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130 Awesome Speech Topics for Kids

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Kids always do best when they are interested in what they are asked to talk about. But every child has different interests, and therein lies the challenge – selecting awesome speech topics that kids will want to talk about.

A few points you want to consider:

• If the topic is too “adult,” they may be too young to cope with what they find.
• If the topic is too simplistic, their growing sense of awareness may be stunted.

• Keep in mind the goal of the speech – do you want to educate, to entertain, to express ideas, or something else?
• Consider topic that suits child’s character: someone who has an extensive imagination won’t like the same topics as someone who is more factual and practical.

Here is a broad range of  speech topics for kids you can choose from.

Family and friends, miscellaneous, more miscellaneous….

• Why I love my mom and dad
• Funny things my parents say
• Let me tell you about my imaginary friend
• Things that really happen at grandma’s house when mom and dad aren’t there
• Secrets my mom does all day when I’m not around
• What my brother/sister thinks of me
• What my dad does in the bathroom for all that time
• If I had a choice between getting money or spending time with my family, I would choose…
• What did I do for my mom last mother’s day
• Let me tell you about my family
• My family’s traditions
• Original projects to surprise my parents on Mother’s Day (in the Spring) and Father’s Day (often marked in June).
• Where we went on vacation/holiday with my family
• What is my favorite song
• My favorite band or singer, and one of his or her greatest hits I would like to play with some clarification.
• The best fairy tale, or a variation child speech topic can be a cartoon character.
• My favorite season of the year is…
• My favourite time of day or week.
• The funniest April Fool’s Day joke.
• 5 of my favorite words
• Top favorite Christmas song of all times
• 3 favorite things to buy at the market
• If I went to my favorite restaurant I would order…
• Mom and my favorite place to visit is..
• My favorite thing about summer
• What my favorite pizza toppings are
• My favorite New Year’s tradition
• Favorite sundae toppings
• The most delicious meal I’ve ever had
• If I built the ultimate sandwich, it would have…
• The worst vegetable on the planet
• How many things can you make with a potato
• Describe the flavors of Thanksgiving foods
• One thing I know how to cook is…
• The contents of your lunch box.
• Different ways to eat an apple
• Why I don’t care about the “Five second rule”
• I don’t like to eat … Fill in something you dislike
• A day in the life as a fly
• What my dog is thinking
• What would it be like if dinosaurs roamed the Earth?
• My dream mythical creature for a pet would be…
• If I could talk to animals…
• What do cows think about
• How do animals talk to each other
• How to care for your pets, the right way
• What rights should animals have?
• What different wild animals have I seen
• How penguins live on Antarctica and only there and not on the North Pole (besides the zoo of course)
• A day at the wildlife sea aquarium, with dolphins, sharks, whales and seals.
• How kangaroos care for their children.
• What birds visit your backyard at home
• How do rainbows work
• What planet would I visit if I had my own rocket ship
• Why the sky is blue
• How are stars made
• Where do clouds come from?
• Where babies come from
• What outer space is like
• Why do the leaves on trees change color in the fall
• How water is so important
• What makes the Sun so bright
• How do boats float
• Why do we have dreams when we sleep
• Why are eyes different colors
• What makes the world go ’round
• How do planes fly
• The stars, black holes, galaxies and the interstellar medium in our cosmos
• Biggest birthday wish
• Best indoor winter activities
• Coolest superhero power
• If I was the President of the U.S….
• My dream vacation
• If I were a character in a book, I would be…
• Why I’m on Santa’s nice/naughty list
• The inside scoop on __________
• If I could change one thing about the world, it would be…
• How I really feel about seeing the doctor
• The best part about holidays
• If I had three wishes, they would be…
• If I were famous, it would be for my…
• My secret life as a spy
• My best invention
• Fun games to play on long car rides
• Silly songs I know
• In my dream house, there would be…
• The best part about being sick
• Why the tooth fairy must be real
• What my name means
• Disney World: the first person I’d want to see is…
• If I was the author of a book, I’d write about…
• The charity I’m going to donate to when I’m older is…
• What happiness means to me
• The best thing about me is…
• If I could be a character in any video game, it would be…
• How I care for the environment every day
• Why are farmers important
• What I want to be for Halloween next year
• What I want to be when I grow up
• Why best friends are so special
• If I was a princess or prince, I would …
• My toys, dolls or mini racing cars collection.
• My trip to Disney World or other resort.
• How I decorate my room at home.
• My biggest adventure.
• Good kid games online.
• Nice birthday presents you like to get.
• What you could do without television or video.
• Foreign hollidays we do not celebrate.
• Things – food or scary situations – that make you sick.
• What is more important: Doing what’s right or being popular
• The best memory I can remember
• Who I was named after
• What it would be like to meet an alien
• My greatest fear
• The happiest day of my life
• Something I have done that I am proud of
• What adult in my life do I look up to the most
• How to plan a surprise party
• A day at the beach
• The coolest toy I have
• What I know about (insert sport)
• Vampires or werewolves?
• Steps to drawing a flower
• If I re-wrote the story, “The Little Mermaid” or “Bambi” it would go like this…
• How to make a snowman
• The strangest place I’ve ever been
• Are table manners really important
• Tell a myth or legend about your future self
• The coolest art/craft I’ve ever made
• If I were in charge, the rules I would make would be…

If you are selecting a topic together, sit down with your child and read through this list together and make your own list of which topics stood out to your child . Suggest alternatives or adaptations to some topics. The goal is to get their juices flowing. You want this to be a choice that they are comfortable with.

Help them decide by reminding them who their audience will be and what the occasion is . This will help determine what is appropriate and what the audience will want to hear. Your child probably wouldn’t want to talk about Barbie at a formal function or to an audience of mostly boys.

All that’s left to do is prepare and practice, because we all know – practice makes perfect!

Can We Write Your Speech?

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205 Controversial Topics for your Essay, Speech, or Debate

206 Great Speech Topics for Teens [Persuasive, Informative]

25 thoughts on “130 Awesome Speech Topics for Kids”

Sure! It’s about I only want a ribbon about u are afraid Togo on stage and don’t want to go to the next level except a good grade.

A day in a life of me as an old person

im so bad at writing speechs

You should keep some simple and affective topics on which children can speak on. But still good.

this really helped me I am trying to look for a speech and this helped me ALOT!!!!thanks and had lots of good ideas

it’s very good for a child under like 8 but i am 9 and i use it and when our teacher said were have a speech contest i flip out! but i found this web site and it helped me a lot. In fact, i won the speech contest!

Ok you guys are good in all but I feel like I don’t know if kids are going to want to listen to these baby ideas and where baby’s come from and I am in grade six and I don’t think people really want to listen but you guys ar good for like grade threes or something like that because I don’t think people over the grade of four are going to want to listen to this

OK you guys r good but i need more ideas all of are cool but i need to win a speech contest

I love the ideas kind of random but still funny and interesting

please help me to write speech

ya i’m in a speech contest too and thx you have helped me lot’s 🙂

I couldn’t think of anything so I simply did: why I can’t think of a speech topic!

I LOVE your topic Me it inspires me and I think I am going to write about that for my speech contest entry.

i LOVVVE the ideas im going to come first in my speech comments

i wish you would give more responsible topics because i don’t want to write a speech on the steps to write a flower i would want to amaze the judges with a out of this world speech not a stupid one i am in sixth grade and i am about to do a huge essay contest and i want to write something jaw dropping

thank you!!! this is very helpful to us it give us more confidence and knowledge

I need a topic that I can talk about for 20 MINUTES!!!. These topics seem too trivial for an impromptu speech for 20 minutes, but good topics for shorter speeches!

love your ideas so good you really have a brillant brain sir

Thank u a lot

No this is not the topics i am looking for….. I’m looking for persuasive speeches could u please add topics for that

Winning Isn’t Everything

Well, it’s pretty good for school, but I need topics like “Benefits of ___” or “What we should do about pollution”, etc. I’m doing this for a Public Speaking class and we have to do speeches sort of like a ‘TED talk’

I want a speech on the Democratic for my school

I’m kinda annoyed they don’t take you to a site that helps you write it like I need this thing next Monday!

I love those crazy and cute topics….once I read them they grab my heart at once and now my mummy is saying me to make ur speech on this and that blaa … blaaa…. but I can’t leave those cute science topics….thank you so much for whoever have those kind of sweet topics

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40 Strong Persuasive Writing Examples (Essays, Speeches, Ads, and More)

Learn from the experts.

The more we read, the better writers we become. Teaching students to write strong persuasive essays should always start with reading some top-notch models. This round-up of persuasive writing examples includes famous speeches, influential ad campaigns, contemporary reviews of famous books, and more. Use them to inspire your students to write their own essays. (Need persuasive essay topics? Check out our list of interesting persuasive essay ideas here! )

• Persuasive Essays
• Persuasive Speeches
• Advertising Campaigns

Persuasive Essay Writing Examples

From the earliest days of print, authors have used persuasive essays to try to sway others to their own point of view. Check out these top persuasive essay writing examples.

Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf

Sample lines: “Outwardly, what is simpler than to write books? Outwardly, what obstacles are there for a woman rather than for a man? Inwardly, I think, the case is very different; she has still many ghosts to fight, many prejudices to overcome. Indeed it will be a long time still, I think, before a woman can sit down to write a book without finding a phantom to be slain, a rock to be dashed against. And if this is so in literature, the freest of all professions for women, how is it in the new professions which you are now for the first time entering?”

The Crisis by Thomas Paine

Sample lines: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

Politics and the English Language by George Orwell

Sample lines: “As I have tried to show, modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug.”

Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sample lines: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was ‘well timed’ in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.'”

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

Sample lines: “Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.”

Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Roger Ebert

Sample lines: “‘Kindness’ covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime.”

The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin

Sample lines: “Methinks I hear some of you say, must a man afford himself no leisure? I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; so that, as Poor Richard says, a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.”

The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sample lines: “Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work—the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside—the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don’t show their effect all at once.”

Open Letter to the Kansas School Board by Bobby Henderson

Sample lines: “I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. … Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. … We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him. It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories.”

Open Letter to the United Nations by Niels Bohr

Sample lines: “Humanity will, therefore, be confronted with dangers of unprecedented character unless, in due time, measures can be taken to forestall a disastrous competition in such formidable armaments and to establish an international control of the manufacture and use of the powerful materials.”

Persuasive Speech Writing Examples

Many persuasive speeches are political in nature, often addressing subjects like human rights. Here are some of history’s most well-known persuasive writing examples in the form of speeches.

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sample lines: “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Woodrow Wilson’s War Message to Congress, 1917

Sample lines: “There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.”

Chief Seattle’s 1854 Oration

Sample lines: “I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.”

Women’s Rights Are Human Rights, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Sample lines: “What we are learning around the world is that if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations do as well. … If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all.”

I Am Prepared to Die, Nelson Mandela

Sample lines: “Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on color, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one color group by another. … This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.”

The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt

Sample lines: “It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism—the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for 3,000 years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come.”

Freedom From Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

Sample lines: “Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”

Harvey Milk’s “The Hope” Speech

Sample lines: “Some people are satisfied. And some people are not. You see there is a major difference—and it remains a vital difference—between a friend and a gay person, a friend in office and a gay person in office. Gay people have been slandered nationwide. We’ve been tarred and we’ve been brushed with the picture of pornography. In Dade County, we were accused of child molestation. It is not enough anymore just to have friends represent us, no matter how good that friend may be.”

The Union and the Strike, Cesar Chavez

Sample lines: “We are showing our unity in our strike. Our strike is stopping the work in the fields; our strike is stopping ships that would carry grapes; our strike is stopping the trucks that would carry the grapes. Our strike will stop every way the grower makes money until we have a union contract that guarantees us a fair share of the money he makes from our work! We are a union and we are strong and we are striking to force the growers to respect our strength!”

Nobel Lecture by Malala Yousafzai

Sample lines: “The world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries, only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in algebra, mathematics, science, and physics? Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary and secondary education for every child. Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.”   

Persuasive Writing Examples in Advertising Campaigns

Ads are prime persuasive writing examples. You can flip open any magazine or watch TV for an hour or two to see sample after sample of persuasive language. Here are some of the most popular ad campaigns of all time, with links to articles explaining why they were so successful.

Nike: Just Do It

The iconic swoosh with the simple tagline has persuaded millions to buy their kicks from Nike and Nike alone. Teamed with pro sports-star endorsements, this campaign is one for the ages. Blinkist offers an opinion on what made it work.

Dove: Real Beauty

Beauty brand Dove changed the game by choosing “real” women to tell their stories instead of models. They used relatable images and language to make connections, and inspired other brands to try the same concept. Learn why Global Brands considers this one a true success story.

Wendy’s: Where’s the Beef?

Today’s kids are too young to remember the cranky old woman demanding to know where the beef was on her fast-food hamburger. But in the 1980s, it was a catchphrase that sold millions of Wendy’s burgers. Learn from Better Marketing how this ad campaign even found its way into the 1984 presidential debate.

De Beers: A Diamond Is Forever

A diamond engagement ring has become a standard these days, but the tradition isn’t as old as you might think. In fact, it was De Beers jewelry company’s 1948 campaign that created the modern engagement ring trend. The Drum has the whole story of this sparkling campaign.

Volkswagen: Think Small

Americans have always loved big cars. So in the 1960s, when Volkswagen wanted to introduce their small cars to a bigger market, they had a problem. The clever “Think Small” campaign gave buyers clever reasons to consider these models, like “If you run out of gas, it’s easy to push.” Learn how advertisers interested American buyers in little cars at Visual Rhetoric.

American Express: Don’t Leave Home Without It

AmEx was once better known for traveler’s checks than credit cards, and the original slogan was “Don’t leave home without them.” A simple word change convinced travelers that American Express was the credit card they needed when they headed out on adventures. Discover more about this persuasive campaign from Medium.

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

These candy ads are weird and intriguing and probably not for everyone. But they definitely get you thinking, and that often leads to buying. Learn more about why these wacky ads are successful from The Drum.

Maybelline: Maybe She’s Born With It

Smart wordplay made this ad campaign slogan an instant hit. The ads teased, “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.” (So many literary devices all in one phrase!) Fashionista has more on this beauty campaign.

Coca-Cola: Share a Coke

Seeing their own name on a bottle made teens more likely to want to buy a Coke. What can that teach us about persuasive writing in general? It’s an interesting question to consider. Learn more about the “Share a Coke” campaign from Digital Vidya.

Always: #LikeaGirl

Talk about the power of words! This Always campaign turned the derogatory phrase “like a girl” on its head, and the world embraced it. Storytelling is an important part of persuasive writing, and these ads really do it well. Medium has more on this stereotype-bashing campaign.   

Editorial Persuasive Writing Examples

Newspaper editors or publishers use editorials to share their personal opinions. Noted politicians, experts, or pundits may also offer their opinions on behalf of the editors or publishers. Here are a couple of older well-known editorials, along with a selection from current newspapers.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1897)

Sample lines: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.”

What’s the Matter With Kansas? (1896)

Sample lines: “Oh, this IS a state to be proud of! We are a people who can hold up our heads! What we need is not more money, but less capital, fewer white shirts and brains, fewer men with business judgment, and more of those fellows who boast that they are ‘just ordinary clodhoppers, but they know more in a minute about finance than John Sherman,’ we need more men … who hate prosperity, and who think, because a man believes in national honor, he is a tool of Wall Street.”

America Can Have Democracy or Political Violence. Not Both. (The New York Times)

Sample lines: “The nation is not powerless to stop a slide toward deadly chaos. If institutions and individuals do more to make it unacceptable in American public life, organized violence in the service of political objectives can still be pushed to the fringes. When a faction of one of the country’s two main political parties embraces extremism, that makes thwarting it both more difficult and more necessary. A well-functioning democracy demands it.”

The Booster Isn’t Perfect, But Still Can Help Against COVID (The Washington Post)

Sample lines: “The booster shots are still free, readily available and work better than the previous boosters even as the virus evolves. Much still needs to be done to build better vaccines that protect longer and against more variants, including those that might emerge in the future. But it is worth grabbing the booster that exists today, the jab being a small price for any measure that can help keep COVID at bay.”

If We Want Wildlife To Thrive in L.A., We Have To Share Our Neighborhoods With Them (Los Angeles Times)

Sample lines: “If there are no corridors for wildlife movement and if excessive excavation of dirt to build bigger, taller houses erodes the slope of a hillside, then we are slowly destroying wildlife habitat. For those people fretting about what this will do to their property values—isn’t open space, trees, and wildlife an amenity in these communities?”   

Persuasive Review Writing Examples

Book or movie reviews are more great persuasive writing examples. Look for those written by professionals for the strongest arguments and writing styles. Here are reviews of some popular books and movies by well-known critics to use as samples.

The Great Gatsby (The Chicago Tribune, 1925)

Sample lines: “What ails it, fundamentally, is the plain fact that it is simply a story—that Fitzgerald seems to be far more interested in maintaining its suspense than in getting under the skins of its people. It is not that they are false: It is that they are taken too much for granted. Only Gatsby himself genuinely lives and breathes. The rest are mere marionettes—often astonishingly lifelike, but nevertheless not quite alive.”

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (The Washington Post, 1999)

Sample lines: “Obviously, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone should make any modern 11-year-old a very happy reader. The novel moves quickly, packs in everything from a boa constrictor that winks to a melancholy Zen-spouting centaur to an owl postal system, and ends with a scary surprise. Yet it is, essentially, a light-hearted thriller, interrupted by occasional seriousness (the implications of Harry’s miserable childhood, a moral about the power of love).”

Twilight (The Telegraph, 2009)

Sample lines: “No secret, of course, at whom this book is aimed, and no doubt, either, that it has hit its mark. The four Twilight novels are not so much enjoyed, as devoured, by legions of young female fans worldwide. That’s not to say boys can’t enjoy these books; it’s just that the pages of heart-searching dialogue between Edward and Bella may prove too long on chat and too short on action for the average male reader.”

To Kill a Mockingbird (Time, 1960)

Sample lines: “Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; novelist Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life.”

The Diary of Anne Frank (The New York Times, 1952)

Sample lines: “And this quality brings it home to any family in the world today. Just as the Franks lived in momentary fear of the Gestapo’s knock on their hidden door, so every family today lives in fear of the knock of war. Anne’s diary is a great affirmative answer to the life-question of today, for she shows how ordinary people, within this ordeal, consistently hold to the greater human values.”   

What are your favorite persuasive writing examples to use with students? Come share your ideas in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, the big list of essay topics for high school (120+ ideas) ..

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English year 5 summer persuasive writing, persuasion and argument.

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Start with the core unit to introduce key texts. Then select from comprehension, SPAG and composition units.

Unit 1 Core: Introduction to features of persuasive texts (suggested as 4 days)

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• Unit Resources

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Essential Texts Essential texts are all provided in the resources document

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Websites Part 1 of I have a Dream analysis from www.bbc.co.uk Part 2 of I have a Dream analysis from www.bbc.co.uk Malala Yousafzai, UN Youth Assembly 2013 from malala.org Child-friendly introduction to Malala Yousafzai from www.bbc.co.uk

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Website Change 4 life from www.nhs.uk

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Optional Text The Advanced Persuasion Book by Sue Palmer ( see resources )

Website Newsround from www.bbc.co.uk

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Direct and Indirect Speech Year 5 Ready to Write Resource Pack

Step 5: Direct and Indirect Speech Year 5 Resources

Direct and Indirect Speech Year 5 Resource Pack includes a teaching PowerPoint and differentiated varied fluency and application and reasoning resources. This pack is designed to work alongside our GPS Scheme of Work for Autumn Block 1 .

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What's included in the pack?

This pack includes:

• Direct and Indirect Speech Year 5 Teaching PowerPoint.
• Direct and Indirect Speech Year 5 Varied Fluency with answers.
• Direct and Indirect Speech Year 5 Application and Reasoning with answers.

National Curriculum Objectives

English Year 4: (4G5.7)  Using and punctuating direct speech

English Year 4: (4G5.7)  Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech [for example, a comma after the reporting clause; end punctuation within inverted commas: The conductor shouted, “Sit down!”]

Varied Fluency Developing Questions to support identifying and punctuating individual pieces of direct and indirect speech which do not form a conversation. Expected Questions to support identifying and punctuating direct and indirect speech in short paragraphs with more than one speaker and a range of synonyms for ‘said’. Greater Depth Questions to support identifying and punctuating direct and indirect speech in short paragraphs with more than one speaker, speech interspersed with narrative and a range of synonyms for ‘said’.

Application Questions 1, 4 and 7 (Application) Developing Rewrite the sentences, adding the correct punctuation to the direct speech. Incudes individual, standalone sentences which do not form a conversation. Expected Rewrite the paragraph, adding the correct punctuation to the direct speech. Includes more than one speaker and a range of synonyms for ‘said’. Greater Depth Rewrite the paragraph, adding the correct punctuation to the direct speech. Includes more than one speaker, a range of synonyms for ‘said’ and speech interspersed with narrative.

Questions 2, 5 and 8 (Application) Developing Rewrite the sentences, turning the indirect speech into direct speech. Incudes individual, standalone sentences which do not form a conversation. Expected Rewrite the paragraph, turning the indirect speech into direct speech. Includes more than one speaker and a range of synonyms for ‘said’. Greater Depth Rewrite the paragraph, turning the indirect speech into direct speech. Includes more than one speaker, a range of synonyms for ‘said’ and speech interspersed with narrative.

Questions 3, 6 and 9 (Reasoning) Developing Explain if a sentence contains indirect speech. Incudes individual, standalone sentences which do not form a conversation. Expected Explain if a paragraph contains indirect speech. Includes more than one speaker and a range of synonyms for ‘said’. Greater Depth Explain if a paragraph contains indirect speech. Includes more than one speaker, a range of synonyms for ‘said’ and speech interspersed with narrative.

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Student Council Speech Sample

Writing a student council speech may seem daunting, but having an example to look at can help inspire you.

Use the speech on this page to help you think about what you might like to say to the students voting for you.

Following the example below, you will learn how to prepare the following parts of the Student Council Speech:

• Introduction

If you need more guidance after reading this page, visit  Twelve Vital Tips for Student Council Speeches and see another Sample Speech by "Charlie" that follows a twelve step process from knowing your audience to ending with a call-to-action.

The speech below was sent in by Stephanie who was running for student council President of her high school. 

Thanks for sharing your speech, Steph, and for helping other students get an idea of what to say!

After reviewing Steph's speech, check out another  student council speech sample  for additional inspiration.

Also, the book   Student Council Campaign: Winning Strategies, Speeches, Poster, and Slogans  reviewed below can help you take your entire campaign to a whole different level, not only your speech. 

Beginning of the student council speech

• Introduce yourself
• Set your audience at ease
• Use a quick attention getter or theme
• Provide a brief foreshadowing of your call to action 

Good afternoon, students and staff members! My name is Stephanie, and I'm running for student body president. I'll keep this quick as I'm sure you are ready to get out of here.

You might be saying to yourself, "Should Stephanie really be the student body president? After all, she's only been at our school for two years."

Body of the student council speech

• Organize around just 2-3 main ideas
• Provide 2-3 supporting details for each claim
• Points should solve for a pain your audience (your fellow students) feels

It's true that I am fairly new to Jefferson Anderson High School. At first glance, this may seem like a disadvantage. I didn't attend this school for my freshman and sophomore years, and I've only known most of you for a couple of years.

When you think about it though, there is actually a benefit in choosing someone who is coming into the school from somewhere else. I have new ideas that I can bring in from the school I was at before.

Are you tired of doing the same old things year after year? Are you ready to do something different?

One thing I noticed about this school when I came last year is that most of the students didn't really get to make any of the decisions here at the school.

Did anyone ever ask you what you wanted to do for a fundraiser? Did anyone ever ask you what you wanted to buy with the money we raised? Who makes these decisions?

Those types of decisions are left up to student council. The person you choose to represent you as president will speak for the entire senior class. Do you want to choose someone who will make those decisions for you without knowing what you want?

If you vote for me as student council president, I promise to always get your opinions before making any decisions. You should have a say in the actions that will affect you.

Every single one of you can come to me with your ideas, and I promise to listen and speak for you.

Conclusion of the student council speech

• Briefly summarize your main points
• Weave in your theme
• Include a clincher and call to action

I may not be the most well-known person running for student council president, but I promise to listen to each and every one of you.

You matter. Your opinion matters. Don't choose someone who will make all of the decisions for you. Don't vote for the person who will pick whatever their friends want them to choose.

Choose someone who wants to be your spokesperson. Choose someone who cares about what you want.

Choose me, Stephanie, for your student council president.

End of Speech

When writing a student council speech, you need to remember to research what the student body NEEDS and WANTS . Connecting with the audience is key. Let them know how you will serve them!

You can interview students, teachers, administrators, etc. to find out what would help your school grow and develop in a positive direction, then incorporate those ideas into your presentation.

This advice is useful whether you're running for student council president, treasurer or secretary. Do your due diligence and know what it is your target audience wants to hear before you write your speech!

Continue reading  Twelve Vital Tips for Student Council Speeches  and see another Sample Speech.

Or, check out the student council speech in the video below for more ideas on how to present the best address ever. This guy has charisma and is funny as well!

Winning Strategies for a Student Council Campaign eBook:

According to Isaac Myhrum, a winner of student council seats beginning in the 6th grade, you can develop the confidence and skills to lead. Isaac rose above the typical popularity contest to win on merit and credibility. His book  Student Council Campaign: Winning Strategies, Speeches, Poster, and Slogans  will guide you to improve your overall strategy and your student council speeches. 

Some of the lessons to help you win election include:

• developing campaign speech ideas and topics
• voter audience analysis
• forming a campaign team
• examples of successful posters
• and more advice for appealing to student voters.

You can order on  Amazon  for reading with the free Kindle App and support Best Speech Topics with a small commission. 

[Full disclosure: Best Speech Topics is a compensated affiliate of Amazon.]

Running for student council is an admirable pursuit. Use our student council speech guidance to become a representative of your council for the right reasons - to make positive change and help fellow students. Winning provides an opportunity to improve your school and make meaningful change. (Owens, E. (2015, August 11). Viewpoint: 4 reasons to run for student government . Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2015/08/11/viewpoint-4-reasons-to-run-for-student-government/37405191/)

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Speech examples

Farewell, welcome, engagement, introduction, persuasive, maid of honor, thank you, icebreaker, and more!

By:  Susan Dugdale  

There are speech examples of many types on my site. If you have a speech to write and don't know where to begin, you're most welcome to use any of them to kick start your own creative process into action.

They're listed in alphabetical order: from birthday speeches through to welcome speeches.

Happy reading, Susan

Click the links to find the speech examples you want to read. 

• Birthday speeches : 50th, 40th and 18th
• Christmas speeches : 3 examples for an office party

Demonstration speech sample

• Engagement party speeches : 5 sample toasts
• Eulogy samples : 70+ funeral speeches
• Farewell speeches : from a colleague leaving and to a colleague leaving
• Golden wedding speech
• Icebreaker speech for Toastmasters
• Introduction speeches : for a guest speaker, and for oneself
• Maid of honor speeches : 3 examples, including one for a sister

One minute speeches

• Persuasive speech sample
• Retirement speech sample
• Student Council : examples of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer campaign speeches 
• Thank you : an award acceptance speech example 
• Tribute : a commemorative speech example
• Welcome speech examples : to an event, to a church, to a family

Birthday speeches 

There are three birthday speeches for you to read.

50th birthday speech sample

The first example is a  50th birthday speech  for a man. It is written as if from a close male friend. You could call it a loving roast!

Here's the opening sentences:

"Good evening all. It's great to have you here. Most of you know my feeling on birthdays. Generally I say, what's the big deal?

By the  time you've had over thirty, there should be a cease and desist order against them.

They're not unusual. Everybody has them and at the same rate as everybody else - one a  year. They happen whether you want them to or not.

Believe me, I know. I've had quite a few  and looking around this room I can see it's the same for others as well.

So why are we here?" 

Read more:  50th birthday speech

40th birthday speech example

The second example is a  40 birthday speech  for a daughter and the speech is written as if it comes from her mother.

These are the opening sentences:

"On behalf of the Martin family and Camille in particular, it is my pleasure to welcome you here tonight to her 40th birthday celebration.

We are delighted to have you with us and especial thanks to those who have traveled from afar.

Before we eat I am going to say a few words about my beautiful daughter. I've promised her two things. I'll keep it short and I won't embarrass her by telling tales she'd rather I forgot."

Read more: 40th birthday speech example

18th birthday speech sample

The third example is an  18th birthday speech of thanks . The speaker is thanking their family and friends for coming along to their 18th birthday celebration. It's a mix of humor and sincerity.

The speech begins like this:

"This is a moment I’ve waited a long time for. 18! I am an adult. Yep, I’ve come of age. Hard to believe, isn’t?

(Dad, you were not supposed to agree so quickly.)

I can now vote, drive a car, marry, buy alcohol, a lottery ticket and tobacco, get a tattoo, or join the military without having to ask permission. Let me see. Which one will I do first?

Perhaps a more honest question is, which of those will I continue to do without fear of getting caught?

And while you think about that, I’d like to say thank you."

Read more: 18th birthday speech

Christmas speech - an office party example

This example is a mix of notes, which the speaker Joe Brown will expand as he delivers the speech, and full text which he'll say as written. The speech follows the step by step process of an outline.

Here's an extract from the concluding sentences:

"It's been a tough year but I'm proud of what we accomplished together. Some businesses haven't been able to do what we have done.

Thanks to you we'll be going into the new year with strength, to build on our accomplishments and to consolidate our position.

Let's celebrate that. It's a gift to be grateful for."

To read more: Christmas office party speech example

2 short company Christmas party speech samples

You have the full text of these two short speeches to read. Both come in at between 2-3 minutes when delivered.

Here's an excerpt from one of them:

"OK, let's be honest; who thought we'd be gathered together for a heigh-ho-merry-old-time back in August? Remember? How can we possibly forget?!

• Martin and Co, one of our more significant customers, downsized their regular order by more than 50% - a move that caught us on the hop and had has us scrambling for a bit.
• There was a little more of that, when an opportunistic phishing expedition by some very clever clowns threatened to hold us to ransom."

For more please go to: 2 short company Christmas party speech samples .

This demonstration speech covers the process involved in learning to how to leave an effective voice mail message.

I've entered the text of the whole speech into a step by step outline template so that you can see the structure. Then I made a video (audio + slides) too, so you can hear as well as read it if you want to.

Here's the opening:

"How many important voice mail messages have you bumbled through after the beep? Does recalling them make you feel a little uncomfortable?

Yep, me too. I’ve blundered. Mumbled and muttered. If it were possible, I would have gladly saved the person I was calling the hassle of deleting those messages myself. Before they were heard."

Read more: sample demonstration speech

Engagement party speeches - 5 sample toasts

Here are five short (and sweet) engagement party speeches. They've been written from the point of view of a mother, a father, a friend, the groom and the bride-to-be.

The extract is the opening from the speech a mother might give:

"Mary welcome to the family!

While we're all delighted that Bill has shown such good sense in choosing you I've got an extra reason to celebrate. Finally I get a daughter! Thankfully Bill changed his mind about girls being, as he put it aged about 12, 'really dumb'."

To see all five speeches: engagement party toasts 

Eulogy samples

We are extraordinarily blessed to be able offer over 70 eulogies for folk to read.  These have been sent in by people from all over the world who intimately understand the need to see what others have written before beginning the task of writing a eulogy for a loved one of their own.

You'll find funeral speeches for mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, wives, husbands, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, work colleagues...

Visit: eulogy examples

Two farewell speech examples

An example goodbye speech to colleagues .

This example farewell speech is written from the point of view of a person leaving their workplace: a goodbye speech to colleagues.  It's upbeat and follows the suggested content  guidelines you'll find when you visit the page. (There's a recording of it too.)

Here's part of the opening:

"Do you realize we've been sharing each other's company for 2920 days? 

Eight years of fun times, challenging times and everything in between.

And today I am officially leaving you!"

Go to:  farewell speech example : a goodbye speech to colleagues.

A sample farewell speech for a colleague leaving

Writing a farewell speech for a colleague who is leaving can be challenging. What do you put in? What do you leave out?

My example is the result of following a start to finish 7 step process for a speech to say goodbye to a co-worker.

Here's the introductory sentences:

"Who else has been marking off the days until Sam finally leaves us? It’s sad but from next Monday there’ll be a huge hole in our team. She’ll be basking in the sun on a beach in Bali and we’ll be wondering how we’re going to manage without her..."

To read more of the speech and to find out about the process of writing it click the link: farewell speech to a colleague leaving .

Golden wedding - 50th anniversary speech

What do white daisies, finding a stray coin down the back of the sofa, and motorbikes have in common?

Yes, they're all part of a golden wedding speech.

I've written this speech example as if it's being delivered by a man called Mark, to his much-loved wife of 50 years, Sarah.

Here's an excerpt from the beginning:

"After 50 years Sarah knows I am not good at romance or speaking about love. Those kind of words always got tangled on my tongue and caught between my teeth. They never did come out right, not as I intended anyway. Even when I proposed, it came out all wrong."

For more: 50th wedding anniversary speech example

An icebreaker speech for Toastmasters example

Ahh, the icebreaker speech! It's much loved by club members worldwide and whichever of the eleven Toastmaster pathways you choose when you join, this is always the first assignment.  

My icebreaker example, 'Stepping up to speak out', was written to illustrate an easily followed, step by step, process for getting from topic choice to speech preparation and delivery.

The beginning of the speech goes like this:

"Would you be surprised to know I nearly didn't make it here tonight?

I wonder how many of you experienced a moment or two of panic before giving your icebreaker speech. Just nod to let me know. { pause - look around }

Thank you, that's very reassuring. You've survived, so probably I shall too.

I am here wobbling rather nervously in front of you for three main reasons which I'll share. 

Here's the first."

For more: Icebreaker speech for Toastmasters

Samples of introduction speeches

There two introduction speech examples for you to look at.

One is an example self introduction speech - the kind of brief 1-2 minute speech you are often expected to make to introduce yourself to a group of people you're meeting for the first time at some sort of workshop or similar event.

Here's the opening of that speech:

"Hi everybody!

I'm Masie Smith, Senior Marketing Executive, from Watts and Frederick in Smalltown, Bigstate.

It's great to be finally here. I've been dreaming about the opportunity and possibilities of working collectively and directly with each other for a long time now. Jane and Sam can attest to that. There's been hours put in balancing the schedules to make it happen.

Webinars and email are fine but nothing beats face to face ."

For more: self-introduction speech example

The second is an introduction speech in which you introduce a guest- speaker to an audience. 

Here are the closing sentences. What's preceded them has carefully primed the audience to give the guest a warm welcome, by piling one piece of compelling biographical information on top of another.

"How she got from awkward tongue tied silence to an eloquent front line spokesperson is the story she will share with us tonight.

Ladies, I give you ... Rose Stephenson on speaking to lead."

For more: guest-speaker introduction example

Maid of Honor speech examples 

There are three Maid of Honor (MOH) speeches for you to read: two from the point of view of a best friend, and one from the point of view of a sister.

You'll find step by step guidelines with examples to illustrate each part of the process of preparing a speech for yourself. Follow them carefully and you'll finish with a Maid of Honor speech you'll be proud to deliver.

Two Maid of Honor speech examples

The first example is heartfelt, a speech written from the point of view of a close childhood friend. She's shared the best and most difficult of times with the bride.

Here are its opening sentences:

"Some one very wise, and obviously someone who knew Sonja and Mark said, “Don't marry a person you can live with. Marry somebody you can't live without."

That's what we're witnessing today – the union of two people who belong together. A perfect match!"

The second example is more light-hearted. It's a combination of sentiment and fun, and is written from the point of view of a trusted and loved friend. 

Here's the beginning:

"Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.

That's what we're celebrating today: a story of true love, a dream come true.

My name is Felicity and it's my privilege to be Sarah’s Maid of Honor.

Sarah is my Best Friend. I know it's a cliché. However clichés become clichés for a very good reason, because they're true. She's my BFF: Best Friend Forever.

For her I would wear the gaudiest, frothiest taffeta maid of honor dress possible and still smile. Fortunately I don't have to."

For more see: Maid of Honor speech examples

A Maid of Honor speech for a sister example

The opening segment of the speech is below. It recalls a loved childhood game which unites the past and present while drawing listeners in.   

"What a day, Mary!

Remember when we were kids, how we dressed up in Mom’s old party dresses? Put a white table cloth on our heads and marched around, singing, “Here comes the bride, fair fat and wide.”?

My name is Jennifer, and this beautiful woman, this stunning bride – the antithesis of “fair fat and wide” is my beloved little sister.

We laughed ourselves silly over that game. Now here we are 25 years later.

Not laughing. Mary’s not wearing a table cloth. And this time it’s for real.

I am honored to be asked to speak. Thank you."

For more go to: maid of honor speech for a sister

As part of a page offering 150 one minute speech topics I wrote and then recorded three example speeches to demonstrate what you could do with a one minute speech.

One of those speeches was on the topic: 'What my work clothes say about me'.

Here is the opening two paragraphs of that speech:

"Clothes make the man.  Yes, we judge each other on what we wear. And have done forever. 

For better, or for worse,  in the western working world, nothing says dependable and professional as eloquently as a  tailored grey business suit, a crisp white shirt and a pair of good shoes."

To read, and hear, all three speeches please visit: one minute speech topics *

* There is also a free downloadable printable one minute speech planner which will help  you consolidate the process of putting a speech together with minimum fuss.

A persuasive speech example

Here's a persuasive speech example using Monroe's Motivated Sequence - a five step structural pattern frequently used by professional persuaders: politicians and marketers. 

The topic is somber: suicide and its impact on those left behind. The purpose of the speech is to persuade listeners to learn more about the special needs of family members, friends and colleagues in the immediate aftermath of a suicide.

Here are the opening sentences:

"One fine Spring day I biked home from school and found a policemen guarding our backdoor. Through it came sounds I'll never forget; my quiet, well-mannered Mother screaming.  He said, "You can't go in." 

I kicked him in the shins and did.  It was the 15th of September, three days before my thirteenth  birthday and my father was dead.  Killed by his own hand. Suicide."

Read more: persuasive speech example

A sample retirement speech 

This retirement speech is an example of one that could be given by a teacher who's signing off after many years service in the same school.

Here's a taste of it:

"I've been asked what I'm going to do now. I'm going to do a lot of things and very few of them conform to the notion of retirement as a time of waiting for the inevitable end. Helen Hayes, put it this way: 'People who refuse to rest honorably on their laurels when they reach “retirement” age seem very admirable to me."

Read the whole speech: retirement speech sample

Sample student council speeches 

This page has everything you need to help you prepare a winning student council speech: comprehensive guidelines, a template, example speeches and a printable speech planner and outline document.

The speaker in my first example is running for president. 

Here's the opening to her speech:

"I’ve got a question for you. I’m not asking you to shout your answer out, or raise your hand. All I’m asking is that you give it room in your mind. Let it sit for a bit, and have a think about it.

My question is – do you believe like I do, that all of us deserve the opportunity to make the best of ourselves? Not second best, 3 rd , or even, highly commended. The BEST."

Get the guidelines, the template, and read the whole speech: sample Student Council speech for President

And now I've added three more sample Student Council speeches:

• Student Council speech for Vice President
• Student Council speech for Secretary
• Student Council speech for Treasurer

Thank you speech sample

The example thank you speech expresses gratitude for being the recipient of a community service award. 

"Who's considered the incredible power of thank you?  Those two words express gratitude, humility, understanding, as well as acknowledgement.

I am here with you: my family, many of my friends and colleagues, because I need to say all of that, and then some more."

You'll find the full speech, and guidelines covering how to write a speech of thanks here: thank you speech example

An example tribute speech

A tribute speech may also be a commemorative speech. That is a speech celebrating, praising or paying tribute to the memory of: a person, a group, an institution, a thing, an event or even an idea. Or it could be a eulogy or funeral speech; a speech celebrating a person's life.

This example tribute speech was written in memory of my mother, Iris.

"My Mother's name marked her out as the goddess of the rainbow, a messenger for the ancient Olympian gods and carrier of faith, hope and wisdom.

She was Iris. And although the meaning of her name is rich in imagery and history that wasn't why her parent's called her that. Instead it was something much closer to home.

After her birth my grandmother saw iris flowering out her bedroom window. She was named for the regal beauty of their dark purple flowers."

Read more: sample tribute speech

Example welcome speeches

There are three welcome speech examples for you to read: welcome to an event, welcome to a church, and welcome to the family. All three come with guidelines to help you prepare a good welcome speech of your own.

This example  is welcoming listeners to an event.  As part of that, the special guests are mentioned, as is, an outline of what's going to happen.

This is the opening:

"Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith, Jane Brown and all of our guests, welcome.

My name is April Molloy, and it's my privilege and pleasure on behalf of Parents United to welcome you here today.

We are delighted to have you with us to participate and share in our 5th annual Children's Day. Thank you for coming. That many of you have traveled long distances to be here serves as a reminder to us all just how important our work is."

You can read the rest here:  sample welcome speech .

A church welcome speech example

This sample speech welcomes visitors to the congregation. Along with the speech you'll also find links to additional resources to assist.

Here's the opening passage:

"I want to take a moment to extend a very warm welcome to everyone who's visiting us for the first time this morning. Whether you're just having a look, or are searching out for a place to worship, we're delighted to have you here.

To give you some idea of what we're all about, I'll quickly sketch some of our foundational beliefs."

Read more: church welcome speech example

Example welcome to the family speech

This is a short, and sweet, speech welcoming a bride or groom-to-be into a family at an event arranged for that purpose. The template it uses is entirely flexible.

Mary  {Replace the name Mary with the name of the person you are welcoming}  - welcome to the family!

Family, tribe, clan, kin, group - call it what you will: it's us - all of us!

We're mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins, 3rd cousins, even 53rd cousins, old and young, generations of us, linked together through shared DNA and history.

Look around. The faces smiling back at you are now your people too."

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100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

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If you are planning a persuasive speech, you should think about a topic that can engage your audience. For this reason, you may want to consider a few topics before settling on the one that allows you to be more descriptive and entertaining.

Another important factor when picking a persuasive speech topic is to choose one that can provoke your audience. If you stir up a little emotion in your audience members, you'll keep their attention.

The list below is provided to help you brainstorm. Choose a topic from this list, or use it to generate an idea of your own. It could even be an idea that opposes the proposed example. For instance, instead of arguing American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law, you could argue why this shouldn't be the case.

How to Pick a Good Persuasive Speech Topic

Persuasive speeches are generally meant to convince an audience to agree with an idea you present. The topics can range from political to scientific or societal, and professional to personal—or even fun. They can be almost anything.

Just remember, a persuasive speech is different than a persuasive essay because you are presenting to an audience. So as you decide on a topic, think about your audience and decide on a subject matter that will be appropriate, compelling, and engaging to discuss. Perhaps it's a timely issue attracting a lot of news coverage, or maybe you want to be motivational and encourage a healthy activity. Whatever it is, structure your argument with a hook to capture attention , a clear definition of the topic or issue, and finally, your proposed solution or opinion.

100 Examples of Persuasive Speech Topics

• Studying martial arts is good for mind and health.
• Competitive sports can teach us about life.
• Reality shows are exploiting people.
• Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students.
• The characteristics that make a person a hero.
• It's important to grow things in a garden.
• Violent video games are dangerous.
• Lyrics in a song can impact our lives.
• Traveling and studying abroad are positive experiences.
• Journal writing is therapeutic.
• You should spend time with your grandparents.
• A laptop is better than a tablet.
• Religion and science can go hand in hand.
• School uniforms are good.
• All-female colleges and all-male colleges are bad.
• Multiple-choice tests are better than essay tests .
• We should not spend money on space exploration.
• Open-book tests are as effective as closed-book tests.
• Security cameras keep us safer.
• Parents should have access to students' grades.
• Small classes are better than big classes.
• You need to start saving for retirement now.
• Credit cards are harmful to college students.
• We should have a royal family.
• We should protect endangered animals.
• Texting while driving is dangerous.
• You can write a novel.
• Recycling should be required in the U.S.
• State colleges are better than private colleges.
• Private colleges are better than state colleges.
• We should do away with penny coins.
• Fast food containers hurt the environment.
• Plastic straws are harmful to the environment.
• You can eat and enjoy healthy snacks.
• You can become a millionaire.
• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• You should own a bird.
• It's unethical to keep birds in cages.
• Liberal arts degrees prepare graduates to be better workers than other degrees.
• Hunting animals should be banned.
• Football is a dangerous sport.
• School days should start later.
• Night school is better than day school.
• Technical training is better than a college degree.
• Immigration laws should be more lenient.
• Students should be able to choose their schools.
• Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
• Grass lawns should be prohibited.
• Sharks should be protected.
• We should do away with cars and go back to horse and carriage for transportation.
• We should use more wind power.
• We should pay more taxes.
• We should do away with taxes.
• Teachers should be tested like students.
• We should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
• Every student should join a club.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• People should stay married for life.
• Smoking in public should be illegal.
• College students should live on campus .
• Parents should let students fail.
• Giving to charity is good.
• Education makes us happier people.
• T​he ​ death penalty should be outlawed.
• Bigfoot is real.
• We should increase train travel to save the environment.
• We should read more classic books.
• Fame is bad for young children.
• Athletes should stay loyal to teams.
• We should reform our prisons.
• Juvenile offenders should not go to boot camps.
• Abraham Lincoln was the best president.
• Abraham Lincoln gets too much credit.
• Students should be allowed to have cell phones in elementary, middle, and high school.
• College student-athletes should be paid for playing.
• Elderly citizens on fixed income should receive free public transportation.
• Colleges and universities should be free to attend.
• All American citizens should complete one year of community service.
• Students should be required to take Spanish language classes.
• Every student should be required to learn at least one foreign language .
• Marijuana should be legal for recreational use nationwide.
• Commercial testing of products on animals should no longer be allowed.
• High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
• The minimum drinking age in the U.S. should be 25.
• Replacing fossil fuels with cheaper alternative energy options should be mandated.
• Churches need to contribute their share of taxes.
• The Cuba embargo should be maintained by the U.S.
• America should replace income taxes with a nationwide flat tax.
• Once they reach the age of 18, all U.S. citizens should be automatically registered to vote .
• Doctor-assisted suicide should be legal.
• Spammers—people who bombard the internet with unsolicited email—should be banned from sending junk mail.
• Every automobile driver should be required to take a new driver's test every three years.
• Electroshock treatment is not a humane form of therapy.
• Global warming is not real.
• Single-parent adoption should be encouraged and promoted.
• Gun companies should be held accountable for gun crimes.
• Human cloning is not moral.
• Religion does not belong in public education.
• Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
• American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
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• How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech
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• 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
• Preparing an Argument Essay: Exploring Both Sides of an Issue
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Persuasive Speech Writing (Children's rights)

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Other

Last updated

17 May 2019

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How to Write a Speech to Win School Captain

Tips on Writing a Welcome Address at a High School Graduation

Writing and delivering a winning speech for a school leadership role requires planning, a sense of purpose and practice. No matter whether you are hoping to be picked for school captain, school president or class president, you need to convince others that you really, really want the job for all the right reasons. Make your speech less about you and more about what you can do to serve others and make a difference.

What Is a School Captain?

A school or class captain in the British school system is like a school or class president in the American school system. Despite different titles, the roles are similar. The purpose of a student leadership position is to act as a positive role model, encourage school spirit and embody school beliefs and values. A school captain is a go-between for teachers and students to represent the student voice and to ensure excellent two-way communication.

School Captain Responsibilities

Duties vary somewhat by school, but typically, assignments include bringing forward student concerns to the administration to advocate for positive change, such as healthier food options on the school menu and in vending machines. Student leaders may head a committee to plan student activities that will build a sense of community. Other tasks may include giving tours of the school to visitors and greeting parents who are attending functions.

Serious School Captain Speeches

Before launching your campaign or drafting your speech, interview a cross section of your classmates to find out what they like about the school and what improvements they hope to see in the upcoming year. Develop a consistent message in your campaign materials and speech that identifies your goals based on an assessment of student needs.

Do not fall into the trap of making grandiose promises just to be chosen by administration or voted into office. The tone of your speech should be upbeat, positive and high energy to hold your listeners' attention.

Humorous Class Captain Speech

If you are witty, outgoing and considered the class clown, you may want to interject humor into your speech. A funny but teacher-approved story will show your likable and relatable side.

For instance, you may want to share that you were cast as a juggler in the school play when making the point that you are experienced at juggling multiple tasks. However, do not go overboard with humor, or you run the risk of not being seen as a serious contender who will work hard.

Prepare Your Speech

Speeches are like English essays, with a strong beginning, middle and end. Keep in mind how much time you will be allotted because you may be cut off if you exceed the time limit. Outline your speech with main points and then write out your speech to avoid stumbling on your words or rambling.

Start with an introduction that includes your name, year in school and the reasons you are highly qualified to serve as school captain. List specific examples of your prior accomplishments in extracurricular activities and student organizations. Mention that you are a visionary student who believes every student should feel welcome and supported at the school.

In the body of your speech, identity two or three goals or issues you would like to address if selected for the position. Emphasize your leadership qualities. For instance, you might state that other students and teachers would describe you as outgoing, approachable, dedicated and responsible. End with an action statement summarizing what you hope to accomplish and directly ask for their vote or support. Show a draft of your speech to a favorite teacher and ask for feedback.

Practice Your Speech

Stand in front of a mirror at home and practice your speech or enlist your family as an audience. You should sound eager and excited to represent and serve fellow students. Smile, maintain good eye contact and use gestures intentionally. Speak clearly and articulate your words. Pretend you are confident even if you are shaking and super nervous. That is perfectly normal and does not mean you are not leadership material.

Related Articles

Senior Class President Duties

How to Write a Speech for the School Treasurer

How to Write a Speech Running for City Council

How to Write a Good Speech for School

8th Grade Graduation Speech Ideas

How to Improve Debating Skills

Student Council Funny Speech Ideas for Kids

Elementary Student Council Speech Ideas

• Brooklyn Technical High School: Junior Class President Speech
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: Speeches

Dr. Mary Dowd is a dean of students whose job includes student conduct, leading the behavioral consultation team, crisis response, retention and the working with the veterans resource center. She enjoys helping parents and students solve problems through advising, teaching and writing online articles that appear on many sites. Dr. Dowd also contributes to scholarly books and journal articles.

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How to Write a Student Council Speech

Last Updated: April 24, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 127 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,032,194 times.

Being a member of the student council can help you help your school. However, it takes hard work to get into the student council . You need to craft a good speech that gives your classmates incentives to vote for you.

Your Student Council Speech

Use a strong, attention-grabbing opening. Discuss your qualifications briefly, then move on. Focus your speech on your passion and present a blueprint to achieve your goals. Close with a strong summary and call to vote for you.

Sample Speeches

Writing the Introduction

• Do not merely start by saying, "My name is ___ and I'm running for student council." Your classmates will already know as much and this is not really a unique statement. There will be time to state the basic information after you've got the class's attention. [1] X Research source
• You can open with a question. Something like, "If there was one thing you could change about this school, what would it be?" Or a question that adds some humor , like, "I know what you're thinking. Why should I listen to this person?" and then proceed to lay out your credentials. Quotes on leadership, power, and guidance would also make good openings. However, make sure to double-check your sources and especially if you're finding quotes online. Many online quote databases, like Quote Garden or Brainy Quote, sometimes attribute quotes to the wrong sources. [2] X Research source
• If you're stuck, look up and read famous speeches. You can find many speeches from presidents, world leaders, civil rights activists, and others online. Pay attention to how they opened their speeches and ask yourself, "Was this interesting? Do I want to keep reading/listening? Why?" [3] X Research source

• State your name and grade in school. This may feel somewhat unnecessary if you go to a small school, but it's considered a formality. If you're missing this part of the speech, you may end up looking sloppy in comparison to other students. [5] X Research source
• State what you want. That is, what you're running for. Do you want to be the president , vice president , treasurer, secretary? Even if you think most students are aware of what position you're running for, make sure you state it here to remind them. [6] X Research source
• Try to keep this section brief as it's not as important as your qualifications and plans to improve the school . Even one sentence would suffice. For example, "My name is Ramona Hart, I'm in the 11th grade, and I'm running for treasurer of the student council."

• Any accomplishments relevant to the position warrant mentioning here. If you're running for secretary, for example, talk about your summer job filing papers in your uncle's law firm. If you're running for student council president, talk about your leadership experience being captain of the swim team. [7] X Research source
• While this section is important, try to keep it minimal. A couple of sentences laying out your qualifications is enough as the body of your speech is where you should spend the most time. For example, let's go back to the above example. From there, we could say, "I am currently enrolled in advanced placement algebra and I have been an honor roll student for three years. This knowledge of numbers and diligence qualifies me to have responsibility for finances for our student council." [8] X Research source

Writing the Body of the Speech

• You should list your ideas and then expand on them later in the body. It might take a bit of research to figure out what you want to change. Ask around the school, talking to students and teachers, and see where there's room for improvement. What are the concerns of the students? What are people happy with regarding the school? What would they like to see change? Asking these questions can help you get a sense of your audience and community.
• Remember, you should not make promises you cannot keep. Do not say anything just to get elected. While many students might want gum-chewing policies eliminated or for the lunch period to run twice as long, this is probably not necessary or possible. Try to focus on areas that seem important to keep your school running safely and efficiently. Concerns about things like bullying , academic standards, and extracurricular activities should be your concern over fun and games. [10] X Research source
• A good opening statement for your body would state the causes important to you and what you plan to do about them. For example, if you were running for president, you could say something like, "I understand we need to improve how we handle bullying, increase interest in extracurricular activities, and expand access to AP courses throughout the school. As your president, I would work to bring in speakers to talk about sensitivity in the classroom, increase advertising for basketball games and quiz bowl tournaments, and start a tutoring program to help students struggling with certain subjects." [11] X Research source

• Using the school library or computers, figure out the best means to tackle certain problems many schools face. How have other schools dealt with bullying? Poor test scores? Low interest in extracurricular activities? What can you reasonably do as a student council member to address these problems? [12] X Research source
• You do not have to have a point-by-point plan laid out, but a few sentences on some preliminary ideas can help you stand out from your peers. People are more inclined to vote for someone who's thought about how to solve problems in addition to identifying problems. [13] X Research source

Ending with a Strong Conclusion

• Do summarize, briefly, your qualifications but do not put the main focus on them. This is where you should sincerely state your passion. Students should not just vote for you because you'd do a good job but because you genuinely care about the school. State your passion for your community and how much you want to see other students succeed. Lots of students have high qualifications. You can set yourself apart by being a candidate who really cares. [16] X Research source

• Research what other student council speeches are like on video websites. This could help give you ideas.

Expert Q&A

• Only promise to do things that you really can do. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
• Practice reading your speech a few times, as you'll likely be nervous before giving it. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0

• Even if you write a great speech, understand you may lose. Be prepared to lose graciously and sincerely congratulate the winning candidate. Thanks Helpful 104 Not Helpful 16
• Unlike in a governmental election, student council candidates should not attack each other, previous leaders, or other students. Otherwise, you could get into trouble and leave a bad impression on voters. Thanks Helpful 78 Not Helpful 16

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.studentcouncilpro.com/student-council-speeches.html
• ↑ http://www.write-out-loud.com/student-council-speeches.html
• ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.

About This Article

To write a student council speech, start with an attention-grabbing statement such as a question or a powerful quote about leadership. Next, briefly explain who you are, what position you are running for, and why you are running. Then list any relevant qualifications, such as a summer job. In the body of the speech, discuss at least 3 ways to improve the school. For this section, make sure not to make any promises you can’t keep. Finally, end by briefly reiterating your main points and asking for the students’ vote. To learn more about how to support your ideas and research for your speech, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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