Attention Grabbers

I teach my students to open their speeches with some sort of intriguing hook. They are not permitted to begin with, "Hello, my name is" or "Today I will talk to you about," as most people (including the person grading them) tune out immediately upon those words. I encourage them to open with a brief quote, story, skit, statistic, or any other device that enables them to gain attention. Below is what a group of students proposed as an attention grabber for their next persuasive speech on cleaning up our beaches.

"Imagine a family trip to the beach. Your little sister is wading out joyfully into the water. You look away for a few moments, engaged in a conversation with your parents. When you look back, her dead body is floating in the ocean, ensnared by a plastic six pack ring. Except you are a turtle. This is how turtles feel daily."