# Presentation Argument Planner

Version 1.0.0 · CC BY 4.0

## Purpose

A worksheet for building the argument before producing slides.

## Use this worksheet

Build the argument before producing slides. Complete these fields in a document or on paper, then use it as the production brief.

### 1. Decision

What do you need the audience to understand, approve, choose, or do after the presentation?

### 2. Audience and stakes

What do they already know? What do they care about? What would make the decision risky or difficult?

### 3. Core claim

Write one sentence that the evidence can support. Avoid using the deck title as the claim.

### 4. Evidence ladder

For each supporting point, record: source ID, observation, why it matters, and whether it is a fact, interpretation, or recommendation.

### 5. Narrative sequence

1. Situation: what is true now?
2. Tension: what remains unresolved or costly?
3. Choice: what is the recommended direction?
4. Proof: what evidence makes the choice credible?
5. Action: what happens next, with whom, and by when?

### 6. Slide check

- [ ] Each slide has one job in the argument.
- [ ] A slide title makes a claim or asks a useful question.
- [ ] Decorative material does not stand in for evidence.
- [ ] The final action is specific enough to assign.

## Limitations

This planner does not design slides or verify source claims. Test the final presentation with a real audience and adjust the argument when evidence changes.