Columbine Shooting

Olivia Hoffman

Public Speaking

October 4th, 2013

Paul Hendrickson

Informative Speech Preparation Outline

Columbine Shooting

General Purpose: To inform

Specific Purpose Statement: To inform and make clear of what happened at the Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999.

Central Idea: The outburst that took place in Colorado, at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999 is something to definitely be informed about, as it is one of the most horrific killings to this day.

Method of Organization: Chronological order

Introduction

I. (Gain attention and interest) Take a second and think about what you would do if you went to school and never got the chance to go home. It was a normal day on April 20th, 1999 when a tragic event happened that hurt not one, but several students and teachers. This day was a typical school day but only two people knew it wasn’t going to end the way that it started. Lives will forever be changed. In this event, many individuals were hurt or even killed.

II. (Reveal topic) The Columbine High School Massacre killed twelve students and one teacher while 24 were severely injured. No one knew why, but this led to a very confusing time in which everyone wanted answers.

III. (Establish credibility) I have recently heard about this outburst and I wanted to share this horrifying event with people my age so we are all aware of what happened. There have been many tragedies like this, but this one opened my eyes the most.

IV. (Preview body of speech) To start off, I’ll tell you about the background and lives of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. Secondly, I’ll take you back to April 20th, 1999 and describe in detail what the whole day consisted of and every part of the attack. Lastly, I’ll talk about the aftermath and what happened when this horrific day was done.

Body

I. Dylan and Eric definitely had a different view on the future than any other 18 year old they had associated with. According to Frank Stancato, “No one can...