Persuasive Speech Assignment Sheet Part I

Directions: Present a 5-7 minute persuasive speech addressing a current issue in society.

Select an issue that you have encountered in our school, community, state, or nation. Your outline and speech must be typed. Your outline will express key points and your speech will explain the details. Visuals are needed and cite your sources.

Brainstorm and jot down thoughts and feelings you have about an issue. Determine your position on it. Write your position statement. A position statement is like a thesis statement. It identifies the issue and your position on it in one sentence. For example: We must take action against (or for) the issue of____________ because of ­­­­­­­­­­­­­__________, __________________, and _________________. Your purpose is to persuade the audience. You need to consider what you want the audience to do as a result of listening to your speech. How do you want your audience to feel about the issue afterwards? What action do you want them to take?

Your speech must have at least one of the following persuasive techniques.

• 
  Logical Appeal
  
  • 
    Facts, statistics, and well-reasoned arguments
    
• 
  Ethical Appeal
  
  • 
    Argument based on widely accepted beliefs and values
    
• 
  Emotional Appeal
  
  • 
    Uses anecdotes (stories) and loaded words (words with strong connotations) to bring about strong emotions in the audience
    

1. 
   Attention-Getter: A statement that gains the attention of the audience and makes them believe that this issue is relevant to them. Instead, think of your intro like a funnel. Your thesis (in this case, your position statement) is the narrow part and you slowly broaden out from that to a broad statement that applies to many people.
   

2. 
   Bond: Identify a personal connection in the audiences' life. Use their emotional experience such as grief, sorrow, or happiness.
   

3. 
   Credibility: Demonstrate how you are an expert through your own use, experience, or study.
   

4. 
   Destination / Position Statement: State clearly why you are speaking at this moment. State your goal, thesis, or what you expect as an outcome. State your destination. An example may be “Today I am here to convince you that .... is the most effective way to do business."
   

5. 
   Preview of Speech: Briefly outline what you will cover in your persuasive speech. This is where you will tell the audience what you are going to tell them.
   

6. 
   Transition: A transition is how you move from one section or point to the next. It is a linking idea. You could say let’s begin by, let’s start with, or let’s consider.
   

1. State your first point. State your reason. Give an example. Restate your point.

2. State your second point. State your reason. Give an example. Restate your point.

3. State your third point. State your reason. Give an example. Restate your point.

1. Restate your goal, thesis, or what you expect as an outcome.

2. Restate your three main points.

3. Call-to-Action: I encourage you to, let’s all contribute, or make a decision now to get involved.

1.

2.

Communication is central to our lives and technology makes that communication easier than ever before. Today, I want to describe to you what I believe is the 8th Wonder of the World. This wonder is right up there with the Pyramids, with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, with the Colossus of Rhodes. However, it is not of the ancient world. Instead, it is a marvel of engineering and cooperation amongst the nations of the world. Today, I use a cellular phone; I use the Internet; I use email. The Internet is a way of connecting computers together around the world using the telephone cables. Email is electronic mail that is distributed across the Internet. Putting these together, I can communicate with others almost anywhere anytime. Did you know, "the number of emails sent on an average day was approximately 10 billion in 2002 and by 2005, this amount is expected to triple to 35 billion emails sent each day" (Source: IDC news release, 'Email Deluge Continues With No End In Sight, IDC Says': October 10, 2000).

Do you know that they are all asleep in Australia? Last year I called the offices of Equate, International to ask a business question. I only get the night security guard. It was good of him to take my call. Now, I email at any time and receive the needed information back as soon as the other office is open.

How many here use the telephone to connect with another? Today we use a large amount of technology to live, communicate, and relate. To speak with another: devices like the telephone or cell phone. To access information: television, satellites, and global computer networks. To bank: we use ATMs. To travel: vehicles, planes and trains. To get to a destination: global positioning systems (GPS) guide airplanes, our cars, and it is now found on our cell phones. We use technology every day to live. Think of your kitchen, car, office, movie theater, or local shopping center. Think of the technology you use and rely on. What would it be like WITHOUT technology in our day?

I use email every day in my work and for personal communications. I discovered email when I was studying many years ago. It was used as the communication medium between the lecturers and between colleagues in my study team. We relied on email. Today, I want to share my insights into this amazing communication method and convince you of its hidden potential in your life today.

Body

What will we look at in the next few minutes? First, we will take a quick look at how the Internet and email has made the world smaller. Second, how business has been revolutionized. Third, how personal relations are enhanced by these new technologies; that's right, personal relations! Who ever thought a computer would help relationships.

The Internet runs on energy: on electricity. How fast does electricity flow? How fast does a light switch turn on when you switch it? How fast does sound come from a radio when it is switched on? Let's now switch on email.

The world is shrinking with the advent of the Internet and in particular, email. Why is this occurring? Email is easy to use. Email is very fast to both send and to receive. Email overcomes time barriers. Recently when planning a vacation in England, the Internet and email were used to book hotels and hire cars organized across multiple time zones. No more ringing and trying to get people who are in bed other than at a sales desk. How often have you thought "don't they ever wake up over there?" I did. The world is indeed shrinking with the advent of email.

Email has revolutionized business. Business can now literally operate at the speed of light. According to the ePolicy Institute, "Email is growing at a rate of 66% annually; email is the most common way for business people to communicate.” Email is simple, easy to use and fast. Email reduces the formalities of paper-based title pages and wording. Additionally, something like a sales quote email makes retrieving an old email easy when comparing negotiations. The Internet gives "instant" access to information from anywhere in the world. From my desktop I can negotiate the best price for a transaction regardless where the shop is in the world. In fact I have more suppliers to choose from. Telephone tag (when you ring and they are out) is eliminated. Publishing words or pictures is simple. Anyone can publish on the Internet. I can stay in touch with the office anytime when I am out of the office, using the Internet and email. The Internet and email has revolutionized business and enables business to be forever open conducting business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Internet and email enhances personal relations; email can even explode personal relationships in a new dimension. Email is a powerful complement to the older technologies: telephone, letters ... No stamps, no paper, no envelopes, no trips to/from the postbox. Your message can be concise and to the point. Stay in touch even when you do not wish to speak. The Receiver of your message does not have to be home when you 'write'. Unlimited interactions via a computer (written, voice, image, music, information) versus limited via telephone (voice). Internet and email can bring together countless numbers of people sharing the same interests, i.e. chat rooms and instant messaging. Stay in touch regardless of location. I emailed my son when he was in England. I email to a busy sister in another state, because she is rarely home. Using email means the call is not missed if I were to call. When it comes to personal relations, email enables cheap, effective communication. Unlike the telephone, email is there when you connect to the Internet.

Today we have explored the powerful communication vehicle, the Internet and an effective tool for communication called email. Today you have heard of the amazing hidden potential that email can bring to your life. The world is indeed shrinking with the advent of email. Email has revolutionized business. Business can now literally operate at the speed of light. Email enhances personal relations. Email can develop personal relationships in a new dimension. Connecting to the Internet is simple today. Decide to communicate today. It is time to get email.