What is the main point of the speaker’s presentation

TED is a nonprofit organization that began in 1984 as a conference about Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Today, TED is devoted to spreading ideas on limitless subjects, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). You can watch thousands of recorded TED Talks on www.TED.com. TED’s mission is to build a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers, so curious souls like you can connect and engage with those ideas and each other.

The Writing Process

Follow the steps in the writing process to compose this essay:

1. First, go to the TED website (www.TED.com) and watch some artist talks that interest you. If you don’t know where to begin, try viewing some of the “The Most Popular Artist TED talks” videos. Don’t feel pressured to write about the first talk you view. Instead, take some time to view several talks and then decide which one inspires you the most.

2. After you have selected which TED Talk you want to analyze for this essay assignment, go ahead and watch the TED Talk again, taking notes as you view it. As you watch, critically think about the presentation’s effectiveness. Consider the following questions:

• What is the main point of the speaker’s presentation?

• What qualifications does the speaker have to present on the topic?

• What facts and other evidence does the speaker provide to support his/her claims?

• What types of persuasive appeals does the speaker use within his/her presentation?

• Do you recognize any logical fallacies in the speaker’s presentation?

• Who is the intended audience for this presentation (i.e. who would benefit the most from listening to this presentation)?

• What is the larger conversation on the subject matter? What other viewpoints should be considered?

3. After viewing your TED Talk several times and taking notes on it, you should be ready to begin organizing your raw ideas into an outline for an analysis essay on it. To start your outline, you must first decide on a thesis (central idea) to convey to your readers. Your goal is to draft a thesis sentence that includes your general evaluation of the Talk and also forecasts how you plan to support your evaluation—for example:

In his TED Talk titled “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” Sir Ken Robinson makes a strong argument for how traditional education stifles children’s creativity.

As you create your outline, keep in mind that your analysis essay must include an introductory paragraph (at the end of which you will state your thesis), at least two (2) body paragraphs in which you support your thesis with evidence, and a concluding paragraph. Please plan to find one other source to support the argument you pose in your thesis statement. This can and should be a reputable online source that is appropriately cited at the end of your paper. Your total essay should be 2 pages in length (12 pt. font, double spaced, standard margins).

4. Take some time away from your first draft (at least a day) and then read it over with “fresh eyes.” Think of ways that you can revise your writing to make it clearer and more detailed. Consider whether you need to include more specific details, or whether you need to reorganize your points. Pay special attention to your thesis to be sure it accurately conveys the central point of your analysis, and make sure that each of your body paragraphs begins with a clear topic sentence that relates back to your thesis.

5. Read over your revised essay several times to proofread for mistakes in grammar, word choice, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Try reading your essay out loud or from the conclusion up to catch all mistakes. Be warned: Essays that are not carefully proofread and edited will receive lower grades!