The Speechmaking Wheel

As you work through these interactive exercises, you will create a journal that will help you create an effective speech. Select a step in the process to begin by clicking on a topic in the wheel or selecting from the list below. You may wish to start by creating a timeline for your speechmaking process. Creating a timeline will keep your project on track and insure that you will have time to put the final touches on your speech.

A note to students: As you work through the pages in this section, you'll be asked to create certain parts of your speech, such as the central idea, preview statement, main ideas, etc. When you click the "Submit" button on each activity, you'll send yourself and/or your instructor your response to the question via email. If you have email software that allows you to create folders, you should create a folder called something like "Speechmaking Process" in which to save these messages. By returning to the messages later in the process, you'll easily recall some of your earlier thoughts about the process. In essence, you'll create the speech as you go through these activities.

A note to instructors: As your students work through the pages in this section, they'll be asked to create certain parts of your speech, such as the central idea, preview statement, main ideas, etc. When they click the "Submit" button on each activity, they will send themselves and/or you their response to the question via email. You can use these responses to provide feedback to your students at each step of the process. You may wish to require that your students complete each step and provide some kind of grade when they complete the step. In any case, using these activities will help ensure that your students work on their speeches at a constant pace during the semester.

Choose where you would like to begin by clicking a section of the wheel or selecting a topic from the list below:

Consider the Audience

Select and Narrow Topic

Determine Purpose

Develop Central Idea

Generate Main Ideas

Gather Supporting Material

Organize Speech

Rehearse Speech

Deliver Speech


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