PERSONAL SPEECH OUTLINE

ORGANIZING YOUR SPEECH

While this speech is not as formal as the persuasive speech you gave last year in English III, it still needs structure to make your focus clear.

Your speech should follow the outline I am about to give you.

SPEECH OUTLINE FORMATIntroduction:• Hook or Attention Getter:

• Think about what makes an interesting hook for a personal speech. (Starting with a question is probably not your best, nor most interesting option.) Here are some other options:

• Use a “teaser” statement:• “I thought the summer of 2012 would be the

best summer of my life. Little did I know…”• New Twist on the Familiar:

• Take a common story, quote, saying, or anecdote and change it.• “To eat or not to eat, that is the question.”

Introduction Continued

Background Information:• Give your audience a little background information

about your speech topic.• How old were you? Where were you? What year was it?

etc.• Give just enough information to create context for

your audience, but not too much that you give the information away.

Focus Sentence:• In one sentence tell your audience what the purpose

of the speech will be.• Think of this like a thesis statement, but without an

argument.

BodyCreate the specific setting for your audience

members.• Use imagery and details to help paint a picture for

your audience.• Appeal to all five senses so your audience can imagine

your setting.

Give a detailed list of plot events for your story.• Build the rising action of your plot. Make sure you

include all details that lead up to the climax of your story.

• Make sure you give details that make your story relatable to your audience.

• RELATABLE = INTERESTING• Make sure your audience is aware of the climax of

your story. • Make sure the way you describe this portion of your story

creates the type of emotion you want in your audience members.

• Do you want them to laugh? Cry? Be angry? Be surprised?

ConclusionREFLECTION:

• End with a reflection of your story.• Think about which one of the following

questions apply to your story.• Did you learn anything? • Is there a moral to your story?• In what small way did this event impact your life?• Did this story impact your life in a greater way?• Think about the “So what? Factor”: Looking back

now I realize