Topic Pitch

Everyone will deliver a topic pitch before their classmates to get your topic approved by me. This pitch will replace the third story segment, so it will be for a grade. In your pitch, you will need to do four things:

1. Explain how you came up with this idea and why you chose this topic
2. Explain how it is connected to the topic category you were assigned in class
3. Share a little bit about how the topic affects you, either directly or indirectly
4. Explain what makes your topic controversial

We will also have a mini Q&A session after each pitch, and I will let you know if you need to tweak your topic choice at all, change it altogether, or if your topic has been approved.

Topic Pitch (2021)

Criteria

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClear

Topic Description:

• The student has chosen and can clearly articulate a specific persuasive speech topic. It is clear what his or her argument will be.

OutcomeExplanation of Choice

• The student articulates how they came up with the topic and can explain why they think it is a good fit for them as an individual and as a speaker.

Categorical Fit

• The student’s topic fits the category he or she was assigned.

OutcomePersonal Connection

• The student explains sufficiently how the topic is either directly or indirectly related to him or her.

OutcomeControversial

• The student’s topic choice is specific and contextual enough to be controversial, and he or she is able to articulate how it is controversial.