Task:

As we move from informing to persuading, your task for this week is to develop a 5-minute speech where you advocate for a charitable organization (you get to choose). Modeled on the popular network television show about high-profile investor pitch meetings, “Shark Tank,” you are going to make an evidence-driven and compelling argument to a panel of judges (your peers): they should choose your charity over others to “invest” in. You will present as one of four representatives pitching to a panel of “sharks.” In a speech of 5 minutes (with a 30 second grace period on either side), you should develop a strong argument for why the judges should pick your charity out of all the others.
Strong research will be incredibly important to developing this speech.

Without sources that go beyond what the charity says itself on a website or promotional material, it will be hard to convince any audience. Sources that help establish the severity of the problem or the value of your charity’s work will be particularly useful. This is a good chance to use library resources and bring in high-quality evidence.
In preparing this speech, you should ensure that the basics of strong speaking are already in place: clear introductions (chapter 9), good transitions and organization (chapter 10), strong conclusions (chapter 11), strong arguments (chapter 17), and excellent research (chapter 8).

Drawing from our lecture for this week and our textbook, you will likely focus your speech on establishing that there is a significant social problem and show, in a concrete way, how your charity helps to address it. However, you’ll also want to go beyond simply showing that it helps—because every charity in your “shark tank” does a good thing and helps with a problem. How can you help set yours apart?
Do not memorize your speech or write it word for word. As with all our speeches, you will deliver this speech extemporaneously from limited notes. You will want to be ready to share a practiced speech that is based on limited notes. You should expect that you will answer questions from a “shark” panel after you deliver your speech.

Purpose:

This assignment focuses on persuasion—a common part of professional communication, but it does so in the format of a “pitch.” Whether trying to attract initial investors or doing a sales demonstration, professional speakers need to persuade an audience in a short amount of time and persuade them to choose from among multiple options. If you’re pitching to investors, you are not the only people asking for their money—same with trying to sell a product to a weary consumer base. That is why this assignment gives the explicit focus of persuading an audience why yours is the best option out of many.
The task links to the following course-level learning objectives:
Produce examples of spoken and visual communication that are engaging, clear, professional, evidence-driven, ethical and persuasive.
Speak, ask questions, and participate as an active listener in multiple professional contexts.

Display honesty and integrity in all their communications.
Adapt to diverse audiences.

Evaluation:

This speech will be evaluated using the accompanying rubric. As the rubric shows, the speech is primarily on argument and evidence. By now, halfway through the term, the presumption is that any speech will have a clear hook, good preview, transitions, and a strong conclusion. Missing those basics will contribute to a speech struggling. Speeches will tend to succeed based on strong evidence, a clear argument that goes beyond “this charity is good,” and evidence of practice and preparation.
Speeches that are excessively under or over the 5-minute time limit will struggle, as will speeches that do not integrate evidence or cite sources.

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