public speaking

Name: Date:

Public Speaking Touchstone 4

Persuasive Speech Outline Sample

*As you build your outline, think of an effective way to incorporate at least one visual aid that will be relevant to your purpose and message and will enhance your speech, whether that is in the introduction, the body, the conclusion, or even in a transition.

I. Introduction: The introduction should get the audience's attention, describe the topic, state the thesis or key message, and give an overview of the speech and its main points.

A. Attention-Getter: Have you ever had a sunburn? If so, did you know you are at a larger risk of developing skin cancer?

B. Topic: I am here to talk about a common household item that you should be utilizing: sunscreen.

C. Thesis: Wearing sunscreen will help decrease your chance of developing skin cancer.

D. Overview: Today we are going to go over the correlation between sunburns and skin cancer, the differences in sunscreens, and how to pick the best option for you.

Transition: This transition statement should lead your audience between the introduction to the first main point.

A. Transition Statement: Do you know someone who has had skin cancer?

B. Visual Aid (Optional):

II. Body: The body should take up about three-quarters of your speech time since this is where you will detail your main points. Each main point should include compelling, supporting evidence. Remember that you need to include at least one visual aid to enhance your speech.

A. Main Point 1: Sunscreen can be used to mitigate the risk of skin cancer.

1. Use of Appeals (Ethos, Pathos, and/or Logos): If so, you may not find these statistics to be shocking. According to the CDC, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. In 2019, which is the most recent year data is available, just over 88,000 cases of melanomas (skin cancer) were reported. Out of those, over 8,000 people died from it. These are alarming statistics. However, scientists have created something that can significantly decrease your chance of skin cancer. Oftentimes this product will already be in your house: sunscreen.

2. Dismiss Opposing Arguments (Optional): You may hear people say that they went their whole childhood/adult life without sunscreen, and they are just fine. Although that may be true for them, the National Library of Medicine says that sunburns in your childhood are often cited as the greatest risk for developing skin cancer.

3. Visual Aid (Optional): Here I would like to show you a chart of skin cancer rates across the United States. As someone who lives in the Midwest, I was surprised to see these results.

Transition: This transition statement should lead your audience between the first main point to the second main point.

A. Transition Statement: So, what exactly is sunscreen?

B. Visual Aid (Optional):

B. Main Point 2: There are two kinds of sunscreens: physical and chemical.

1. Use of Appeals (Ethos, Pathos, and/or Logos): After doing some research, I found the University of California, Davis broke down the best way to understand sunscreen. There are two main categories: physical and chemical. If you are running out the door and forgot to add sunscreen, using a physical one would be a better fit, as it is effective immediately, with good coverage. If you know you are going to a pool party, but you have to drive there, set up, etc. you should opt for a chemical sunscreen, as those ones have great coverage, but need 20 minutes on your skin before going into the sun.

2. Dismiss Opposing Arguments (Optional): Knowing these options could really help you in a pinch! I know that I always thought I had to wait at least 20-30 minutes after applying sunscreen to go in the sun. Knowing this information will help you better prepare yourself and your family.

3. Visual Aid (Optional):

Transition: This transition statement should lead your audience between the second main point to the third main point.

A. Transition Statement: Now that we know the difference between the types of sunscreen, we can look at what ones are good to use.

B. Visual Aid (Optional):

C. Main Point 3: Which sunscreen is the best.

1. Use of Appeals (Ethos, Pathos, and/or Logos): When you look at the sunscreen aisle, it can seem overwhelming. There are many different brands, SPF amounts, price points, and more. Luckily, the University of Rochester Medical Center helped make it easier to find the perfect fit. There are three things that you should look for in your sunscreen. First, you are going to want one that says, “Broad-Spectrum Protection.” This is going to help you have the best coverage against UVA and UVB rays. The second thing you are going to want is for it to be SPF 30 or higher. Lastly, the third thing is to look for one that says either waterproof/sweatproof or water resistant.

2. Dismiss Opposing Arguments (Optional): A common misconception is that the higher the spf and/or the higher the price point, the better the sunscreen. Actually, dermatologists say anything between SPF 30 and SPF 50 are going to be just fine for you to use. If it is over SPF 50, it does not really increase your protection.

3. Visual Aid (Optional):

Transition: This transition statement should lead your audience between the third main point to the fourth main point or conclusion.

A. Transition Statement: The last thing I would like to talk about, is how much sunscreen to use.

B. Visual Aid (Optional):

D. Main Point 4 (Optional): How much sunscreen you should use.

1. Use of Appeals (Ethos, Pathos, and/or Logos): When it comes time to put your sunscreen on, you want to make sure that you are putting on the proper amount. According to the University of California, Davis. A good amount for your body should be one ounce. A good way to gauge that, is to act as though you are filling up a shot glass.

2. Dismiss Opposing Arguments (Optional): You do not want to just have a thin layer on your skin. You want to make sure you are lathering it on, and it may take a couple of minutes for your skin to absorb it all. However, I promise it is worth it!

3. Visual Aid (Optional):

Transition: This transition statement should lead your audience between the fourth main point to the conclusion.

A. Transition Statement: Knowing all this information will be able to help us protect ourselves from the sun.

B. Visual Aid (Optional):

III. Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the main points, repeat your thesis, and end with something memorable.

A. Summary of Main Points: Today we went over the correlation between the sun/skin cancer, what sunscreen is, how to pick it out, and how much to wear.

B. Repeat Thesis: Putting all this information into practice, and actually wearing sunscreen will help you decrease your chance of skin cancer.

C. Closing Statement: I hope with this knowledge about sunscreen, and the damage the sun can do to you without it, you are able to help keep yourself safe.

References

Include a reference list of sources you have used to prepare your speech.

CDC. (2019). Skin Cancer Statistics. CDC.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/index.htm

Dennis, L. K., Vanbeek, M. J., Beane Freeman, L. E., Smith, B. J., Dawson, D. V., & Coughlin, J. A. (2008). Sunburns and Risk of Cutaneous Melanoma: Does Age Matter? A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. Annals of Epidemiology, 18(8), 614–627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.04.006

Health, C. (n.d.). What you should know about sunscreen, SPF, and protecting your family. Cultivating-Health. Retrieved June 8, 2023, from https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/what-you-should-know-about-sunscreen-spf-and-protecting-your-family/2022/06

Sunscreens: Protect Your Skin - Health Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center. (n.d.). Www.urmc.rochester.edu. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=85&ContentID=P01351