5.24-Bell-ringer, Speech Outline, Outline Example

Bell-ringer: Read through all of Bill Syke’s ten lessons. Choose two to write and to respond to. Your response could be why you think it is important, how it can be applied, why you might struggle with it, etc. Your responses should be two sentences each.

Rule No. 1:   Life is not fair. Get used to it.
Rule No. 2:   The real world won’t care as much about your self-esteem as much as your school does.
Rule No. 3:   Sorry, you probably won’t make $100,000 a year right out of high school. Rule No. 4:   If you think your teacher is tough, wait ’til you get a boss.
Rule No. 5:   Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.
Rule No. 6:   It’s not your parents’ fault. If you screw up, you are responsible.
Rule No. 7:   Before you were born your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are.
Rule No. 8:   Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn’t.
Rule No. 9:   Life is not divided into semesters, and you don’t get summers off.
Rule No. 10:   Television is not real life. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes.

Speech Outline

Title:

Hook: What are you going to say at the beginning to “hook” your audience? (At least one complete sentence)

Thesis: The topic + opinion (if necessary)+ 3 supporting details (one sentence)

I.                    Topic sentence 1 (from thesis—complete sentence)

a.       Supporting fact or claim (further describes or supports your detail)

b.      Supporting fact or claim

c.       Supporting fact or claim

II.                  Topic sentence 2 (from thesis—complete sentence)

a.       Supporting fact or claim

b.      Supporting fact or claim

c.       Supporting fact or claim

III.                Topic sentence 3 (from thesis—complete sentence)

a.       Supporting fact or claim

b.      Supporting fact or claim

c.       Supporting fact or claim

Conclusion: Reword your thesis and add a nice little “bow to the end.” What is the last thing you want your audience to hear you say? At least one complete sentence

  

Speech Outline Example

Title: The Wobbling Hero

Hook: After battling cancer and its effects for 9 years, Grammy was not solid on her feet. Frequently, she would hold on tight to me and exclaim “I’ve got the best looking walker there is.” On one of the many weekend trips my family would take to see Grammy and Grampy, Grammy was stumbling through the kitchen. Exhausted and exasperated, Grammy simply smiled and said, “I don’t drink, but I am drunk.”

Thesis: A hero is a person who always does that which is unexpected, maintains hope through trials, and is an example of light for those in darkness.

I.                    Heroism is not created by those who only do what is expected of them.

a.       Examples from literature: Bilbo Baggins, Harry Potter

b.      1960s racial tension at Morehead State University

c.       G and G’s hospitality to all students

II.                  A hero does not wallow in despair but instead clings to hope and radiates it to those around.

a.       Malala Yousafzai’s story

b.      The first night after the cancer discovery

c.       Planning Grammy’s funeral

III.                A hero is a person who sets the example of turning on the lights.

a.       Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats work in Africa

b.      Grammy supporting Grampy during dark depressions

c.       Grampy following that example and supporting Grammy during long illness.

Conclusion: A hero is not a man in a cape; a hero is the unexpected help, the quiet beacon of hope, and the steady example of light. A hero, to me, does not run at lightning speeds, but instead staggers from place to place with a smile on her face.