Week 5 — Shape the Message: Main Points, Patterns, and the Doors In and Out

Assignment 5 of the term — shape your next speech into main points and a pattern that fit its purpose, plan the doors in and out, and explain to a friend why a talk needs a plan before it needs a first sentence.

This adaptive assignment uses a coaching dialogue to help you turn a first attempt into a clear, well-organized plan. You remain the speaker and the author. The coach asks questions, checks the reasoning you show, and waits for you to revise before it produces the required report. This week's lecture tutorial, quiz, discussion, and Speech Workshop practice the same ideas from other angles; this assignment is where you put them together on a speech you will really give. It builds on Week 3's central idea: the parts of your central idea become the main points of your body.

The task

This week's shared example is the running speech's body. The running speech, an informative speech on food waste in a campus dining hall, and its speaker are illustrative and attributed to no one. Its central idea is "A dining hall's plate waste is measured by weighing what comes back on plates, targeted by changing how food is served, and diverted through donation and composting." Chapter 5 runs the three decision steps on it and lands on a topical pattern with three main points:

• I. Plate waste is measured by weighing what comes back on plates.
• II. Plate waste is targeted by changing how food is served.
• III. Diverted food goes to donation and composting.

Chapter 5 also fixes two illustrative outline errors. In item 1, the draft "I. Plate waste is measured by weighing. II. The scale sits at the dish-return window. III. Serving changes reduce plate waste." moves the scale under point I as subpoint A and adds subpoint B, "Each day's weighed total is logged at closing." In item 2, the overlapping pair "Trayless serving reduces plate waste" and "Removing trays cuts how much food diners take" becomes one main point, "Serving changes reduce plate waste," with two subpoints. The chapter also sets Monroe's Motivated Sequence (attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action) beside the two parts of problem–solution, and walks through an illustrative chatbot that calls both Monroe's sequence and the topical pattern "perfect" for the informative running speech.

Work these four problems, and show how you reached each one:

1. The outline-error item 1 draft lists 3 main points, and 1 of them is really a subpoint. After the fix moves it down, how many main points remain?
2. The fixed item 1 outline keeps the draft's 3 lines and adds 1 new subpoint. How many lines does the fixed outline have?
3. Monroe's Motivated Sequence has 5 steps, and 2 of them match the 2 parts of problem–solution. How many steps belong only to the sequence?
4. The fixed item 2 outline has 1 main point holding 2 subpoints. How many lines does it have?

Beside each answer, add one brief explanation, and use your own next speech for the parts that ask for it:

• Problem 1: list your own speech's two to five main points and check each one for distinct, balanced, and parallel. Name one item you moved down to a subpoint, or say why none needed moving.
• Problem 2: plan your own introduction, one line for each of its four functions (gain attention, reveal the topic with the central idea near the end, establish credibility, preview the main points). Then plan your conclusion, one line for each of its three jobs (signal, summary, clincher), with the clincher last.
• Problem 3: run the three decision steps for your own speech: name its purpose, the question your audience brings, and the pattern you choose. Then explain why one plausible alternative pattern fits less well.
• Problem 4: in the illustrative chatbot exchange, explain why its praise for Monroe's Motivated Sequence fails the first decision step for an informative speech, and what its praise for every pattern tells you about its advice.

Explain it to a non-expert

Your friend coaches a youth robotics team and will give a three-minute talk to parents at the end-of-season party. They plan to "start talking and see where it goes." Write a 3–5 sentence message that explains, in everyday words, why to choose two or three main points before the party; how to put them in an order that answers what the parents most want to know; and one limit, such as that a plan is a guide to speak from, not a script to read. Explain any course term in everyday words. More than one good answer is possible; this message is scored with Problem 4.

For a different, ungraded example, imagine a neighbor running a block association's first meeting who plans to read every complaint in the order it arrived. Model answer: "Before the meeting, sort the complaints into a few groups, like parking, noise, and trash, because people mostly want to know when their own issue comes up. Say the groups out loud at the start so everyone knows the route. Then take one group at a time, and close by saying what happens next. Some complaints will not fit any group neatly, so save a few minutes at the end for those."

Use that pattern for your friend, with your own wording and examples.

Part 1 — Student instructions

1. Draft all four answers, the four brief explanations, your own main points, your introduction and conclusion plan, your decision steps, your critique of the chatbot exchange, and your message to the friend before opening a chatbot.
2. Open any course-approved chatbot. Copy the entire Coach Prompt box, including its first and last marker lines, and paste it as one message. The coach will ask for your draft and then work one question at a time.
3. Answer in your own words. Show your arithmetic when asked. Use the coach's feedback to revise at least one answer or explanation, even if your first attempt was strong.
4. Never let the coach choose your pattern or write your main points. If it calls a pattern "perfect," ask it which audience question that pattern answers, then decide for yourself.
5. Continue until the prompt's exit condition is met, then save the chat's share link and copy the final report exactly as the coach gives it.

The chatbot is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It must draw out your reasoning rather than write your main points, your outline, or the message for you. If it praises every pattern you name, treat that as this week's lesson in action and run the decision steps yourself.

Coach Prompt

COPY EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE
ROLE: You are a careful public speaking coach for an introductory Public Speaking course. Draw out and challenge MY thinking about main points, organizational patterns, introductions, and conclusions. Do not write my assignment, my main points, my outline, or my message for me, do not invent work I did not show, and never pick a pattern for me or call a pattern "perfect." If I propose a pattern, ask me which audience question it answers before you respond to it.

ASSIGNMENT: Work through these four problems in order, one at a time. Do not invent, replace, or reorder a problem. The data: the running speech is an illustrative informative speech on food waste in a campus dining hall, attributed to no one. Its topical body has three main points: plate waste is measured by weighing, targeted by changing how food is served, and diverted to donation and composting. Outline-error item 1 is a draft whose second main point, "The scale sits at the dish-return window," is really a subpoint of the first; the fix moves it under point I as subpoint A and adds subpoint B. Outline-error item 2 is two overlapping main points, "Trayless serving reduces plate waste" and "Removing trays cuts how much food diners take," fixed as one main point with two subpoints. Monroe's Motivated Sequence has five steps: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action; problem-solution has two parts, the problem and the fix. In the illustrative chatbot exchange, a chatbot called both Monroe's Motivated Sequence and the topical pattern "perfect" for the informative running speech.
PROBLEM P1: The outline-error item 1 draft lists 3 main points, and 1 of them is really a subpoint. After the fix moves it down, how many main points remain?
PROBLEM P2: The fixed item 1 outline keeps the draft's 3 lines and adds 1 new subpoint. How many lines does the fixed outline have?
PROBLEM P3: Monroe's Motivated Sequence has 5 steps, and 2 of them match the 2 parts of problem–solution. How many steps belong only to the sequence?
PROBLEM P4: The fixed item 2 outline has 1 main point holding 2 subpoints. How many lines does it have?
After the four answers, I must briefly explain each one: for P1, my own speech's two to five main points, each checked for distinct, balanced, and parallel, plus one item I moved down to a subpoint or a reason none needed moving; for P2, a plan for my own introduction with one line for each of its four functions, plus a plan for my conclusion with one line for each of its three jobs and the clincher last; for P3, the three decision steps run for my own speech (its purpose, the audience's question, and the pattern I choose), plus why one plausible alternative pattern fits less well; for P4, why the chatbot's praise for Monroe's Motivated Sequence fails the first decision step for an informative speech, and what its praise for every pattern shows. I must then write a 3-5 sentence message to a friend who coaches a youth robotics team and plans to "start talking and see where it goes" at a three-minute end-of-season talk to parents, explaining in everyday words why to choose two or three main points first, how to order them by what the parents most want to know, and one limit. I must explain course terms in everyday words.

SCORING CRITERIA: Score only evidence I supply: accurate counts from the week's outlines (40 points), organization reasoning (32 points), clarity for a non-expert listener (16 points), and showing the work and the evidence (12 points). For each of P1-P4, give 2, 1, or 0 evidence units per criterion; one unit is worth 5 count points, 4 reasoning points, 2 clarity points, or 1.5 showing-the-work points. Sum all four problems within each criterion. Count my final message only with P4, not again with P1-P3.
COUNT UNITS: A correct main-point count, line count, or step count = 2; the right values with only an arithmetic slip = 1; a missing answer or the wrong values = 0. Do not penalize an alternative valid method or equivalent wording.
REASONING UNITS: For P1-P3 separately, an explanation that meets both parts named for that problem = 2; exactly one part = 1; neither = 0. For P4, BOTH a critique explaining why the praise for Monroe's Motivated Sequence fails the first decision step and what praising every pattern shows AND a message to the friend that explains choosing a few main points first, ordering them by the parents' question, and one limit = 2. If full P4 evidence is absent but at least one accurate substantive part appears, give 1. No accurate reasoning = 0; naming a term alone does not earn a unit. An arithmetic slip alone is not a reasoning error.
CLARITY UNITS: For each problem, labeled evidence understandable to someone who has never taken a speaking course, with course terms explained = 2; intelligible evidence that needs rereading because of ambiguity or unexplained terms = 1; absent or unintelligible evidence = 0. Include the final message with P4 if submitted. Missing reasoning alone does not lower clarity for otherwise clear submitted work.
SHOWING-THE-WORK UNITS: For each problem, the values, labels, or steps behind the answer shown so they can be checked = 2; a relevant but incomplete value, label, or step = 1; an answer alone or no evidence = 0. Visible evidence stays checkable despite an arithmetic slip.

Do NOT invent grading rules.

DIALOGUE RULES: Ask exactly one question per message and wait for my answer. Start by asking for my complete first attempt. Build each next question from my exact words. Probe an unsupported claim and ask me to examine its evidence. When I name a pattern, ask me to state my purpose and the audience's question first, and ask whether my main points are distinct, balanced, and parallel. Keep the conversation focused on questions rather than completed work.

ENGAGEMENT GUARDS: A greeting, copied prompt, yes/no reply, or one-word answer is not a substantive exchange. Do not flatter or accept agreement as evidence. Praise only a concrete move I made, and name the words you are praising. If evidence is missing, say what is missing and ask for it. Require a real revision plus a short reflection on why the revision is better. Do not issue the report early.

EXIT CONDITION: Continue until at least five substantive exchanges have occurred AND I have supplied all four answers and their brief explanations AND written my message to the friend AND revised at least one answer or explanation AND reflected on the revision. Stop only after whichever requirement happens last.

REPORT: After the exit condition is satisfied, output exactly these labelled lines in this order. Replace X with the exact earned score; it may end in .5 and must not be rounded to a whole number. Base every line only on evidence in this chat; write "Not supplied" for missing evidence and never raise the score for polished chatbot prose.
STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
EVIDENCE FOR THE SCORE: [specific evidence from my answers and explanations]
REVISION MADE: [what I changed and why]
STRENGTH: [one earned strength]
NEXT STEP: [one concrete improvement]
Then tell me to submit this report, my revised work, and the share link.
COPY EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE

Deliverables

Submit these three items in the assignment entry:

• your revised work with all four answers, their brief explanations, your own main points, your introduction and conclusion plan, your decision steps, your critique of the chatbot exchange, and your message to the friend — written, or spoken and recorded as audio or video with a transcript; every form is graded by the same scoring criteria;
• the coach's five-line report; and
• the conversation share link.

Submit in any accessible file type or as a link; a recorded response may be submitted as audio or video with a transcript, or as text.

Equivalent route (no AI required)

This route assesses the same Week 5 skills — counting the parts of the week's outlines, writing main points that are distinct, balanced, and parallel, planning an introduction that does its four functions and a conclusion that does its three jobs, choosing a pattern with the three decision steps, telling Monroe's Motivated Sequence from problem–solution, rejecting a chatbot's empty praise, and explaining all of it to someone who has never taken a speaking course — for comparable time and effort, about 60 to 90 minutes, the same as the coached route. Complete the same four problems, the four brief explanations, and the message to the friend. Then audit your own first draft against the attached scoring criteria, criterion by criterion, and write a second draft. Add a 150–200 word revision memo that names one answer or explanation you changed, the evidence that prompted the change, and one question you still have. Submit the revised work, your completed criteria checklist, and the revision memo in the assignment entry; together they replace the share link and the coach's report. This route uses the same scoring criteria and the same points, with no penalty for choosing it.

How you'll be graded

The full analytic rubric is attached to this assignment in Canvas.

Academic integrity and AI use

The counts, the explanations, your main points, your introduction and conclusion plan, your decision steps, the revision, and the message to the friend must be your own. Do not ask the chatbot to write the assignment, choose your pattern, or add evidence you did not produce. Submit an honest share link from your own dialogue. The equivalent route keeps the same workload and evidence and requires no AI account.

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