Public Speaking Final Speech – Problem Solution Format
The final speech will ask you to educate your audience about
a problem that is present in our world today and offer at least one viable
solution. Choose a topic that you are passionate about and one that you want to
share with others.
Consider also how engaging your topic will be to you and your
audience – make sure you have something interesting to say and that your
audience will benefit in some way from listening to the speech.
Make sure your topic is narrow enough so your speech will
not be too vague, but also make sure it is not too narrow so that you will have
enough material to fill approximately 4-6 minutes of speaking.
A five-minute speech, spoken at an average rate, should be
approximately 650 words long, so that should be your guideline for writing this
speech.
All speeches need to contain the following elements:
1.
An engaging opening strategy or “hook” that
catches the audience’s attention
2.
Well-organized content (different points
separated into different paragraphs – separate out the problem portion from the
solution portion)
3.
At least 5 credible sources consulted on your
topic
4.
2-3 credible sources quoted in the speech
5.
A clear “Takeaway” for the audience: boiling
down your main point to a few sentences
6.
A strong closing strategy to leave the audience
with something profound to think about
This project will be a multi-step process. First, you need
to brainstorm and choose a topic. Then, you need to complete substantive
research (the final calls for at least 5 credible sources, but you may need to
consult as many as 10 sources until you find the appropriate information).
Next, you will write and revise several drafts of your speech. After that, you
will memorize and deliver the speech in class, and you will have the
opportunity for several “takes” with feedback given in between. Finally, you
will present the final draft of your speech, video it, upload it to Youtube,
and write a reflection.
