Persuasive Speaking – Day 5 Objectives: to understand the basic elements of persuasion To incorporate persuasive techniques in a 1-2 minute speech

Persuasive speaking There are 3 main purposes A. To attempt to change beliefs B. To attempt to change behavior C. To attempt to prove a fact to be true

Aristotle cited 3 persuasive forces. A. The reputation of the speaker (ethos) Experience Education Respect B. Emotional appeals (pathos) Stories Examples Descriptive techniques/vivid imagery C. Logical arguments (logos) 1. Facts 2. Statistics 3. Examples 4. Expert opinion

Support and Authority LOGOS 1. Fact – a statement which can be proven to be true. Barak Obama is the President of the United States.

Logos Continued 2. Example – individual instances that might suggest a truth According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, there are only six states that ban handheld cell phones for all drivers. These states are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington. This information was taken from an article entitled Cell Phone Driving Laws from December 2009.

Logos continued 3. Expert opinion- an authority in the field. Be sure to state his/her title and explain what makes them an authority. Professor Joe Franzini, a water expert from Stanford University says…

Logos continued 4. Statistics – any numerical measurement that provides insight into the topic. Be sure to cite the month, date, and year of the statistic and explain where the information came from. MSNBC.com reported on December 4, 2009 that President Obama’s approval rating dropped below 50 percent for the first time in his administration.

Let’s see who is more persuasive! Listen to these 2 sample speeches. Background: Your school board has decided to take away the school’s student lounge. As Student Council members, these students have prepared speeches to convince the school board to leave this space as a student lounge. Who would you send to represent the student body at the school board meeting?

Presenter #1 I really don’t think it is fair to get rid of the student lounge in our high school. We need it. It’s a nice place to rest and meet people. I eat my lunch there and find it much more aesthetic than the cafeteria. It even smells better. The students take good care of the lounge and haven’t damaged it. I ask you, the school board members, to keep the student lounge the way it is.

Presenter #2 The student lounge services an average of 75 student during every lunch period according to a poll taken by the Student Voice, our school newspaper. The survey also shows that the cafeteria would be overloaded if the lounge were closed. There would not be enough room to accommodate the additional students. Our assistant principal, Mr. Walker, spoke at a recent parents’ meeting about the lounge saying, “I really feel that these students benefit from the social atmosphere and lower noise levels in the lounge. It is a much more pleasant place than the cafeteria, and a place where students can relieve tensions and relax.” Finally, a survey of other high schools in the county indicate that every school in the county has a student lounge. Please re-consider; let us, the students, keep our lounge.

Who would you send? Who is more persuasive? Why? What types of information contributed to the authority of the speaker you selected? What forces contributed to the persuasiveness of the speaker you selected?

Now you try it As a group, choose a relevant, real, and timely topic Create a 1-2 minute speech Incorporate Aristotle’s persuasive forces Incorporate support and authority All members of the group must present You may use note cards You may do research Be prepared to present on Monday Other groups will rate your persuasiveness

Day 6 – persuasive speaking Objectives: to understand the basic elements of persuasion To incorporate persuasive techniques in a 1-2 minute speech

How do the experts do it? Listen to Elizabeth Glaser’s speech Ethos? Pathos? Logos? Now it’s your turn. Join your group. Finalize your persuasive techniques. Practice. Present.

Who did you choose? Who is more persuasive? Why? What types of information contributed to the authority of the speaker you selected? What forces contributed to the persuasiveness of the speaker you selected?