Outlining the Speech

Chapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

1. Explain why it is important to outline speeches.

2. Explain the differences between a preparation outline and a speaking outline.

3. Construct a preparation outline following the guidelines presented in the book.

4. Construct a speaking outline following the guidelines presented in the book.

Chapter Outline

I. Outlines are essential to effective speeches.

A. An outline helps a speaker see the full scope and content of the speech at a glance.

B. An outline helps a speaker judge whether each part of the speech is fully developed.

C. An outline helps create a coherent structure for the speech.

II. Creating a preparation outline is a vital step in putting a speech together.

A. A preparation outline is a detailed outline used to plan a speech.

B. The process of writing a preparation outline requires that a speaker bring together the major elements of the speech.

C. There are eight guidelines for effective preparation outlines.

1. The preparation outline should include the speaker’s specific purpose statement.

2. The preparation outline should include the speaker’s central idea.

3. The preparation outline should clearly label the introduction, body, and conclusion of the speech.

4. The preparation outline should have a consistent pattern of symbolization and indentation.

5. The preparation outline should state main points and subpoints in full sentences.

6. The preparation outline should label transitions, internal summaries, and internal previews.

7. The preparation outline should include a bibliography.

8. The preparation outline may also include a title for the speech.

D. Students can log onto Connect for additional resources related to outlining their speeches.

III. Once the preparation outline is completed, a speaking outline can be drawn up.

A. A speaking outline is a brief outline used to deliver a speech.

B. The primary purpose of a speaking outline is to help a speaker remember what to say.

1. It includes key words and phrases from the preparation outline.

2. It includes essential statistics and quotations the speaker does not want to forget.

3. It includes cues to direct and sharpen a speaker’s delivery.

C. Speaking outlines are especially effective for extemporaneous speeches.

D. There are four guidelines for effective speaking outlines.

1. The speaking outline should follow the same visual framework used in the preparation outline.

2. The speaking outline should be plainly legible.

3. The speaking outline should be as brief as possible.

4. The speaking outline should include cues for delivering the speech.

Exercises for Critical Thinking (from text pages

218–219)

1. In the left-hand column below is a partially blank outline from a speech about the Golden Gate Bridge. In the right-hand column, arranged in random order, are the subpoints to fill in the outline. Choose the appropriate subpoint for each blank in the outline.

To assign this exercise online, go to the interactive Outline Exercises for this chapter on Connect. You will also find several additional scrambled outlines that can help students hone their outlining skills.

Outline

Subpoints

I More than 20 years passed from the time the Golden Gate Bridge was proposed to the time it opened.

Today, those towers make it the world’s third tallest suspension bridge.

Construction finally began in 1933 and ended in 1937.

The span between its towers is 4,200 feet. At the time it was built, the Golden Gate was also the longest suspension bridge in the world.

In 1923, the State of California passed legislation authorizing construction of the bridge.

II. Now nearly 80 years old, the Golden Gate Bridge remains a marvel of engineering.

Its two towers rise almost 750 feet above the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Once construction of the bridge was authorized, it took ten years to approve the design and financing.

That span makes it the twelfth longest suspension bridge in the world today.

At the time it was built, the Golden Gate was the tallest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge was originally proposed in 1916 but faced years of legal hurdles.

Discussion: This is an excellent exercise to help students develop outlining skills. You can do the exercise in class, or you can have students use the interactive outlining feature for this chapter at Connect. In case you wish to assign more than one such exercise, there are four additional scrambled outlines on Connect, three among the Additional Exercises/Activities in this manual (pages 152–157), and two more among the essay exam questions in Chapter 11 of the Test Bank

When filled in, the outline on the Golden Gate Bridge should look like the following.

I. More than 20 years passed from the time the Golden Gate Bridge was proposed to the time it opened.

A. The bridge was originally proposed in 1916 but faced years of legal hurdles.

B. In 1923, the State of California passed legislation authorizing construction of the bridge.

C. Once construction of the bridge was authorized, it took ten years to approve the design and financing.

D. Construction finally began in 1933 and ended in 1937.

II. Now nearly 80 years old, the Golden Gate Bridge remains a marvel of engineering.

A. At the time it was built, the Golden Gate was the tallest suspension bridge in the world.

1. Its two towers rise almost 750 feet above the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

2. Today, those towers make it the world’s third tallest suspension bridge.

B. At the time it was built, the Golden Gate was also the longest suspension bridge in the world.

1. The span between its towers is 4,200 feet.

2. That span makes it the twelfth longest suspension bridge in the world today.

2. From the preparation outline on the Golden Gate Bridge you constructed in Exercise 1, create a speaking outline that you might use in delivering the speech. Follow the guidelines for a speaking outline discussed in this chapter.

Discussion: This exercise helps clarify the differences between a preparation outline and a speaking outline and gives students practice in creating a speaking outline. Whether or not you have students complete this exercise at home, you can direct class discussion toward the elements of effective preparation and speaking outlines.

Using Public Speaking in Your Career (from text page 215)

As the defense attorney in a car theft case, you need to prepare your closing argument to the jury before it begins its deliberations. After reviewing evidence from the trial, you decide to stress the following points to demonstrate the innocence of your client: a. The stolen car was found abandoned three hours after the theft with the engine still warm; at the time the car was found, your client was at the airport to meet the flight of a friend who was flying into town. b. Lab analysis of muddy shoe prints on the floor mat of the car indicates that the prints came from a size 13 shoe; your client wears a size 10. c. Lab analysis shows the presence of cigarette smoke in the car, but your client does not smoke. d. The only eyewitness to the crime, who was 50 feet from the car, said the thief “looked like” your client; yet the eyewitness admitted that at the time of the theft she was not wearing her glasses, which had been prescribed for improving distance vision. e. The car was stolen at about 1 p.m.; your client testified that he was in a small town 250 miles away at 11 a.m. f. In a statement to police, the eyewitness described the thief as blond; your client has red hair.

As you work on the outlineof your speech, you see that these points can be organized into three main points, each with two supporting points. Compose an outline that organizes the points in this manner.

Discussion: As with the other Using Public Speaking in Your Career scenarios throughout the book, this one is meant to illustrate that the principles of effective speechmaking are applied in a wide range of situations outside the classroom. In dealing with this scenario, students should construct an outline whose three main points deal with lab analysis, with the timeline of events, and with eyewitness testimony. Once the six points stated in the scenario are reorganized as subpoints under the lab analysis, timeline, and eyewitness main points, the outline will look as follows (allowing, of course, for differences in the exact wording of main points and in the order of some subpoints).

I. Lab analysis does not support a guilty verdict.

A. Lab analysis of muddy shoe prints on the floor mat of the car indicates that the prints came from a size 13 shoe; the defendant wears a size 10.

B. Lab analysis also shows the presence of cigarette smoke in the car, but the defendant does not smoke.

II. The timeline of events in the case does not support a guilty verdict.

A. The stolen car was found abandoned three hours after the theft with the engine still warm; at the time the car was found, the defendant was at the airport to meet the flight of a friend who was flying into town.

B. The car was stolen at about 1 p.m.; the defendant testified that he was in a small town 250 miles away at 11 a.m.

III. Eyewitness testimony does not support a guilty verdict.

A. The only eyewitness to the crime, who was fifty feet from the car, said the thief “looked like” the defendant; yet the eyewitness admitted that at the time of the theft she was not wearing her glasses, which had been prescribed for improving distance vision.

B. In a statement to police, the eyewitness described the thief as blond; the defendant has red hair.

Additional Exercises and Activities

1. Distribute the “Preparation Outline Guide,” which appears on pages 159

160 of this manual.

Discussion: Outlining often proves difficult for students to master. The “Preparation Outline Guide” is a companion to numerous other resources in the textbook, in this manual, and on Connect designed to help students learn the art of effective outlining. You can even send students the “Preparation Outline Guide” as a Word document, which allows them to type over the guidelines and retain the proper formatting

Alternatively, you can send students to Connect, which includes a Speech Outliner designed to help them construct outlines from scratch following the guidelines in Chapter 11. There is also a program (EasyBib) that can automatically format a speech bibliography in either APA or MLA

2. In the left-hand column below is a partially blank outline from a speech about suicide among college students. In the right-hand column, arranged in random order, are the subpoints to fill in the outline. Choose the appropriate subpoint for each blank in the outline.

Outline

I. Suicide among college students is a serious problem.

Subpoints

Even on our campus the rate of suicide and attempted suicide is quite high.

There are also more subtle warning signs that a person may try to commit suicide.

There are excellent services available on campus and in the community to help potential suicide victims.

In town students can go to the Suicide Prevention Center.

One warning sign is loss of appetite.

II. We can help solve the problem by knowing how to identify potential suicide victims and whom to contact about helping them.

Identifying potential suicide victims is easier than you think.

Dean Howard also said that for every known suicide attempt, two or three more go unnoticed.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the fastest growing cause of death for people aged 17 to 24 nationwide.

In an interview with Roger Howard, associate dean of students, I learned that last year there were over 60 known suicide attempts on our campus.

A second warning sign is prolonged depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health says 80 percent of the people who commit suicide tell someone ahead of time that they are going to kill themselves.

A third warning sign is giving away one’s possessions.

Last year 10,000 young Americans committed suicide.

On campus students can go to the University Counseling Service.

Discussion: When filled in, the outline should look like the one below. (The order of points IA and IB can be reversed without damaging the students’ answers.)

I. Suicide among college students is a serious problem.

A. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the fastest growing cause of death for people aged 17 to 24 nationwide.

B. Last year 10,000 young Americans committed suicide.

C Even on our campus the rate of suicide and attempted suicide is quite high.

1 In an interview with Roger Howard, associate dean of students, I learned that last year there were over 60 known suicide attempts on our campus.

2 Dean Howard also said that for every known suicide attempt, two or three more go unnoticed.

II. We can help to solve the problem by knowing how to identify potential suicide victims and whom to contact about helping them.

A Identifying potential suicide victims is easier than you might think.

1 The National Institute of Mental Health says that 80 percent of the people who commit suicide tell someone ahead of time that they are going to kill themselves.

2 There are also more subtle warning signs that a person may try to commit suicide.

a One warning sign is loss of appetite.

b A second warning sign is prolonged depression.

c A third warning sign is giving away one’s possessions.

B There are excellent services on campus and in the community to help potential suicide victims.

1 On campus students can go to the University Counseling Service.

2 In town students can go to the Suicide Prevention Center.

3 Intheleft-handcolumnbelowisablankoutlinefrom aspeechabout theachievementsof Booker T. Washington. In the right-hand column, arranged in random order, are the main points and subpoints to fill in the outline. Choose the appropriate main point or subpoint for each blank in the outline.

Outline

Main Points and Subpoints

I. A.

All told, Washington delivered some 4,000 public speeches during his 30-year career as an orator.

Some people praise the speech as a brilliant example of audience adaptation in a very difficult situation.

Washington is also known as one of the ablest speakers in American history.

When Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in 1881, the school had only one dilapidated building and an enrollment of 40 students.

Today, Tuskegee Institute remains a leader in applied research and practical education.

Washington’s most famous speech is his “Atlanta Exposition Address” of 1895.

The growth of Tuskegee Institute under Washington’s guidance was nothing short of phenomenal.

To this day, Washington’s speech at Atlanta remains highly controversial.

Booker T. Washington is best known for founding Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

By the time Washington died in 1915, Tuskegee Institute occupied 2,000 acres of land, enrolled 1,500 students, and boasted a faculty of 200 instructors.

Other people condemn the speech for failing to denounce racial segregation and inequality.

In the “Atlanta Exposition Address” Washington urged blacks to strive for economic advancement rather than to agitate for immediate social equality.

Discussion: When filled in, the outline should look like the one below.

I. Booker T. Washington is best known for founding Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

A. The growth of Tuskegee Institute under Washington’s guidance was nothing short of phenomenal.

1. When Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in 1881, the school had only one dilapidated building and an enrollment of 40 students.

2. By the time Washington died in 1915, Tuskegee Institute occupied 2,000 acres of land, enrolled 1,500 students, and boasted a faculty of 200 instructors.

B. Today, Tuskegee Institute remains a leader in applied research and practical education.

II. Booker T. Washington is also known as one of the ablest speakers in American history.

A. All told, Washington delivered some 4,000 public speeches during his 30-year career as an orator.

B. Washington’s most famous speech is his “Atlanta Exposition Address” of 1895.

1. In the “Atlanta Exposition Address” Washington urged blacks to strive for economic advancement rather than to agitate for immediate social equality.

2. To this day, Washington’s speech at Atlanta remains highly controversial.

a. Some people praise the speech as a brilliant example of audience adaptation in a very difficult situation.

b. Other people condemn the speech for failing to denounce racial segregation and inequality.

4. In the left-hand column below is a partially blank outline from a speech about robots. In the right-hand column, arranged in random order, are the subpoints to fill in the outline. Choose the appropriate subpoint for each blank in the outline.

Outline Subpoints

I. Robots have captured the human imagination for centuries.

Astronauts use robots to perform maintenance on the International Space Station.

In 1937, Westinghouse created a seven-foot robot that could walk, talk, blow up balloons, and smoke cigarettes.

They also allow surgeons to operate on patients from thousands of miles away.

II. Today robots are used in many fields, including space exploration and medicine.

Robots have become indispensable to space exploration.

In 1497, Leonardo da Vinci designed a mechanical suit of armor that could sit up and move its arms, neck, and jaw.

They can navigate hospital corridors to deliver pharmaceuticals, X-rays, and bandages.

In addition, NASA sends robotic spacecraft to explore distant planets.

Robots are becoming more and more important in medicine.

In 1773, Pierre and Henry Louis Jaquet-Droz built dolls that could write, play music, and draw pictures.

Discussion: When filled in, the outline should look like the one below.

I. Robots have captured the human imagination for centuries.

A. In 1497, Leonardo da Vinci designed a mechanical suit of armor that could sit up and move its arms, neck, and jaw.

B. In 1773, Pierre and Henry Louis Jaquet-Droz built dolls that could write, play music, and draw pictures.

C. In 1937, Westinghouse created a seven-foot robot that could walk, talk, blow up balloons, and smoke cigarettes.

II. Today robots are used in many fields, including space exploration and medicine.

A. Robots have become indispensable to space exploration.

1. Astronauts use robots to perform maintenance on the International Space Station.

2. In addition, NASA sends robotic spacecraft to explore distant planets.

B. Robots are becoming more and more important in medicine.

1. They can navigate hospital corridors to deliver pharmaceuticals, X-rays, and bandages.

2. They also allow surgeons to operate on patients from thousands of miles away.

5 Distribute “Tips for the Speaking Outline,” which appears on page 158 of this manual

Discussion: Creating a good speaking outline can be challenging because some students feel that, in the speaking outline, they lose all the work they put into the preparation outline. “Tips for the Speaking Outline” is a handy guide that will help them keep the objectives of the speaking outline in clear focus Additionally, you can have students create a speaking outline from one of the completed scrambled outlines in the previous Additional Exercises/Activities.