Basic Forensics

*Persuasive Speechwriting

*Essential Understandings

*Our audience and purpose help determine our writing mode.

*Writers manipulate style and voice to influence meaning and persuade audiences.

*Effective speaking skills allow us to accurately share information, ideas, and change minds.

*Why do we write persuasively?

*To argue or debate

*To call to action

*To comment on an issue

*To convince

*Often found….

*In public meetings

*In newspapers—editorials and letters to the editor

*On TV news shows (Meet the Press, Crossfire)

*In political debates/speeches

*To be used by people arguing for humanitarian causes

*Your assignment….

*Develop a two minute persuasive commentary speech on an issue that is important to you. You must research the issue and include facts, quotes and/or statistics, but you are encouraged to use an outline or notes to present your speech, rather than a script.

*Critical Features

*Attention Grabber

*Thesis Statement (Assertion and Roadmap)

*Transition words (AKA signposting)

*Examples, data, evidence

*Conclusion that restates and calls to action

*Attention Grabbers

*Topic sentence in your speech—the first words you will speak to the audience.

*One of four techniques:

*Question

* Interesting fact or statistic

*Quote

*Anecdote

*For this assignment, you are required to use either a quote or an anecdote.

*Attention Grabber: the

anecdote

*See “How a US Citizen Came to be in America’s Cross Hairs”

*NYT article

*Attention Grabber: the

quote

*According to the United States’ Declaration of Independence, American citizens are granted certain inalienable rights, including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Additionally, American citizens are granted the right of a fair trial. It has recently come to light that American citizens, perceived as terrorists, are being killed by US-government controlled drones without a fair trial.

*Thesis Statement (Roadmap)

*Second half of the speech’s introduction.

*Provides a clear path for the audience to follow for the body of the speech.

*Uses transitional language.

*Contains at least two to three main points.

*Thesis statement example

*According to the United States’ Declaration of Independence, American citizens are granted certain inalienable rights, including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Additionally, American citizens are granted the right of a fair trial. It has recently come to light that American citizens, perceived as terrorists, are being killed by US-government

controlled drones without a fair trial. Today, I will explain why I believe the use of drones by the US government as a means of law enforcement is wrong. My first main point is that it is unconstitutional. My second main point is that it violates Americans’ reasonable expectations of privacy.

*Transitional Language

*Transitions are words that tie two ideas together.

*Very important in speaking—why?

*Previews main ideas for audience

*Keeps audience on track (signposting)

*Group Writing Assignment

*Topic: Later school start times for high school.

*Write an introductory paragraph that uses an anecdote to grab the audience’s attention.

*Develop two main points for the topic.

*Write a thesis statement using transitions to preview your main points.

*Main Points (the body)

*Organized according to your thesis statement

*Chronologically (by time)

* Importance

*Usually contains a reasoning statement

*Unmanned drones should be eliminated because…

*Contain evidence

*Facts

*Numbers/statistics

*Quotes from reliable sources

*Main points for drone speech

*Introduction (attention grabber/thesis statement)

*Main Points1. Unconstitutional

2. Invades privacy

*Conclusion

*Government Surveillance: Good or bad?

1. Read Upfront, pg. 6, “Watching You” and watch the video.

2. Choose a side on this issue: pro or con?

3. Develop one main point for your side.

4. Use the article to select three pieces of evidence that supports your main point.

5. List your main points and evidence on a sheet of paper.

*Conclusion

*Serves three functions:

*Repeat thesis statement (road map)

*Reinforce the importance of your issue

*Call audience to action

*Conclusion Example

*In conclusion, our country is on a dangerous path with the use of drones as a means of law enforcement. They are undermining the very foundational principles that the United States was built upon. Additionally, they invade the privacy of American citizens and destroy their expectation of peace and happiness. I urge you to research this issue and support my view that they are dangerous tools and should be reserved for only the most threatening situations.

*Commentary Speech

*Topic: any current event or timely issue.

*Must be appropriate for school

*Have topic approved before beginning research

*Must use an anecdote or quote as attention grabber.

*Must cite at least two outside sources in main points.

*2 minutes maximum time

*Organizing for time

*15 second introduction (AG + T/RM)

*1 min, 30 second for main points

*15 second conclusion (restate/reinforce/call to action)