1. PERSUASIVE SPEECHWRITING BASIC FORENSICS

2. 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.

3. WHY DO WE WRITE PERSUASIVELY? 1. to argue 2. to convince 3. to call to action 4. to debate

4. PERSUASIVE SPEAKING...is often found in: meetings newspapers (op/ed. page, letters to the editor) fundraising appeals humanitarian causes politics

5. VOCABULARY OF PERSUASIVE WRITING attention-grabber: the topic sentence in a written piece that grabs the audience's attention and entices them to read more. thesis statement: a "roadmap" of the main points in your essay. conclusion: the final paragraph in your essay. It restates the thesis statement and calls the audience to act.

6. VOCABULARY OF PERSUASIVE WRITING argument: an attempt to convince an audience about some idea. assertion: a statement that something is so. reasoning: reason why the assertion is valid, also called the "because" statement.

7. VOCABULARY OF PERSUASIVE WRITING evidence: proof that the reasoning is true (facts, quotes, statistics, examples, data) transitions: words or phrases that tie two ideas together.

8. CRITICAL FEATURES OF A PERSUASIVE SPEECH 1. Title 2. Topic Sentence (Attention-Grabber) 3. Thesis Statement (Roadmap) --Contains the assertion --Outlines three to four main reasons 4. Transition words between body paragraphs 5. Explanations, examples, data, evidence that show both sides of an issue. 6. Conclusion --Restates thesis/roadmap --Calls the audience to action

9. TOPIC SENTENCE (ATTENTION-GRABBER) ● main purpose is to grab the audience's attention and entice them to read more ● must link to your speech's topic ● Types of attention-grabbers: ○ quote ○ statistic or fact ○ question ○ anecdote

10. THESIS STATEMENT (ROADMAP) ● Final sentence(s) in the introductory paragraph ● states your opinion on the issue ● 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

11. TRANSITIONS --Transitions are words that tie two ideas together. Examples:  --first --finally  --in conclusion --then  --next --most importantly

12. BODY PARAGRAPHS --Body paragraphs are organized according to your thesis statement. --May be organized chronologically (by time) or by importance. --Contain a reasoning statement ○ "because...“ --Body paragraphs examine the issue from both sides (include the claim and counterclaim) --Contain evidence ○ facts ○ numbers/statistics/data ○ quotes from reliable sources

13. CONCLUSION ● Repeat your thesis statement (road map). ● Reinforce the importance of your issue. ● Call the audience to action.

14. THE FOUNDATION OF PERSUASION... Argumentation is the foundation of persuasive writing. In order to write effective persuasive pieces, you must know ● how to ANALYZE arguments and ● how to CONSTRUCT arguments

15. WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT? An argument has 3 parts: --ASSERTION: a statement that something is so. --REASONING: statements why the assertion is true, usually begins with "because..." --EVIDENCE: the proof of the reasoning. Remember.... A-R-E when you are analyzing or constructing an argument!

16. LET'S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE.... Schools should ban vending machines. We should ban them because of the high rates of childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nine million children and teenagers in the US are obese. What is the assertion? What is the reasoning? What is the evidence?

17. REMEMBER A-R-E Assertion Schools should ban vending machines. Reasoning We should ban them because of the high rates of childhood obesity. Evidence According to the Centers for Disease Control, nine million children and teenagers in the US are obese.

18. EXAMPLE #2 High schools should have later morning start times because teenagers need more sleep than younger children or adults. According to Dr. Emily Watson, a sleep expert, teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep but many do not go to bed before midnight. What is the assertion? What is the reasoning? What is the evidence?

19. REMEMBER A-R-E Assertion High schools should have later morning start times... Reasoning because teenagers need more sleep than younger children or adults Evidence According to Dr. Emily Watson, a sleep expert, teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep but many do not go to bed before midnight.