Persuasive Debate Guidelines
General task:
You will give a persuasive presentation on one of the listed topics below which consist of commonly debated social or
political issues. You must utilize the elements of persuasion previously discussed (logical, ethical, and emotional
appeals) in order to win your argument, as well as appropriate organization and delivery.
To begin:
Divide yourselves into pairs (1 vs 1), or groups of 4 (2 vs 2). Choose a topic that half of you will support, and the other
half will oppose. The support side and the oppose side will have entirely separate outlines, full outlines, and
presentations.
Presentation length:
Individual 4-6 min, Pair 6-8 min.
Printed Materials to be collected in person:
1. Basic Outline reflecting appropriate organizational pattern (see below)
2. Full Outline: Full sentences as you will say them in the presentation, but showing the outline structure
3. Powerpoint
Digital files to be collected:
1. Basic Ouıtline AND Full Outline as a Microsoft Word document titled as “Firstname_Lastname”
e.g. Bertan_Kaynatma.doc
2. Powerpoint file titled as “Firstname_Lastname”
e.g. Bertan_Kaynatma.ppt
Schedule:
11/4 Topic Selection
18/4 Basic Outline with appropriate Organizational Pattern
25/4 Basic Outline + Research and logical arguments
2/5 Full Outline with Intro and Conclusion
9/5 Final Draft for review and Practice in class
16/5 Final Draft Review and Practice in class
01/6: Final Presentations
Persuasive Debate Topics
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Climate change: political or scientific
Torture as an interrogation tool
Gay marriage -- Mert
Drug legalization
Genetically Modified Organisms
Assisted suicide
Intelligence depends on environmental or genetic factors
Death penalty -- Merve, Gözde, İmren, Melek
Mono- vs Multi-tasking
5 day or 4 day work week – Farid , Zeki
Border fences or walls to stop immigration
Combining men and women’s sports
Do innovations make us lazier? -- Elif, Ebru
Should cash be abandoned?
Should couples live together before marriage? -Is social media more harmful than beneficial? -- Burhan, Furkan
Should adolescents be sentenced to life in prison?
Is it better to be honest and poor or dishonest and rich?
Is age an important factor in relationships? --Nesil, Sultan (Özlem Sevim)
Do you trust your government? –Fethi, Emre
Should parents limit their children’s use of technology – Eda, Neslihan, Berna
Is the United Nations still relevant?
Should all nations have a right to nuclear weapons? – Şaziye, Ceylan (Nazlı Dilan Merve B)
Should prostitution be legal? Doğay Ömer Berk
Does religion do more harm than good?
Should sex education be mandatory in schools?
Should women have the right to choose (abortion)?
Should the drinking age be lowered?
Should military service be mandatory? -- Mertol, Ege
Is standardized testing a valid measure of ability?
Organizational Patterns
speech to convince seeks intellectual agreement from listeners
speech to actuate asks listeners for both intellectual agreement and action of some type
speech to intensify social cohesion works with audience members who are already in intellectual agreement and have
taken some action but are in need of additional enthusiasm, encouragement, and motivation
1. Claim or Reasons Pattern
I. Claim/Reason 1
II. Claim/Reason 2
III. Claim/Reason 3
The main points are the claims (or reasons) for believing a particular fact, holding a particular value, or advocating a
particular plan.
In a motivational speech to college graduates, Rob Pocock (2010), associate vice president of Communications for Priority
Health, used the claim pattern in his speech “The Power of Compound Interest.”
I. Be a good steward of the material things you gain in life. [Claim #1]
A. Invest immediately.
B. Invest wisely.
C. Invest for the long term.
II. Be an exceptional steward of the things in life that really matter by promising yourself that you will: [Claim #2]
A. Identify ways to earn compound interest intellectually.
B. Live a lifestyle that seeks compound interest physically.
C. Earn compound interest socially.
D. Earn compound interest spiritually
2. Problem-Solution or Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern
I. Problem
I. Problem
I. Problem
II. Solution
or
II. Solution
or
II. Cause
III. Benefits
III. Action
III. Solution
Ivette Ale (2006, October 17), a student at Cypress College, presented a sample problem–solution persuasive speech for
the 2006 Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association Seminar. In her speech, titled “Plan B: The Morning-After
Pill,” Ivette discussed how some states are denying this pill to rape victims and what to do to solve this problem:
I. Problem with Plan B [Problem]
A. Belief that Plan B is an abortion pill.
B. Lack of information to the public.
C. Politics of abortion.
D. Misinformation about Plan B.
II. Solutions to Plan B [Solution/Action]
A. Federal action.
B. Personal action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW3PKCcIlio
3. Criteria Satisfaction Pattern
I. Any plan must meet the following necessary criteria
II. Solution X does (or does not) meet the criteria
Tool that works well even when audience members oppose your position. First, establish criteria (guidelines or rules)
that should be followed when evaluating proposals. Second, show how your proposal meets or exceeds the criteria.
“If It’s Broke, Fix It: The Significance of Health Care Reform in America” – Farah Walters
I. Any health care plan should be measured against six fundamental principles: [Necessary criteria]
A. Provide security for all Americans.
B. Provide choice of physician.
C. Provide continuity of care.
D. Be affordable to the individual, to business, and to the country.
E. Be comprehensive in terms of coverage.
F. Be user-friendly for both consumers and providers.
II. The health care plan designed by the National Health Care Reform Task Force meets all six of these fundamental
principles. [Plan meets criteria]
4. Comparative Advantages Pattern
I. Plan X is ineffective
II. Plan Y is superior
or
I. Plan X is average
II. Plan Y is far better
Normally used when your audience agrees with you on the problem but may not agree on the solution. In your
introduction, you need only a brief mention of the problem because the audience is already familiar with it. In the body
of the speech, compare possible solutions. Usually you will want to show how one course of action or solution is
superior to the others.
Lee Scott (2007, April 24), then the CEO and president of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., presented the closing keynote address
titled “Health Care in America” to the 2007 World Health Care Congress. In this speech, Scott used the comparative
advantages pattern to show how Wal-Mart’s plan is more efficient than other plans:
I. The disconnection of the current state of health care is unacceptable. [Current plan ineffective]
A. Disconnect with consumer.
B. Disconnect with patient.
C. Disconnect with transaction.
II. Wal-Mart’s health care plan provides connection. [Wal-Mart plan superior]
A. Provides connection by having $4 co-payment.
B. Provides plans that have $23-a-month premiums.
C. Incorporates the most up-to-date technology.
D. Increases quality of health care for WalMart employees.
5. Motivated Sequence
I. Attention
IV. Visualization
II. Need
V. Action
III. Satisfaction
Using the motivated sequence to organize a speech urging the use of mediation instead of lawyers in divorce cases could
result in the following outline:
I. Over half of all marriages end in divorce [Attention]
II. Divorce settlements are problematic [Need]
A. They are expensive and lengthy.
B. They promote destructive competition and create emotional stress.
C. They clog the courts.
III. Divorce by mediation solves these problems. [Satisfaction]
IV. Imagine saving time, money, and headaches. [Visualization]
V. If future divorce occurs, use mediation. [Action]
Sample Persuasive Speech
CELL PHONES: DON’T CHAT AND DRIVE by Cedrick McBeth
Introduction
On June 17, 2006, Alexander Manocchio reached for a ringing cell phone and killed Karyn Cordell
and her unborn son. You see, Manocchio was driving a car at the time. Now two people are dead and
Alexander’s life is in a shambles, all because he answered a phone. Alexander faces two counts of vehicular
homicide. How many of us in this classroom are also guilty of putting lives at risk by talking on cell phones
while driving a car? I’ll bet almost all of us have done it and many of us do it every day. But do we ever
consider the dangers of talking on our cell phones while driving a car? As I read the statistics and studied this
situation, I became convinced that cell phone use while driving has become an unacceptable risk. Today I
hope to convince you that using a cell phone while driving an automobile should be illegal.
Step 1: Problem
Let’s begin by establishing that using a cell phone while you’re driving has become a serious and
growing problem. Overall, cell phone usage has increased tremendously in the last 12 to 14 years. According
to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, as of August 2004, 168 million people used cell
phones, compared to only 4.3 million in 1990. That’s a 390 percent increase.
Not surprisingly, according to Vermont Legislative Research Shop, this jump in cell phone use has
been accompanied by a jump in traffic accidents linked to cell phone use. According to a 2004 article in USA
Today by Susan Dunn, in Texas alone during 2001, cell phone usage was considered a contributing factor in
1,032 accidents and resulted in eight fatalities.
Regardless of the age or the driving experience of the driver, the risk of being in a collision when
using a cell phone is four times higher than when not talking on the phone.
Not only does cell phone usage increase the likelihood of an accident, but it also increases the
likelihood of fatalities. An independent study done in 2002 by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that
driving while using a cell phone increases the risk to 6.4 fatalities per million drivers annually. The study also
found that the chance that a driver using a cell phone would kill a pedestrian or other motorists was 1.5 per
one million people. Extrapolating from these fi gures, with 210 million licensed drivers in the U.S., this
amounts to roughly 1,660 fatalities per year stemming from cell phone–related accidents.
So, I’m sure you’ll agree that we have a problem. But how does using a cell phone while driving
create accidents? Whether we realize it or not—and no matter how experienced we are as drivers—we are
distracted from paying attention to the road when we use a cell phone while driving. Think about it: When
you access your phone or dial a number, you lose eye contact with the road. Even if you use a handsfree
phone, your mental attention is split between your conversation and ever-changing road conditions. Being
absorbed in a conversation affects your ability to concentrate on driving, and this can jeopardize your safety
and that of pedestrians and people in other cars.
Step 2: Solution
Now, let’s consider a solution. In order to eliminate this problem, I recommend that we petition
our congressional and state representatives to enact policies that prohibit the use of cell phones while
driving a car. Drivers would be required to pull over to a safe place before making a call, and the policy would
apply to drivers of all ages. The public would be informed of the policy via mainstream news sources. If this
sort of policy were enacted, fewer people would use cell phones while they were driving, they would be less
distracted, and the result would be a decrease in the overall number of accidents and fatalities per year.
In conclusion, I’ve shown you today how the increased use of cell phones over the past several
years has led to increasing use of cell phones while driving, which in turn has led to an increase in car
accidents and fatalities. I’ve also explained how cell phones distract drivers both physically (such as when
they look for their phones and dial them) and mentally (such as when their conversation distracts them from
their driving). And, fi nally, I’ve recommended that we ask the government to enact a policy that would
greatly reduce the use of cell phones while driving and thus reduce driver distractions and the accidents they
cause.
I began this speech by telling you of Alexander Manocchio, a cell phone user who killed a
pregnant woman. I’d like to end by quoting a woman who lost her 2-year-old daughter because a man felt he
could safely drive a car while talking on his cell phone:
My name is Patricia Peña. On November 2, 1999, my 2-year-old daughter Morgan and I were on
our way home when our car was broadsided by another vehicle. Police reports proved that the crash was
caused by a driver who was paying more attention to his
cell phone than to the road and, as a
result, ran a stop sign at 40 miles per hour. Morgan was rushed to the hospital, where she clung to life
for the next 16 hours. But she never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at 4:58 a.m. on
November 3.
This is just one of many such accidents that have increased with the use of cell phones by drivers. I
just pray this never happens to you or someone you love.
Analysis:
Cedrick begins his speech with a factual instance
of a situation that has serious consequences:
Reaching to answer a ringing cell phone
(something most drivers have done) results in two
deaths. He reinforces the seriousness of his topic
by reminding the audience that talking on a cell
phone while driving is something that most
people do every day.
Cedrick appeals to safety needs in his attempt to
motivate his classmates to get involved. He
clearly states his position.
In the body of his speech, Cedrick makes sure his
audience realizes exactly how serious the
problem is by using statistics.
His use of sources should also help establish his
trustworthiness and competency as a speaker.
Although Cedrick concentrates on statistics in his
speech, he also uses a variety of other supporting
materials.
Audience analysis indicated that Cedrick’s
classmates already agreed with the general
problem, so he presented only one side of his
topic.
Just in case his listeners feel like they are goodenough drivers to avoid an accident while using a
cell phone, he tries to make his statistics as
personal as possible.
Cedrick appeals to logic when he explains that
“when you access your phone or dial a number,
you lose eye contact with the road.” For audience
members who are thinking that they are different
because they have a hands-free phone, Cedrick
assures them that that they are still at risk—their
attention is still split between the road and the
phone conversation.
Once the problem is clear and fully supported,
Cedrick moves to his solution, which is general
and encourages his listeners to take certain steps,
without urging them to sign a petition or make a
call.
In his conclusion, Cedrick gives a detailed
summary of the areas he included in his speech:
1) increase in cell phone use while driving has
caused an increase in accidents and fatalities; 2)
cell phones are both a physical and mental
distraction; and 3) cell phone use while driving
should be illegal.
After the summary, Cedrick ties his conclusion
back to the introduction by referring to the
opening instance of Alexander Manocchio, whose
cell phone use led to the death of a pregnant
woman and her unborn child. He ends with an
appeal to safety needs and uses an emotional
appeal by quoting a mother who lost her young
daughter in an accident caused when a car ran a
stop sign because the driver was talking on his cell
phone.
Full Outline
Invest in Temperature Modulation Technology
Recommendation Up Front (RUF)
Audience: Board of Directors for Jackson Memorial Hospital
I.
II.
Introduction:
a. In the U.S. alone, approximately 250,000 times a year, someone’s heart stops beating.
i. Without CPR, that person’s window for survival begins to close within 5 minutes.
ii. Since emergency response can exceed 10 minutes in many parts of the country, that person has a
95% chance of dying.
b. New research indicates that simply lowering body temperature to treat cardiac arrest could save as many as
100,000 lives per year.
i. This method of induced hypothermia has little risk, requires minimal cost, and has promising
benefits.
c. My proposal is that you, as the Board of Directors for Jackson Memorial Hospital, invest in temperature
modulation technology to save lives while providing patients with the latest in healthcare innovation.
Body:
a. Problem: previous solutions for cardiac arrest aren’t as effective:
i. CPR doesn’t pump enough oxygen into the brain to revive patient (cite testimony)
1. Oxygen deprivation causes brain to begin to die, followed by heart muscle
a. Data supporting
ii. With AED patient may regain pulse
1. Body naturally destroys damaged cells – causes brain damage & memory loss (explanation
from expert about problem)
Transition: Fortunately, there is now hope for people in this situation
b. Solution: Temperature Modulation Technology
i. Improves patient outcomes following cardiac arrest
1. Data supporting that it reduces risk of brain damage
2. Testimony that patient has greater chance of surviving
3. Testimony from expert that patient is more likely to be able to return to normal after cardiac
arrest
ii. Induced hypothermia is the only intervention post-resuscitation that has shown promise
1. Doctors have seen patient survival rates soar according to Critical Care Medicine Journal) –
show chart comparing numbers
2. American Heart Association fully endorses this method
a. Included in most recent lifesaving guidelines for cardiac arrest
3. Recommended internationally
a. Noted experts that attest to its success
Transition: Implementing temperature modulation technology patients, while also promoting Jackson Memorial
(practicality of solution to our setting)
c. Benefits to Jackson Memorial Hospital
i. Will save many lives and therefore further our reputation
1. As the largest hospital in Miami-Dade County, see about 10,000 cardiac arrest patients
annually
a. Hospital ratings will climb (as evidence by these charts showing change in ranking
after implementation at other hospitals)
b. Will receive more patients who need treatment (according to experts at other
hospitals that saw this change)
c. Lead to increased funding for other departments within hospital
d. Jackson Memorial will remain leader in cardiovascular treatment
d. Objections
III.
Conclusion
a. As a hospital, our business is to save lives.
b. By investing in the latest cooling technology, we will be one step closer to achieving this vision.
c. Together, we can make a difference for the people in our community.
Bibliography: (speech by E.Hills)
Final Grading Rubric
Name:
Topic:
(45) Organization and content
15 - Introduction:
Grab attention
Stress relevance (motivate audience to listen)
Speaker Credibility
Thesis / Central Idea
Agenda
_____
20 - Body:
Correct Organizational Pattern
Logical arguments and support
Emotional appeal
_____
5 Conclusion:
Restate main point (no new information)
Memorable ending
_____
5 – Clarity
Coherence
Transitions
_____
TOTAL _____
(35) Delivery
20 - Practiced and prepared (minimal use of notes)
_____
7.5 - Posture and presence
_____
7.5- Tone / pitch / emphasis (not monotonous)
_____
TOTAL _____
(20) Powerpoint
10 - Professional appearance and transitions (consistency, attractiveness, text amount)
_____
5 – Visual variety
_____
5 – Easy to follow (fluidly complements speech)
_____
TOTAL _____
FINAL TOTAL: __________