Speech Class - Paired Debate Persuasive Speech

  Not in anyway giving anyone permission to plagiarize or copy this and also not verifying the authenticity of any of the information. Also note that there are probably no sources listed and I am not one myself, so don't quote me. This is just some of my homework; thought it might be interesting to someone:

Paired Debate

Speech Title:

Pros/Cons of Nuclear Power

General Purpose:                     To persuade

Specific Purpose:                    To persuade my audience that there is little to fear in the continued use of nuclear power to produce electricity.

Thesis:                                     The advantages of nuclear power outweigh the associated risks.

I.        Introduction

A.        Nuclear energy already generates 20% of America’s electricity.  We have 65 nuclear power plants with 3 of them in Florida.  How many people in here get electricity from Progress Energy? Progress Energy states on their website that, “Nuclear power generation contributes about 35%  of the electricity used by Progress Energy customers.” (attention)

B.        While I was researching nuclear power, I found that a lot of the fears and concerns that I might’ve had about it were based on misconceptions.  Nuclear power is not only something that we all already use and depend on but it is also a lot safer than most of you are probably imagining.  (credibility)

D.        My speech is going to give you the reasons why the advantages of nuclear power outweigh the possible risks.  (thesis)

E.                 I’m going to explain a little bit about the history of nuclear power, what the actual risks of nuclear power generation are, and how nuclear power compares with some of the other ways that electricity is generated.   (preview)

Transition:  The first thing I’m going to explain is the history of nuclear power and its major accidents.

II.       Body

A.        Electricity was first generated from nuclear energy in Idaho in 1951.

1.         The first nuclear power plant was constructed in Pennsylvania in 1957.  The United States now has 65 power plants with a total of 104 separate nuclear reactors, generating 30% of the world’s total nuclear power.  

2.         The most disastrous event in the history of nuclear power is the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986. A combination of flaws in the design of the reactors and major mistakes made by the plant’s employees resulted in a total of 56 people killed.  One important thing to remember about the accident at Chernobyl is that it occurred during the cold war when the Soviet Union was highly isolated from the United States.  Because of that, the design of the reactor used at Chernobyl is completely unique from the ones in the U.S.

3.         Currently, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires all nuclear power plants to have 1 in 10,000 year core damage frequency, meaning that the likelihood of a major accident is extremely unlikely.

Transition: Next, I’m going to talk about what the actual risks of nuclear power are

B.        The most serious assumed risks related to generating nuclear power are potential meltdowns, misconceptions regarding nuclear explosions, and overexposure to radiation.

1.      Doctor of Science Bernard L. Cohen lists the typical results for a risk analysis done at a U.S. power plant: a meltdown might be expected once in 20,000 years of reactor operation, in 2 out of 3 meltdowns there would be no deaths.  The chances of a meltdown causing 50,000 or more deaths are 1 in 100,000.

2.      Many people, including the organization Green Peace, mistakenly believe that nuclear power plants have something to do with nuclear weapons.  The New Hampshire Department of Safety answered the question, “Can a nuclear power plant explode like an atom bomb?” with “Absolutely not. A nuclear explosion is impossible in a commercial nuclear power plant.  A power plant doesn’t contain the type of fuel in the amount which is needed to make atomic bombs.”

3.      Overexposure to radiation is also a risk associated with nuclear power.  According to the World Nuclear Association, the Chernobyl accident is the only known case where a worker or citizen has died because of exposure to radiation.

Transition:  Finally, I’d like to give a frame of reference to describe how nuclear power’s history of safety can be compared with two other methods used to generate electricity that are not commonly contested. 

C.  The first is hydroelectric power or using water to generate electricity.  In 1975, a reservoir dam in China that was used to generate electricity failed, causing an estimated 220,000 total deaths.  Similar death toll estimates have been made for the sudden failure of hydroelectric dams in the United States. 

Second, coal-powered plants generate 44.9% of the power used in the United States.  Coal mining still causes over 30 deaths almost every year in the U.S., with the all-time low being 23 deaths in 2005 (which is half of those caused by nuclear power ever). 4,749 coal miners were killed in China in just the year of 2006.  Now would be a good time to ask yourself whether you should be more worried about coal mining, which kills thousands of people every single year, or nuclear power, which has killed less than 60 people in over 50 years of operation.

III.      Conclusion

A.        So I’ve given you some information about the history of nuclear power, the associated risks, and how it compares with other methods of generating electricity.  (Restate main points)

B.        The advantages of nuclear power outweigh the risks because they are low when considering both its history and its probabilities.  (Restate thesis)

C.        So rest assured and enjoy the 35% of electricity that you get from nuclear power.  (Call to Action) 

Works Cited

Cohen, Bernard L., Sc.D.. "Nuclear Power Risk." Welcome to the Physics Department at ISU.. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://physics.isu.edu/radinf/np-risk.htm>.

"MSHA  Fact Sheets  - Injury Trends in Mining." Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) - Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.msha.gov/MSHAINFO/FactSheets/MSHAFCT2.HTM>.

"Nuclear Data." U.S. Energy Information Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.eia.gov/nuclear/data.cfm>.

"Nuclear Plants - Progress Energy." Progress Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.progress-energy.com/aboutenergy/powerplants/nuclearplants/index.asp>.

"Nuclear Power Plants FAQs, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, NH DOS." NH.gov - The Official Web Site of New Hampshire State Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/hsem/nuclearpowerplants/npfaqseabrook.html>.

"Nuclear Power in the USA." World Nuclear Association | Nuclear Power - a Sustainable Energy Resource. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.html#licence>.

"Typhoon Nina-Banqiao dam failure (Chinese history) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1503368/Typhoon-Nina-Banqiao-dam-failure>.

MLA formatting by BibMe.org.

Evatuation Form

Speaker’s Name_________________________________ Subject/For or Against_____________________________

Paired Debate

Introduction                                        Very Good                   Average            Needs work

Gained attention?

Established speaker’s credibility?

Audience adaptation?

Previewed body of speech?

One-sentence statement of thesis?  

Body

Main points clear?

Organizational pattern clear?

Transitions helpful?

Support material?

Conclusion

Prepared audience for ending?

Reviewed main points?

Reinforced thesis?

Vivid “clincher”?

Delivery

Maintained strong eye contact?

Use of brief notes?

Exuded poise and confidence?

Extemporaneous style?

Overall Evaluation

Held interest of audience?

Topic challenging?

Specific purpose well chosen?

Message adapted to audience?

Held interest of audience?

Requirements of Assignment

2 kinds of support material?

Visual Aid?

Effective introduction and conclusion?

Additional Comments/Grade:

Name                                               Topic                                      Grade

	Excellent	Good	Fair	Needs work	Missing	SUGGESTIONS
INTRODUCTION						______   Work on a more effective attention-getter ______   Specifically relate the topic to your audience ______   Explicitly state your credibility ______   Explicitly state what you are going to talk about (1st, 2nd, 3rd) ______   Work on clearer organization pattern ______   Include transitions and signposts ______   Incorporate more thorough research (more  or varied sources) ______   Cite your research sources ______   Use a wider variety of verbal support (Include at least one story) ______   Include visual support aids _____    Follow the guidelines for visual support in Ch. ____ ______   Follow outline samples in the Textbook – Ch. ____ or Handbook ______   Include a bibliography ______   Summarize main points ______   End with impact ______   Avoid reading your notes; use key words only ______   Increase eye contact ______   Increase volume ______   Use vocal variety ______   Show your enthusiasm! ______   Incorporate more gestures/ movement ______   Think about your self-presentation ______   Watch disfluencies
Attention Getter
Audience Motivation
Established Credibility
Clear/Appropriate Thesis
Preview of Main Points
BODY
Organizational Structure
Transitions
Clear Main Points
Held Audience Interest
CONTENT
Challenging Topic
Verbal Support
Visual Support
Quality of Research
Quality of Outline
CONCLUSION
Review
Reinforced Thesis
Vivid Clincher
DELIVERY
Use of Notes
Eye Contact
Voice & Language
Gestures
OTHER
Kinds/Quality Support Material
Visual Aid

Peer Feedback #1

Speaker's Name_________________________________ Observer's Name________________________________

Paired Debate

1.         Name one new thing you learned in this speech.

2.         What type of support materials did the speaker use?

___ Contrast                           ___ Examples                          ___ Comparisons

___ Statistics                           ___ Testimony                        ___ Quotations

Which one was most memorable?  Why?

3.         What was the most persuasive thing you heard?

4.         Which side won the debate?  Why?

Speaker's Name_________________________________ Observer's Name________________________________

Peer Feedback #2

Paired Debate

1.         Name one new thing you learned in this speech.

2.         What type of support materials did the speaker use?

___ Contrast                           ___ Examples                          ___ Comparisons

___ Statistics                           ___ Testimony                        ___ Quotations

Which one was most memorable?  Why?

3.         What was the most persuasive thing you heard?

4.         Which side won the debate?  Why?

Peer Feedback #3

Speaker's Name_________________________________ Observer's Name________________________________

Paired Debate

1.         Name one new thing you learned in this speech.

2.         What type of support materials did the speaker use?

___ Contrast                           ___ Examples                          ___ Comparisons

___ Statistics                           ___ Testimony                        ___ Quotations

Which one was most memorable?  Why?

3.         What was the most persuasive thing you heard?

4.         Which side won the debate?  Why?