Students should ensure that they:
Design a well-organized and supported speech on a topic that is appropriate for a time limit of 3-5 minutes.
Present a persuasive claim that is framed by a clear organizational framework that includes an introduction, supporting points, and a closing.
Use at least 3 reputable sources as evidence in the speech; these sources must be presented both orally, using attributive tags (such as “According to a report published by the CDC in 2023” or “As stated by Professor X, a researcher at X school, in 2022”), and in writing, using APA reference formatting.
Guidelines for Choosing a Topic
When choosing a topic:
Ensure the topic is persuasive by using a should statement to frame your argument rather than a how statement, which leans toward an informative speech. For example, note how “plastic grocery bags should be banned” is persuasive, while “how to recycle” is informative.
Ensure the topic is appropriate for a 3–5-minute speech. This means that highly controversial topics should be avoided, as it takes more than 3-5 minutes to persuade someone to consider changing their core values. This also means that the scope of the argument should be narrow: focus on an aspect of an issue rather than the whole. For instance, in 3-5 minutes, you could focus on what might be done with a specific aspect of pollution, such as eliminating disposable straws about water pollution or cutting back on fast fashion to help impact landfill pollution.
