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.
- 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?
- 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.