Choose
one of the following types of persuasive speeches and prepare a presentation for
the class.
1.
Introductions:
·
Thesis
Statement. (An explanation of the topic in a single sentence)
·
Use some
kind of attention device.
·
Have a
preview sentence. Three to four topics that are discussed in the body).
·
Have a
transition sentence. A sentence that flows into the body)
2.
Body:
·
Write a
paragraph from each topic.
·
The
topics should be written in order of the preview.
3.
Conclusion:
1.
Speech that addresses attitudes. This kind of speech is aimed at changing the way
people think or feel about a particular subject. Possible topics:
o
Drug
testing on the job.
o
AIDS in
the workplace.
o
The
Georgia state flag.
o
Nuclear
energy .
o
Tougher
tobacco use laws .
2.
Speech that urges action. This kind of speech is aimed at getting the
audience to do something. The action may be individual or group action,
immediate or ongoing action. Possible topics:
o
Urge your
audience to take more communication classes.
o
Boycott a
particular company or product.
o
Volunteer
for some kind of community service.
o
Donate
blood.
3.
Speech of contention. This kind of speech is aimed at refuting opposing
arguments. Here you present someone else's argument which you then refute (argue
against). Possible topics:
Explain the problems with:
o
A
balanced-budget amendment.
o
A
national health care plan.
o
Rush
Limbaugh.
o
Required
courses outside one's major.
o
Arts
funding.
Regardless
of which type of persuasive speech you choose, you may want to consider using
the motivated sequence as a way of organizing your material. Here's how it
works:
1.
Get your audience's attention. Open with a provocative statement, question,
example, or anecdote related to your topic
2.
Establish a need. Describe a problem, a current situation that needs attention, a lack,
or a misconception
3.
Satisfy that need. Offer a solution to the problem, a corrective to the misconception,
etc.
4.
Visualize the future. Describe what the future will be like if things
aren't changed, and what it will be like if they are
5.
Ask for action. Encourage your audience to implement your solution, adopt your attitude,
vote for your proposal, etc.
OPENINGS
THAT GRAB ATTENTION
PERSUASIVE TOPICS
MOTORCYCLES AND
HELMETS |
THE IMPORTANCE OF
CPR |
JUDICIARY SYSTEM |
SELF DEFENSE AND
RAPE |
PLASTIC SURGERY |
EUTHANASIA |
SHOULD OLLIE NORTH
GO TO JAIL |
SATAN ON THE RISE |
ONE NATION UNDER
GUNS |
MAKING OURSELVES
HEALTHY |
VEGETARIANISM |
WRITE YOUR OWN WILL |
ALLOWING KIDS TO
DROP OUT |
CREDIT CARDS SAY NO |
MEMORY |
THE RISING COST OF
HEALTH CARE |
DIVORCE |
NUCLEAR PLANT
REACTION |
DRUG LEGALIZATION |
SMOG |
FLY WITHOUT FEAR |
VIVISECTION |
SAFETY IN SEAT BELTS |
BLOOD DONATIONS |
SMOKING AND
PREGNANCY DON'T MIX |
QUICK ADVERTISING |
BATTERED WOMEN |
OUR FLAT EARTH |
OVERPOPULATION |
ANIMAL
EXPERIMENTATION |
PUNISHMENT FOR DRUNK
DRIVERS |
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION |
EDUCATION NEEDS MORE
MONEY |
RIGHT TO DIE |
DEVELOPING
SELF-ESTEEM |
AMERICAN FAMILY IN
TROUBLE |
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT |
PASSIVE SMOKE IS
DEADLY |
NEUTER YOUR PETS |
U.S. TRADE MARKET |
INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE |
RECYCLE |
U.S. AND ITS FOREIGN
AFFAIRS |
VOTING APATHY |
RACISM |
Talk
Radio |
MENTAL HYGIENE |
STOP SMOKING |
TENURE SYSTEM |
LEGALIZED GAMBLING |
DESIGNER DRUGS |
Violence
on TV |
ABORTION |
VOTING RIGHTS |
WATER CONSERVATION |
THE JURY |
CHILD LABOR ISSUES |
FINANCING PUBLIC
SCHOOLS |
URBAN DEVELOPMENT |
MUSIC CENSORSHIP |
AIDS EDUCATION |
GULF WAR AND THE
MEDIA |
CREATION OF THE
UNIVERSE |
The
War on Terrorism |
RODNEY KING VERDICTS |
SKIN CARE AND THE
SUN |
GUN CONTROL |
ANTI-COLUMBUS
CELEBRATION |
CULTURAL
EDUCATION |
THE
DEATH PENALTY |
Ø
donating blood
Ø
wearing seatbelts
Ø
reasons to stay in school
Ø
why you
should recycle
Ø
paying off credit card debt ASAP
Ø
the existence of ghosts
Ø
against male-bashing
Ø
school vouchers
Ø
why the lottery should be outlawed
Ø
why breakfast is the most important meal of the day
Ø
there must also be life on other planets
Ø
should suicide be legal for individuals with no hope
of recovery?
Ø
eating vegetarian
Ø
being an organ donor
Ø
why all people should wash their hands
Ø
persuading people not to drink and drive
Ø
why you should quit smoking right now
Ø
off campus lunch
Ø
why you should volunteer to be a "big brother/big
sister"
Ø
the capital punishment (the death penalty) is immoral
and should not be used
Ø
why tobacco should be considered illegal
Ø
that affirmative action should not be enforced in the
workplace
Ø
why welfare should be for a limited time
Ø
using drugs
Ø
why exercise is important
Ø
why Napster should be illegal / legal
Ø
eating disorders: how to recognize them and how to get
help for them
Ø
persuading a teenager's parents to let him/her go on
an educational trip to Europe over the summer
Ø
why pitchers shouldn't hit
Ø
why you shouldn't procrastinate / put things off to
the last minute
Ø
why we should not contribute to global warming / smog
Ø
why prescription drug costs should be so high / low
Ø
don't buy cosmetics that are tested on animals
Ø
why you should always wear clean underwear
Ø
buying foods with preservatives in them
Ø
why you shouldn't listen to boy bands
Ø
benefits of spirituality
Ø
people should be allowed to shop without being
harassed by the police because of their appearances
Ø
landmines
Ø
against wearing fur
Ø
that video games do increase violence
Ø
why you should get the Meningitis shot
Ø
why Sesame Street is great
Ø
why there shouldn't be movie sequels
Ø
making handguns illegal / legal
Ø
why medicines and pharmaceutical products shouldn't be
tested on animals
Ø
why sports drinks are better then water while playing
sports
Ø
should 16 be the age for granting driving licenses?
Ø
why American History shouldn't be a requirement in
high school
Ø
snakes are good pets
Ø
community service
Ø
more severe punishment for child molesters
Ø
homelessness
Ø
support your local orchestra, choir, etc.
Ø
there are UFO's
Ø
fear of flying is irrational because air travel is
safer than many everyday things
Ø
beginning genealogy: why you should start researching
your family tree right now
Ø
the media is not a 100% believable source
Ø
taking time out of each day to read something for
pleasure
Ø
exploitation of college athletes
Ø
school uniforms take away people's identity
Ø
how handicapped people can do just as much as
non-handicapped people
Ø
school prayer at football games
Ø
adopting a Greyhound
Ø
getting enough sleep - why sleep should be important
to you
Ø
why you should go to college
Ø
for prayer in public schools
Ø
why you should vote
Ø
being an optimist / having a positive attitude instead
of a negative one
Ø
why there should be an open campus study HALL
Ø
why the abortion pill RU-486 should be illegal
Ø
persuading you to be Pro-Choice
Ø
non-smokers' rights (persuading smokers not to force
the rest of us to breathe their second-hand smoke) -- or -- why smoking should
be banned in public places
Ø
why you shouldn't bite your nails
Ø
why Pepsi is better than Coke
Ø
profit-sharing
Ø
why people should take care of their animals
Ø
reasons to not have an abortion
Ø
why you should invest $100 in the stock market right
now
Ø
why you should forgive
Ø
purple grapes vs. green grapes
Ø
child support
Ø
why you should join a fraternity or sorority
Ø
to start using chap stick
Ø
why do abused wives remarry abusive husbands multiple
times?
Ø
not to wear ugly shoes
Ø
why it's sometimes good to have silence
Ø
why skiing is better than snowboarding
Ø
that _______ music is good
Ø
people really are from another planet
Ø
censorship
Ø
what's better, dorm room or apartment/housing
Ø
to persuade people to change their attitude and/or
behavior towards senior citizens
Ø
water conservation
Ø
why the USA still needs to keep building up its
military
Ø
having seatbelts in school buses
Ø
why government should fund the performing arts
Ø
that schools should have metal detectors
Ø
why dogs/cats are better pets than cats/dogs
Ø
the minimum wage should be higher
Ø
taking vitamins
Ø
why Ohio's new law against abandonment of newborns
should be adopted everywhere
Ø
why you should give money to bums on the street
Ø
are SUV'S on the road safe?
Ø
police officers need/don’t need better weapons
Ø
for hate crimes legislation
Ø
why war is bad
Ø
why we should jog more
Ø
why teachers who practice Witchcraft should not be
allowed to teach
Ø
why you shouldn't let peer pressure influence your
decisions
Ø
Star Trek is better than Star Wars
Ø
baseball and the salary cap
Ø
are we truly living in a democratic society?
Ø
should abusive parents get a second chance?
Ø
the pros & cons of mustaches
Ø
pro-hunting
Ø
how to give up drinking and be glad you did
Ø
Eminem is a better role model than Britney Spears
Ø
drinking tea is better than coffee
Ø
you should take life one day at a time because you
don't know how much time you have left
Ø
should children of domestic violence be removed from
the home?
Ø
animal abuse -- that it is morally wrong for people to
abuse animals
Ø
evolution: fact or fiction?
Ø
why dating should be done in a group atmosphere
Ø
why the impact of SAT's should be lowered in the
college admissions process
Ø
why parents should talk to their kids
Ø
chunky peanut butter versus creamy peanut butter
Ø
why Daylight Savings Time is good for us
Ø
should we be dissecting live animals in school?
Ø
saving for retirement
Ø
skateboarding vs. rollerblading
Ø
why housecleaning is important for the body and mind
Ø
should there be finals?
Ø
why you should avoid get rich quick schemes
Ø
should children ever be prosecuted as adults?
Ø
Whaling should be stopped
Ø
how comic books can really help children learn
Ø
why juveniles who commit felonies should be treated as
adults
Ø
against cloning of animals/humans
Ø
your computer is a spy machine
Ø
how to apply makeup
Ø
why you should attend extracurricular school events
Ø
appreciating the modern conveniences we take for
granted
Ø
all students should have to take a foreign language
Ø
why chocolate is good for you
Ø
the need for development of better public
transportation in the US
Ø
why you should clip your toenails
Ø
are you drinking enough water?
Ø
allowing neon lights on cars
Ø
lowering the drinking age
Ø
why we should ride bikes to work and/or school
Ø
why shoes are good
Ø
racial profiling
Ø
the evils of football and how it relates to the
downfall of American society
Ø
that listening to violent lyrics doesn't make a person
violent
Ø
that Santa Claus does exist
Ø
why the USA is better than Canada
Ø
you should learn to play golf
Ø
how veal is treated and why you shouldn't eat it
Ø
should driving with cell phones be illegal?
Ø
using sunscreen
Ø
Ford vs. Chevrolet
Ø
why my dog is better than most dogs
Ø
importance of learning CPR
Ø
Why you should/shouldn’t get a tattoo?
Ø
putting a pet to sleep (animal euthanasia)
Ø
the benefits of hypnosis
Ø
why you should take great care in choosing a job -
that the money isn't the only thing to consider
Ø
why emissions regulations are a good thing
Ø
creating a book club
Ø
why hotdogs are gross and you shouldn't eat them
Ø
why there are so many lawsuits today
Ø
plastic surgery can be good/bad for you
Ø
how small businesses, despite their puny profit
margins, are needed in our market to keep the big businesses from monopolizing
everything
Ø
why you shouldn't be a pack rat
Ø
why men and women should be treated differently
Ø
against gun control
Ø
why the kicker is the most important player on a
football team
Ø
why you should get massages regularly
Ø
why people should have pets
Ø
why you need to visit Jamaica
Ø
the dangers of cellular phones
Ø
why friendship is important
Ø
that Elvis is alive
Ø
you should do your own homework and not cheat yourself
by copying or reading Cliff's Notes
Ø
parents should need to get licenses to have children
Ø
why Milk is bad/good for you
Ø
a speech to convince you that popularity isn't
everything
Ø
why you should support the United Way
Ø
making English the "official" USA language
Ø
why you should finish college while you are young
Ø
decreasing/increasing the speed limit on the Freeway
Ø
why (and how) the school dress code should be changed
Ø
trucks are better than cars
Ø
why the only way to win at casinos is to stay far away
from them
Ø
why you should help clean up your county roads
Ø
should you be reluctant to take Prozac even if your
doctor recommends it?
Ø
why guns should be illegal in a household
Ø
why to like school
Ø
how the maximum sentencing for drug offenders should
be modified
Ø
how to become a millionaire
Ø
should pregnant mothers be charged with child abuse if
they take illegal drugs during their pregnancy?
Ø
why you should drink Orange Juice
Ø
high school should be fewer/more years
Ø
involvement in extracurricular activities is a
positive influence on a high school student's education
Ø
blondes are not so dumb
Ø
why people (or teenagers) shouldn't join gangs
Ø
why you shouldn't drink
Ø
racism
Ø
why you should sponsor a child
Ø
are pro athletes being paid too much?
Ø
buying American cars
Ø
should you go to the school dance?
Ø
raising cigarette prices to lower teen smoking
Ø
how the conflict over the Israel and Syria land should
be resolved
Ø
stop watching T.V.
Ø
why Microsoft should just go away
Ø
eating 3 meals a day
Ø
that kids with AIDS should be allowed into public
schools
Ø
hazing
Ø
why to buy a membership to a fitness club
Ø
should mentally disabled people be forced to take
medication?
Ø
That senior citizens should have to take their driving
test again
Ø
is Nintendo/video games good for the brain?
Ø
Should parents be penalized for poor behavior at their
children's sporting events?
Ø
why year round schooling (with longer weekends and
more vacations) would be better than August-to-May
Ø
music & arts education should be provided in all
public schools
Ø
why you shouldn't be afraid of giving a speech
Ø
lowering the voting age to 16
Ø
witches are real
Ø
single parenthood
Ø
why kids should do volunteer work
Ø
why you should have a website
Ø
why students should have night school
Ø
why we should be proud to pay taxes
Ø
the internet: is it safe?
Ø
why the answer to "who shot Kennedy?" isn't
what you think
Ø
does Bill Gates have enough money?
Ø
why motorcycles are better than horses or vise versa
Ø
how to become a better person
Ø
don't look down on NERDS
Ø
why you should take a swimming course
Ø
why you shouldn't commit suicide
Ø
importance of maintaining your credit rating
Ø
reasons better student parking lots should be PROVIDED