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PROPOSAL FOR YOUR PERSUASIVE SPEECH

Name: Jasper Gifford
Class:
Due Date:
Before starting to write the draft for your Persuasive Speech, you must submit your
Proposal to your English teacher for checking. This Proposal Document is the first essential
Checkpoint you need to complete for this task. It is designed to help you work through,
develop and confirm your initial ideas so you are ready to write your draft. Please ensure
your responses are detailed and answer all the questions. The more details you provide, the
more decisions can be made and the easier the writing process will be.
1. Reword the task in your own words to confirm your understanding of this task.
(i.e. What is it asking you to do?)

To use a group within the film “Hidden figures” to persuade a group of delegates that media
representation of marginalized groups can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and
challenging peoples perspectives.

2. Do you believe the provided media text is a powerful tool in shaping/challenging

perspectives? Provide a reason for your answer.

I believe that Hidden Figures is a powerful tool in shaping/challenging perspectives

Because of its representation of the women of colour within NASA. Personally I
never considered the possibility that women of colour would have been such an
integral part of the first mission to space, so this film challenged my perspective.

3. Is this issue of ‘the power of media’, relevant to us today? Should we use media to
challenge perspectives on key issues in society? Provide reasons for your answer.

The issue of the power of media is relevant to us today, because of the power that the media
holds in todays society. With the amount of people who have access to the internet, the
media can reach more people. With its widespread reach, the media has the ability to shine a
light on the inequalities of the world and hold those in power accountable. One of the
biggest threats in todays society is media censorship, because without the media, we
become unaware of what happens in society.
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4. Which group from Hidden Figures will you use as the example in your speech? Do you
believe they are represented as being empowered or disempowered? Provide your
reasons.

I will be focusing on the women of colour, specifically Katherine, Dorothy, Mary. They are
being represented as disempowered. This is due to the numerous prejudices they face
throughout the movie due to their race and gender.

5. Identify THREE key scenes from the film that portray this group (you will analyse these
scenes and use them as evidence in your speech). List them here:

The Scene where Katherine explains how long she has to walk for the toilet

The scene where the three women are stopped by the police officer

The scene where Mary seeks permission to attend the segregated university

6. Which specific film techniques were used in these 3 key scenes to deliberately create a
representation of Power of your chosen group? List them here:

Camera angles, music, dialogue

7. Write out your line of argument for your speech here (include the points you want to
make):

Hidden figures exposes us to the various different perspectives of the space race. While the
original narrative we have been fed was the space race was the sole success of the white male
engineers, Hidden Figures reveals that female mathematicians of colour were an integral part
of the space race. These women fought the numerous prejudices of the Jim Crow era to
achieve success.

Media challenges everyone to question the status quo, and fight for those who do not have
power.
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8. Write your opening paragraph here:

Hidden Figures, a film by director Theodore Melfi based on the novel written by Margot
Shetterly explores the integral role the black female mathematicians working at NASA in the
1950s. The film challenges the ideas and laws of the Jim crow era of America, which directly
inhibited the ability at which black Americans could perform at their job. Melfi uses the
widespread medium of film to raise awareness that disempowered groups are extremely
important to social change, the implications of unfair distribution of power and finally the
misuse of power is represented as something that still impacts our society today.

9. What is your purpose/intention? What do you want your audience to know and
understand about the power of the media, after listening to your speech?

I want the audience to appreciate the true power that media has in todays society in regard
to social change.

10. What do you want your audience to do as a result of listening to your speech? What
will be your call to action at the end of your speech?

My call to action will be to always keep in mind that the power that media can have.

11. LIST the Persuasive writing techniques you intend to use in your speech. Provide a
specific example of each one from your speech.

Emotive language

Quotes from the film

Repetition

Call to action

Rhetorical questions
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12. LIST the Persuasive delivery techniques you intend to use in your presentation.

Gestures

Diction

Eye contact

Teacher’s signature and date feedback was given: