Persuasive speech - Monson's English Blog



|“Why Should|“Why Should I Care?” Speech |

|I Care?” | |

|a.k.a., The| |

|Persuasive | |

|Speech, | |

|Speech | |

|Foundations| |

|, Monson | |

| |Persuasive speaking urges us to do something. Informative speaking, on the other hand, teaches - reveals and clarifies information. |

| |Persuasive speakers go another step by evoking emotion and by involving ethics and logic, and by implying or directly asking for |

| |audience commitment. Sometimes persuasive speeches are aimed at earning passive agreement, as in persuading an audience of the |

| |importance of some issue. At other times, persuasive speeches aim for personal action, as in getting people to join an organization, buy|

| |a product or service, or support a cause. |

| | |

| |Objectives: |

| |1. Use a combination of researched information, sound reasoning, appropriate emotional appeals, and speaker credibility to persuade the|

| |audience that the issue that you care about is important. In life, virtually all of you will have to deliver similar |

| |speeches/presentations to colleagues at work, to potential clients, to people with political power, to people who might be interested in|

| |donating money to your cause or interested in financing your new business. They need to understand why the issue is worth caring about |

| |(logos and pathos) and need to see you as a credible source of information (ethos and pathos). |

| |2. Incorporate (at least) two (2) visual aids that are appealing, professional and that support your message. |

| |3. Demonstrate excellent/growing public speaking skills. |

| | |

| |Length = 6 – 8 minutes |

| |A speech shorter than 6 minutes earns an automatic D for content grade. |

| |A speech shorter than 5 minutes earns an automatic F for content grade. |

| |A speech shorter than 4 minutes will not count. I don’t mean that it earns a zero for a content grade. I mean, it doesn’t even count |

| |toward the delivery of one of your 4 major speeches. It’s like you didn’t even do the speech. A speech this short suggests that |

| |further research and speech development is needed. |

| |Remember that the only way to accurately estimate the length of your speech is to do informal run-throughs earlier (rather than too |

| |late) in the process. When you have an early draft of your outline, time a run-through. If you’re concerned about not having enough |

| |content, conference with your teacher about how to further develop your research and to more thoroughly develop your speech. |

| | |

| |Items Due |

| |Topic Choice (topic and position), Due _____ (one topic per person) |

| |Topic Proposal, Due _____ |

| |Checklist Guide, Due _____ |

| |Initial Outline and MLA Works Cited, Due _____ |

| |Preparedness: 5 points and Presentation: 40 points |

| |Final Outline, Completed Practice Ticket, Final MLA Works Cited, Visuals, & up to 4 Note Cards Due … your chosen presentation day |

| | |

| |Tips |

| |Start with a topic you actually care about, so you can be sincere. |

| |Utilize skills we’ve discussed and practiced this semester. |

| |Follow each of the process steps. |

| |Ask your teacher questions! |

| |Be ready to present on your chosen day. |

| |Practice, Practice! |

| | |

| |Persuade = convince, stimulate, actuate |

Parameters:

1. Attention Getter/Introduction; Conclusion

a. Avoid this kind of introduction: “My topic is the Pacific garbage patch.”

b. Refer to the attention-getter strategies.

c. Write a conclusion that ties back to the Attention-Getter/Intro.

2. Minimum of two (2) Visual Aids. It might be wise to include a chart or graph of statistics or data (logos), with citations included verbally within your speech and on Works Cited.

Visual Aid Possibilities

a. PowerPoint, Slides, Prezi Presentation

b. LARGE poster/artwork

c. Series of physical items/examples

d. Handout for Audience

e. Video (less than 30 seconds)

3. Notes on Using Slides.

a. Create slides visual-heavy and text-light. Your audience may feel inclined to read your slides, but they’re not taking notes (like sometimes happens for instruction), and you should not compete with your visual aids for your audience’s attention.

i. Headings are okay, with just a few other words (if you’re using words)

ii. LARGE enough to be seen / be readable from the back of the room.

iii. Layout should be appealing.

iv. Color schemes should be easy-to-read and easy on the eyes. Red or yellow on black background, for example, is usually difficult to read.

b. Include the URL in small font (6-8 point font) next to the image you use.

c. Incorporate verbal citations when you discuss information drawn from sources and when you discuss your visual aids. Simply say, “According to the World Health Organization, cases of the flu/fact/statistic, etc. …” More instruction will come about creating verbal citations. I must HEAR all 3 verbally cited sources.

d. Up to a 30 second video is okay. You can step to the computer or ask an assistant to run your presentation for you.

e. Capitalize according to conventional protocols. Titles, headings, proper nouns, etc. I have seen too many mistakes, which will damage speaker credibility.

f. You might decide that your attention-getter could benefit from offering an image on the screen behind you. Your title slide could come after that. It just depends on your message, the feeling you hope to create, and how you want attention to be gathered.

4. Citations

a. Researched information from a minimum of 3 sources.

b. Include this MLA formatted Works Cited. (Monson’s note about EasyBib …)

i. At the end of your printed outline

ii. On the final slide of your presentation (or as logical part of your visuals, if not using slides).

c. Cite images, charts, graphs, etc. by including URL in small (6-8 pt) font next to the image.

5. Note Cards

a. Up to 4 cards, 30 words per card.

b. Using note cards is optional for this speech; however, you must turn in a version of what you would use as notecards prior to delivering your speech. Beware of the trap of turning your head toward the screen and away from the audience, if you are not using notecards.

6. Audience Interest. Your speech will ultimately make a stronger impact when you believe what you’re saying. Your ability to answer audience questions after your presentation will be part of your evaluation for preparation and research skills, but not a part of your time.

Your 1st Step: What issue is important to you? What do you care about that others should, too? Brainstorm a list! Come up with a BIG list! Only one person can present on a topic.

Rhetorical Modes of Appeal: Aristotle’s 3 Elements of Persuasion

Use the tools of pathos, logos, and ethos in your speech. Connect with your audience by helping us see who or what your topic affects, and how it affects your audience, by moving us with your word choice, with logic, and with your own conviction. How the audience that you know what you’re talking about through quality research; respect the audience with the quality of your content and the practice you put into your delivery. Use quality fact, information, and reasoning. Not every moment of your speech needs to be heavy-duty and serious, but the audience must have every reason to take you and your thinking on this subject serious.

Pathos = appeal to listeners’ emotions. Emotional appeals impact how your audience feels about your topic.

Logos = appeal to listeners’ logic. Logical appeals – facts, statistics, examples, and expert opinion. Citing sources as you use the information is logical and creates credibility.

Ethos = how the audience perceives the information and the speaker, and understands some ethical motivation. Ethical appeals: your confidence, competence, sincerity, and good will. Believing in your message and knowing what you’re talking about is the very first step in building credibility. No name-calling.

Credibility. Face it, we’re not experts. But, we can and should rely on and use expert, reliable sources to support our persuasive ideas! This will make you BELIEVABLE. Always verbally cite sources during your speech so your audience will know that you have done your homework - that your message is credible and that we can believe you.

Developing and Structuring Your Information

“Why Should I Care?” Speeches often are developed by including several or all of the following items in proportions appropriate for the topic:

• Background or history on the issue

• What causes the problem/issue

• Effects of the problem/issue

• Possible solutions or ways to handle it

• Facts, statistics

• Examples and anecdotes to illustrate the problem and develop the emotional connection

• Expert opinion and commentary

People write whole books and produce entire documentaries on the topics people tend to choose for this speech. You CAN research and execute a speech with 6 minutes of good content. Talk to your teacher early on if you’re not sure if your topic ends itself to 6+ minutes of development or if you’re not sure how to organize your information.

Example – The thing I care about/Topic: Coffee.

What about coffee? This speech isn’t just a series of facts related to coffee, it is about an issue we should care about, and one that will give you 6+ minutes of information to present.

Developing the Topic: The coffee industry in South America is part of a system that results in deforestation and exploitation of workers on the coffee plantations. Buying certified free trade coffee is an important strategy we can use to help solve the problem.

You could include information on the following so we understand the issue: background/history on the coffee industry, the global coffee market and how it works, where coffee is grown, the economics of the modern coffee industry – who owns the farms, trade/markets, who does the labor, the environmental effects of industry, and (of course!) WHY WE SHOULD CARE about it when all we know is that global markets successfully put coffee in our daily to-go cups. Provide facts and put a human face on the issue.

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