From: Dean Dr. Eric
Miller <eric@storytellinginstitute.org>
The Dean's Message is here.
Some Topics for Student Speeches and Essays
***
Research
Essays
State a question and
seek to answer it.
***
Descriptive
Essays
Seek to give one's
reader the imaginative
sense of experiencing
something through
verbal descriptions of
sight, sound, touch,
taste, and/or smell.
Tell about an
experience one has learned
a lot from.
***
Persuasive
Essays
Praise and celebrate
someone or something.
Suggest an improvement
in something.
Who is the greatest
Superhero? What is
the best superpower?
Under what conditions
might playing video
games benefit or harm
young people?
Under what conditions,
if any, should
animals be kept in
zoos?
What should be taught
most in school? –
1) STEM subjects –
Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math.
2) The Humanities –
Literature, History,
Social Studies,
Psychology, etc.
3) Communication –
Speaking (debating,
giving speeches,
storytelling, etc), and
Writing (writing
essays, etc).
What is meant by the
term, "climate-change"?
Do you think
climate-change is a great threat
facing humanity
today? If yes, why and how
is it a threat? What could be done to prevent
or diminish
climate-change?
How and why do
"inter-generational conflicts"
occur, and what are
some ways they can be
resolved?
In what situations do
you prefer one or the
other? – Doing things
by yourself, or doing
things with a group.
What do you get more
out of? – Discussions
in the classroom, or
discussions with your
friends outside school.
What is the meaning of
the word, "pilgrimage"?
Could climbing Mount
Everest be considered
to be a pilgrimage?
If you could time
travel, where would you go?
What does it mean to be
a citizen of a city, a
country, the world?
Agree or disagree –
Change starts with oneself.
Can school children be
social-change agents?
How does it affect a
society if the level of "income
inequality" is
high?
What are the economic
disparities (leading to
healthcare,
educational, and other disparities)
among the states in
India? Why and what next?
Please define "development"
in society.
What is the meaning of
the term, a "developed
country"? According to the given definition, is
India a "developed
country"?
What are the meanings
of the terms, "First World",
"Second
World", and "Third World" countries?
If you might create a
fairytale, who would be your
hero / heroine? What would be the character's
attributes? What makes a hero / heroine?
What is the most
important thing a mentor can
do for a young person?
When (in what
situations) might it be best to live
in a Senior Citizens'
home?
–––
Some
Elements of Rhetoric for Persuasive
Speeches
and Essays
State the title of
one's Speech / Essay.
State one's basic idea
and point.
To support one's point,
and to persuade and
convince one's listeners
to agree with one, one
could then use these
Elements of Rhetoric –
1) Traditions (that
agree with one's point).
2) Authorities (that
agree with one's point).
3) Statistics (that
support one's point).
4) Experiences of
oneself and one's listeners
(that support one's point).
5) Benefits that would
come to one's listeners
(if one's listeners might agree with
one's point).
6) Benefits that would
come to all involved (the
"Common Good")
(if one's listeners might agree with
one's point).
<complete>