Need Help with Writing a Persuasive Speech for Class, Any Good Examples?

Hey guys! I've been assigned a persuasive speech for my English class. I'm supposed to pick a topic and convince the class to agree with my viewpoint. I've never done anything like this before, so I'm feeling a little lost. Does anyone have examples of persuasive speeches for students that I can look at to get a sense of direction? Any tips for devising compelling arguments would be totally appreciated. Best, A fellow HS Junior.

Hi there,

This sounds like a great opportunity for you to refine your persuasive skills! One way to approach this task is to use the Monroe's Motivated Sequence, a common and effective method for structuring your speech to maximize persuasion. It comprises five stages: Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, and Action, each of which plays a crucial role in persuading the audience.

1. Attention: Draw the audience in with a compelling opening that hooks their interest. You could start with a shocking statistic, a powerful quote, or an emotive personal story.

2. Need: Establish the problem that your speech is addressing. Make it clear why this issue is important and why your audience should care about it. Use facts, narratives, and examples to illustrate your points.

3. Satisfaction: Propose your solution to the problem. Clearly outline your argument and explain how it addresses the issue at hand.

4. Visualization: Paint a picture of what the world would look like if your solutions were implemented. This can be an effective way to inspire your audience and cultivate buy-in for your ideas.

5. Action: Encourage the audience to take action. This could involve changing their mind about something, adopting a new behavior, or advocating for certain beliefs or policies.

For example, let's say you're doing a persuasive speech on the need for stronger recycling programs in schools. An outline for such a speech might look like this:

Attention: "Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our oceans."

Need: "Our school generates tons of plastic and paper waste, much of it ending up in landfills and harming the environment."

Satisfaction: "By implementing comprehensive recycling programs, we can significantly reduce the amount of waste our school generates."

Visualization: "Imagine walking into our school knowing that every piece of paper and plastic you throw away will be recycled, contributing to a cleaner and healthier planet."

Action: "Let's start a petition to the school board demanding stronger and more effective recycling programs."

While this is a brief example, I hope it gives you a sense of how to structure your speech and formulate a potent argument. Good luck with your assignment!