How to Write a Speech for a 7th-Grade Class President

A speech for the seventh-grade class president campaign should be persuasive, yet relevant. When writing the speech, it is necessary to consider the audience and the main topics at hand. Once you know what needs to be said and to whom, the rest is just delivery. It's important to consider what issues need to be addressed at your school and start brainstorming actions you would take as class president.

Interview fellow seventh-graders and ask them what qualities they want in the next class president and what issues they feel should be addressed. No issue is too big or small, so take everything into consideration.

Talk to the current class president and find out what trials and triumphs they encountered. If they worked on a seventh-grade project that the class supported, note in your speech that you want to continue that progress.

Talk to instructors about what is expected of the class president. Ask English teachers for assistance in the actual writing process.

Develop an attention-grabber to tackle the short attention spans of your fellow preteens, such as a famous quote, a joke or an action. For example, do a small survey for the rest of the seventh-graders that pertains to your key points. If you want to propose a school-wide break between sixth and seventh periods, ask the students to raise their hands if they think a break would be beneficial. Not only are you demanding participation from the beginning, you are opening with an attractive key point that will spark the audience's curiosity.

Write your introduction and include information about you and at least two key points. These points are issues that you are going to address later in the speech. For example, your points might be about offering more selection in the vending machines at school or hosting a school dance for seventh-graders.

Write the body of your speech, expanding upon the key points you mentioned in your introduction. Explain why these points are issues and how you will put a plan into action. For example, if you think that the vending machines need more nutritious options for students, explain that your plan is to call the vending machine companies for more selection options. Explain that you will propose those options to the school board on a certain date. Fellow seventh-graders want to know that you will put these words into actions.

Write your closing statement, which is the last comment the students will hear from you and, likely, the last thing they will remember. Sum up your key points again, restate your name and come up with a catchy slogan. The closing is a reinterpretation of the introduction, only more dynamic.

Allow a friend or family member to read and edit the speech.