Building a Persuasive Speech

Year 9 Power of Speech • Persuasion • Workshop

This workshop brings the unit together. It moves from a position you hold to a delivered persuasive speech of two to three minutes. The aim is a case that is clear, honest and hard to dismiss.

The workshop at a glance

Stage	Time	Output
1. Claim	5 minutes	One contestable claim.
2. Audience	5 minutes	A short audience profile.
3. Evidence	15 minutes	Two or three sources and a claim-evidence table.
4. Structure	10 minutes	Hook, claim, reasons, refutation, call.
5. Rhetoric	10 minutes	Two devices with a purpose.
6. Draft	15 minutes	A spoken-style draft.
7. Mark and cut	10 minutes	A marked script at target length.
8. Rehearse and deliver	15 minutes	Two timed runs and a short delivery.

Step 1: Claim

A good claim is specific, contestable and relevant to the audience. It names the change, the scope and the direction.

Topic	Too vague	Stronger claim
School food	“The canteen should be healthier.”	“The canteen should stop selling sugary drinks during school hours.”
Public transport	“Buses should be better.”	“The council should add a second bus on the 7.45 route.”
Environment	“We should protect nature.”	“The school should plant twenty shade trees on the eastern oval.”
Technology	“Phones are bad.”	“The school should ban phone use in classrooms, not at lunch.”

Step 2: Audience

Identify what the audience already believes, what they value, what they fear and whom they trust. Choose the objections that matter most to them.

Step 3: Evidence

Find two or three credible sources. For each, write the claim it supports and the warrant. Check the original source, not just a summary.

Claim	Evidence	Warrant

Step 4: Structure

Use the persuasive frame: hook, claim, two or three reasons, refutation and call to action. Write one sentence for each before drafting.

Model skeleton: “A later start for Year 9”

Claim: Year 9 should start at 9am instead of 8.30am.

Hook: “By second period, half the class is awake. The other half is pretending.”

Reason 1: Adolescent sleep cycles shift later, so early starts cut sleep.

Reason 2: Sleep loss affects attention and mood.

Objection: “A later start would disrupt buses and family routines.”

Answer: “A pilot with one year level could test the change without disrupting the whole school.”

Call: “Ask the leadership team to trial a 9am start for Year 9 next term.”

This is an original teaching example, not a transcript of a real speech.

Step 5: Rhetoric

Choose two devices that serve the argument. A triad can organise the reasons; a contrast can sharpen the choice; a short anecdote can ground the claim. Mark them in the script and rehearse the delivery.

Step 6: Draft

Write for the ear. Use short sentences, active verbs and concrete examples. Read each sentence aloud. If you run out of breath, split it. If a term is unfamiliar, define it.

Written	Spoken
“The implementation of the policy would require additional consultation.”	“We would need to talk to families before we change anything.”
“A significant proportion of students ...”	“Most students ...”
“It is therefore evident that ...”	“So the evidence points one way.”

Step 7: Mark and cut

Mark breath points, stresses and pauses. Then cut ten per cent. Most first drafts contain throat-clearing, repeated reasons and one example too many. Removing them usually strengthens the case.

Step 8: Rehearse and deliver

Read the speech aloud once without stopping.
Time it at performance pace.
Record one run and watch it with the delivery checklist.
Ask a partner to state the strongest objection. Answer it aloud.
Ask a listener to retell your case in one sentence.
Choose one change and rehearse again.
Deliver, take two questions and reflect.

Reflection

Write 100–200 words:

What did you want the audience to accept or do?
Which reason was strongest, and why?
Where did the audience resist, and how did you respond?
What changed between the first and final version?
What would you do differently next time?

Planning template

Element	Your notes
Claim
Audience
Hook
Reason 1 + evidence
Reason 2 + evidence
Reason 3 + evidence
Strongest objection
Refutation
Call to action

Common errors

Too many reasons. Two or three are enough.
Evidence without a warrant. The audience cannot see why it matters.
Rhetoric without purpose. Devices become noise.
Straw-man refutation. The real objection remains unanswered.
Vague call to action. The audience leaves without a next step.
Reflecting only on delivery. Reflect on whether the case was persuasive.

Next, read the teacher notes for planning and differentiation. The sources and provenance page records what is original and what is excluded.