Using Speeches to Promote Thinking about Argumentative Elements: Power Lesson for Grades 9-12

Speeches—Activity to Examine Argumentative/Persuasive Writing

Thick Prompts to Promote Thinking about Argumentative Elements:

1. Which speech has a more engaging opening and why? 2. Which features of the context do you like and why? 3. What rhetorical strategies are used in each speech? 4. Which rhetorical strategies do you find most appealing? 5. What evidence helps to prove the points in each speech? Which piece of evidence is more convincing? 6. What diction do you find appealing and why? What diction do you not like and why? 7. Where do you see counterargument, reader’s concerns, and/or biases?

For an in depth review of rhetorical appeals and persuasive strategies, please see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/04/

# 1 Model Persuasive Speech

As a for the , played in 2,130 consecutive games from 1925 to 1939, setting a major league record. On July 4, 1939, he stood before 60,000 fans at and confirmed what everyone seemed to know, that the “Pride of the Yankees” had been diagnosed with a deadly disease. Less than two years later, on June 2, 1941, he died in Riverdale, New York. Here is his famous farewell speech.

 Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.  Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career to associate with them for even one day?  Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known —also the builder of 's greatest empire, —to have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, —then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology—the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy?  Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift, that's something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that's something.  When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that's something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it's a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the finest I know.  So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break—but I have an awful lot to live for!

http://baseballhall.org/discover/lou-gehrig-luckiest-man

#2 Model Speech

Abraham Lincoln's speech at New Haven, Connecticut

(Excerpt)

March 6, 1860 Taken from Volume IV of the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, pp. 13 - 30, Roy Basler, editor. An initial footnote therein identifies the source of the text as coming from the New Haven Daily Palladium, March 7, 1860. Because of the length of the full speech we have here reproduced the opening two paragraphs and most of the concluding paragraphs.

MR. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW-CITIZENS OF NEW HAVEN: If the Republican party of this nation shall ever have the national house entrusted to its keeping, it will be the duty of that party to attend to all the affairs of national house-keeping. Whatever matters of importance may come up, whatever difficulties may arise in the way of its administration of the government, that party will then have to attend to. It will then be compelled to attend to other questions, besides this question which now assumes an overwhelming importance -- the question of Slavery. It is true that in the organization of the Republican Party this question of Slavery was more important than any other; indeed, so much more important has it become that no other national question can even get a hearing just at present. The old question of tariff -- a matter that will remain one of the chief affairs of national housekeeping to all time -- the question of the management of financial affairs; the question of the disposition of the public domain -- how shall it be managed for the purpose of getting it well settled, and of making there the homes of a free and happy people -- these will remain open and require attention for a great while yet, and these questions will have to be attended to by whatever party has the control of the government. Yet, just now, they cannot even obtain a hearing, and I do not purpose to detain you upon these topics, or what sort of hearing they should have when opportunity shall come.

For, whether we will or not, the question of Slavery is the question, the all absorbing topic of the day. It is true that all of us -- and by that I mean, not the Republican Party alone, but the whole American people, here and elsewhere -- all of us wish this question settled -- wish it out of the way. It stands in the way, and prevents the adjustment, and the giving of necessary attention to other questions of national house-keeping. The people of the whole nation agree that this question ought to be settled, and yet it is not settled. And the reason is that they are not yet agreed how it shall be settled. All wish it done, but some wish one way and some another, and some a third, or fourth, or fifth; different bodies are pulling in different directions, and none of them having a decided majority, are able to accomplish the common object. . . .

. . . If Slavery is right, all words, acts, laws, and Constitutions against it, are themselves wrong, and should be silenced, and swept away. If it is right, we cannot justly object to its nationality -- its universality; if it is wrong, they cannot justly insist upon its extension -- its enlargement. All they ask, we could readily grant, if we thought Slavery right; all we ask, they could as readily grant, if they thought it wrong. Their thinking it right, and our thinking it wrong, is the precise fact upon which depends the whole controversy. Thinking it right as they do, they are not to blame for desiring its full recognition, as being right; but, thinking it wrong, as we do, can we yield to them? Can we cast our votes with their view, and against our own? In view of our moral, social, and political responsibilities, can we do this?

Wrong as we think Slavery is, we can yet afford to let it alone where it is, because that much is due to the necessity arising from its actual presence in the nation; but can we, while our votes will prevent it, allow it to spread into the National Territories, and to overrun us here in these Free States? . . .

Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government, nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might; and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty, as we understand it. #3 Model:

Ain't I a Woman?

Famous Speech by Sojourner Truth The Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio - December, 1851

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

After reading the speeches independently, answer the Thick Prompt Questions in small groups.

Thick Prompts to Promote Thinking about Argumentative Elements:

1. Which speech has a more engaging opening and why? 2. Which features of the context do you like and why? 3. What rhetorical strategies are used in each speech? 4. Which rhetorical strategies do you find most appealing? 5. What evidence helps to prove the points in each speech? Which piece of evidence is more convincing? 6. What diction do you find appealing and why? What diction do you not like and why? 7. Where do you see counterargument, reader’s concerns, and/or biases?

Share your answers with the class.