Lights Speech Refined Outline

Speech Outline

1. Introduction (00:45)
2. Attention getter

Lights, an incredibly important invention that is taken for granted by most people. Most people don’t mind leaving the lights on when they leave a room, or turning on all the lights in the room, even when it is day time. Though this might not matter at an individual scale, it dials up pretty quickly when 100’s of millions of people are doing the same thing. The light that isn’t appreciated by us, is appreciated and used responsibly by this young child in this image. 

1. Context (exigence and audience and constraints of artifact)

• Exigence: Why do most of us need so much excess of light? 
• Audience: This is a question to anyone who consumes around the same light as an average person.
• Constraints: Of course we don’t know why each individual consumes the amount of light they do, but an average human does cause a lot of light pollution.

1. Mode of analysis/criticism (from Keywords)

• Through visual rhetorical analysis of this image we see how sufficiency is the key and not excessiveness.

1. Thesis (main claim regarding your artifact that body builds upon)

• The image signifies how a minimalist usage of light isn’t necessarily giving up on basic needs. One can live a normal life while doing their best to use as little lighting as possible. 

1. Preview main points

MP 1: There is a warm feeling one gets looking at the image because of the colors and the lighting giving the feeling of sufficiency and satisfaction. The light isn’t too much or too little, just enough for the boy to do his assignment.

MP 2: By analyzing the boy’s face and the stance of his hands, one can see that the focus that the boy has towards his work isn’t affected by the lighting. 

1. Body (2:30)
2. MP #1

There is a warm feeling one gets looking at the image because of the colors and the lighting giving the feeling of sufficiency and satisfaction. The light isn’t too much or too little, just enough for the boy to do his assignment.

1. Link mode of analysis to thesis with a minor claim

Through visual rhetoric, one can make the connection between how the minimal lighting creates an atmosphere which gives a warm feeling while looking at the image.

1. Evidence that supports your claim building on overall thesis

The colors yellow, red, and orange are usually associated with heat. The colors make the atmosphere in the image look visually warm in the cold black background, making the lights not seem as inadequate, but rather appreciated.

2. Evidence

Lights of these colors also don’t light up the room as bright as white light. The light in the image illuminates the room just enough for the boy to read the book, giving the feeling of warmth through the feeling of minimalism.

(Transition to Mp 2)

The effect of satisfaction is enhanced by looking at the determination of the boy. The warmth feeling one gets from the image is also derived from the fact that it doesn’t matter how much the lighting is, the boy himself feels satisfied.

1. MP #2 

By analyzing the boy’s face and the stance of his hands, one can see that the focus that the boy has towards his work isn’t affected by the lighting. 

1. Link mode of analysis to thesis with a minor claim

Through visual rhetoric the connection between satisfaction and minimal light usage is enhanced using the boy’s focus and determination.

1. Evidence that supports your claim building on overall thesis

The facial expression of the boy shows that he isn’t sad, depressed, excited, or happy, he is just working. There isn’t a smile or a frown on his face or an upside or downward curve on his eyebrows, he is just facing his work and doing it. 

2. Evidence

His hands aren’t all over the place, while one locates where he is in the reading, the other is writing. He has also placed the books in a way that they stay in his reach as much as possible. 

[transition to conclusion]

Why is this boy living like this? Is it a choice or a fact that he simply has to accept? Either way we see him well tuned with what he is doing.

 III. Conclusion (00:45)

1. Restate thesis (main claim) 

When one thinks of minimal use, they usually imagine themselves less happy due to the lack of material pleasure, but minal usage, in this case of lights, can make someone just as fine if they feel satisfied on the inside.

1. Summarize salient points of body (evidence that builds the case for main claim)

The atmosphere created in the image through the colors, light, and the boy’s focus and determination show how minimal usage can in fact feel good. Extremity isn’t needed to make one feel emotionally well. 

1. Connect thesis to evidence stating why you in fact delivered on your thesis

 Why is this idea of using minimum lights so important? Imagine looking at the night sky and not being able to see any stars. This is the reality in most megacities around the world. We have manipulated our natural surroundings in a way that we are making ourselves step out of the nature which gave us birth to. These light polluting factors have many effects on the environment of course, but also the human body itself. 

According to a report by the national geography’s team, a hormone called melatonin in our body is only released in the dark. If a human doesn’t expose himself to the dark for long, it causes a lack of this hormone which brings in many health problems like stress, headache, fatigue, and anxiety. Humans by nature need some darkness. 

So let’s not let our scientific inventions harm us or our environment, but continue to help us by turning off one light at night at a time.

Works Cited

National Geographic Society. “Light Pollution | National Geographic Society.” Education.nationalgeographic.org, 16 July 2022, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution.