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Persuasion is a powerful force. It has been used to influence the opinions, beliefs, and actions of others, and even to change the world.
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In his "I Have a Dream" and other speeches, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used persuasive techniques to gain civil rights for African-Americans; his non-violent methods became a model for other civil rights movements.
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Hitler used persuasive techniques to gain the support of the German people in his campaign against the Jews; when the Holocaust was exposed, most Germans were horrified to realize that they had blindly followed a madman.
Today, politicians use persuasive techniques to win our votes, lawyers use them to influence the decisions of judges and juries, and the advertising industry uses them to sell us everything from cars to candy bars. In fact, we all use persuasive techniques, whenever we try to convince others to agree with us, or to do the things we want them to do.
You are exposed to persuasive messsages every day, in a variety of formats including TV commercials, speeches, editorials, emails, Instant Messages, and blogs. You should be able to recognize when others are trying to persuade you, so that you can separate facts from opinions, think critically about issues, and make logical decisions. In addition, there will be times when you will want to persuade others to take action, accept your ideas, or agree with your opinions. Will you have the power to use information and persuasive techniques effectively?
How can I use persuasive techniques and information
from research to effectively influence
the opinions or actions of others?
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Before you begin your research, you will need to learn about persuasive techniques. |
1. Background Reading: Your teacher may have you read the following articles from the SIRS DIscoverer database, and complete these Background Reading Notes.
2. Persuasive Techniques lesson: Your teacher may have you complete a computer-based lesson on the two types of persuasive techniques: logical appeals and emotional appeals.
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This PowerPoint assessment and exit ticket may be used after the lesson, to evaluate how well you can identify logical and emotional appeals used in advertisements.
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Task and Product
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Many current issues are the subject of debate among people who have opposing viewpoints on those issues. Your task is to identify a controversial current issue that interests you, and to state your opinion about that issue. Then you will research the issue to locate information that supports this position, and to acknowledge any opposing arguments.
You will use this information, and the persuasive techniques you have learned, to write a persuasive speech. Finally, you will use effective public speaking techniques to deliver your persuasive speech to your class at this year's Sound Off! Speech-a-thon.
Topic Selection: First you will preview some controversial current issues in order to select a topic for your research and persuasive speech. Use one of the following options, as directed by your teacher:
OPTION 1: Opposing Viewpoints Critical Thinking database
OPTION 2: SIRS Researcher database |
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 Use one of the following procedures to record and sort your research findings, as directed by your teacher:
- OPTION 1: Use the Cornell Notes for Persuasion organizer to record your notes and classify them according to the persuasive techniques they reflect. Print out as many of these sheets as you need for your research notes. Remember that you need three reasons and supporting details to support your position on the issue.
- OPTION 2: If using SIRS Researcher/Leading Issues, follow directions
#1-4 under My Analysis for your issue.
- OPTION 3: Follow the steps in for Phase 3 and Phase 4 in the guide to Writing a Research Paper with SIRS Researcher Leading Issues.
Be sure to avoid plagiarism by properly paraphrasing and quoting in your writing. Consult these resources for additional tips on avoiding plagiarism:
Cite your sources for any information you plan to include in your persuasive speech. Select from the following citation tools, as directed by your library media specialist or teacher:
- Use source card worksheets provided by your librarian.
- Follow a bibliography guide to complete source cards on index cards.
- Use one of these online citation generators to cite each source and to prepare your final bibliography:
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If you used the Cornell Notes for Persuasion organizer, check to be sure that you have labeled your notes according to persuasive technique; use the key at the bottom of the organizer.
Use one of the following resources to review guidelines for persuasive writing, as directed by your teacher:
Use one of the following persuasion maps or an outline to organize the information from your research notes for your persuasive speech, as directed by your teacher:
Use your completed persuasion map or outline to compose a rough draft of your persuasive speech.
Your teacher may have you do a peer revision/editing activity to get some feedback about your rough draft. Revise and edit your draft, then write or word-process your final draft according to your teacher's directions. If you are going to deliver a persuasive speech, consider using final draft note cards.
View and listen to some famous speeches to identify effective public speaking techniques and persuasive techniques:
Read one or more of these articles from SIRS Discoverer for some helpful hints on how to prepare for and deliver a speech: |
