Introductions, Previews, Conclusions, Transitions, and Thesis Statements

Seriously? Who cares? Purpose: The effect of a speech depends heavily on how you greet the audience, how you leave the audience, and how 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 any speech in here from now on or pass the Final Exam if you do not pay attention today! I expect you to know this information VERY well. We will use this information EVERY DAY!

Basic Outline Speeches require OUTLINES, but don’t worry, we will go over how to create those LATER. For now, know that your speech must appear like this… Attention getter Relevance statement Credibility statement Thesis Preview Statement Body with transitions Review Statement Clincher

Introductions The introduction has three purposes… Gain Attention – Make sure the audience wants to listen to your speech 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

Seven Types of Attention Getters (1-4) Startling Statement – grab the audience with an unexpected statement, question, or thought. Ex. “Jesse is a normal three-year-old child except for one thing: she is the victim of child abuse.” Rhetorical Question – ask a thought-provoking question that you will then answer and discuss. Ex. “What do Albert Einstein, Cher, and Tom Cruise have in common? They have all overcome dyslexia.” Humor – Tell a joke or humorous statement that relates to your topic. Ex. “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. Ex. “I have a dream!”

Write Your Own Attention Getter! Write 2 of these 4 attention getters: Your topic can be about music, movies, or tv. Startling statement Rhetorical question Humor Quotation

Attention Getters (5-7) Story – Tell a short, interesting story that relates to your topic. Ex. “Many years ago, a stranger arrived in our town. He wore ragged clothes and carried a walking stick. It turns out this homeless man was my father!” Personal Experience – give a personal experience account that relates to your topic. Ex. “Who would want to spend hours in the blazing sun digging carefully in the dirt with a small spoon? I did.” Example – give an example related to your topic. Ex. “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.”

Write Your Own: Practice 5-7! Write 1 of 3 attention getters: Your topic is either “music,” “TV shows,” or “movies.” Story – Personal Experience – Example –

Relevance Statement A relevance statement is a statement which lets the audience know why they should listen to your topic. You need to relate your topic to your audience. Think about what the audience might have in common with your topic. Ex. Although we are not yet old enough to vote, paying attention to which candidates are running in the next presidential race should be important to all of us, as many of the issues they will be discussing will directly affect our future.

Credibility Statement A credibility statement lets the audience know why YOU are qualified to speak on your topic. It also shows your connection and interest with your topic. Ex. “I have witnessed several traffic accidents and have been directly involved in one, which was the fault of someone texting while driving. Since then, I have done extensive research on the subject of texting while driving.”

Thesis Statements (C+B+R) A sentence or two that describes the main idea of your speech and main argument that you are trying to make. Claim + Because + Reason = Good Thesis Statement (not quite the same as you would write for an essay or paper) * Remember, you always want to answer the “why.” Claim = “Sexist language in textbooks is harmful.” Insert the word “BECAUSE” Reason = “it reinforces negative stereotypes about many groups and individuals.”

Thesis practice Space Travel Today’s fashion Adoption Missing children Write 3 thesis statements choosing from 6 of these topics. Space Travel Today’s fashion Adoption Missing children Teenage life Sports in school

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

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! Write your own example. Share examples with people around you, then with the class.

Body The body of your speech should include your main points, with a lot of SUPPORT DETAIL EXAMPLES PROOF You should include transitions between ideas

Transitions Transitions connect thoughts, sentences, and main ideas. Transitions can be words, phrases, or even whole sentences. Practice with words/phrases activity (if time) Whole sentence transitions come between your main points. They are essentially a REVIEW and PREVIEW statement. “Now that I’ve told you ___________, I will move on to discuss _____________.”

Conclusions Have Three Purposes Summarize your main points (review statement). This is a transition into your conclusion. “Today, I have told you a, b, and c.” Repeat your main goal = restate your thesis. You can do this word for word, or slightly alter the wording. Provide a clear ending = memorable close. Don’t leave the listeners wondering whether the speech is over. Choose from the list of attention getters to create a final statement!

PRACTICE IT!!! “So today we looked at Dolphins. Okay, I’m done.” Why are these poor examples? “So today we looked at Dolphins. Okay, I’m done.” “As we learned today, Dolphin communication is awesome communication. And that’s my speech.”