YOUR PERSUASIVE SPEECH SPCH 1101
This handout contains the necessary information for you to create and present an effective persuasive speech. The following contains key steps in selecting a topic; the guidelines to properly structuring of your speech; an example of an outline; an
example of a speech; and possible speech topics in which you can select.

 

REMEMBER,YOU ARE FREE TO SELECT FROM A TOPIC NOT LISTED AT THE END OF THIS HANDOUT.

Persuasive Speech Steps
Ø Step 1: select a controversial topic that is debatable or which requires moving the
audience to action.
Ø Step 2: narrow the topic.
Ø Step 3: decide which two points you would like to prove. BE SPECIFIC

Ø Persuasive speeches are based upon arguments. Remember, an argument is a statement you intend to prove.
Ø At this point, you should have selected a topic. Next, record three points you intend to prove.
The persuasive speech is one of the most challenging speeches. The speech is based upon arguments. In persuasion, you are either for or against. To make this speech easy, you need
three specific reasons, which are arguments. Never discuss more than one reason. Each argument is a reason.

 

 

 

SAMPLE FINAL OUTLINE

Your Name: _______________
Professor Jackson
Speech 1101
Day/Month/Year
Persuasive Speech – Final Outline
“Why The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished”

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Attention material/Credibility Material: (Example) You have spent 25 years in jail. Fifteen years on death row. You could not afford a good attorney. The jury saw a young, black male and without impartially weighing all the evidence, of you of the murder of someone you did even know. Now tomorrow, the state is going to kill you.

B. Tie to the audience: (Example) How many of you know someone (or even you yourself) have been accused of an action that you did not do? What if the false accusation was murder? What if the result of that false accusation was you being sentenced to death.

C. Thesis and Preview: (Example) The death penalty should be abolished because it is not a deterrent to murder and innocent people may be executed.

[Transition into body of speech – your 1st point]: I’ll begin by telling you why the death penalty is not a deterrent to murder

II. BODY

A. MAIN POINT #1 (THE DEATH PENALTY IS NOT A DETERENT TO MURDER) – You only need to state key phrases below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[Transition into your 2nd point]: Now I want to stress that the death penalty is causing some innocent people to be executed.
B. MAIN POINT #2(INNOCENT PEOPPLE MAY BE EXECUTED) – You only need to state key phrases below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[Transition into conclusion of speech]
III. CONCLUSION: (note that this conclusion has three parts. You are only required to have two.)
A. Brake light/Transition: (Example) As you can easily see, there are too many indefinites to support something so definite as the death penalty.
B. Summary: (Example) I’ve told you why I feel the death penalty should be abolished – because it is not a deterrent to murder and innocent people may be executed.
C. Concluding Remarks: (Example) Many people are on death row and subsequently executed not because of guilt and innocence, but because of race and money. I agree that
some convicts are guilty, and they deserve to be punish. However, if there is ONE person convicted of a murder and subsequently put to death, while the courts overlooked a single
detail – the person is innocent — then that is ONE executed person too many

 

 

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POSSIBLE PERSUASIVE TOPICS

 

Remember these are broad topics so make sure you narrow your area and choose your side so thatyou can properly defend your position. YOU MUST BE FOR OR AGAINST ONE OF THESE TOPICS.

These topics are only suggestions. You are strongly encourage to pick your topic.

1. same sex marriage
2. adoption
3. heaven and hell
4. abortion
5. TV violence
6. gun control
7. Being respectful
8. internet
9. profiling
10. Black Lives Matter
11. immigrant laws
12. Exercise
13. Sagging
14. cloning
15. breast feeding
16. bilingual education
17. voting
18. red light cameras
19. salary caps for athletes
20. vegetarian lifestyle
21. organ donation
22. morning after pill
23. school dress codes
24. school standards
25. second hand smoke
26. pit bulls
27. The best rapper ever!
28. spay or neuter pets
29. divorce
30. doctor assisted suicide
31. sex education
32. Miss American pageant
33. women’s rights
34. SUV’s
35. iPhone vs. Android
36. Capital punishment
37. drunk driving laws
38. legalizing marijuana
39. affirmative action
40. Donald Trump
41. Fathers in children lives
42. women in combat
43. gays in the military
44. drug testing on the job
45. dating multiple people
46. boycott certain products
47. donate blood
48. welfare reform
49. children with cell phones
50. sodas in schools
51. organic foods
52. change drinking age
53. change voting age
54. spanking children
55. socialized medicine
56. no more fraternities
57. premarital sex
58. living together
59. public transportation
60. women ministers
61. women in politics
62. more or less military
63. censorship of prime time shows
64. Alcoholics Anonymous
65. sexism in advertising
66. online classes
67. Paying college athletes
68. Seeing a live play
69. go to the museum
70. read a classic book
71. take a specific class on campus
72. price of textbooks
73. parking on campus
74. Being a true gentleman
75. censorship of songs on the radio
76. Advantages of tech.college
77. arranged marriages
78. Best author ever
79. home ownership
80. breakfast
81. best movie ever!
82. best sit com ever!
83. best sports team ever!
84. disneyland or disneyworld
85. the best dessert!
86. reality tv
87. animal testing
88. prison system
89. The best recipe!
90. over population
91. deforestation
92. partial birth abortions
93. STD’s
94. Mac or PC’s
95. Being a true lady
96. Space exploration
97. FCC regulations
98. The Black Panther
99. Snapchat
100. Athletic scholarships
101. College tuition
102. Genocide
103. Adopt an animal
104. Purchase land on the moon
105. Go Green (environment)
106. President Obama Legacy
107. The coolest car ever

108. Join the Peace Corp
109. Hate Crimes
110. Mandatory drug testing
111. SAT (or standardized testing)
112. street racing
113. plastic surgery
114. Instagram
115. hunting
116. Heavy metal
117. R & B Music
118. English as our official language
119. paparazzi
120. learn a foreign language
121. take in a foreign exchange student
122. minimum wage
123. fireplaces
124. bar-b-ques
125. dogs in cars
126. Eat dinner as a family
127. calories on menus
128. Starbucks
129. Wal Mart
130. women in media or men in media
131. cultures in media
132. Best song ever!
133. Best singer/or group ever
134. Why your favorite sports team is the best!
135. alternative fuel
136. off shore drilling
137. homeschooling
138. extreme fighting
139. homelessness
140. abstinence
141. kids playing football
142. bed and breakfast
143. burial vs. cremation
144. Atlanta’s best restaurant
145. stock market
146. Political parties
147. solar panels
148. speed limits

Arts/Culture

149. Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
150. Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
151. Should all national museums be free to citizens?
152. Should graffiti be considered art?
153. Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
154. Are paper books better than e-books?

Economic

155. Should all interns be paid for their work?
156. Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
157. Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
158. Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
159. Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
160. Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
Education
o Should students who bully others be expelled?
o Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
o Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
o Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
o Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
o Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
o Should grades in gym class affect students’ GPAs?
o Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
o Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
o Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
o Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
o Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
o Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
o Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
o Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
o What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?

Ethics
o Should prostitution be legalized?
o Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver’s license?
o Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
o Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent’s consent?
o Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
o Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
o Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
o Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
o Should assault weapons be illegal?
o Should the death penalty be abolished?
o Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
o Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
o Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
o Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
o Should affirmative action be allowed?
o Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
o Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

Government/Politics
o Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
o Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
o Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
o Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
o Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
o Should voting be made compulsory?
o Who was the best American president?
o Should the military budget be reduced?
o Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
o Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
o Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?

Health
o Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent’s consent?
o Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you’re sleeping with be illegal?
o Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
o Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
o Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
o Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
o Should assisted suicide be legal?

Religion
o Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
o Should priests be allowed to get married?
o Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
o Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
o Should women be allowed to be priests?
o Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
o Should public prayer be allowed in schools?
Science/Environment
o Should human cloning be allowed?
o Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
o Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
o Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
o Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
o Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
o What is the best type of renewable energy?
o Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
o Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
o Should puppy mills be banned?
o
o Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
o Should the US government increase NASA’s budget?
o Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
Sports
o Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
o Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
o Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
o Should college sports teams receive less funding?
o Should boxing be illegal?
o Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
o Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
o Should parents let their children play tackle football?

 

POSSIBLE TOPICS OR PICK YOUR OWN.
1. The biography of your favorite actor
2. How to make pizza
3. The history of comic books
4. How to change your car’s oil
5. The story of how your school was founded
6. How to pick a bottle of wine
7. The history of your hometown
8. How to swing a golf club
9. Trends in the stock market
10. How to adopt a dog
11. How to construct an outfit on a budget
12. How to shoot a basketball
13. Description of life in another country
14. How to make brownies
15. The three branches of U.S. government
16. How to read a map
17. How to recognize toxic friends
18. The Seven Wonders of the World
19. Disneyland
20. How to knit a scarf
21. Professional baseball stadiums
22. President Obama
23. Roadside attractions
24. Chinese food
25. The history of foster care
26. Real life vampires
27. Types of cheese
28. How to play chess
29. Key phrases in a foreign language
30. Types of poetry
28. Evolution of video games
29. Raising pet snakes
30. Black Lives Matter Movement
31. Foreign TV shows
32. How to make a website
33. Is tolerance the same as love?
34. Historical events that occurred on your speech day
35. Famous diplomats
36. All about your favorite vacation spot
37. Famous speeches
38. How to get good grades
39. How to write a resume
40. How to survive a job interview
41. Types of tropical fish
42. Dog shows
43. How to pick a name for your children
44. All about a favorite radio show
45. How a computer works
46. How to organize a closet
47. U.S. territories
48. How to be a good leader
49. Comparison of different religions
50. The History of Atlanta Technical College
51. The latest discoveries in astronomy

52. Climate Change
53. How to find cheap airline tickets
54. Competitive horseback riding
55. How to make fishing lures
56. How to drive a stick shift
57. How to plan a wedding
58. How to tie various knots
59. Cruise vacations
60. Crazy laws
61. How to improve your health
62. Electric cars
63. Life in the future
64. How to throw a good party
65. Working in the fast food industry
66. Artificial Intelligence
67. Origins of superstitions
68. Lesser known Presidents
69. Computer viruses
70. Internet dating
71. Cults
72. Dyslexia
73. Impact of media on society
74. Branches of the military
75. Famous advertising campaigns
76. Nursing homes
77. How to write a will
78. The United Nations
79. How to find your ancestors
80. How to pick a major
81. A particular period of architecture
82. How to construct an argument
83. Saving money on your income taxes
84. What to look for in a new car
85. The history of the Bible
86. Book reviews for a particular author
87. How to avoid boredom
88. Sales tactics
89. Comparison of economic systems
90. Censorship in history
91. Psychological profiling
92. Picking a name for your children
93. America’s fastest growing cities
94. How to improve your manners
95. How to improve your conversation skills
96. World War II heroes
97. The Miss America Pageant
98. Interesting cultures
99. How to raise rabbits
100. Exotic pets
101. Minority authors
102. Honor killings
103. ID theft
104. Evolution of voting laws
105. Natural disasters

 

SAMPLE OUTLINE

SAMPLE FINAL OUTLINE
Your Name: _______________
Professor Jackson
Speech 1101
Day/Month/Year
Informative Speech – Final Outline
Parole and Probation
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Gain Attention
B. Relate topic to the audience
C. Thesis Statement (A preview of the points you will in your speech)
II. BODY
A. Parole
1. Supervised release/completion of sentence
2. Considered serving/may returned/if violate
3. Court/how much/serve
4. Inmate paroled/authority as parole board
5. First agree/abide conditions or parole set
6. Paroling authority
B. Probation
1. The suspension of all or part of jail sentence
2. Criminal on probation/convicted of crime/instead jail/probation
3. Probation/criminal found by court/amenable to probation/return community
4. Supervision by probation officer/electronic tags/officer-adapt offender
5. 1st time & minor offender 2nd chance
6. Probationer a warning/or order court
III. CONCLUSION
A. Restate/Summarize Thesis
B. Concluding Remark
 

****SAMPLE ESSAY**** 

SAMPLE FINAL INFORMATIVE ESSAY
Your Name: _______________
Professor Jackson
Speech 1101
Day/Month/Year
Informative Speech – Final Essay
Parole and Probation
Please raise your hand if you know the difference between parole and probation. Because many of us are unclear
of the fundamental differences of the concepts of parole and probation, I stand here to inform to you on the fundamental
differences between these two legal terms. It is important to know the difference between parole and probation in case
you face a predicament in the law in court. Parole and probation is handled differently in some states and countries .
Parole is the supervised release of a prisoner before the completion of his/her sentence and probation is the
suspension of all or part of a jail sentence. The two are separated by the crime that is committed by the offender.
During the process of parole, one has a supervised release before the completion of their sentence. One is still
considered to be serving time during their release and may be returned to prison if they violate the condition of their
parole, according to Justice.com. Courts may specify in a sentence how much time must be served before a prisoner is
eligible for parole. In most states, the decision of whether an inmate is paroled is vested in a paroling authority such as a
parole board. Before being granted privilege of parole, the inmate must first agree to abide by the conditions or parole
set by the paroling authority.
Probation is the suspension of all or part of a jail sentence. According to LegalMatters.gov, the criminal who is on probation has
been convicted of a crime, but instead of serving jail time, he/she goes on probation. Probation is the process where the criminal has
been found by the court to be amenable to probation and will return to the community for a period in which he/she will have to
abide to certain conditions set forth by the court under the supervision of a probation officer. In some cases offenders must wear
electronic tags to show whereabouts. The probation officer helps the offender adapts to the community.
I have now informed you the basic differences of the two concepts – being parole is the supervised release of a prisoner before
the completion of his/her sentence and probation is the suspension of all or part of a jail sentence. Though may are confused about
probation and parole, you now have a better understanding they are two separate processes. Thank you.
Roberts, Michael. “Differences Between Parole and Probation Officers.” The Balance Careers, 26 March 2018.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/differences-between-parole-and-probation-officers-1669730
 

*Notes On the publisher: Only include the name of the publisher when it differs from the name of
the website.
Structure of a website citation in MLA:
Place the author’s name in reverse order, last name first, add a comma, and then the first name
followed by a period. The title of the web page or article is placed in quotation marks, with a period
before the end quotation. The title of the website is written in italics followed by a comma. If the
name of the publisher differs from the name of the website, include it after the title. Immediately
following the publisher is the date that the page or article was published, or posted. Finally, end
with the URL. The URL is the website’s address.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the Article or Individual Page.” Title of the website,
Name of the publisher, Date of publication, URL.
Examples of website citations in MLA:
White, Lori. “The Newest Fad in People Helping People: Little Free Pantries.” Upworthy, Cloud Tiger
Media, 3 Aug. 2016,
www.upworthy.com/the-newest-fad-in-people-helping-people-little-free-pantries?
g=2&c=hpstream.

 

How to cite a website with no author in MLA:
Sometimes, websites do not clearly state who wrote the information on the page. When no author is
listed, omit the author information from the citation. Start the citation with the title.
Example of a citation for a website without an author in MLA 8:
“Giant Panda.” Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institute,
nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giantpandas/pandafacts.
How to cite a website when there is no page title:
When citing a web page that does not include a formal title, it is acceptable to include a description
of the page. Do not place the description in italics or in quotation marks. Follow the description
with the name of the website.
Example of a website citation in MLA 8 when there is no page title in MLA 8:
General Information on the New York Mets. NYCData, The Weissman Center for International
Business Baruch College/CUNY, www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/sports/nymets.htm.
How to Cite E-Books in MLA Format
An e-book is considered to be a different version of a book, so the e-book identity is entered into the
version section of the regular book reference template. Specific providers of e-book can be
referenced for instance kindle which is referenced as ‘kindle ed.’.
The basic format of an e-book citation is:

Last name, first name. Title. Title of container, Contributors, edition, e-book, Number, Publisher,
Year of publication.
E-Book Example:
Troy, Ben N., et al. A Guide to Citation. 2nd ed, e-book, New York Publishers, 2010.

 

 

 

 

1-Health care organizations continually face challenges from various regulatory and government agencies while also being bound by Managed Care Organization (MCO) standards. View the video located in the study materials entitled “College of Nursing and Health Care Professions: Do We Know What Our Future Is?” for insight into the challenges of health care reform. Based on the video, describe two key reform factors that you believe will need to be addressed by future health care workers or leaders and explain why. (Note: You can download slides from this video for ease of review in developing your forum response). Additionally, what role does adherence to MCO standards play in your future health care vision?http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/nur508_healthcare-reform-video-series-v1.1.php2-The Affordable Care Act (ACA) identifies requirements related to provider compliance with fraud, waste, and abuse laws that have been enacted to protect consumers. Research three of these requirements and describe the corresponding measures that your health care organization has initiated, or could initiate, to comply with the ACA. Support your analysis with a minimum of two peer-reviewed articles.