This assignment supports the following lesson objective:

• 4.2 Prepare purpose statements and thesis statements for speech topics

Assignment Overview
This writing assignment provides you with practice selecting a topic and developing purpose and thesis statements for different types of speeches.

Deliverables

• A one-page paper (12-point font, about 300 words) written in a word processor, such as MS Word

Assignment Details
In this activity, you will select a topic of your choice and write specific purpose and thesis statements based on that topic for an informative, persuasive, and celebratory speech.

Perform the following tasks:

Step 1: Imagine that you need to submit a proposal for an informative speech, a persuasive speech, and an entertaining or celebratory speech about one topic of your choice.
If your proposal is accepted, you will have 30 minutes to present your speech.

Step 2: Copy the table below and paste it into your word processing (such as MS Word) document.

TopicGeneral PurposeSpecific PurposeThesis Inform
  Persuade Audience

  Entertain/Celebrate

  
Step 3: Enter a topic suitable for the scenario presented in Step 1 in the Topic column of the table.

Step 4: In each of the three Specific Purpose cells, enter a specific purpose that matches the corresponding general purpose statement.

Step 5: In each of the three Thesis cells, enter a thesis based on the corresponding specific purpose statements.

Assignment 4.2: Get to the Point

This assignment supports the following lesson objective:

• 4.3 Apply standard methods for creating fully developed speech topics

Assignment Overview
This writing assignment explores the importance of clear and meaningful thesis statements in the process of developing a speech.

Deliverables

• A one- to two-page paper written using a word processor, such as MS Word.

Assignment Details
In this activity, you will use thesis statements as starting points to generate questions from which you can derive the main points for speeches.

Perform the following tasks:

Step 1: Review the information presented in the lesson that discusses using a thesis statement to determine the main points to include in a speech.
A well-constructed thesis statement raises a question in the mind of the audience. To generate the main points to include in your speech, identify the question and the potential answers.

Step 2: Open the document you created for Assignment 4.1: Developing Purpose and Thesis Statements.

Step 3: For each of the three thesis statements you wrote for the topic you selected, identify one resulting question and generate at least three main points.
Enter the thesis statement, question, and main points into your word processing document using the format in the example shown here.

Example:
Thesis Statement: The government should (or shouldn’t) provide health insurance coverage to all citizens.

Question: Why should the government provide health insurance coverage to all citizens?
Main Points:Health care is prohibitively expensive for citizens without health insurance.
The first question you are asked when you call most doctors’ offices in the United States is, “What type of insurance do you have?”
People without health insurance may be unable to get the health care they need.