Topic: The Titanic
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the Titanic’s sinking.
Central Idea: There are many different speculations of how the famous sinking of the Titanic occurred as well as what really caused the “unsinkable ship” to be swallowed by the ocean.
Attention Getter: Imagine that you are riding along England’s dusty roads in your car. Every bump you hit is a reminder that you are moments away from reaching your destination. The sun is shining on this mid-April morning. The car stops, you have arrived. As you peak your head out of the car’s open door, you get your first glance at it. You’ve never seen something so large and beautiful in your entire life. Suddenly it sinks in; this ship will be your new home until you dock in America, the land of dreams. It’s 1912, and you are about to board the largest ship in the world. This ship has been rumored to change lives, and you are ready to start your adventure and begin a new chapter in your life in America. The ship’s whistle blows. It’s now or never, time to board. As you step off the platform onto the ship you take one last look at the life and world you are leaving behind. With one final deep breath in, you turn away and take your final step on the R.M.S. Titanic. Running to the top deck to wave your final goodbye’s to your love ones left behind. The ship starts to move. No turning back now, your adventure has started. You’re going to America!
Preview: Today I am going to inform you about the Titanic, why the ship was so important, the events that led up to the sinking and how it sank, and the events that occurred after the ship went down.
Transition: Let’s begin by discussing what the Titanic is.
I. What is the Titanic? According to Leo Marriott’s book “Titanic,” there are many different things that made Titanic what it was.
A. The Titanic was one of the three luxury ships built in the early 1900’s.
B. Building of the Titanic started on May 31, 1911.
C. Was to be the largest and most luxurious ship of its time.
D. According to Charles Pellegrino’s book “Her Name, Titanic,” even 3rd class was extravagant for its time. Compared to 2nd class in previous ships, 3rd class passengers had never been treated as well.
D.i. Food was plentiful, 3rd class accommodations were better than ever experienced before.
D.ii. White Star wanted all of its passengers to have a wonderful experience.
E. The boat was built to hold a maximum of 3,547 passengers, but at the time of the voyage, the ship departed with only 2,223 passengers aboard.
F. Titanic had a length of 882ft 9in, and was 175ft from the height from the keel to the top of the funnels.
G. A fun fact about the Titanic was that it was built not only to take passengers from England to New York City, New York, but also as a Royal Mail Ship. According to Jennifer Rosenberg’s article “10 Facts About the Titanic That You Didn’t Know,” it was officially responsible for delivering mail for the British postal service.
H. Bruce Ismay, an owner, was sent along with Thomas Andrews, the architect, to make sure things went smoothly and to make recommendations to any changes that were noticed on the voyage.
Transition: Now that we know a little bit more about the Titanic and what it was, we need to understand why this ship in particular was so important.
II. Why is the Titanic so important?
A. According to Charles Pellegrino’s book “Her Name, Titanic,” It was considered unsinkable by the passengers, crew, and funders and was referred to as “the unsinkable ship.”
A.i. This was not advertised, but was a rumor started by the funders and designer.
A.ii. According to James Cameron’s illustrated screenplay and movie “Titanic,” it was also thought to be unsinkable because it was built in a way that if hit, it could withstand four compartments flooding and still stay afloat.
B. Because of Titanic’s title as “unsinkable,” the ship only held just enough life boats to carry half of the passengers