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B. There are many reasons for you to become a volunteer, and many benefits that come
along with it.
1. You will be an asset to your community.
3. You can gain transferable skills that can be utilized in future careers.
5. You can participate in monthly activities such as a Ropes Course and sporting
events.
6. You receive community discounts.
C. Now consider what a high-risk youth can do during an eight month period of time with a
mentor like you.
2. Raise a science grade from a D to a B with a little extra help, encouragement, and
support.
4. Improve communication skills by attending classes offered by Partners.
Conclusion
I. Partners needs volunteers in order to be a successful organization.
II. There were two main issues I discussed in my speech.
A. I first discussed the need for a Partners program in our community.
1. I discussed how they provide much needed services for at-risk and high-risk
youth.
3. Without volunteers they cannot meet the needs of our youth.
B. I offered a clear solution, which is for us all to become volunteers.
2. By becoming volunteers we make a difference in our community.
3. By becoming volunteers we make a difference in the lives of our youth.
III. Each of you can make a difference with just three hours a week.
Works Cited
Gipson, Liz. Dear Friend of Partners. 13 Oct. 2000.
Hubner, John, and Jill Wolfson. Somebody Else’s Children. New York: Three Rivers Press, Incorporated,
2000).
“May We Get Some Volunteers?” The Expression of Partners. May 2000: 8.5.
Sample Persuasive Speech Outline
No More Sugar!
by Hans Erian
Topic: Overconsumption of Sugar
General purpose: To persuade
Specific purpose: To persuade my audience to decrease their sugar intake and so live healthier lives
Thesis statement: The health problems that many Americans have as a result of misconceptions about
the effect of too much sugar in their diets can be alleviated by taking action at the national level and on a
personal level.
Introduction
I. Arnell Scott was fifteen years old and weighed over 300 pounds.
A. He was losing weight rapidly and was constantly thirsty, so his mother took him
to the hospital.
B. There the doctors diagnosed him with Type 2 Diabetes.
II. According to Newsday, July 20, 1999, Type 2 Diabetes is increasing alarmingly in children.
A. Type 2 Diabetes is usually associated with adults.
III. According to the New York Times of February 16, 2001, the top ten most bought foods at
supermarkets are sugar-rich junk foods.
A. A Georgetown University study shows that 25 percent of the calories adults
consume are from sugar, but for kids it’s closer to 50 percent.
B. The average person in this room consumes about 125 to 150 pounds of sugar per
year.
C. Consumer Reports on Health of August 2001 says that when blood sugar levels
rise, so does the risk of disease and death.
IV. Americans are consuming an unhealthy amount of sugar, but most don’t realize it.
A. Today we’ll look at the misconceptions Americans have about their sugar intake.
Body
I. The two main reasons Americans consume so much sugar are ignorance and an increased
consumption of soda pop.
A. We often consume sugar without even realizing it.
1. The food labeling process is confusing in regard to sugar, whose
definition has been debated by the FDA and the Sugar Association since
1970.
a. Fructose is good sugar found in fruits and vegetables.
2. Common items found in any local Safeway—and commonly thought to
be healthy for us— illustrate the confusion.
a. The second ingredient in cranberry tangerine mix is high
fructose corn syrup.
B. Americans consume too much sugar as a result of drinking too much soda pop.
1. Let’s take a look at the amount of sugar in Coca-Cola.
mid-80s, U.S. soda pop consumption has increased by 43 percent to more
than eighty-five gallons per American per year.
a. That’s 555 cans annually for every American.
b. How much soda do you drink?
II. Sugar has had a negative impact on our health because it causes obesity, which can lead to a
number of health problems, including diabetes.
A. The New York Times of September 9, 2001, cites new evidence that links obesity in
children directly to soda pop consumption.
1. The body has trouble adapting to such intense concentrations of sugar in liquid
form.
2. This overconsumption of sugar leads to obesity, which has been linked to a
number of serious health problems.
a. Obesity can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart
disease.
B. Along with causing cancer, obesity is also a key cause of diabetes.
1. According to the Hartford Courant of September 9, 2001, since 1991 adult
obesity has increased by 60 percent and the percentage of overweight kids has
2. Dr. Gerald Bernstein predicts that left unchecked, the onset of more diabetes
could have a huge impact.
a. More than 500 million people worldwide could develop diabetes in
twenty-five years.
Transition: Now we’ve seen that Americans are consuming too much sugar, and it’s destroying their
health, one bite or sip at a time.
III. To improve our health, we need to decrease our sugar intake, both at a national and a personal
level.
A. On a national level, we need to increase awareness about the hazards of sugar and
decrease soda pop consumption.
1. Kelly Brownwell, director of Yale University’s Eating and Weight Disorders,
suggests we increase awareness and provide incentives to eat more healthily by
2. We can decrease soda pop consumption by making it more difficult to purchase
soft drinks, especially in schools.
1. Start off slow and eat sugar in moderation.
a. Dr. Ralph Golan, author of Optimal Wellness, suggests that dessert a few
2. Become a label reader and be aware of what you’re eating.
Conclusion
I. Today we’ve explored the hazards of sugar and how we can avoid these hazards.
A. We’ve looked at common misconceptions about sugar.
B. We’ve looked at the health problems that can result from these misconceptions.
C. We’ve explored some solutions to our sugar addiction.
II. Americans have become unhealthy because they’re eating too much sugar.
A. Americans need to decrease their sugar intake.
Works Cited
Brody, Jane E. “Don’t Lose Sight of Real, Everyday Risks.” New York Times. 9 October 2001.
Condon, Garret. “Diabetes Epidemic Menaces the U.S.: Costs, Suffering Expected to Soar.” Hartford
Courant. 9 September 2001.
National Desk. New York Times. “Extra Soft Drink Is Cited as a Major Factor in Obesity.” 16 February
2001.
“Not Diabetic? Glucose Still Counts.” Consumer Reports on Health. August 2001.
Critique Sheet: Persuasive Speech
Name __________________________ Time ____ Grade ______ Points _____
Key: 5 Excellent; 4 Good; 3 Satisfactory; 2-1 Needs improvement; 0 Failed to complete
INTRODUCTION
Captured attention and interest/related to the audience _____
Introduced the topic _______
Established credibility _____
Previewed main points _____
BODY
Main points clear _____
Established a need for change ______
Clear solution ______
CONCLUSION
Signaled the finish _____
Summarized main points _____
DELIVERY
Volume ______
Eye contact _____
Avoided distracting mannerisms _____
Articulation _____
Rate _____
Extemporaneous/conversational style _____
Enthusiasm _____
OUTLINE
Complete-sentence form ______
Logical subordination _____
Grammar _____
Works Cited _____
Peer Evaluation
Name _______________________________________ Points_________
1. Did the speaker clearly indicate the type of persuasive speech? Where could they have
improved?
2. Did the speaker use a clear pattern of organization? Where could they have improved?
3. Was the problem clearly indicated? Where could they have improved?
4. Did the speaker cite sources throughout the speech? Where could they have improved?
5. Did the speaker use logos, ethos, pathos, and mythos effectively?
6. What suggestions do you have for delivery?
Additional comments:
Supplemental Bibliography
Baker, Sherry. “Five Baselines for Justification in Persuasion” Journal of Mass Media Ethics 14 (1999):
69-81.
Baker offers a discussion of five baselines of ethical justification in persuasive communication.
French, Tom. “Ethics and Persuasion: Right Makes Might in the Courtroom” Trial 31 (Apr. 1995): 86-90.
Johannesen, Richard L. Ethics and Persuasion; Selected Readings. New York: Random House, 1967.
Rybacki, Karyn Charles, and Rybacki, Donald Jay. Advocacy and Opposition: An Introduction to
Argumentation, 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.
O’Keefe, Daniel J. Persuasion: Theory and Research, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications,
2002.
Sproule, J. Michael. Argument: Language and Its Influence. New York: McGraw Hill, 1980.
Storey, Richard. The Art of Persuasive Communication. Brookfield, VT: Gower, 1997.
Walton, Douglas N. Plausible Argument in Everyday Conversation. Albany: State University of New
York Press, 1992.
