FINAL EXAM: ORAL PRESENTATION

Rubric and Assignment Sheet

Guidelines: Students will prepare a three- to five-minute persuasive speech drawn from
their final argument. The intended audience is academic and intelligent: the class. Students
are encouraged to select the strongest portion of their papers that will likely persuade the
audience. Students are encouraged to use visuals, such as photographs, posters,
powerpoints, prezis, or handouts, but these materials should add tonot detract fromthe
basic argument. Professional dress is required.
A to A- (50-45 points)
The argument is well organized and focused. The purpose of the speech is clear. The speaker
understands and articulates the persuasive appeals. The speaker engages the audience with
an interesting opening anecdote or statistic. The speaker closes the speech with a clear call
to action. The speaker maintains eye contact with the audience. The speaker asks rhetorical
questions or uses other rhetorical devices to engage the audience. The speaker understands
the audiences assumptions and values. The speaker is articulate: words are clear, sentences
are concise, and the speech is easily understood. The speaker demonstrates confidence in
delivery. The speaker does not fidget, avoids um and other filler phrases, and is dressed
professionally. The speaker has memorized the speech and does not read the entire speech
(though one may refer to notes). The speech keeps within the time constraints.
B+ to B- (44-40 points)
The argument is mostly organized and focused. The purpose of the speech may not be
entirely clear. The speaker understands and articulates the persuasive appeals. The speaker
may not initially engage the audience. The speaker closes the speech with a call to action.
The speaker may fail to maintain eye contact with the audience. The speaker may fail to ask
rhetorical questions or use other rhetorical devices to engage the audience. The speaker
may not communicate understanding of the audiences assumptions and values. The speaker
may be difficult to understand: words may be unclear, sentences are lengthy and
complicated, and the speech may be difficult to follow. The speaker may distract from the
speech because of nervousness. The speaker may sometimes fidget, says um and other
filler phrases, but is dressed professionally. The speaker has memorized the most of speech
and does not read the entire speech (though one may refer to notes). The speech keeps
within the time constraints.
C+ to C- (39 to 35 points)
The argument may be somewhat disorganized and unfocused. The purpose of the speech
may not be clear to the audience. The speaker may fail to articulate the persuasive appeals.
The speaker may not initially engage the audience. The speaker fails to close the speech
with a clear call to action. The speaker may fail to maintain eye contact with the audience.
The speaker consistently fails to ask rhetorical questions or use other rhetorical devices to
engage the audience. The speaker may not communicate understanding of the audiences
assumptions and values. The speaker may be difficult to understand: words may be unclear,
sentences are lengthy and complicated, and the speech may be difficult to follow. The
speaker may rely on vague and complicated ideas that the audience doesnt understand. The
speaker may distract from the speech because of nervousness. The speaker may sometimes
fidget, says um and other filler phrases, but is dressed professionally. The speaker has not
memorized the speech and reads the most of the speech. The speaker has exceeded the time
limit.
D+ to D- (34 to 30 points)
The argument is disorganized and unfocused. The purpose of the speech is generally
unclear. The audience is uncertain of the purpose or argument. The speaker does not
articulate the persuasive appeals. The speaker fails to initially engage the audience. The

speaker fails to close the speech with a clear call to action. The speaker rarely makes eye
contact with the audience. The speaker consistently fails to ask rhetorical questions or use
other rhetorical devices to engage the audience. The speaker consistently fails to
communicate understanding of the audiences assumptions and values. The speaker may be
difficult to understand: words may be unclear, sentences are lengthy and complicated, and
the speech may be difficult to follow. The speaker relies on vague and complicated ideas that
the audience doesnt understand. The speaker distracts from the speech because of
nervousness. The speaker may fidget, says um and other filler phrases, and is not dressed
professionally. The speaker has not memorized the speech and reads the most of the speech.
The speaker has exceeded the time limit.
E or not accepted (29 to 0 points)
The speech is not delivered during the final. The speech does not follow the guidelines given
on the rubric and assignment sheet.