College Study Techniques/Public Speaking
Mrs. Tassey
Persuasive Speech Project
You will select a topic to research in the library and prepare a five to seven minute presentation for the class in
which you will present a strong thesis statement about your topic and use the elements of rhetoric to try to
persuade your peers to agree with your opinion on your topic. You will produce a rough outline for your
speech, a script and note cards (containing only key words, such as main ideas, statistics, names, dates, etc.).
You need to memorize your speech, as the only aids you will be allowed to have during your presentation are
those visuals you have prepared for your audience and your note cards.
You will have four class periods for your research, and you must be sure to get all of the citation information for
your sources, as you will be required to submit a “Works Cited” page (in MLA format) for any source you use in
your presentation.
In addition, you are strongly encouraged to use visual aids, especially those of a technological nature, in your
presentation. Follow the guidelines for using these aids, found in the hand-out “Mastering Public Speaking.”
The topics following the advice below are just suggestions. You may certainly feel free to go off the list and
explore other options. When you think you have made a decision about your topic, please get approval from
me before proceeding.
1. Pick something you feel strongly about. If you don't feel strongly about your topic, how are you going to
persuade the audience to feel the same way? Students sometime say, "But I don't feel strongly about
anything!" Yes you do. Sit down with a piece of paper and brainstorm. If you like baseball, give a speech
for or against salary caps. If you like rap music, give a speech on why rap music is not as violent as many
people think.
2. Avoid your "hot button" topics. Don't pick something you feel too strongly about. Hot button topics are
issues you feel so strongly about that it is hard for you to understand where the other side is coming from.
In order to give a good persuasive speech, you need to understand the other side's point of view, because
how else will you change it?
3. Pick something controversial. It does not have to be extremely controversial, but you do need to present a
topic that not everyone agrees with. Otherwise there is no persuasion going on, and it's not a very good
persuasive speech. For example, do not give a speech on why smoking is bad for your health. Who is
going to disagree with that? Instead, try giving a speech for or against a campus-wide smoking ban. Now
you have some controversy and a super topic.
4. Avoid "tired topics." Tired topics are those that students pick all the time and that your teacher has heard
over and over again. Yawn. Be creative.
5. Pick a current event. Having trouble thinking of a topic? Go read a newspaper. What is going on in the
world? If there is an election, endorse a candidate or a ballot referendum.
6. Pick a campus or local issue. Are there controversial issues around school? Are there controversial issues
in your town? These topics will be very relevant to your audience members.
7. Pick an issue of interest to the audience. Give a speech about cell phones, or music downloads, or tuition
hikes, or something the audience cares about. If they don't care about your issue, they will not be
persuaded.
8. Pick a smaller part of a big issue. Don not attempt to change people's mind about a huge issue in your
short speech, because you probably cannot. Do you think you can change your classmates' minds about
abortion in a 6-8 minute speech? Of course not. However, you might change their minds about a portion of
this issue, like parental notification laws.
9. Be cautious with issues that some audience members might find offensive. Speech topics that some
students might consider to be racist, anti-gay, or something along those lines are not great topics. Think
about this: the object of this speech is to persuade your audience. If some of your audience members feel
offended on a personal level, they probably are not going to be open to your opinions.
Possible subjects for your speech:
Do schools have the right to search students’ lockers?
Should children be given sex education in schools, or should this be the responsibility of the parents?
Should the state fund schools run by particular faiths?
Should schools require their students to wear a school uniform?
Are beauty contests harmful?
Should physical education in schools be compulsory?
Should parents be held morally and legally responsible for the actions/needs of their children?
Should young people be subjected to curfews as a way to reduce crime?
Should doctors be allowed to prescribe contraception for girls under the age of 16?
Is physical force a justifiable method of punishing children?
Should governments be sending people into space?
Should governments negotiate with terrorists?
Can terrorism ever be justified?
Should negative advertising in political campaigns be banned?
Should governments censor material on the world wide web?
Should the government censor lyrics of songs that are violent or expletive, for example “gangsta” rap?
Does television have a negative influence on society?
Should flag burning as a form of protest be prohibited?
Should the state be fully privatized?
Should ‘factory farming’ be banned?
Is it morally acceptable to experiment on non-human animals to develop products and medicines that benefit
human beings?
Should we be trying to prevent endangered species from becoming extinct?
Should the present international ban on trading elephant ivory be lifted?
Should the international ban on the hunting of whales be lifted?
Should we ban the keeping of animals in zoos?
Should we ban the keeping of animals in circuses?
Should acts of hate be criminalized?
What acts should be considered hate crimes?
Is it correct for university authorities to ban hate speech?
Should schools be allowed to teach creationism alongside evolution as part of their science curriculum?
Should examinations be replaced with other forms of assessment?
Should school students face mandatory drug-tests?
Should continued office for public officials be dependent on (successfully) taking a drug test?
Should HIV positive workers have to tell their employers or coworkers of their status?
Should sex offenders be named and shamed?
Can the assassination of a dictator be justified?
Should assisted suicide be legalized?
Should we legalize the sale of human organs?
Should the numbers of women in the legislature be raised artificially?
Should mothers stay at home to raise their children?
Should the morning-after pill be banned?
Should popular consumerist images of women be banned because they are violent?
Should cell phone use in cars be banned?
Should gambling be legalized and regulated?
Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport be legalized?
Are competitive sports really good for us?