a matter of best practice, write using clear and completed ideas and/or full-sentences. Remember, this outline is designed to serve as a launch pad for preparing and presenting your speech. Here is what your outline will include:
Detailed Outline Sections
Description/Guidelines
Setting the Stage
Section 1: Speech Topic
Pick a topic related to an issue/policy for which you would like to advocate. This topic will serve as the anchor of your persuasive proposition.
Section 2: Persuasive Proposition and Call-to-Action / Policy considerations
What specific issue will you focus on, and what are you proposing? What do you want your audience to feel? To believe? To value? And why? What do they need to know to make an informed decision? Why might they disagree with you? What are the facts to build your proposition?
Stop Here: conduct research on your topic–locating at least 2 credible sources— to learn more about it
Section 3: Draft a thesis statement.
Draft your thesis: your thesis, or central claim, should be your proposition, and what you’re hoping your audience will do, feel or think and why. This should be a single-sentence thesis statement.
Section 4: Identify your intended audience.
In a sentence, describe to whom your speech will be directed.
Section 5: Rhetorical Considerations
How will you persuade your intended audience? What do they believe? What do they value? What do you want them to do? How will they do this? Why might they disagree with you and how can you convince them otherwise? How will you connect with the audience? Why should they listen to you?
Planning the Speech
Section 6: Draft your Introduction
(Use complete sentences to draft your working introduction.)
Explore and note how you will do the following:
Get the audience’s attention by using an anecdote, a statistic or fact, a rhetorical question, or a quotation: a hook.
Establish or enhance your credibility.
Establish relevance through rapport.
Restate your thesis, which should include your main claim and your supporting points.
Section 7: Main Body–Minimum 3 Points
Explore and note the following:
First Main Point
Evidence
Explanation*
Second Main Point
Evidence
Explanation*
Third Main Point
Evidence
Explanation*
(Also known as a warrant–explaining how this evidence connects to your thesis.)
NOTES THROUGHOUT: Speaking Cues
Your outline should include speaking cues; it should provide cues to yourself to “slow down,” “pause,” or “change slide.”
NOTES THROUGHOUT: Use of Connective Statements
Your outline should include connective statements: These statements are designed to help “connect” parts of your speech to make it easier for audience members to follow. Connectives are tools for helping the audience listen, retain information, and follow your structure. Connectives can include internal summaries, signposting or internal previews.
Section 8: Ethical documentation of researched evidence using MLA formatting: 2 Sources
Source 1 (MLA formatted)
Quotation, paraphrase or summary of information that will be useful to support your ideas.
Source 2 (MLA formatted)
Quotation, paraphrase or summary of information that will be useful to support your ideas.
Section 9: Conclusion
Explore and note how you will do the following:
Get the audience’s attention.
Restate the thesis
Offer a summarizing and motivational call-to-action!
Section 10: Presentation Aid Planning
Note: Your final speech will have a visual aid requirement.
Select a “slide” formatted vehicle you will use to support your presentation. (Options: Anything utilizing a slide-by-slide format such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote.)
Explore what images, charts, statistics, information etc. will you put on your slides.
What information will you put on these slides?
Requirements
Draft your outline in Times New Roman, or another Sans Serif Font, in 12-point-font, single-spaced.
Have an MLA-formatted heading which includes: name, course, assignment, and date
Use organization structure noted above: 10 sections with added notes throughout. Be sure to label each section.
Draft in clear bulleted points and/or complete sentences.
Include 2 documented sources using MLA formatting. (Section 8)
Essential Elements Checklist: Persuasive Outline
A clear thesis statement and focus.
The introduction is clearly planned.
The intended audience is identified.
Persuasive or rhetorical elements have been considered.
Body contains a minimum of three supported points–explored and explained.
At least 2 credible and cited sources are noted.
Conclusion effectively re-engages the audience before the exit.
Visual-aid planning is evident.
Outline adheres to all other formatting and content guidelines.
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