PLANNINGWORKSHEET FOR THE SPEECH TO PERSUADE To prepare for your speech to persuade, you must complete the following planning worksheet, which must be turned in to me on the day you give your speech, along with your bibliography and your self-evaluation. TOPIC_________________________________________________________________ GENERAL PURPOSE: The general purpose of my speech is to persuade my audience that____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. SPECIFIC PURPOSE: After listening to my speech, the audience will ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. Express your specific purpose in terms of the persuasive outcome you desire—i.e. to convince or actuate. PERSUASIVE PROPOSITION/CLAIM: Is your controlling proposition/claim one of Fact__________ Value__________ Policy__________ (Check all that apply.) Write out your persuasive proposition/claim in a COMPLETE SENTENCE: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. What are you doing to gain attention: Explain specifically how you will engage the audience’s attention; write out your attention device. What organizational strategy are you using? (Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, Problem/ Solution , Comparative Advantages, etc.) Write out each step with how you will address it.) What are your main points and what support are you using for each? Explain how you will establish the problem or issue, and how you will relate it to the needs of your audience. Include specific appeals, evidence, and visuals. Identify the solution(s) you will explore or advocate. Are their opposing views or arguments you should acknowledge—i.e. refutations or objections? How will you overcome objections? Explain the rational appeals you will use. Explain the motivational appeals you will use. Are you using emotional appeals? If so, which ones and how will you implement them? Are you using incentives? Are you using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? How will things be better/different for the audience? How will things change? How will you use specific evidence and/or visuals? Action Step: In a COMPLETE SENTENCE, state the persuasive appeal you will express in your conclusion. Be certain it is clear, and it relates to your specific purpose—i.e. to convince or actuate. Also write out your clincher. CREDIBILITY: Explain specifically how you will establish your credibility, including the types of evidence you will use to support your argument. .

1. PLANNINGWORKSHEET FOR THE SPEECH TO PERSUADE
To prepare for your speech to persuade, you must complete the
following planning worksheet, which must be turned in to me on
the day you give your speech, along with your bibliography and
your self-evaluation.
TOPIC_______________________________________________
__________________
GENERAL PURPOSE: The general purpose of my speech is to
persuade my audience
that_________________________________________________
___________________
_____________________________________________________
__________________.
SPECIFIC PURPOSE: After listening to my speech, the
audience will
_____________________________________________________
___________________
_____________________________________________________
___________________
_____________________________________________________
__________________.
Express your specific purpose in terms of the persuasive
outcome you desire—i.e. to

2. convince or actuate.
PERSUASIVE PROPOSITION/CLAIM: Is your controlling
proposition/claim one of
Fact__________ Value__________ Policy__________
(Check all that apply.)
Write out your persuasive proposition/claim in a COMPLETE
SENTENCE:
_____________________________________________________
___________________
_____________________________________________________
___________________
_____________________________________________________
___________________
_____________________________________________________
__________________.
What are you doing to gain attention: Explain specifically how
you will engage the audience’s attention; write out your
attention device.

3. What organizational strategy are you using? (Monroe’s
Motivated Sequence, Problem/
Solution
, Comparative Advantages, etc.) Write out each step with how
you will address it.)
What are your main points and what support are you using for
each? Explain how you will establish the problem or issue, and
how you will relate it to the needs of your audience. Include
specific appeals, evidence, and visuals.
Identify the solution(s) you will explore or advocate. Are their

4. opposing views or arguments you should acknowledge—i.e.
refutations or objections? How will you overcome objections?
Explain the rational appeals you will use.
Explain the motivational appeals you will use. Are you using
emotional appeals? If so, which ones and how will you
implement them? Are you using incentives? Are you using
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? How will things be
better/different for the audience? How will things change? How
will you use specific evidence and/or visuals?
Action Step: In a COMPLETE SENTENCE, state the persuasive

5. appeal you will
express in your conclusion. Be certain it is clear, and it relates
to your specific
purpose—i.e. to convince or actuate. Also write out your
clincher.
CREDIBILITY: Explain specifically how you will establish
your credibility, including
the types of evidence you will use to support your argument.
(pp. 419-21)
RESEARCH/BIBLIOGRAPHY: List a minimum of 5 sources

6. you used to research your speech; use APA or MLA
documentation format for all items (consult a writing
handbook).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
THE SPEECH TO PERSUADE
As you prepare for the speech to persuade, study Ch.14 in your
text. The persuasive planning sheet, this sheet, class discussion,
and consultation with me will also help you be successful on
this assignment.
Speeches are scheduled for the following days: November 25,
December 2 and December 4.
Dates will be assigned and you are expected to deliver your
speech on the assigned date. These speeches are delivered on
the last 3 regular class days of the semester. Failure to deliver

7. your speech on the date assigned may likely result in not being
able to deliver the speech and receiving a grade of 0.
On the day of your speech, you must turn in the following to
receive full credit for the assignment; no late submissions will
be accepted:
· Your planning sheet, completed before you speak
· A bibliography of at least 5 sources you used in your research;
APA or MLA format.
After your speech you will be expected to turn in your
· Your self-evaluation form.
Choosing a Topic
When selecting a topic for a speech to persuade, you should not
assume that you have to choose a subject that is highly
controversial or emotionally charged (“hot button” topics)—i.e.
abortion, capital punishment, gun control, parking on campus,
etc.) In fact, topics such as these are very difficult to do well in
a six- to seven-minute speech, are two multi-faceted and
complex, and “hot button” topics may notbe used as topics for
this assignment. Instead, you might consider a topic on a local
issue, on a state or federal issue, or on a national or

8. international issue—on which can be narrowed easily and
supported well with specific evidence. Also, seemingly
“ordinary” topics may be good choices—eg. eating a proper
diet, volunteering in the community, learning CPR, recycling on
campus, saving or investing money, etc. If you have any
questions about the appropriateness of the topic you are
considering, please consult with me.
· Local issues: ERAU campus issues, or issues specific to a
college campus audience, or Daytona Beach area issues. Some
examples would be getting involved in campus organizations
and activities, binge drinking, a scarcity of a needed resource(s)
for students (eg. need for a student union), local police policies
toward spring breakers, driving on the beach.
Note: It may be difficult to obtain evidence on specific
ERAU campus issues to
support your argument; you may have to rely heavily on
interviews, and I can give
you guidance.
· State and federal issues: minimum wage policies, use of
lottery funds, casino gambling, offshore drilling, restoring the
Everglades, and light rail transportation. It should be easy to
research topics such as these using the internet and our campus
library.

9. · National and international issues: nuclear energy (or waste),
U.S. presence in a foreign country, global warming (would have
to narrow this), destruction of the rainforests, universal health
care, political campaigns, etc. You will have no problem finding
material as you do your research, but these topics are multi-
faceted and complex. You will, first, have to read broadly on
the topic, and then narrow your focus to an aspect of the topic
that you can handle within the time limits of the assignment.
Only a carefully narrowed topic can be given the proper
coverage and depth it needs within seven minutes.
Taking a Position
In a speech to persuade, your goal is to convince or actuate, to
alter beliefs or attitudes, or to alter behavior. To be persuasive,
as opposed to informative, in purpose, you must take a position
on your topic, as well as identify and acknowledge the
opposition—counter arguments—to your position. If you cannot
do this with the topic you have chosen, you may have selected a
topic better suited to a speech to inform.
In persuasive speaking, your “position” is called a
“proposition.”

10. Types of Persuasive Propositions, or Claims
· Propositions of Factassert truth or falsity; they take a position
about an issue that has two or more sides, both or all with
conflicting evidence. Listeners must choose the truth for
themselves. Often propositions of fact cannot be resolved with a
“yes” or a “no,” or with objective, factual information; they are
open to debate.
Examples: Rent control will—or will not—make housing more
available for
tenants.
Tighter enforcement of the open container
law will—or will not—
reduce drinking among college students
during spring break.
· Propositions of Value take a position about the worth,
goodness, or benefit of an idea, person, or thing. Most
propositions of value cannot be argued effectively unless they
are based in part on propositions of fact.
Examples: Magic Johnson is a good role model for
African Americans.

11. Getting a college degree is worth what it
costs.
· Propositions of Policytake a position about a specific course
of action, and are often based on a proposition(s) of fact and/or
value. Propositions of policy use “should” or “must.”
Examples: The government should—or should not—
spend more money on space
exploration.
College athletes should—or should not—be
paid for their
participation on college teams.
Discovering a Topic and a Proposition
A good way to discover a topic and a proposition is to complete
the following sentence:
There are several reasons why I believe that…….

12. · driving on the beach is/is not detrimental to the environment
(value).
· President _________will be judged among the top five best
presidents in the last 100 years (value).
· the U.S. should/should develop green energy sources (policy).
· participation in ROTC develops one’s leadership skills (fact).
· going on a co-op or internship increases one’s chances of
getting a job soon after graduation (fact).
Organization
You MUST use Monroe's Motivated Sequence for the
organizational strategy. The steps are
Gain Attention
Show Need for a New