Persuasive Speech Outline Assignment Overview
Construct a formal presentation outline—complete with research and credible source citations—in preparation for your Persuasive Speech presentation. Prior to the deadline, you will be required to make an appointment
Links to an external site. with the writing center. So please be sure to plan ahead.
Some great past student speech topics
- Adopt, Don’t Shop: Supporting puppy mills is morally wrong
- It’s time we stop blaming the victim: how society victimizes the perpetrator and blame survivors of sexual assault
- Toxic Locker Room Talk: We need to change our everyday talk to fight toxic masculinity
- Stricter gun laws are what the voting public wants and needs
1) Develop an outline for your Persuasive speech.
- Be sure the outline contains the following basic parts of speech: Introduction, body with main points (and subordinate points contained within), and a memorable conclusion. Good rule of thumb: Your Introduction tells the audience what you’re getting ready to tell them, the Body tells them, and the Conclusion tells them what you’ve just told them.
- Use the attached Persuasive Speech Outline Template
- Download Persuasive Speech Outline Template to help you develop your outline. Remember: your speech should run between 5 and 7 minutes so you can’t say everything.
- You’ll be required to use the Problem/Solution organizational pattern for your main points.
2) Utilize research to develop your arguments.
- This is a Persuasive Speech; therefore, you will need to take a partisan position on an issue, and back your claims with research, evidence, and solid argumentation.
- A minimum of five (5) different library database articles must be referenced/cited within the text of your presentation outline.Feel free to use Google Scholar or Google News (or some other search engine) in addition to the MDC library databases under Learning ResourcesLinks to an external site..
- Remember when using search engines: If you run into a “paywall” on a mainstream news media site, you can always log-in through the MDC Library portal and access these outlets in order to gather highly credible sources like The New York times, USA Today, Washington Post, etc. You pay for this in the cost of your tuition, so please utilize the countless Library resources.
- If you need help with finding the MDC research databases, check out my MDC LibGuide
- Links to an external site. > Click on “Speech Making Process”
3) Cite your material sources.
- Every time you present information from a source, you must credit the source for his or her work. Otherwise, you are using their words (information) as your own. This is plagiarism.
- Always credit your sources: (1) in the text of your outline matching the citation in the Works Cited / Reference page, and (2) verbally in the speech when you use any outside material.
- A Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA) page must appear as the last page of your outline. You should know these citation styles coming into the class, as it is a prerequisite. But feel free to reach out to me for help.
PRO-TIP!!!
Use the “cite” tool in the Purdue Owl Writing Lab
Links to an external site.. You can find an auto-citation generator under the General Format
Links to an external site. page using the MLA or APA Style Guide. Also try using MS Word’s Outline tool to create your Works Cited page. Copy all of the citations onto one page in alphabetical order by the first letter of the author’s last name.
Formatting Guidelines
- Prepare a formal outline for your speech using this downloadable template
- Download downloadable template. Be sure your outline follows the exact parts of speech labeled on this provided template.
- Use full sentences— think of this formal outline like your speech script. Your presentation (aka “speaking”) outline is what you’ll use later when delivering your speech (e.g., notecards with quick words and phrases).
- Use correct outline indentation, uniform font size and color, correct grammar and punctuation, and so on— the outline should look clean & organized.
- Use proper in-text citations throughout the document, with full citations listed on a separate final page.
- The final page of the outline should be labeled “Works Cited” (MLA) or “References” (APA) and contain fully fleshed out citations following the current MLA
Links to an external site. or APA
- Links to an external site. Style Guide. These should include for your five (or more) sources used as supporting evidence throughout your outline.
