Speech

My Beliefs and What I Stand Up For

In this unit you will learn about:

- What is advocacy and why is it important
- Why are speeches an important form of text
- Text structure and linguistic features of a speech
- How to plan and write a speech (topic: cyberbullying)

This important package belongs to:

Name: __________________________________________ ( )

Class: __________

1
Created by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2019)
Adapted by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2022)
What is advocacy and why is it important? (Speaking Exercise!)
Ask your teacher to explain the meaning of the quote by Elie Wiesel. You may use the
questions featured in the box below to help you out. Add in any new questions that you and your
classmates use in the box below.

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the

oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the
tormentor, never the tormented.”
― Elie Wiesel (Writer, Professor, Political Activist, Nobel
Laureate, Holocaust Survivor)

Questions you can ask to seek clarification:

- What does this mean?
- Can you elaborate further?
- What makes you say that?
- How do you know this?

Your Turn!

1. Look for and choose a quote that you can use to explain what advocacy is and why it is
important. Write your quote in the space below.

My quote:

Why I chose this quote:

2. Find a partner and label yourselves A and B.

3. B will present and explain their quote while A asks B clarifying questions.
4. A and B will then switch roles.
 Why are speeches important?
Article
Climate change: 11,000 scientists warn of 'untold suffering'
Poster More than 11,000 scientists have "clearly and unequivocally"
declared a climate emergency that could bring "untold suffering"
unless there are significant transformations in the way humans
live.

"Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any

great existential threat," the signatories, who hail from 153
countries, said in a paper published in BioScience magazine on
Tuesday.

"To secure a sustainable future, we must change how we live ...

[This] entails major transformations in the ways our global society
functions and interacts with natural ecosystems."

The signatories suggest six steps that would lessen the worst
effects of climate change: replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon
Speech renewables; reducing the emissions of pollutants such as
methane; protecting the Earth's ecosystems; eating mostly plant-
based foods and fewer animal products; creating a carbon-free
economy and stabilising the human population.

In their statement, the alliance of scientists, led by William Ripple

and Christopher Wolf of Oregon State University in the United
States, said the climate crisis is "accelerating faster" than most
researchers expected.

"Despite 40 years of global climate negotiations, with few

exceptions, we have generally conducted business as usual and
have largely failed to address this predicament," they wrote.

"Especially worrisome are potential irreversible climate tipping

What is the points and nature's reinforcing feedbacks (atmospheric, marine,
purpose of and terrestrial) that could lead to a catastrophic 'hothouse Earth',
well beyond the control of humans," they said.
each text
type? Which The scientists say they are "encouraged by a recent surge of
text type is concern" over the climate crisis, demonstrated by the student-led
Fridays for Future movement and other grassroots campaigns.
the most
persuasive? "As the Alliance of World Scientists, we stand ready to assist
decision-makers in a just transition to a sustainable and equitable
future," the paper concludes, adding that humanity should "act to
sustain life on planet Earth, our only home".

3
Created by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2019)
Adapted by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2022)
 What makes speeches so powerful?
Speeches are powerful because they contain various persuasive techniques that make their
argument convincing, credible and eloquent. These techniques help the speaker influence
the audience so that the purpose of the speech is achieved.

To repeat an idea or Examples:

Power word three times. Or to
state three different
of Three
items in a list.

EMOTIVE Words or phrases used

to make the audience
LANGUAGE feel a certain way.

RHETORICAL A question designed to

make the audience
QUESTION think. Does not require
an actual answer.

STATISTICS Convincing information

or data that provide
AND FACTS evidence to support an
argument.

UNDERMINE Criticise the opposite

point of view
OPPONENT
A short, relevant story
ANECDOTE about something the
speaker has
experienced.

DIRECT Use inclusive language

eg. ‘you, we, us’ to
ADDRESS directly address the
audience.

Exaggeration Exaggerates the true

situation for dramatic
impact.

Can you spot PERSUADE?

Read the speech below delivered by Greta Thunberg at the United Nations Climate Action
Summit 2019 and annotate any PERSUADE technique that you can find!

This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be standing here. I should be back in school on the other side of the
ocean. Yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my
childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People
are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. And
all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

For more than 30 years the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away
and come here saying that you are doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still
nowhere in sight. With today’s emissions levels, our remaining CO2 budget will be gone in less
than 8.5 years. You say you ‘hear’ us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how
sad and angry I am, I don’t want to believe that. Because if you fully understood the situation and
still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And I refuse to believe that.

The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in 10 years only gives us a 50 per cent chance
of staying below 1.5C degrees, and the risk of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond
human control. Maybe 50 per cent is acceptable to you. But those numbers don’t include tipping
points, most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution or the aspects of
justice and equity. To have a 67 per cent chance of staying below a 1.5C global temperature rise
– the best odds given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the world had 420
gigatonnes of carbon dioxide left to emit back on January 1, 2018. Today that figure is already
down to less than 350 gigatonnes.

How dare you pretend that this can be solved with business-as-usual and some technical
solutions. With today’s emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone in less
than eight and a half years. There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these
figures today. Because these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough
to tell it like it is.

You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all
future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us I say we will never forgive you. We
will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is
waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.
 Differentiated Instruction: Strong vs.
Weak Verbs!

Scan this QR code to

learn about strong and
weak verbs now!

Level 1
1) Scan the QR code for Level 1!
2) Substitute the weak verbs that you can find in the following text with strong
verbs. You may use the vocabulary list found in the QR code to help you,
or you may use your own words.

Level 2
1) Scan the QR code for Level 2!
2) Learn about the 5 weak words you need to avoid in your writing!
3) Make the text below more persuasive by removing, defining or changing
any of the 5 weak words that you have learnt.

Level 3 (BOSS LEVEL!)

1) Scan the QR code for Level 3!
2) Learn about 12 ways you can transform weak sentences into strong
persuasive sentences.
3) Teach a friend about one of the ways you have learnt!

I think, as a student, that homework is just a tool that teachers use to keep me busy. It does not
really have a good purpose and maybe there is more of a negative side to it than a positive side.
Homework causes kids to be very stressed out. It also causes stress in their families, and I think
that some studies sho w that it does not improve test scores. It actually shows the opposite. Duke
University’s Harris Cooper found out that, “doing more than 60 to 90 minutes of homework a night
is associated with lower scores.” This seems to show that homework is a useless thing that
students are asked to do. So maybe, I want to suggest to my teachers to stop giving me
homework.
 TEXT STRUCTURE OF A SPEECH
Good morning Mr Tan, Mr Lim, teachers and fellow schoolmates. My Introduction
name is Sim Jun An, and I am the president of the students’ council. • Greet your audience
Today, I am honoured to stand before you to speak to you regarding the (beginning with people
need to be more mindful when using social media platforms. This issue of highest authority to
is important because just last month, there has been more than 10 cases the least)
of cyberbullying reported in our school alone. This statistic pains me • Introduce yourself
deeply because it shows that too many of you are not taking • State your topic + why
cyberbullying seriously. Are you aware of how many of your friends are it is important
crying and feeling depressed behind their screens everyday? Right here, • State your purpose for
right now, right at this very moment? Therefore today, I am up here to presenting the speech
give all of you some tips and advice on how to prevent cyberbullying from
happening and how you can inspire others to do the same.
Firstly, you should be careful when using social media platforms so that Body
you will not be taken advantage of by predators. When you are • Describe your ideas
interacting with people from different parts of the world, some of you and thoughts clearly.
claim them as your “friends” without knowing their real identities. When Be descriptive but not
a person seems happy or successful online, it might be merely an overly detailed.
impression or persona that they have created to deceive you. Do you • Convince your
know how easy it is for predators to falsify their information online? You audience that you are
need to be aware that anyone can assume the identity of someone else well-informed and
in an email or a blog in order to get their victims to trust them. Statistics truthful.
have shown that in 2017 alone, 1 out of 4 teenagers between the ages • Give an example to
of 12 to 18 have reported that they have been catfished by unsavoury build upon your ideas
characters and criminals who try to extort them for money or who try to and thoughts.
get them to meet in suspicious locations. This is why you should never • Use signposting to
reveal your personal details to strangers that you meet online. give a sense of
orientation.
Secondly, students like you and me can seek professional help from our • Make sure that your
school counsellor if you have been a victim of cycberbullying. The points are logical and
counsellor room is located right beside the staffroom on the second level make sense. Ensure
of our school. You must remember to that there is nothing to be that your points are
relevant and properly
embarassed about seeking help when you need it. There is nothing to
linked.
be afraid of because our school counsellors are highly trained
professionals who are more than capable of using a wide range of
approaches to help you tackle your problems. Furthermore, what you
discuss in the room will not leave the four walls. So you can be rest
assured that whatever you say or discuss will be kept strictly confidential.
In a nutshell, we should always be responsible and ethical when using Conclusion
social media platforms so that it remains safe for all its users. We all • Summarise your
know that cycberbullying has been a major problem for the students in ideas and thoughts.
our school for a long time. So please, let us work together to make our • State what you hope to
school better. I would like to end my speech by issuing you a achieve with your
challenge. The next time you use social media, I challenge you to think speech.
before you post anything online and consider if your words can be a • Tell your audience
source of pain for someone else. I hope my speech has moved you to what you want them
make a change today. Thank you for your kindest and fullest attention. to do (through
concrete actions or
Written by: through thinking).
Sim Jun An (4F 2018) • Thank your audience.
 Process Writing (Writing Exercise!)
Generic Introduction (Written As a class. This is just a generic introduction and it should not be used for
your alp speech.)

- Who are you?

- Why are you delivering this speech?
- Why is your speech important?
- What are you trying to achieve at the end of your speech?
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Peer Evaluation
1 Were there min. 3 PERSUADE
techniques used?

2 Overall was the paragraph

effective and persuasive?

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Created by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2019)
Adapted by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2022)
 Can I really make a
difference?
THE STORY OF Greta Thunberg

20 Aug 2018
Greta skips school to protest outside 26 August 2018
Swedish parliament for more action She was joined by students, teachers
against climate change. and parents at another protest and
begins attracting media attention for her
climate campaign.
September 2018
Thunberg begins a regular ‘strike’ November 2018
from classes every Friday. She invites More than 17,000 students in 24
other students to join her weekly countries take part in Friday school
“Fridays for Future” campaign by strikes. Thunberg begins speaking at
staging walkouts at their own schools. high-profile events across Europe,
including U.N. climate talks in Poland.
February 2019
Protests directly inspired by Thunberg July 2019
take place across more than 30 Far-right lawmakers urge a boycott of
countries, from Sweden to Brazil, Thunberg, mocking her as a “guru of
India and the United States. the apocalypse” and a “Nobel prize of
fear”.
1 August 2019
Thunberg hits back at “hate and 5 August 2019
conspiracy campaigns” after by Some 450 young climate activists from
conservative Australian commentator 37 European countries gather in
Andrew Bolt described her as a Switzerland to discuss the movement’s
“deeply disturbed messiah”. development.

14 August 2019
Thunberg sets sail from Britain for the 23 September 2019
United States to take part in a U.N. Thunberg delivers a blistering speech
climate summit. Meanwhile, the total to leaders at the U.N. summit, accusing
number of climate strikers reaches 3.6 them of having “stolen my dreams and
million people across 169 countries. my childhood with your empty words”.
 Poetic Expressions!
Our World Today (By: Aima Sohil)
The world is losing its trees today
Do you think that's OK?
Fights, Arguments and civil wars.
Pollution caused by our own cars.

A hundred trees are cut in one day,

Just to make paper which is wasted away,
Although it's a government job
We couldn't bear to hear a child's sob.

We could donate money to the needy,

Plant seed so the world would be less weedy.
Stand up for them and not just sit
It shows that even we can do our bit.

So my message to everyone,
Be as helpful as the sun.
Show people that you too,
Can help people who need you!

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/help-save-the-world

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Created by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2019)
Adapted by: Ms Siti Farhanum (2022)