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| Preparation | Materials | Evaluation |
The purpose of this assignment is to attempt to convince the class that the final decision, which you have made regarding your group's public issue, is the best decision for the public in general and for the interests of your classmates in particular. As a result, your speech should be designed --
- to address the issues which seem unresolved in the minds of your classmates,
- to offer reasonable arguments for why they should accept your decision, and
- to motivate them to commit to a decision, rather than delay their decision making over other possible alternatives.
Preparation
Each student is responsible for the following:
 Formulate your final decision as a major claim, to be developed both logically and persuasively.
Assess the common beliefs and/or values held by your audience with respect to that major claim. Review previous comments by your classmates for evidence of their individual concerns. Consider carefully the merits of those concerns and how they relate to your position.
Survey the evidence you have in support of that claim and consider whether you need to gather in new material to argue your position persuasively.
Analyze your own sources of ethos or credibility with your audience.
Write an analysis of your audience, including how you have assessed them in terms of your purpose, what argumentative strategies or adaptations you plan to use, and how you will enhance the presentation of your ideas (e.g., through language choices, emotional appeals, visual or audio aids) to be understandable, reasonable, and appealing.
Construct an outline, based on your audience assessment and your research, which develops the major parts to be incorporated in the introduction, the main argument, and the conclusion of your speech. This outline, if developed properly, should be the skeleton for your speech -- reflecting both the sequential order of ideas and the logical relationship among those ideas.
Develop your speech from the outline, making certain that everything you plan to cover may be expressed effectively within the 7-9 minute time limit. NOTE: You may write a manuscript version of your speech, but that may not substitute for the outline.
Practice repeatedly delivering the complete speech out loud, preferably in front of someone who will alert you to any distracting mannerisms you might display. Effective delivery is a substantial part of your grade; only practice can help you improve your delivery.
Materials to be Submitted for this Assignment:
A written version of your audience analysis -- assessment of the audience and speech adaptation,
A full-sentence outline of the complete speech,
A presentation of the speech, between 6-8 minutes, delivered to the class on the date assigned and using minimal notes.
NOTE: SPEECHES READ FROM MANUSCRIPT OR FROM NOTE CARDS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE NO HIGHER THAN THE LETTER GRADE B.
Your final bibliography on your group's problem, which should include ALL sources consulted during the term, whether or not they were used directly in the speech,
NOTE: Proper bibliographic form is expected and will be graded. Consult the style manual.
Evaluation:
Evaluation for this assignment will be based on the following criteria, weighted accordingly -- |
