Persuasive Topics

Jessica: Gay Adoption Rights (For)

Zach: Cell Phones in the Car (For or against)

April: Why You Shouldn’t Smoke or Start Smoking (For)

Korie: Donating Organs (For)

Chris:

Kellie: Why You Should Go to College (FOR)

(Once Chris decides and once Zach selects whether he is 'for' or 'against' then I will update this post)

Good topics overall!

Before you select a topic

H

OW TO FIND A GREAT PERSUASIVE SPEAKING TOPIC:

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. You get the idea.
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's 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 doesn't have to be extremely controversial, but you do need to present a topic that not everyone agrees with. Otherwise there's no persuasion going on, and it's not a very good persuasive speech. For example, don't give a speech on why smoking is bad for your health. Who's 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 instructor has heard over and over again. Yawn. Be creative. Here are a list of tired persuasive speaking topics to avoid.
5. Pick a current event. Having trouble thinking of a topic? Go read a newspaper. What's going on in the world? If there's an election, endorse a candidate or a ballot referendum.
6. Pick a campus or local issue. Are there controversial issues around campus? Are there controversial issues in your college 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 won't be persuaded.
8. Pick a smaller part of a big issue. Don't try to change people's mind about a huge issue in your short speech, because you can't. Think you can change your classmates' mind 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 sure aren't going to be persuaded. I'm a huge free speech advocate, but you might consider findinganother outlet to express certain ideas than a persuasive speech.

10 Topics

1. How college will be better than high school.
2. 3 Different ways to eat an oreo cookie.
3. Best pick up line.
4. Why junk food is useful.

good speech topics!! :)

-You are an ant. Convince an anteater to not eat you.

-Tell us how to make a new friend.

-tell us how to make your favorite meal!

-why drama is pointless.

-explain how you have a pet, and how it should win the greatest pet ever award!

-how to tell if your cat, dog or fish need counseling.

10 Ideas for Improptu Speeches

1) Music
2) Cars
3) Movies
4) Global Warming
5) Books
6) Moral Issues
7) Useless Comments
8) Your effect on other peoples sanity
9) Underage Alcohol Consumption
10) Drama

Impromptu Speech List...10 ideas!!!!

Laughter

If you were an animal what would you be!

If you were the teacher how would this class be different

Convince us that homework is harmful for your health

You are a salesperson try selling the shirt you have on!

Convince the class to vote for you for president!

Tell us how to become a millionaire

tell us how to make a new friend!

10 Speech topics for impromptu

Cash for clunkers
Annoying people who don't know what they are talking about
Clocks that don't work
Gum under desks
Deer Hunting
Realizing your goldfish is dead
Social Security
Old Cars
How to change a tire
Your favorite food