Assignment: Persuasive Speech Assignment

Assignment: Persuasive Speech Assignment
Point Value: 100 points [due in unit seven]
Rationale: Identify the introduction, main points and conclusion of a speech
Task Description
Persuasive speeches enable you to influence an audience’s way of thinking. The
purpose of a persuasive speech is to create a new attitude in your audience, strengthen
or change and existing audience attitude or call the audience to action. Specifically
within the business community, persuasive speeches are known as sales presentations,
decision briefings, good-will speeches, and inspirational speeches. In this assignment,
you MUST do the following things:
Introduction
o Attention getter
o Tie to your audience
o Credibility statement
o Thesis, which includes your problem and solution
Body
o Problem, solution, and visualization
o The problem and solution must have two sub-points
o Each sub-point must have two supporting points
o You also need to use transitions in between main points
o The body of your speech needs to be in your own words, do not rely on
quotes
o Provide sources throughout the body of your speech
Rebuttals
o Bring up topics against your speech and address them
Conclusion
o Recap your points
o Memorable ending
Visual aid
o Prepare a visual aid that you will show somewhere in your speech before
you transition to your conclusion
Sources
o Provide five sources for this topic
o You may NOT use yourself as a source
o You may use ONLY ONE .com
o You may use unlimited .org, .net, .edu and .gov sources.
o You may use ONLY ONE personal interview, survey or poll
o NO Wikipedia sources
o You may NOT use multiple articles from the same source/site
o You must cite these sources DURING your speech. When citing sources,
state the date, author and title. If there is no author – cite the date, title of
the site/source, title of the article
o You must cite these sources WITHIN your outline and in your work cited
 Delivery, be mindful of…
o Eye contact
o Stance
o Volume
o Enunciation
o Vocal variety
o Gestures
Details about Your Speech
 Your persuasive speech must be seven to nine minutes long. You will lose five
points if you do not make your time.
 You may NOT write your speech out word-for-word, but you may speak from an
outline or notecards. Practice your speech utilizing the extemporaneous method of
delivery. The extemporaneous method of delivery means that you outline your
speech, but when you deliver your speech, you elaborate on that outline.
 Do not let finding an audience of 12+ people deter you from completing this class.
Here are some tips…
 Give a speech to:
1. other classmates
2. co-workers
3. a friend or family members’ co-workers
4. people at a nursing home
5. members of a book club
6. a religious or social group you or friends or family members are
involved with
 Once you have taped yourself giving your speech (an audience is required for this
assignment), you should upload your speech.
 When you upload your speech, you must put your first name, last initial, class
number, assignment title.
Grading Rubric
 The following scale is used to grade you: Excellent (10 points), Good (8 points),
Average (6 points), Weak (4 points), Poor (2 points), Did not include (0 points)
 You are graded over the following items:
o Properly displayed the audience and was captured on tape from at least
the waist up
o Chose an appropriate topic and dressed professionally
o Utilized notecards or an outline and spoke for 7-9 minutes
o Delivered an articulate introduction
o Delivered an articulate problem
o Delivered an articulate solution
o Delivered an articulate visualization and rebuttal
o Delivered an articulate conclusion
o Fully incorporated and cited five sources
o Delivered an overall articulate speech
o You will lose five points if a visual aid is not present
Objectives Met
Delivery – communication apprehension and stage fright; presentation and delivery
skills; and non-verbal communication.