Speech

SPECIFIC PURPOSE (Goal): To inform my audience that children have negative attitudes about school, and why that is occurring so they can make an informed decision toward change.

THESIS STATEMENT (Central Idea): Parents, teachers and administration must understand the reasons behind children’s negative attitude toward school in order to take the necessary steps to change the problems.

Introduction:

     I.   Attention-getter:  Imagine a world without art or science (what are your ideas for this?)

     II.  Between standardized testing and the elimination of art and science courses, children have negative attitudes about attending school.

    III.  It is important to understand the reasons that students don’t want to go to school (thesis).

    IV.  Today, I will talk about the anxiety created by standardized testing (main point #1) and the lack of art and science courses (main point #2) which cause children to want to stay home.

[transition: Let’s start with the new standardized tests]

Body

   I.  The increase in study drill sessions in preparation for standardized tests, from one hour to three hours daily, is causing school-age children to experience anxiety about attending school

       A.  Teachers report that students’ reaction to the lengthened study drills have been negative

              1. Teachers report a noticeable raise in acting-out behaviors

              2. Teachers report a tenfold increase in class-time requests to visit the nurse.

       B.  During the past two months, 600 parents have lodged complaints with the principal about the extended study drill sessions

              1. The majority (85%) said that their children cried at night about the lengthy study sessions.

              2.  A minority (15%) said that their children had o be forced to go to school.

[transition: Now that we understand the anxiety caused by standardized testing, I would like to turn to something that is missing from the curriculum, science and art.]

   II. The elimination of the art and science classes in favor of longer drill sessions has only increased students’ negative feelings toward school.

       A.  Art classes have long been a favorite of school-age children.

       B.  Student reaction to the elimination of science classes has been strongly negative.

             1. Students staged a sit-down strike in the cafeteria to protest the elimination of science classes.

             2. Several students transferred to other schools in order to take science classes.

Conclusion:

   I.  The new standardized test and the lack of art and science are new curriculum changes that need to be looked at (signal close of speech).

   II.  Changes in the curriculum have caused negative attitudes among children (summarizes main points)

       A.  Standardized testing causes anxiety and fear.

       B.  Lack of art and science courses are also a cause of negative attitudes