Introductions, Previews, Conclusions, Transitions, and Thesis Statements Mr. Sanders – September 27 th, 2011

Purpose: The effect of a speech depends heavily on how you greet the audience, how you leave the audience, and you your speech hangs together. Therefore you must put time and effort into introductions, conclusions, and transitions. Note: You can not get an A, B, or C on the 2 biggest grades in here or pass the Final Exam if you do not pay attention today! I expect you to know this information well.

Introductions Introduction has three purposes… – Gain Attention – Convince your audience that you are going to be good at this! – Present your topic and purpose – You should preview your main points by the end of your Intro – Connect with your audience – You must come across as interested in your topic and your listeners POV

8 Types of Introductions (1-4) Startling Statement – “Jesse is a normal three- year-old child except for one thing: she is the victim of child abuse.” Rhetorical Question – “What do Albert Einstein, Cher, and Tom Cruise have in common? They have all overcome dyslexia” Humor – “What ten letter word starts with G-A-S? It’s automobile and this year we may run short again. Quotation – Put a quotation at the beginning and end that relate to your theme.

Introductions (5-8) Story – “Many years ago, a stranger arrived in our town. He wore ragged clothes and carried a walking stick.” Personal Experience – “Who would want to spend hours in the blazing sun digging carefully in the dirt with a small spoon? I did.” Example – “Anne Graves, age four, died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Her killer was shocked and heartbroken. He was her six-year-old brother, who had found a loaded gun.” Reference to occasion – “I am very pleased to present this award to…”

Re-write this Introduction “I’m going to talk to you today about something I find interesting. I’ve been interested in this for a long time. Most of you should find it interesting, too. You may have seen dolphins at the zoo. My topic today will be on communication with dolphins.” – THIS IS NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE. FIX THIS.

Conclusions 3 purposes Summarize your main points Repeat your main goal Provide a clear ending – Don’t leave the listeners wondering whether the speech is over. Give a final decisive statement.

5 types of Conclusions Summary – “So today we examined 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd …” Quotation – Appeal – Asking the audience to do something – “Please remember that seat belts save lives and prevent serious injury. Buckle up!” Challenge – Motivating your audience Story – Connecting your AGD story to your end

Thesis A sentence or two that describes the main idea of your speech and main argument that you are trying to make. Claim + Reason = Good Thesis Statement “Sexist language in textbooks is harmful.” – Claim Insert “BECAUSE” “it reinforces negative stereotypes about many groups and individuals.” - Reason

Thesis practice Space Travel Today’s fashion Adoption Missing children Teenage life Sports in school Write a thesis statement choosing on of these topics

Preview Statement Comes directly after your thesis statement “So today we will examine 1 st …., 2 nd ….. And finally…. I expect you to know and apply this on every speech from here on out.

Transitions Meanwhile, First, Second, Also, Next, As a result, In addition to,

Transitions Moving to, For example, On the contrary, To sum up, Another point, On the other hand,

Transitions In contrast, In conclusion, In the second place, Furthermore, Finally, Therefore,