Sample Informative Speech Outline

NOTE: Do NOT copy the format of this outline exactly. Much of it is incorrect. At the end of the outline, the positive and negative features of this outline are discussed.

Sally StudentSPC1016

The American Cancer SocietyIntroductionIt is expected to kill at least 555,000 Americans this year alone, more than 1,500 people a day. It is the 2nd leading cause of death in the United States. What is this mysterious killer? Cancer. More than 1,284,900 people are currently living with this disease, 92,200 of them in Florida alone. Since 1913, one organization has been leading the effort in cancer treatment, prevention, and education of the public. This organization is the American Cancer Society. When this assignment was given, I immediately wanted to do the Service Learning Option, but I had a particular organization that I wanted to volunteer with. The American Cancer Society has special significance to me because I myself am a cancer survivor. Today I am going to talk a little about the Societys history and their accomplishments, what the society does to help cancer survivors and the fight against cancer, and my own personal experiences, as well as the experiences of others.BodyI. Now that I have your attention, let me start by giving you some background information about the American Cancer Society. All of this information was obtained from the ACS website, www.cancer.org.A. The Society was founded in 1913 by prominent physicians and business leaders in New York City to help abolish cancer through education, prevention, research, advocacy, and service.B. Their first major accomplishment was bringing cancer into the public eye to eliminate the fear and denial that was usually associated with the disease.C. Today the American Cancer Society has a National Society, several chartered divisions, and over 3,400 local chapters throughout the United States with more than 2 million volunteers nationwide.D. The Society has donated more than $2.4 billion to cancer research, sponsored 32 Nobel Prize winners, helped pass the National Cancer Act which increased funding for cancer research from millions to billions annually and so many other things that it would take hours to name them all.II. And since we dont have hours, let me move on to how the Society helps cancer patients, survivors, care-givers, and family & friends of patients deal with this disease. All the information in this section was obtained from the ACS website and through my personal experiences.A. They provide information for those recently diagnosed to help them better understand what is happening to them.B. They have many support groups for specific kinds of cancer so patients can meet people who truly understand their problems. They also have support groups for family members and survivors.C. They sponsor childrens camps for kids undergoing treatment, giving them a chance to be around other children like themselves without feeling out of place or singled out because of their condition.D. The Society also operates several Hope Lodges, which are similar to the Ronald McDonald Houses. They provide a place for families of the patients to stay while their loved ones are undergoing treatment. These families stay at the Lodge free of charge.E. They work with social workers at hospitals to help connect patients with survivors of their same kind of cancer to help answer any questions they have, reassure them, and most importantly, give them hope for their own recovery.F. They also provide wigs to women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. I used this service and discovered that, although a wonderful idea, the selection consisted of gray and white wigs of different styles and lengths. I wasnt entirely opposed to a changing my hair color, but I wasnt quite ready to go gray.III. Which brings me to my final topic, my own experiences. Since it is not the main focus of this project, I wont go into great detail, but since it is the reason why this organization has a special significance to me, I felt that I should at least talk a little about it.A. When I was 16 years old I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This is one of the more treatable forms of the disease. I went through chemotherapy treatments for several months and began to get better. I lost all of my hair, which was about the same length as it is now. At the time, I think that was what bothered me the most, not the fact that I had to be in the hospital for long periods of time, or that there was a chance I could die what got me was the fact that I was going to be a 16 year old bald girl. After many rounds of chemo, I went into remission for about three months and then relapsed. At this point I had two options, more chemo (which gets less effective each round) or a bone marrow transplant. I chose the transplant. My sister was my donor and it was done at Shands hospital in Gainesville. I was in the hospital in a sterile unit for 2 months and spent another 2 months in Gainesville receiving outpatient treatment at the hospital. I have been in remission now for over 4 years.B. As a survivor, I have an opportunity to help the Society in many different ways. I can provide support for those who have been recently diagnosed or are currently undergoing treatment. I can help raise awareness by telling my story, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to do this project. I can also help the same ways that any other volunteer can. I will be participating in the Relay for Life wrap-up event that will take place at PJC on July 18th. The Relay for Life is an annual event that is sponsored by the ACS to help raise funds for the Society and its many branches of research and services.C. Some of these services I have already mentioned, such as providing wigs free of charge. Some of these services can have a huge impact on peoples lives. Through the Cancer Survivors Network Online, I found two women who have benefited from these services. 1. One woman named Tammy Davis, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, attended a class called Look Good, Feel Better that gives women makeovers, free make-up, wigs, and hair pieces to help them regain their confidence and feel more like regular women. This class allowed her to feel glamorous at a time when she hardly even felt like a human being.2. Another young women named Taylor Black was senior in high school when she was diagnosed with a rare brain disease that caused a large tumor to form. She successfully survived a surgery that removed 99% of the tumor and is now attending the Central Florida University in Orlando on a scholarship from the American Cancer Society ConclusionFrom scholarships to support groups, the American Cancer Society does more to help the fight against cancer than any other organization. From the time of its creation in 1913, the Society has brought the disease into the open and contributed billions of dollars to research efforts. They helped thousands of people with their support groups, services, camps, and Hope Lodges, myself included. I feel that volunteering with this organization has been an enriching and fulfilling experience for me and would recommend it to anyone. After all, if it werent for the research efforts that the American Cancer Society donates so generously to, I might not be here today.

ReferencesAmerican Cancer Society Homepage. (June 26, 2002). ACS History, Milestones, 2002 Fact Sheet. [17 pages].Retrieved June 26, 2002 on the World Wide Web: http://www.cancer.org.Jobe, Erika. (June 2002). Personal Experiences with Leukemia and American Cancer Society. [Interveiw]. Pensacola, FL.The Cancer Survivors Network Online. (June 26, 2002). Talk Shows and Stories. [7 pages]. Retrieved June 26, 2002 on the World Wide Web: http://www.acscsn.org.

Problems: You should have a title page this means you should not simply type your name at the top of the first page. You should only use one sentence per point. Your introduction should be broken down into main points and sub-points if you are going to include as much information as this student includes. This outline would not allow for an extemporaneous presentation and would, thus, cause you to lose points. You should include transitions in your outline. You should make sure that you cite your sources in your outline correctly. This is basically an essay turned in to an outline. It is not an appropriate format for a speech outline because you will be disappointed if you dont say the words in the exact same manner that you wrote them.

Plusses: This outline is well organized. It provides relevant and interesting information. It uses excellent forms of support.

On the next two pages, you will see a revised outline that meets the grading criteria for this course.

The American Cancer Society

bySally Student

SPC1016, Section 33Ms. BaldwinJuly 15, 2002

The American Cancer SocietyIntroductionI. It is expected to kill at least 555,000 Americans this year alone, more than 1,500 people a day. II. It is the 2nd leading cause of death in the United States. III. What is this mysterious killer? A. Cancer. B. More than 1,284,900 people are currently living with this disease, 92,200 of them in Florida alone. (CITE YOUR SOURCE HERE)IV. Since 1913, one organization has been leading the effort in cancer treatment, prevention, and education of the public. A. This organization is the American Cancer Society. B. When this assignment was given, I immediately wanted to do the Service Learning Option, but I had a particular organization that I wanted to volunteer with. 1. The American Cancer Society has special significance to me because I myself am a cancer survivor. C. Today I am going to talk a little about the Societys history and their accomplishments, what the society does to help cancer survivors and the fight against cancer, and my own personal experiences, as well as the experiences of others.Body(Transition: Now that I have your attention. . .)I. Let me start by giving you some background information about the American Cancer Society. (All of this information was obtained from the ACS website, www.cancer.org)A. The Society was founded in 1913 by prominent physicians and business leaders in New York City to help abolish cancer through education, prevention, research, advocacy, and service.1. Their first major accomplishment was bringing cancer into the public eye to eliminate the fear and denial that was usually associated with the disease.B. Today the American Cancer Society has a National Society, several chartered divisions, and over 3,400 local chapters throughout the United States with more than 2 million volunteers nationwide.3. The Society has many accomplishments. 4. They have donated more than $2.4 billion to cancer research. They have sponsored 32 Nobel Prize winners. 5. They have helped pass the National Cancer Act which increased funding for cancer research from millions to billions annually. 6. They have done many other things that it would take hours to name them all.(Transition: And since we dont have hours. . .)IV. Let me move on to how the Society helps cancer patients, survivors, care-givers, and family & friends of patients deal with this disease. (All the information in this section was obtained from the ACS website and through my personal experiences.)A. They provide information for those recently diagnosed to help them better understand what is happening to them.B. They have many support groups for specific kinds of cancer so patients can meet people who truly understand their problems. 1. They also have support groups for family members and survivors.C. They sponsor childrens camps for kids undergoing treatment.1. This gives the children a chance to be around other children like themselves without feeling out of place or singled out because of their condition.D. The Society also operates several Hope Lodges, which are similar to the Ronald McDonald Houses. 1. They provide a place for families of the patients to stay while their loved ones are undergoing treatment. 2. Families stay at the Lodge free of charge.E. They work with social workers at hospitals to help connect patients with survivors of their same kind of cancer.1. The survivors help answer any questions they have.2. The survivors help reassure them.3. Most importantly, survivors give them hope for their own recovery.F. The ACS also provide wigs to women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. 1. I used this service and discovered that, although a wonderful idea, the selection consisted of gray and white wigs of different styles and lengths. 2. I wasnt entirely opposed to a changing my hair color, but I wasnt quite ready to go gray.(Transition: This brings me to my final topic. . .)V. My own experiences. A. Since it is not the main focus of this project, I wont go into great detail, but since it is the reason why this organization has a special significance to me, I felt that I should at least talk a little about it.B. When I was 16 years old I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 1. This is one of the more treatable forms of the disease. 2. I went through chemotherapy treatments for several months and began to get better. a. I lost all of my hair, which was about the same length as it is now. b. At the time, I think that was what bothered me the most, not the fact that I had to be in the hospital for long periods of time, or that there was a chance I could die what got me was the fact that I was going to be a 16 year old bald girl. c. After many rounds of chemo, I went into remission for about three months and then relapsed. 3. At this point I had two options, more chemo (which gets less effective each round) or a bone marrow transplant. a. I chose the transplant. b. My sister was my donor and it was done at Shands hospital in Gainesville. c. I was in the hospital in a sterile unit for 2 months and spent another 2 months in Gainesville receiving outpatient treatment at the hospital. d. I have been in remission now for over 4 years.C. As a survivor, I have an opportunity to help the Society in many different ways. 1. I can provide support for those who have been recently diagnosed or are currently undergoing treatment.2. I can help raise awareness by telling my story, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to do this project. 3. I can also help the same ways that any other volunteer can. 4. I will be participating in the Relay for Life wrap-up event that will take place at PJC on July 18th. a. The Relay for Life is an annual event that is sponsored by the ACS to help raise funds for the Society and its many branches of research and services.D. Some of these services I have already mentioned, such as providing wigs free of charge. 1. Some of these services can have a huge impact on peoples lives. 2. Through the Cancer Survivors Network Online, I found two women who have benefited from these services. a. One woman named Tammy Davis, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, attended a class called Look Good, Feel Better.i. The classes give women makeovers, free make-up, wigs, and hair pieces to help them regain their confidence and feel more like regular women. ii. This class allowed her to feel glamorous at a time when she hardly even felt like a human being.b. Another young women named Taylor Black was senior in high school when she was diagnosed with a rare brain disease that caused a large tumor to form. i. She successfully survived a surgery that removed 99% of the tumor ii. She is now attending the Central Florida University in Orlando on a scholarship from the American Cancer Society. ConclusionI. From scholarships to support groups, the American Cancer Society does more to help the fight against cancer than any other organization. A. From the time of its creation in 1913, the Society has brought the disease into the open and contributed billions of dollars to research efforts. B. They helped thousands of people with their support groups, services, camps, and Hope Lodges, myself included. C. I feel that volunteering with this organization has been an enriching and fulfilling experience for me and would recommend it to anyone. D. After all, if it werent for the research efforts that the American Cancer Society donates so generously to, I might not be here today.II. ReferencesAmerican Cancer Society Homepage. (June 26, 2002). ACS History, Milestones, 2002 Fact Sheet. [17 pages].Retrieved June 26, 2002 on the World Wide Web: http://www.cancer.org.Jobe, Erika. (June 2002). Personal experiences with leukemia and American Cancer Society. [Interveiw]. Pensacola, FL.The Cancer Survivors Network Online. (June 26, 2002). Talk shows and stories. [7 pages]. Retrieved June 26, 2002 on the World Wide Web: http://www.acscsn.org.