Logic Schmogic....
Students will write a speech that begins as reasonable, well-intentioned, and persuasive, but slowly—and then clearly—goes off the rails.
At first, the audience should agree with the speaker. About halfway through, the logic starts to stretch. By the end, the audience should be thinking:
Wait… how did we end up here?
The speech must include a logical fallacy, specifically:
Correlative fallacy (assuming correlation equals causation), or
Associative fallacy (guilt by association, faulty linking)
The speaker should sound confident the entire time.
Begin with an issue most people would agree with:
Health
Safety
Education
Community well-being
Responsibility
The opening should feel sincere and grounded.
Early on, the speaker should:
Use calm, responsible language
Reference “studies,” “data,” or “patterns” (without needing real citations)
Sound thoughtful, not extreme
About halfway through, introduce a correlation or association:
Two things that appear together
One behavior linked to another
A shared environment, group, or habit
This is the moment:
Correlation quietly becomes causation
Association becomes blame
The speaker never admits the leap—they act like it’s obvious
The speech should end decisively:
A call to action
A policy proposal
A moral conclusion
The speaker believes they are completely reasonable.
Logical structure
Fallacy recognition through creation
Tone control
Audience manipulation
The difference between sounding right and being right
Note: The numbers below are NOT to match up the columns. Rather, it makes it more fun for "random number" matchups. Try it! Randomly generate a number from 1-50, then do it again. Make the logical leap! Have fun!
Protecting public health
Reducing preventable disease
Keeping children safe
Improving student focus
Supporting mental health
Encouraging healthy habits
Reducing stress in daily life
Making schools more effective
Preparing students for the real world
Creating safer communities
Preventing addiction
Promoting responsibility
Protecting the environment
Reducing pollution
Encouraging civic engagement
Making public spaces safer
Improving access to education
Supporting working families
Reducing burnout
Increasing productivity
Preventing accidents
Encouraging critical thinking
Fighting misinformation
Supporting scientific research
Protecting vulnerable populations
Encouraging kindness and respect
Reducing violence
Improving communication
Promoting fairness
Encouraging accountability
Strengthening democracy
Supporting local communities
Reducing inequality
Improving quality of life
Encouraging lifelong learning
Promoting honesty
Supporting emotional well-being
Preventing harm before it happens
Encouraging healthy decision-making
Creating a more informed public
Supporting youth development
Improving public trust
Encouraging balance in life
Reducing unnecessary risk
Protecting shared resources
Improving long-term outcomes
Supporting evidence-based decisions
Encouraging thoughtful behavior
Increasing the awareness of people's 5th amendment right
Promoting social responsibility
Ban volcanoes to prevent climate change
Deputize bald eagles as federal law enforcement
Mandatory background music during all political debates
Bee propaganda campaigns to improve national morale
Outlaw fire because it’s present in every major disaster
Require mood rings for all public officials
Eliminate chairs to improve focus and posture
Regulate walking speed in urban areas
Prohibit mirrors to reduce anxiety and narcissism
Ban umbrellas because people who carry them get sick anyway
Replace traffic lights with vibes and intuition
Mandatory capes for emergency responders (correlates with heroism)
Abolish small talk to increase honesty
National nap hour to solve burnout and productivity loss
Make whispering illegal; it correlates with secrets
Prohibit left turns because they cause more accidents
Assign everyone a government-issued theme song
Replace standardized tests with obstacle courses
Require politicians to pass a lie detector and a rhythm test
Ban nighttime because crimes happen at night
Replace warning labels with interpretive dance
Outlaw pigeons; they’re always near suspicious activity
Require all news to be read by children to ensure honesty
Mandatory happiness training for sad weather regions
Prohibit sarcasm due to its link with negativity
Replace national flags with color-changing LEDs
Ban coffee after 10 a.m. to reduce stress culture
Institute silence zones for thinking too hard
Eliminate Mondays; productivity drops correlate strongly
Require eye contact to unlock phone apps
Legalize arguments only in haiku form
Ban notebooks; over-planning leads to anxiety
Replace detention with guided forest wandering
Require elected officials to be mildly embarrassed once a week
Outlaw boredom; it’s linked to bad decisions
Mandatory clown noses during serious meetings
Replace police sirens with calming chimes
National “touch grass” initiative (literally enforced)
Remove clocks from schools to reduce time pressure
Require all apologies to include snacks
Prohibit rain because it ruins moods and events
Replace grades with emojis
Requiring people to hug during the high notes of the National Anthem
Ban escalators; stairs build character
Require people to earn their last name
All laws must rhyme to be enforceable
Remove doors; closed spaces cause secrecy
Mandatory optimism licenses
Replace prisons with very intense book clubs
Declare yelling a public health emergency