Persuasive Speech Assignment Pack

Name:

Date:

🎯 Assignment Overview

Your Task: Prepare and deliver a 3-4 minute persuasive speech on a topic you care about.

Audience & Purpose:

You are speaking to your classmates to convince them to take action or change their opinion on an important issue.

Topic Brainstorming - Choose ONE:

Should school uniforms be mandatory?

Is social media harmful to teenagers?

Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

Are electric cars the future of transport in NZ?

Should junk food be banned in school canteens?

Your own topic (get teacher approval): ________________

Speech Structure Requirements:

✓ Hook: Grab attention with a question, statistic, or story
✓ Clear claim: State your position clearly
✓ 3 main reasons with evidence: Facts, examples, expert opinions
✓ Counterargument & refutation: Address opposing views
✓ Call to action: Tell audience what to do
✓ Strong conclusion: Reinforce your message

Language Features to Include:

• Rhetorical questions • Emotive language • Statistics/facts
• Expert quotes • Personal anecdotes • Repetition for emphasis
• Direct address ("You should...") • Strong action verbs

📝 Speech Planning Outline

My chosen topic:

My position/claim:

Hook (opening):

Reason 1 + Evidence:

Reason 2 + Evidence:

Reason 3 + Evidence:

Counterargument & My refutation:

Call to action:

Conclusion:

🗣️ Delivery Expectations & Assessment

Speech Delivery Checklist:

Clear, confident voice (appropriate volume)

Varied pacing (not too fast/slow)

Regular eye contact with audience

Confident posture and gestures

Passionate, engaging tone

3-4 minutes duration

Evidence & Sources:

Include at least 2 credible sources (news articles, government websites, research studies). Mention your sources in your speech: "According to Statistics NZ..." or "The Ministry of Health reports that..."

My sources:

Assessment Rubric

Needs Support: Unclear claim, weak evidence, poor structure
Developing: Basic claim with some evidence, simple structure
Proficient: Clear claim, good evidence, addresses counterargument
Advanced: Compelling claim, strong evidence, sophisticated language

Criteria assessed: Purpose/claim clarity • Organisation & structure • Evidence & reasoning • Counterargument handling • Language choices • Delivery clarity • Audience engagement