Communications Part 1 Homework Steven Student School That Has Uniform Policy

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a lofty one? Or are some means of communicating, such as quoting out of context, inherently

unethical no matter who is using them to what end? Those who lean toward the “ends justify the

means” position will soon find themselves pressed to answer the question of who decides on the

morality of goals. Surely Hitler believed his goal was noble, as do pro-life and pro-choice

advocates, liberals and conservatives.

The proponents of the other point of view, that some techniques of speaking are unethical,

are on sounder philosophical ground perhaps. But they rapidly run into problems when pressed

to differentiate between specific cases. It is wrong to make up evidence, but is it wrong for a

speaker to emphasize evidence that supports his/her thesis? It is wrong to substitute emotional

appeals for sound reasoning, but is it wrong to use emotional material to create a sense of

urgency in an indifferent audience?

Hance, Ralph, and Wiksell (1975) are among the writers who effectively argue that there is

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Basic Course Materials

Sample Course Syllabus

For many students the first few days of a course are accompanied by feelings of uncertainty and

apprehension about what is expected of them. During this initial period the instructor can ease

Instructor: Neeley Silberman Dept. Office: Saint Mary’s, D329

Public Speaking I Dept. Phone: 555-4666

Office Hours: TTh 9:30-10:00 and by appt.

REQUIRED TEXT: Sprague and Stuart, The Speaker’s Compact Handbook

Also required: One DVD or recording DVR to be brought to class each day you are scheduled

to speak.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to provide you with basic theories and skills

evaluate the speaking of others.

ATTENDANCE: Your attendance and active participation are essential to the success of this

class. Your participation in exercises, speech evaluation, and class discussion is encouraged and

You must complete all assignments/exams to pass the course.

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I. Speaking Assignments:

II. Examinations:

A. Two multiple choice exams based

on textbook, lectures, classroom

activities, and discussion 20% of grade

B. Final: Essay exam (comprehensive) 20% of grade

III. Attendance, participation, completion of

class exercises, and critiques 10% of grade

Sample Course Calendars

A course calendar should be prepared along with the course syllabus. Whether or not you expect

1. Skills-Oriented Class (Semester Calendar)

Class Class Assignment

Period Activity

1. Introduction to Course Lecture

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6. Lecture/discuss Speech Topics &

Purposes, Topic Analysis, & Contexts 10, 33

15. Lecture/discuss/exercise

Supporting Materials 13, 14, 15

16. Lecture/discuss Research, Inform. Strategies

Scavenger Hunt exercise 12, 21

26. Lecture/discuss Audience Analysis

Audience Analysis Assignment 11

27. Lecture/discuss Persuasive

Strategies. Group exercise 22

28. Lecture/discuss Reasoning

Critique sample speech 23

29. Lecture/discuss Credibility

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34. Speech IV

35. Speech IV

36. Lecture/discuss Motivational

Appeals. Advertisement exercise 24

2. Elective Course Calendar

Class Class

Period Activity Assignment

1. Orientation

2. Form support groups, get acquainted FNDTN., PREP. INTRO

3. Delivery/Confidence 1,4

4. Speech Ethics. Listening, Assign Speech I 2, 3

5. Speech purposes. Meet in groups 10

6. Organization 17-19

7. Introductions and Conclusions 30

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29. Style and language 28

30. Reasoning 23

31. Discuss audience analysis

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Sample Assignment Sheets

Besides the syllabus and calendar, we find it useful to distribute a sheet spelling out the purpose,

requirements, and grading criteria for each speaking assignment. Today’s students come from

varied academic backgrounds. While some are able to respond to a two- or three-minute oral

description of an assignment, many need more guidance and detail. Without lowering one’s

standards or getting into remedial instruction, a teacher can adapt to the needs of many entering

The assignment sheets include:

x One-Point Speech

x Supporting-a-Claim Speech

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One-Point Speech

Assignment Sheet

Prepare a 3- to 4-minute presentation supporting a specific statement of fact or value. Your

outline should be a complete-sentence outline and is due on the day of your speech. Use and

label the supporting materials (examples, statistics, testimony) from Chapter 15. Also use and

label at least two of the techniques of clear explanation from Chapter 21 (emphasis cues,

signposting, acronym, slogan, or analogy).

The assignment is designed to build speech-making skills rather than represent a complete or

typical speech. Below is a brief example of the outline format you will use. Naturally, your

outline will include more details and will be of a more serious nature.

Outline

I. Gary Ruud is a lousy teacher.

A. Gary Ruud doesn’t show concern for his students.

1. Class evaluations indicate 97% of Gary Ruud’s students rank him in

the bottom 5th percentile in this category. (Statistic)

B. Gary Ruud grades unfairly.

1. Teachers generally use one of two grading systems.

a. First, using a typical curve suggests that there will be a small percentage of As

and Fs. Second, a larger percentage will be Bs and Ds. And, third, the largest

percentage will be Cs. (Enumeration)

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Presentation

You are to use one or two 3×5 notecards. Delivery should be extemporaneous. Utilize the

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Supporting-a-Claim Speech

Assignment Sheet

Purpose of This Assignment

In persuasive speaking it is essential the speech be made up of claims that support the

proposition/thesis. Each of these claims is then supported through the use of evidence and

reasoning. For example, the claim that fatty foods cause high cholesterol must be supported by

evidence such as statistics, testimonies, and/or examples. Once the evidence is established, the

Requirements

1. Create a proposition/thesis. (See example on next page.)

2. Create three main points/claims that support the proposition. [17]

6. You are required to turn in your completed planner on the day you speak. Your planner

should include:

x Clearly stated thesis [10d]

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Supporting-a-Claim Speech: Example

Part One:

Proposition: The US school system should adopt a school uniform policy.

Main Point I: Within the last decade there has been an increase in juvenile crimes.

Main Point II: School uniforms will reduce competition.

Main Point III: School uniform programs will decrease juvenile crimes.

Part Two:

I. (Main Point/Claim): School uniform programs will decrease juvenile crimes.

A. (Evidence) Sonoma county school district has seen a 10% reduction in juvenile

crimes since implementing their school uniform policy one year ago (Stevens, 1997).

Statistic

B. (Evidence) Steven, a student at a school that has a uniform policy, stated that before

the policy he and his friends had stolen articles of clothing, but since the uniform

policy he has not found a need or desire to continue stealing clothing (Brawley,

1996).

Example

C. (Evidence) A Professor at the University of California, Berkeley states that her

research has found a direct correlation between the need for material possessions and

the need to commit crimes (Stevens, 1997).

Testimony

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Tribute Speech

Assignment Sheet

Purpose of This Assignment

One of the forms of public speaking that we do not do enough of is paying tribute to another

human being. There are many occasions in our lives for giving a tribute: family gatherings,

Requirements

1. You will honor one living individual who has influenced you in a positive way. Share two

specific things about this person that made him/her so influential.

Criteria for Evaluation

First, you must meet all of the above requirements to receive a passing grade for the assignment.

Suggestions for Preparation

Choose a person who is important to you—who touched your life or impressed you. Keep in

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Demonstration Speech

Assignment Sheet

Purpose of This Assignment

Informative speeches take many forms, one of which is the demonstration speech. The primary

purpose of any speech to inform is to ensure the audience’s clear understanding of the ideas

presented. This assignment asks you to explain and demonstrate to the audience the steps

involved in carrying out a certain task or process.

Requirements

1. The topic should be informative and challenging to this audience.

2. The speech should be four to six minutes in length.

8. A typed outline, submitted on the day of the speech, should

— state the specific purpose of your speech [10]

Criteria for Evaluation

First, you must meet all of the above requirements to receive a passing grade for the assignment.

Suggestions for Preparation

Select a topic that you are already familiar with and on which you can quickly gather additional

information.

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Problem Solution Speech

Assignment Sheet

Purpose of This Assignment

This speech is to introduce you to persuasive speaking by working first on the logical substance,

or logos, that is the essence of any persuasive effort. If you advocate a change, you should be

Requirements

1. The topic should be timely, timeless [10], and controversial. Choose a topic on which you

hold strong convictions and upon which you can realistically expect to influence an audience

Criteria for Evaluation

First, you must meet all of the above requirements to receive a passing grade for the assignment.

Then, points will be assigned based on how well you carried out each aspect of the assignment.

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Suggestions for Preparation

Select a topic that you can research readily in the time available. Once again, strong organization

is your best ally. Make your main points clear and be very explicit on how the subpoints relate to

each other and to the main points. Use summaries and transitions like the following: “I have

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Audience-Analysis Project: Overview

Persuasive Speech

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that (a) you understand the theory of audience

analysis, and (b) that you can apply this theory by adapting your persuasive speech to this

particular audience. There are three parts to this assignment. Parts 1, 2, and 3 are to be turned in

along with your outline prior to your speech. All three parts are explained below so that you can

see how the assignment as a whole is structured.

Pre-Speech Analysis: Parts 1, 2, and 3

To complete these segments you must participate in the in-class audience analysis project. This

Part 1: General Audience Analysis

What do you know about the composition of this group offhand? Include audience size, age, sex,

Part 2: Specific Audience Analysis

What have you learned about your audience in terms of their attitudes toward your specific

Part 3: Persuasive Strategy

Justify your speech strategy with regards to your audience. What ratio of reasoning, motivational

Post-Speech Analysis: Parts 4 and 5

Part 4 is to be turned in no later than one class session after you deliver your speech.

Part 4: Comparison of Pre-Speech and Post-Speech Results

Report on the shift of attitude, if any. How successful were you? Give specific examples of

Part 5: Analysis of Persuasive Impact

Why do you think some people were persuaded? Why do you think some were not? If you had

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Pre-Speech Audience Analysis

Write your proposition below and add four more questions that you would like to have answered

by your audience as you prepare your persuasive strategy. This is information you will be able to

use to reformulate your speech. The questions should be clear and concise, and the entire

questionnaire must be possible to complete within 2 minutes. Make _____ copies for the

audience and bring them to class on the day scheduled for the data collection.

Questionnaire

1. What is your attitude toward this statement?

Speaker’s Proposition: