Public Speaking – Outline
Learning goals:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
– Understand the importance of creating a structured outline for speeches.
– Identify the key components of an effective speech outline.
– Practice creating their own outlines for speeches or presentations.
Resources: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14iZq29MYP9jENf_qggJceggIoYfng0F2PZbdv5PQWa4/edit?usp=sharing
Learning activities:
Discussion: Why Outlines Matter (15 minutes):
- Engage the students in a discussion about the importance of speech outlines.
- Ask students to share their experiences or observations when they or others had difficulties with disorganized speeches.
- Discuss how a clear outline can help speakers stay on track, enhance audience understanding, and improve overall delivery.
Components of an Effective Speech Outline (15 minutes):
- Present and explain the key components of an effective speech outline:
- Introduction: Attention-grabbing opening, thesis statement, and preview of main points.
- Body: Main points, supporting details or examples, transitions between points.
- Conclusion: Summary of main points, closing statement or call to action.
- Sub-points: Subdivisions of main points as needed.
- Provide examples to illustrate each component.
Creating a Speech Outline (20 minutes):
- Walk the students through the process of creating a speech outline step by step.
- Provide a sample speech topic or ask students to choose one.
- Work together as a class to outline the speech, discussing possible main points, sub-points, and the introduction and conclusion.
- Emphasize the importance of logical sequencing and clarity in the outline.
Activity: Creating Individual Outlines (15 minutes):
- Assign each student a different speech topic or allow them to choose their own.
- Have students work individually to create outlines for their speeches, using the components discussed.
- Circulate around the room to provide guidance and answer questions.
Sharing and Feedback (10 minutes):
- Invite a few students to share their outlines with the class.
- Encourage classmates to provide constructive feedback on the clarity and organization of the outlines.
- Discuss how feedback can help refine and improve the outlines.
Conclusion and Homework (5 minutes):
- Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson.
- Assign homework, which may include fleshing out the speeches based on the outlines created in class.
Assessment:
- Assessment can be based on the quality and completeness of the speech outlines created by students during the activity.
- You can also assess their understanding by asking them to explain the importance of each component of the outline.
Follow-Up Lesson: In the next lesson, you can build on the concept of speech outlines by discussing techniques for effective transitions between main points, incorporating supporting evidence, and practicing the delivery of speeches based on their outlines.