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Persuasive Speech Instructions Our persuasive speech will ask…
Persuasive Speech Instructions
Our persuasive speech will ask you to persuade your audience (for this semester, it is just me watching your speech), to make a change in their behaviors or beliefs. This speech will provide you an opportunity to research an interest of yours, and create a logical argument advocating for your opinion.
Required Steps
Choose a topic that interests you
Decide what your ‘Problem’ and ‘Solution’ will be
If you can’t easily tell me what your problem and solution are, your speech will be difficult for me to follow (and grade). You might want to simplify your topic
Create your MLA outline following my sample
Record and upload your speech and outline in McGraw-Hill Connect
Expectations and Requirements
Speech Topic Any topic is acceptable, as long as you advocate for a change in behavior or beliefs
Speech Length Between 3-6 minutes
Research 3 Source Citations Needed
Delivery Extemporaneous
Outline Must be saved as a Microsoft Word File (.DOCX)
Suggested Steps to Writing your Persuasive Speech (Problem/Solution)
Figure out what is your Problem/Solution
Work on the research
Outline your problem/solution
Write your Intro/Conclusion
Create Works Cited / In-Text Citations
Create your Notecards
Practice and polish your speech with a focus on your Attention Getter / Full Circle
The Problem with Death (Sample Outline)
I. Introduction
Attention Getter: Karen Ann Quinlan was taken to Newton Memorial Hospital after friends found her not breathing. In order to keep her respiratory system functioning, she was put on life support. On June 9, 1976, Karen’s parents cut off all life support (need source cite here).
Relate topic to Self: When I was twelve, my grandfather was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. The doctors said it would be a matter of months until he would die. They were wrong. Five years later we attended his funeral. I got to know him more in those five years than I had in the past twelve.
Reason to Listen: Who here has a grandparent or loved one over the age of 70? In the coming years, you will hear advocates stating that euthanasia is a valid option for our elderly loved ones. Do you know how you would respond if someone recommended to ‘pull the plug’ on your loved one?
Thesis: In the next few minutes, I am going to explain the medical problems with euthanasia and why I believe it needs to be abolished.
Transition: We will begin by examining the issue of euthanasia still being practiced.
II. Problem
Claim: There are medial problems revolving around the practice of euthanasia.
Data: 50% of physicians are unable to identify the actual life expectancy of a patient and 28% are unable to accurately recognize depression in a patient (Lee 312).
Warrant: Would you be okay with a judge sentencing people to death if he was 50% sure that they committed their crime?
Claim: Current laws against euthanasia are not being enforced and leads to many physician assisted suicides.
Data: Jack Kevorkian has committed 69 assisted suicides, the most physician-assisted suicides by any doctor in the United States (“IAETF Update”).
Data: In Oakland County, only 16 of the 69 autopsied were terminally ill; 48 others suffered from a non-terminal disease; and 5 had no anatomical evidence of disease at all (“IAETF Update”).
Warrant: If stealing was not longer considered ‘illegal’ do you think people would become more likely to steal?
Transition: Now that we have established the problem, we can look at the possible global solution.
III. Solution
State the Solution: I believe the solution to this problem is to establish laws that would enforce severe punishment on those who euthanize.
Explain the Solution: If my plan is enacted, people convicted of euthanasia would be sentenced to the same minimum jail sentence of a person who committed first degree murder – 20 years to life in prison.
Overcoming Possible Objections: Although you may be thinking that the quality of life is more important than the quantity of life, and that people have the right to die when they choose, Samuel F. Hunter states in regard to the role of doctors, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “let us not be angels of death but ministers of healing…and hope.” In other words, it should not be a doctor’s role to end life, only to help sustain it.
Provide an alternative to behavior: Each of us can sign this petition today that I will send to our Congressional representative. This petition asks Congress to pass laws to change the penalty for those convicted of assisted suicide.
IV. Conclusion
Restate Thesis: Today we have looked at the medical and legals reasons why euthanasia should be illegal and how you can help bring it to an end.
Reason to Remember: If you ever have a loved one go through the same issues that my grandpa did, I hope you remember these words.
C. Final Thought: After Karen Quinlan was taken off of the respirator, she began to breath on her own. Karen lived for nine more years. The outcome of her life could not be predicted by a doctor; let’s punish those who think they can.
