Persuasive Speech Sequence

The persuasive speech has the same basic requirements as the informative. The topic is your choice. The basic requirements:

• Create a 5-7 minute speech on a specific topic.
• Cite at least two (2) sources in the body of your speech and on an MLA works cited page attached to your outline.
• Include at least one visual (you can use props, make a handout, use PowerPoint, etc.). Beware of posterboard with small text and images—these often do not show up from the back of the room.

An Additional Requirement

Use 1 of the 4 persuasive organizational patterns on pages 187-93 (problem-solution, Monroe’s motivated sequence, comparative advantage, and refutation). At the beginning of your speech I will ask you to identify an audience that would require the organizational pattern you have chosen for your thesis.

All the Related Assignments, Too

• Formal Outline 2 (pages 100-03).
• Peer Feedback 2: refer to the informative speech, below, for the suggestions.
• Reflection 4: use the same questions you used for reflection 2, below, but for #5 comment on what you had hoped to improve on and whether you did.

Due: Monday 23 and Monday 30 November.

Remember to bring a

VIDEOTAPE

with your name on the label

to record your formal speech.

Reflection 3 (Without Any Reflection): Political Compass

“Take the test” on the link by that name at The Political Compass. Then bring the numbers/coordinates you receive as your test results to share anonymously. We will discuss the results, and the Compass more generally, after your persuasive speeches.

Due: Monday 23 November.

Progym 5: Tag Team Rhetoric Slam

On Monday 16 November, we will meet at Mateo’s Coffee Shop (next to Papa Murphy’s and Blockbuster, across the street from Applebee’s) to argue the topics you have chosen. Each side of the argument must deliver a statement and a rebuttal. Everyone will receive full points as long as they meet the minimum requirements:

1.) Speak 2-4 minutes for the statement and 1-2 minutes for the rebuttal.

2.) Preview (introduction) or review (conclusion) the points of your statement. The rebuttal can be unstructured.

One person from each side of the argument may do both the statement and the rebuttal, but any time they choose they can tag a partner to take their place.

Your arguments will be scored by student judges from my SPE 314: Argumentation class. The top two teams will compete against each other in a final round, arguing the topic of whether OIT should institute a campus-wide rule against texting in classes (we will flip a coin to choose sides of the argument). Because of the final round, everyone should be prepared to speak on texting (I'm providing a reading to give you some ideas). The members of the losing team of the final round will receive 4 points extra credit each, while the winners of the final round will receive 8 points each.

The judges will use the following criteria:

1.) Difficulty of argument.

2.) Reasoning and support.

3.) Delivery.

Please remember to buy at least one product from Mateo’s, whether beverage or pastry, to pay for the space.

Good luck!

Informative Speech Sequence

1. Outline (due when you present your speech)

You will need to type a full sentence outline, including title, topic, purpose, thesis, transitions, and full citations for each of your sources. Basically, mimic the format of the outline on 100-03. Remember, 2-4 main points.

2. Informative Speech

Present an informative speech on the topic of your choice. Whatever your topic, chose a central idea and supporting details that this audience will find the most provocative. The basic requirements:

• Create a 5-7 minute speech on a specific topic.
• Cite at least two (2) sources in the body of your speech and on an MLA works cited page attached to your outline.
• Include at least one visual (you can use props, make a handout, use PowerPoint, etc.). Beware of posterboard with small text and images—these often do not show up from the back of the room.

3. Peer Feedback (done in class during formal speeches)

You will sign up to provide the feedback to one of your peers. Though the feedback will be oral, you should take some notes to help you collect your thoughts and to enable you to write about them for part of your self-evaluation. You may both ask questions and provide comments, though you shouldn’t have the speaker do all of the talking. A truly effective feedback both comments on what the speaker did well and suggests areas for improvement while providing concrete, specific examples.

Some possible areas for feedback (though you should feel free to make up your own):

• What were the strengths and/or weaknesses of the speaker’s delivery?
• What do you make of the choice of topic? What part of the speech did you find to be the most engaging?
• How effective was the visual? How did it support the speech? Did the speaker refer to it enough?
• Ask the speaker what interested her or him in the topic. Was there anything really interesting that they weren’t able to include?
• Ask the speaker for more information on anything in the speech you were unclear on.

4. Reflection 2 (due in individual conference)

After your speech, you will need to view the videotape of your presentation and type up a one-page, single-spaced self-evaluation. In your self-evaluation answer the following questions:

1. What was your initial impression of your speech? How did your impression change or stay the same after watching the video of your speech?
2. What was strongest in your delivery? What was weakest? Play the tape in fast forward and watch your gestures and body language—what do you see?
3. What made this speech provocative to this audience (or not)?
4. Whose speech did you respond to? What was their speech about? What did you question about and comment on? Is there anything you wish you had or hadn’t said?
5. Based on the informative speech, what do you wish to improve on for the persuasive speech?

Due: Monday 02 and Monday 09 November.

Remember to bring a

VIDEOTAPE

with your name on the label

to record your formal speech.

Extra Credit Opportunity

As I said in class, you may go to any two (don’t have to be directly related to class) Student Success Center workshops and do a half-page, typed write-up on it for extra credit. The workshops are posted at the Student Success Center office in the Learning Resources Center, as well as various spots on campus. In your write-up simply tell what happened and comment on it.

Do these write-ups any time before Dead Week (by Friday 27 November) to receive credit. Each write-up is worth up to 4 points extra credit (2% of your term grade).

Progym 4: Preview of Informative Speech

One of the ancient concepts I find the most difficult to convey to contemporary rhetoric students is copia, “copiousness,” the idea of developing many more arguments and much more support than you apparently need in order to be best prepared for what might come up. As Dr. Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize winning scientist, has said, “the best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas” (and I think Thomas Edison must have said it before him). Often, we are tempted to cut the creative process short just to get work done, and by doing so we often have weaker ideas than we should. One of the main goals of this progym is to develop copia for your formal speech, and you should have a fair amount of copia already for the preview. If you come prepared only to speak for 1-2 minutes it’s not going to go well.

Assignment

In contrast to the other progyms, you will be conducting more of a question and answer session. First provide a brief introduction to your topic without revealing what you will inform us of in your first formal speech. Think of it as a “teaser” to get people interested in your topic. Then you will answer questions for the bulk of your time. Your intro should be 1-2 minutes, and your Q and A 3-5 minutes.

Make Sure to Attribute

Research at least one source, attributing it in your speech. Example: “As Mike Hutcheson observes in his article for the business e-journal Unlimited, entitled ‘Good ideas, lots of ideas,’ wait to judge ideas until after the brainstorming is completed.”

Questions, Including a Really Tough One

If you don’t know the answer to a question, admit it, but do so gracefully. Don’t get embarrassed, don’t fake an answer—say it’s an interesting question, say you’ll get back to them on it. And if you really want to be good, refer to the question and the person who asked it when you give the answer in your formal speech.

Additionally, to give you extra practice responding to at least one really tough question in a safe environment, I will intentionally ask each speaker a stupid, tangential, openly hostile, or conceptually difficult question. Appendix B (262-3) gives good advice on how to respond to questions, and I will be looking for these techniques.

Evaluation

The progym will be evaluated on teaser (do you get people interested and provide some useful information and attribute?; 3 points), delivery (the usual effectiveness of volume, rate, gesture, eye contact, etc.; 3), Q and A (do you answer questions in an engaged and confident way?; 3), and Matt’s question (do you respond effectively to a difficult question?; 3).

Due: Monday 26 October.

Progym 3: Demonstration

Explain how to do something. There are a variety of things you may choose from to explain. You could explain how to make something, how to use a tool, how to follow a procedure, etc. However, I do ask you try to make it something interesting—please, no peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Of course, use your common sense, too—no firearms, blood drawing, or training attack dogs.

As usual, your speech must be at least two minutes long but can be up to five minutes to allow for some relatively more complex demonstrations. Don’t forget the phrase/speaking outline.

Due: Monday 19 October

The above image is from the World Health Organization.