Speech topic ideas - Ms. McMahon's Assignment Page



McMahon

Here are some topics I gleaned from various sources/books/internet cites. It is unlikely that you will be able to persuade an audience to change a value or principle. Consider a topic that involves making an incremental change. Additionally, if an audience already agrees with your speech (no more homework in high school for example), then your talk will not be persuasive. BRAINSTORM for a topic that will involve some scholarly consideration!

Speech topic ideas

Informative Speech Topics

• Inform my audience about the origins and current trends in public radio.

• Inform my audience about how a natural disaster develops such as a tornado, a hurricane, or an earthquake.

• Inform my audience about the origins, development, and ethical implications of polygraph testing.

• Inform my audience on the frequency and use of deception in commercial advertising.

• Inform my audience about how to conduct genealogical research (family history).

• Inform my audience about the growth of women's participation in sports.

• Inform my audience about a cultural or religious custom.

• Inform my audience about marriage rituals around the world.

• Inform my audience about the history and development of jigsaw puzzles.

• Inform my audience about the most common verbal and nonverbal indicators of deception.

• Inform my audience about how to obtain one's credit report and what it means.

• Inform my audience about the latest developments in HIV/AIDS research.

• Inform my audience about how and why interest rates affect stock prices.

• Inform my audience about the history and mystery of crop circles.

• Inform my audience about the uses of humor in hospital settings.

• Inform my audience about critically evaluating information on the Internet.

• Inform my audience about NASCAR racing.

• Inform my audience about past and current trends for homelessness in the United States.

• Inform my audience about the effects of color and how colors are used in business and professional settings.

• Inform my audience about how to balance a checkbook.

• Inform my audience about how the salary cap in professional football works.

Demonstration Speech Topics

A good place to find ideas for a demonstration speech is . This Web site gives you step-by-step instructions in many areas.

Persuasive Speech Topics

• Persuade my audience that welfare mothers should (not) be required to work.

• Persuade my audience that congressional term limits should (not) be imposed.

• Persuade my audience why it is (not) necessary to participate in a recycling program.

• Persuade my audience that it is (not) crucial for people to develop a career before marriage.

• Persuade my audience why Americans should (not) become bilingual.

• Persuade my audience why Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) should (not) be more strictly regulated at the federal level.

• Persuade my audience on why the U.S. government should provide more funds for the arts.

• Persuade my audience that a certain country, state, or city is an ideal place for a vacation.

• Persuade my audience why the use of animals in cosmetics testing and medical research should (not) be banned.

• Persuade my audience that college students should (not) be required to take a foreign language class.

• .

Special Occasion Speech Topics

• Deliver a best man or maid-of-honor's toast to a wedding couple at their reception.

• Deliver an inspiring speech at a high school or college commencement ceremony.

• Deliver a eulogy for a historical figure.

• Deliver an acceptance speech for winning an award, such as a scholarship, a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize, or MVP of an athletic competition.

• Deliver a speech on a company's successes at an annual banquet.

• Give a roast at an employee's retirement party.

• Deliver a speech as a newly appointed company president to employees.

• Deliver the keynote address to an important gathering, such as the National Organization for Women's annual convention.

• Give an entertaining speech on the use of humor during the keynote luncheon at the American Medical Association's annual convention.

• Deliver a progress report to management on a group's development of their advertising campaign.



General Subjects

The list below is designed to help you select a topic, but be aware that many of these subjects are broad and would need to be narrowed for a classroom speech. For example, advertising could be narrowed to political attack ads or tobacco ads.

• Abandoned children

• Abuse of animals

• Abuse of children

• Abuse of medication

• Abuse of spouse

• Abuse of the elderly

• Academic dishonesty

• Academic freedom

• Accidents, aircraft

• Accidents, fraudulent

• Accidents, industrial

• Accidents, prevention

• Accidents, sports

• Accidents, traffic

• Acid rain

• Addiction to drugs

• Adoption of children

• Adoption of wild animals

• Advertising

• Aerobic exercise

• African killer bee

• Age and discrimination

• Age and intelligence

• Agricultural pests

• Air bags, automobile

• Air pollution

• Alternative fuels

• Alternative imprisonment

• Alternative medicine

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Amusement parks, safety

• Animal communication

• Animal experimentation

• Animal extinction

• Animal training

• Anti-theft devices for cars

• Antibiotics

• Antioxidants

• Antismoking movement

• Anxiety attacks

• Aquariums

• Architectural design

• Art therapy

• Art treasures

• Assassinations

• Asteroids

• Astronauts

• Athletes, nutrition

• Athletes, psychology

• Athletes, women

• Auctions

• Automobiles, electric

• Automobiles, safety

• Back pain

• Bald eagle

• Beekeeping

• Behavior, compulsive

• Behavior, Type A

• Bicycles, commuting

• Billboards

• Biotechnology & genetics

• Bird-watching

• Blood banks

• Blood pressure

• Bombings

• Bone marrow

• Books and censorship

• Burglary protection

• Caffeine

• Calcium

• Cancer

• Car theft

• Cave drawings

• Cell phone etiquette

• Censorship in the arts

• Charities

• Checking accounts

• Child labor laws

• Child support

• Children and war

• Children of AIDS patients

• Children of the mentally ill

• Cholesterol

• Chronic fatigue syndrome

• City planning

• Civil liberties

• Clean water

• Climatic changes

• College athletes

• College costs

• College campus crimes

• Common cold

• Communication, family

• Communication, medicine

• Commuting

• Computer fraud

• Computer graphics

• Computer viruses

• Con artists

• Consumer protection

• Contamination of water

• Coral reef ecology

• Cosmetic surgery

• Cosmic rays

• Coyotes

• Credit card fraud

• Credit card misuse

• Crime prevention

• Cults

• Debt relief

• Deep-sea ecology

• Deficit spending

• Depletion of ozone layer

• Depression, mental

• Desalinization of water

• Diabetes

• Diagnosis, ultrasonic

• Diet and nutrition

• Digital music

• Digital television

• Dinosaur discoveries

• Disaster victims

• Discrimination, disabilities

• Discrimination, weight

• DNA fingerprints

• Dog racing

• Dolphins

• Dyslexia

• Earth-friendly products

• Earthquakes

• Elderly drivers

• Electronic books

• Electronic mail (e-mail)

• Electronic music

• Employee crimes

• Endangered species

• Environmental protection

• Epidemics

• Ethics, business

• Ethnic cleansing

• Euphemisms

• Evidence, criminal

• Expert witnesses

• False memory syndrome

• Family therapy

• Family violence

• Famines

• Fashion design

• Fetal alcohol syndrome

• Fiber optics

• Fingerprints

• Firefighting

• Flea markets

• Folk medicine

• Food allergy

• Food poisoning

• Forest conservation

• Forgery

• Fossils

• Foster parents

• Galaxies

• Gambling

• Gardening

• Generic drugs

• Genetic engineering

• Geothermal power

• Glaucoma

• Global warming

• Glue-sniffing

• Gold discoveries

• Gorillas

• Government secrecy

• Grand jury

• Gray wolves

• Great Wall of China

• Green movement

• Greenhouse effect

• Grief

• Grizzly bear

• Groundwater pollution

• Growth hormones

• Guerrilla warfare

• Gullah dialect

• Gymnastics

• Habitual criminals

• Hailstorms

• Haiti

• Hallucinations

• Hallucinogenic drugs

• Ham radio

• Handwriting

• Hate crimes

• Hay fever

• Hazardous materials

• Hazing

• Headaches

• Health care reform

• Health foods

• Health of workers

• Hearing impairments

• Heart disease

• Heart transplants

• Hemophilia

• Hepatitis

• Herbal medicine

• Heredity of disease

• Heroin

• High blood pressure

• High speed trains

• Highway safety

• Hijacking of automobiles

• Historic preservation

• Holistic medicine

• Holocaust, Jewish

• Holocaust, Native American

• Home accidents

• Home design

• Home schooling

• Homeless persons

• Homeopathy

• Honeybees

• Horse-racing

• Housefly

• Hunger

• Hunting

• Hurricanes

• Hydrogen as fuel

• Hydroponics

• Hyperactive children

• Hypnotism

• Illegal aliens

• Illiteracy

• Immigrants

• Immune system

• In vitro fertilization

• Income tax

• Incurable diseases

• Indoor air pollution

• Industrial diseases

• Industrial robots

• Inequality of income

• Influenza

• Injuries, treatment

• Insanity defense

• Insect-eating plants

• Insects as food

• Insomnia

• Insurance, car

• Insurance, health

• Insurance, life

• Intelligence tests

• International language

• Internet privacy

• Intolerance

• Invasion of privacy

• Investments

• Iron deficiency diseases

• Jails, overcrowding

• Jet lag

• Jewels

• Job hunting

• Job sharing

• Junk in space

• Junk mail

• Juries

• Juvenile delinquents

• Kangaroos

• Kidnapping, parental

• Killer bees

• Kleptomania

• Labor disputes

• Laboratories, testing

• Lakes, pollution

• Landfills

• Landlords and tenants

• Language disorders

• Laser surgery

• Latchkey children

• Layoffs

• Lead poisoning

• Learning disabilities

• Legalization of drugs

• Libel and slander

• Lie detectors

• Lightning

• Limousines

• Living trusts

• Living wills

• Loans, student

• Low-calorie diet

• Low-cholesterol diet

• Low-fat diet

• LSD

• Macrobiotic diet

• Mafia

• Magic

• Mail-order catalogs

• Mandatory sentences

• Manic-depression

• Maps

• Marathon running

• Marijuana

• Marine aquariums

• Marine pollution

• Marriage customs

• Mass murder

• Massage

• Math anxiety

• Medical errors

• Medicinal plants

• Medicine, preventive

• Melanoma

• Memory techniques

• Mental disorders

• Mental retardation

• Meteorites

• Metric system

• Microsurgery

• Microwave cookery

• Midwifery

• Migraines

• Migrant labor

• Military weapons

• Militias

• Misdiagnosis

• Moon, exploration

• Moonlighting

• Motorcycle gangs

• Mound-builders

• Mouth, diseases

• Multiple personality

• Multiple sclerosis

• Murders, serial

• Muscular dystrophy

• Mushrooms

• Music therapy

• Mythology

• Names, geographic

• Names, personal

• Narcotic laws

• National parks

• Naturopathy

• Neo-Nazis

• Neanderthals

• Nicotine addiction

• No-fault auto insurance

• Nuclear energy

• Nuclear proliferation

• Nursing homes

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Occupational therapy

• Ocean dumping

• Ocean fishing

• Older workers

• Online auctions

• Online investing

• Open adoption

• Opium

• Optical fibers

• Oral tradition

• Ordination of women

• Organically grown food

• Organized crime

• Outer space, exploration

• Ozone layer

• Pain relievers

• Pandas

• Parent-child relations

• Performance art

• Pesticides

• Phobias

• Plants, extinction

• Plants, medicinal

• Plea bargaining

• Poaching

• Police, job stress

• Political advertising

• Pollution

• Polygraphs

• Poverty

• Prehistoric animals

• Prehistoric painting

• Premature infants

• Primates

• Prisons

• Product safety

• Psychiatric drugs

• Quit-smoking programs

• Radiation therapy

• Radio astronomy

• Rain forests

• Rare animals

• Recovering addicts

• Renewable resources

• Rescue work

• Robots

• Satellites

• Savant syndrome

• Scams

• Schizophrenia

• Scientific fraud

• Sea farming

• Seafood contamination

• Self-defense

• Serotonin

• Sick-building syndrome

• Sled dog racing

• Sleep, research

• Smuggling

• Soil erosion

• Solar power

• Space exploration

• Spam & junk e-mail

• Speech disorders

• Sports injuries

• Stalking

• Steroids

• Sunken treasure

• Survival skills

• Taxes

• Teenage crime

• Terrorism

• Tornadoes

• Toxic wastes

• Urban homesteading

• Victims of crime

• Volcanoes

• Water purification

• Weather forecasting

• Wildlife rescue

• Wind power

• Women’s rights

• X-rays

• Year-round education

• Zoological parks

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Popular Themes

The themes below are perennially popular with all kinds of audiences.  A sampling of topics is given.

Health and Longevity

Almost everyone is concerned about being fit and healthy.

• Good remedies for bad colds

• Coping with depression

• How to get a good night’s sleep

• How to prevent cancer

• Anorexia nervosa

• First aid for choking victims

Personal Happiness

What person doesn’t want tips on how to gain or enhance happiness?

• Finding a creative hobby

• Ingredients for a happy marriage

• How to win friends

• Finding fulfillment through volunteer work

• How to appreciate a work of art

• Overcoming shyness

|Sometimes it is difficult to think of an interesting speech topic. Here is a list of topics which|

|you can think about and add to as required. We hope this will help you come up with some |

|interesting and rewarding topics for your next speech. |

| |

| |

| |

| |

|(from Toastmasters international) |

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|Famous People |

|Explorers |Painters |Writers |

|Musicians |Bushrangers |Performers |

|Ballet Dancers |Vocalists |Instrumentalists |

|Conductors |Generals |Doctors |

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|Science |

|Solar System |Universe |Astronomy |

|Geology |Volcanoes |Tidal Waves |

|Earth Quakes |Geographic |Wild Life |

|Ecology |Environment |Animals |

|Birds |Plants |Fish |

|Electricity |Magnetism |Nuclear Energy |

|Medicine |Archeology |Caving |

[pic]

|Mechanical, Technical |

|Aeroplanes |Cars |Cameras |

|Telephones |Computers |Microscope |

|Telescope |Architecture |Buildings |

|Bridges |Waterways |Radar |

[pic]

|Travel |

|Countries |People |Transport |

|Camels |Boats |Trains |

|Buses |Cars |Trucks |

|Horses |Elephants |Balloons |

|Space Travel |Planes |Hiking |

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|Sport |

|Tennis |Golf |Fishing |

|Football |Bowling |Cricket |

|Skiing |Motor Car racing |Hockey |

|Running |Boxing |Weight Lifting |

|Olympic Games |Shot Put |Swimming |

[pic]

|Current Affairs |

|Employment |Migration |Unions |

|Multinationals |Economics |Royalty |

|Environment |Army |Navy |

|Air Force |Drug Abuse |Cost Of Living |

|Pollution |Community Items |Area Development |

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|Special Occasions |

|Christmas |Easter |St. Valentines Day |

|Mothers Day |Fathers Day |Taxation Time |

|International Year |Birthdays |Holidays |

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|Political |

|Local Council |State Government |Federal Govt. |

|The Budget |Personalities |International |

|Politics |Law |Elections |

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|Transport |

|Motor Vehicles |Road Accidents |Road Laws |

|Aeroplanes |Ships |Buses |

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|Education |

|Govt. Schools |Private schools |Tech.Colleges |

|Universities |Adult Education |Pre-School |

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|Interests |

|Sport |Hobbies |Travel |

|Cars |Computers |Food |

|Cooking |Adventures |History |

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|Entertainment |

|Music |TV Programs |Movies |

|Dancing |Stage |Ballet |

Persuasive Speech Topics

|Promote Censorship |Take an Art class |Look into Lasik Surgery |Avoid Dairy Products |

|Avoid Immunizations |Buy American Made products|Enforce Dress Codes in |Live Abroad |

| | |Schools | |

|Eat fish! |Walk for Energy | |Plan a Hike in Arizona |

|Learn to Play an Instrument |Hire International |Vacation only in the U.S. |Ban Vending Machines in |

| |Employees | |Schools |

|End Coal Mining Production |Encourage Abstinence |Take Vitamin Supplements |Stop Political/Moral |

| | | |Propaganda |

|Enforce Advertising Ethics |Promote Space Exploration | | |

|Promote Mandatory Swim Lessons for Toddlers |Avoid I.D. Fraud |Limit Early College |Promote Bi-lingual Education|

| | |Enrollment | |

|Ban Chemotherapy |Promote DNA Mapping |Protect U.S. Wetlands | |

|Ban Cloning |Eat more Fresh Vegetables |Secret Service protection |Learn Water Craft Safety |

| | |for former Presidents | |

|Stop Exorbitant Pro Athlete Salaries |Promote Military Boarding |Eliminate Specific U.S. |Sheriff Joe's Tent City |

| |Schools |Currencies | |

|Avoid Credit Card Debt |Reduce Stress |Ban TV Violence  |Enforce Movie Ratings |

|Promote Mandatory Bicycle Helmet Law | |Learn Time Management |Avoid Sensationalized Media |

| | |Skills |Coverage |

|Promote Family Leave Time for Employees |Equalize College |Mandatory Driving Tests |Juveniles Should not be |

| |Admissions |for Senior Citizens |housed in Adult Prisons |

|Promote Women in the Military |Vote for Zero Tolerance |Promote Effective Dental |Arrest Delinquent |

| |for Rapists |Hygiene |Parents/Child Support Laws |

|Preserve the Ozone |Create a Living Will |Eliminate High School | |

| | |Sports | |

|Ban Gum Chewing in Public |Provide Public Sidewalk |Promote Mainstreaming |Avoid Fast Food Burgers |

| |Restrooms |Children w/ Disabilities | |

|Community Members Should Maintain Community |Enforce Anger Control |Mandatory Language Classes|Eat More Chocolate |

|Parks |Classes in Elementary |in Elementary Schools | |

| |Schools | | |

|Adopt Once a Week Family Game Night  |Reduce TV Watching |Promote Mandatory |Reduce Child Drowning  |

| | |Parenting Classes  | |

|Vote for Equal Money for Women's Sports |  |Ban College/team Hazing |Care for the Homeless |

|Eliminate Teen Curfews |Promote Nuclear Power |Support the War on |Ban Racial Profiling |

| | |Terrorism | |

|Promote Food Service on Campus |Mandate Drug Testing |Ban Tobacco Advertising |Increase Minimum Wage  |

|Eliminate Aid to Afghanistan |Register People, not Guns |Adopt Year-round Schooling|Recognize Dieting Dangers |

|Adopt Healthy Eating practices |Promote Art/Music Funding |Eliminate Corporal |Avoid Cultural Bias of SAT |

| |in High Schools |Punishment |and other stanardized exams |

|Eliminate Grade Inflation |Apply for Pell Grants |Vote for "No Insurance-No |Ban Depleted Uranium |

| | |Car!" | |

|Ban Racist/Sexist Language |Avoid Irradiated |Adopt Allergy Free Homes |Avoid Telemarketers |

| |Vegetables | | |

|Encourage Political Cartoons |Ban Land Mines |Avoid Genetically Enhanced|Encourage Natural Pesticides|

| | |Foods | |

|Promote Students in Politics |Enforce Gov't Funding for |Ban Political Campaign |Adopt Safety Precautions for|

| |Children of Domestic |Funds |Holiday Travel |

| |Violence  | | |

|Encourage Financial Aid for Students |Eat Chilies for Health |Avoid Processed Sugar |Plant an Organic Garden |

|Avoid Plastic Surgery |Eliminate Military Drug | |Enforce Retirement Age |

| |Testing | | |

|Promote Exclusive State |Preserve the Ozone |Choose the Perfect Family |Require Education Courses |

|GamingLicensestoNativeAmericans | |Pet |for College Professors |

|Adopt a Charity |Take a Photography Course |Trace Family Roots |Adopt a Whippet |

|Dance for Exercise |Read for Pleasure |Learn a Language |Mentor a Child |

|Volunteer for Spring Training Camps |Keep a Journal |Avoid Speeding |Wash Hands Properly |

|Adopt a Little Brother/Sister |Volunteer to be a Guinea |Find Scholarship Money |Create a Home Business |

| |Pig | | |

|Use a CLUB |Learn to SCUBA Dive |Adopt a Wild Horse |Feed the Hungry |

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