SOAPBOX SPEECH

One important reason --- An equally vital reason --- The most vital reason

To begin --- In addition --- At last

Initially --- Furthermore--- Consequently

One vital reason education needs reform is because it fails to prepare graduates for life after schooling.

An equally vital reason education needs reform is because it relies too heavily on standardized tests.

The most vital reason education needs reform is because its organizational structure is severely out of date.

X states, “___________________________________________.”

According to X, “______________________________________.”

In his/her article, X writes “______________________________.”

In X’s opinion, “_______________________________________.”

In his article “10 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Bad,” Matthew Lynch writes, “fewer than 40 percent of graduating seniors have mastered reading and math and are poorly equipped for college and career life.”

In other words, X believes ____________________________.

X is suggesting that _________________________________.

The essence of X’s argument is _________________________.

Lynch’s point is that there is a gap in expectations between school and the real world that should not exist. If a student is able to graduate high school, they should also be able to handle higher education or a career.

X’s point that ____________ is accurate because recent research has shown that __________________.

One might agree that ___________ because common experiences such as _______________ confirms it.

Lynch‘s point that parents are not involved enough is accurate because recent research has shown that only 35% of parents attend PTA meetings or volunteer their time for extracurricular activities.

Call to Action

1-2 sentences offering suggestions for what the audience can do about the issue.

Claim and Summary

Wrap it up

Lend a helping hand by _____________________________.

Consider improving this situation by ____________________.

It’s not too late. Please, ______________________________.

It’s time we take action and ___________________________.

1-3 sentences restating your claim and main points from the speech.

In summary, __________________________________________.

All things considered, _________________________________.

As shown above, ___________________________________________.

As has been noted, _________________________________________.

Given these points, ________________________________________.

EXAMPLE:

It’s time we take action and write our current local and national legislators in order to convince them to make these changes a reality for our children, our nation, and ourselves. America once had a reputation for creativity and innovation during the Industrial Age that has since faded into the depths of history. Let’s regain that reputation in this new era and become innovators in education.

As shown above, the American education system is in desperate need of reform because high school graduates are often unprepared to meet the expectations of college or career life, too much emphasis is placed on standardized tests, and its organizational structure is outdated.

Making a Point

1 sentence (topic sentence) providing your position on the issue and one specific reason for supporting your claim.

Claim

Background

Introducing Evidence

1 sentence explaining your position on the issue as well as your reasoning. Your claim will serve as a "road map" or overall outline for your speech.

1 sentence introducing concrete evidence that supports your specific reason.

1-3 sentences defining the issue and explaining its significance.

What is the issue?

Who is involved?

How many people does this issue affect?

Why is it important to you and others?

(I believe) _________________ because ______________.

(I think) ___________________ because ______________.

(In my opinion) ___________ because ______________.

The issue of ____________ is a complex one, but it is vital to discuss because ___________.

Here’s the controversy: _______________. But why care? Because _____________.

The problem is ______________ and it is important to discuss due to __________.

The issue of American education reform is a complex one, but it is vital to discuss because our educational system serves over 50 million students each day and the education they receive now will affect the opportunities they receive later in life.

EXAMPLE:

(I believe) The U.S. education system should be reformed because it fails to prepare graduates for career or collegiate life, relies too heavily on standardized testing, and lacks proper organizational structure.

Counterargument

Hook

1-3 sentences describing the opposing position on the issue.

Write 1-3 sentences grabbing the audience's attention.

ANECDOTE

So What?

An anecdote is a brief story which allows the audience to relate to the issue on a personal level.

At the beginning of a speech about fire safety, the speaker tells a short cautionary tale about a serious injury that occurred as a result of not following protocol.

Americans today tend to believe that _________________.

Conventional wisdom has it that _____________________.

Common sense seems to dictate that _________________.

It is often said that _______________________________.

Many people assume that __________________________.

Rhetorical Question

Three. Simple. Words.

1-3 sentences explaining the impact this issue may have if ignored too long.

A rhetorical question is an open-ended question with no simple answer which allows the audience to become curious.

EXAMPLE:

At what point will the U.S. decide to massively reform the education system?

The "Three. Simple. Words." method requires the speaker to pick three interesting details concerning their topic and deliver them as three one-word sentences.

EXAMPLE:

Thousands of teachers. Millions of students. One failing system.

Surprising Statistic

Many Americans assume that the educational system is producing career-ready citizens just as it always has in the past, however, a closer look at research may not support this assumption.

A statistic is a factual number such as a percentage, ratio, dollar amount, etc.

EXAMPLE:

Recent research has shown that only 37% of high school seniors read at or above proficiency, leaving 2/3 of graduates unprepared for the real-world.

Imagine a world where ______________________________________.

Picture this: ______________________________________________.

If we don’t act quickly, then ___________________________________.

If ignored, this might lead to __________________________________.

If ignored, this might lead to an economic downfall for our nation as well as a dangerous drop in quality of life for the citizens that inhabit it.

Explaining Evidence

SOAPBOX SPEECH

1 sentence summarizing the evidence in your own words.

Spin

1-2 sentences providing your opinion on the evidence (without using "I").

How to Write an Outline