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INFORMATIVE SPEECH #2: Introduction:A 7-minute speech of explanation for an abstract concept, theory, or policy. Speeches may accurately explain a concept, theory, or policy that is misunderstood, or superficially understood. Delivered extemporaneously with the use of a preparation (formal) outline. Audiovisual support is a part of the assignment.An informative speech provides information about a specific subject to an audience. The aim of an informative speech is to help your audience to understand and to remember the information you are presenting. Students will create a seven minute informative speech on a topic of their choice. They must make sure the topic is narrow enough to thoroughly be presented within the seven minutes. (For example: history of physics would be too broad of a topic to cover in 7 minutes -a particular theory in physics, such as string theory, might be covered in 7 minutes) Objectives:1. Develop an Informative speech topic.2. Develop and Apply effective research and organizational skills in preparing a speech.3. Analyze your Audience and adapt your message to your audience4. Practice delivery and presentation skills.5. Inform, and teach your audience a relatively complex or unknown abstract concept, theory, or policy by succinctly conveying it to them while creating understanding in your audience.6. This speech MUST have one audio or visual component used by the speaker to help support the point they’re attempting to convey.Directions:Students will select a topic and gather information from multiple sources -they can use books, encyclopedias, database articles, or use the Internet as long as they can prove througha web evaluation that the site is a valid source created by an authority on the subject. Students will read over their sources and choose three main points that will be covered in thebody of their speech. They will then create notecards that support the chosen points and create a working outline with a general and specific purpose statement, a thesis statement, and the three main points with supporting evidence for each point. Your general purpose in an informative speech is to inform. Here you are attempting to convey a topic the audience thought too complex or abstract or even potentially “boring” and making it relatable to them. Your specific purpose relates to your topic and to the specific information you want to convey. Audio/Visual Component:I would like you to choose either one physical prop or one audio clip or one on-screen visual to support your speech. I do NOT want a slide presentation; one visual or one audio component only please. If you do choose a computer-based image or sound rather than physical prop, you MUST send it to the instructor PRIOR to your speech. We do not have time for multiple set-ups during class. I will have your supporting material loaded and ready for your use. Specific Purpose The specific purpose of a speech is its goal, stated in a complete sentence. If the general purpose of your speech is to inform, then your specific purpose will be a statement of the particular information you will present to the audience. Example: Mason’s general purpose in his speech about the electoral college is to inform. His specific purpose could be stated in a complete sentence. “I want to explain what the electoral college is, how it came to be, and one issue regarding it deemed controversial by many.” 1. Express the specific purpose as a declarative sentence.2. State the specific purpose precisely. “I want to briefly define the electoral college, it’s origins, and two instances that illustrate how it is controversial.”3. Make sure the specific purpose contains only one idea.4. Include words in the specific purpose that show your intent. Examples: explain, show,give Writing a Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a complete sentence that expresses the speaker’s most important idea, or key point, about a topic. A thesis statement guides the development of a speech. Examples: 1. Specific purpose: “I want to explain why today prospective college students are offered more loans rather than grants.” Thesis statement: “The tradition of US Government educational funding, primarily through Stafford Loans and Pell Grants, combined with policies favorable to lenders during the 1990s, created a normalization of excessive undergraduate student loan debt. 2. Specific purpose: “I want my fellow students to understand the effects of living in an “upgrade culture.”Thesis statement: “Upgrade cultures lessen the relationships generations have with their communication technologies while also building anxiety and dissatisfaction for the technology currently in our hands.’ If you already know a great deal about your topic, you can write your thesis statement at this stage of your planning. For most speeches, however, you will need to do some research first. SAMPLE Subject Area: Veteran’s benefitsTopic: Post-9/11 GI BillLimited Topic: Graduate School Funding and the GI BillGeneral Purpose: to inform Specific Purpose: I want to explain how graduate school benefits work for young veterans.Thesis Statement: The history of the GI Bill, who qualifies, what type of schooling it covers, and how long this process would take from start to finish. Supporting Your Thesis Statement You need to find information to support your main idea as expressed in your thesis statement. The types of details commonly used to support a thesis include facts, opinions,examples, illustrations, anecdotes, statistics, comparisons, definitions, descriptions, and quotations. 1) Facts and Opinions: Statement of fact contain information that can be proved, or verified, by testing, by observing, or by consulting reference materials. Statement of opinion expresses personal beliefs or attitudes. Such statements contain personal judgments, which include information that cannot be proved. In some situations, you may seek an expert opinion. An expert opinion is a statement of belief about a subject from a person who is recognized as an authority on that subject. For example, a rocket scientist could offer an expert opinion on space travel. Experts can also supply facts. For instance, a high school coach can report on how many college recruiters have visited players on the team. 2) Examples and illustrations: An example is a single instance that supports or develops a statement. An illustration is a detailed example. 3) Anecdotes: Anecdotes are brief, often amusing, stories. The purpose of an anecdote is to give information in a form that an audience will remember. Because anecdotes are often entertaining, they can help make your speech more interesting and enjoyable as well as informative. 4) Statistics: Statistics are numerical facts: “Only six out of every ten registered voters voted in the last school election” or “unemployment recently dropped 2 percent.” Citing a few statistics may make your speech more informative, but giving too many statistics cane boring or distracting. Use statistics carefully to add interest or to emphasize a point. 5) Comparisons: A comparison is a statement that shows the similarities between people, places, things, events, or ideas. Comparisons help listeners relate new ideas to familiar concepts. A figurative comparison imaginatively shows similarities between things that are essentially not alike. For example, you may say someone is “as slow as molasses in January” to point out that the person moves slowly. A literal comparison shows the real similarities between things that are essentially alike. Example -“Tom runs slower than Jorge.” Occasionally, a comparison is phrased as a contrast, highlighting the differences between two things. For instance, you might say, “Unlike last year’s ecology club, which consisted primarily of seniors, this year’s club has mostly sophomores and juniors as members.”6) Definitions: A definition explains what a word or a concept means. You should define carefully any words or concepts your audience may not understand. 7) Descriptions: A description is a word picture of a person, place, thing, or event. Accurate descriptions help people in your audience form mental pictures that correspond to the actual thing described. 8) Quotations: A quotation expresses someone’s exact words. Usually, you express your ideas in your own words. However, in some cases you will use a quotation to express the opinion fan authority or to include a particularly well stated idea. When you use quotations, you must give credit to the source from which the words were taken. The more convincingly you can show your listeners that you know about your topic, the more likely they are to pay attention and to remember what you say. The final step in preparing your material is to organize it. A well-organized speech has three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Introduction: gains the attention and the goodwill of the audience Body: presents the main points in an organized pattern and gives supporting information for the main points. The Body: the key ideas of the topic presented in a logical orderConclusion: emphasizes key idea or ideas of the speech and leaves the audience with greater interest in the topic. Planning the Introduction The beginning section of your speech is the introduction. An introduction can be as short as a few sentences and should usually be no longer than 10 percent of the speech. Length varies, depending on the topic, the audience’s interest level, and the audience’s knowledge about the subject. An introduction serves three very important purposes. It should: 1) Get the attention of the audience -(sustained interest) -you need to find a way to focus the audience’s attention on the subject matter of your speech, then, when you get into the body of the speech, your audience will continue to listen. 2) Gain the goodwill of the audience -(audience’s respect or positive feeling for the speaker as a person) -What you say in your opening remarks and the way in which you say it -your tone, your inflection, and other nonverbal signals are important. If your audience likes or trusts you, they will likely be willing to listen to what you have to say and to think about your message. 3) Develop the audience’s interest in the topic of the speech -(involvement or concern your audience shows about your topic) -Include facts, examples, and other information that will hold your audience’s attention. You can use any of the common methods for beginning a speech -a startling statement, a question, a quotation, a story, or a personal reference -in an informative speech. Using Transitional Devices Transitional devices are bridges between ideas. They connect parts of a speech and help to emphasize the points you are making. Example: Between the opening and the body of your speech about dogs being our best friends, you might say, “First, let’s look at ways dogs help people.” Between the first and second points you might say, “Now that we have seen examples of how dogs work with people, let’s move on to our second point.” Transitional devices also help you emphasize ideas. For example, you might say, “Here is appoint I want to stress,” or “The key point here is . . .” Statements like these alert your audience to be prepared to hear information that you think is important. Organizing the Body of an Informative Speech The body of a speech is the portion in which the main points are developed. To organize the body of a speech, you will need to 1) Determine the main points you want to stress2) Organize the main points in a consistent pattern the audience can follow3) Outline all the material you plan to use in the speech Because the body of a speech contains the most important ideas that will be presented, many experienced speakers prepare it first. Then, after they know the development of the main ideas, they usually find the introduction and conclusion easier to prepare. Determining the Main Points The main points of a speech are the major ideas under which the supporting information is organized. If you have composed a well-written specific purpose, then determining the main points of your speech should be fairly easy. The specific purpose or the thesis statement lead to the wording of the main points. Example: Specific Purpose: I want to explain the three ways that dogs have shown themselves to be our “best friends.” Thesis Statement: Dogs have earned their place as our “best friends” by working with people, by protecting people and their property, and by showing love and devotion to people. Main Points: I. Dogs work with people.II. Dogs protect people and their property.III. Dogs show love and devotion to people. The main points of your speech may be organized in any of a number of logical patterns. The three most common methods of arrangement are chronological order, spatial order, and topical order. 1) Chronological Order -arranges details or events according to the order in which they occurred in time. Chronological order is often useful for speeches that present a history of something. To make remembering easier for your audience, group the stepson chronological order under broad headings. Chronological Example: Specific purpose: I want to explain the five stages in the evolution of the bicycle. I. The first stage is the origin.II. The second stage is the development of a steering device.III. The third stage is the attachment of pedals to the front wheel. IV. The fourth stage is the addition of chain drive.V. The fifth stage is the development of modern safety features. 2) Topical Order -a topic is broken down into its parts and then arranged in an order determined by the speaker and stated in the specific purpose. This is the most common method for organizing speeches. Topical Order Example:Specific purpose: I want to discuss three measures of the strength of the United States as a world power. I. One measure of U.S. strength is its natural resources.II. A second measure of U.S. strength is its military.III. A third measure of U.S. strength is its technology. 3) Spatial Order -details are arranged according to their position in space. This arrangement is often used for descriptions. Spatial Order Example:Specific purpose: I want to describe the three levels of the Community Center. I. The basement contains various recreational facilities. II. The main floor contains restaurants and administrative offices. III. The second floor contains an auditorium, smaller meeting rooms, and banquet room. 4) Climactic Order -arranges items according to their order of importance, usually starting with the least important item of information and ending with the item of information that is the most important. 5) Cause-and-Effect Order -information is arranged to show causes or conditions and the effects or results of those causes or conditions. 6) Comparison-and-contrast Order -items of information are arranged to show the similarities and differences between the items. Developing the Main Points Once you have determined the main points of your speech and have made an informal plan of organization, you can arrange your supporting information under appropriate headings.Remember that the main points provide a basic structure that you fill out with supporting information. As you sort and arrange your supporting material to group related ideas, take care to keep unity in mind. A speech is unified when all its parts fit together to make a whole and all of the information contained in the speech relates to the specific purpose. The best way to plan a unified speech is to prepare an informal outline. Preparing your Conclusion The conclusion of an informative speech usually includes a summary of the main points.Many speakers end with a quotation, an anecdote, or a final thought that makes the conclusion more memorable. The conclusion is the final portion of a speech. Although conclusion is seldom longer than a few sentences, it is very important. The goals of ineffective conclusion are: 1) To emphasize the key idea or ideas of the speech2) To intensify the emotions, or feelings, of the audience Delivering Your Speech Any speech will be more effective if it is delivered well. 1) Credibility -A speaker’s credibility is the amount of trust and belief the speaker inspires in an audience. You want to establish yourself as a speaker whom the audience can trust to give accurate information. One way to do this is to tell the audience a little about your background or experience to let your audience know what makes you qualified to talk about your topic. Be thoroughly prepared, but if you do not know something or if experts are still debating a point, freely admit this. 2) Enthusiasm -Be enthusiastic about your topic. Your audience will probably find it difficult to become excited about the topic you are speaking about if you do not seem to find it important or interesting. The more enthusiasm you show, the more likely you are to get and to hold the audience’s attention. 3) Eye contact -Establish eye contact with your listeners. If you look at the members of your audience, they will look at you. If you fail to establish eye contact, the members of the audience will let their eyes -and their attention -wander. 4) Vocal Variety and Emphasis -Vary your tone, rate, volume, and pitch to emphasize key points and to make your speech more interesting. 5) Clear Articulation and Enunciation -Be careful not to slur your words. When you speak clearly, your audience will find listening to your message easy and enjoyable. 6) Good Pronunciation -Your pronunciation can either help or hurt your credibility. If you mispronounce key words in your speech, your listeners will begin to question whether you have a thorough knowledge of your subject.EXAMPLE OF INFORMATIVE SPEECH OUTLINEAisha GrenierInformative OutlineTopic: The TitanicGeneral Purpose: To InformSpecific Purpose: To inform my audience about one of the most famous tragedies inhistory, the Titanic.Thesis: From the disaster to the movie, the sinking of the Titanic remains one ofthe most famous tragedies in history.I. IntroductionA. Attention Getter: An American writer named Morgan Robertson once wrote a book called The Wreck of the Titan. The book was about an “unsinkable” ship called the Titan that set sail from England to New York with many rich and famous passengers on board. On its journey, the Titan hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sunk. Many lives were lost because there were not enough lifeboats. So, what is so strange about this? Well, The Wreck of the Titan was written 14 years before the Titanic sank.B. Reason to Listen: The sinking of the Titanic was one of the largest non-war related disasters in history, and it is important to be knowledgeable about the past.C. Thesis Statement: From the disaster to the movie, the sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most famous tragedies in history.D. Credibility Statement:1. I have been fascinated by the history of the Titanic for as long as I can remember.2. I have read and studied my collection of books about the Titanic many times, and have done research on the Internet.E. Preview of Main Points:1. First, I will discuss the Titanic itself.2. Second, I will discuss the sinking of the ship.3. Finally, I will discuss the movie that was made about the Titanic.II. From the disaster to the movie, the sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most famous tragedies in history.A. The Titanic was thought to be the largest, safest, most luxurious ship ever built.1. At the time of her launch, she was the biggest existing ship and thelargest moveable object ever built.a. According to Geoff Tibbals, in his 1997 book The Titanic: Theextraordinary story of the “unsinkable” ship, the Titanic was882 feet long and weighed about 46,000 tons.b. This was 100 feet longer and 15,000 tons heavier than theworld’s current largest ships.c. Thresh stated in Titanic: The truth behind the disaster, publishedin 1992 that the Titanic accommodated around 2,345 passengersand 860 crew-members.2. The beautiful accommodations of the Titanic were decorated andfurnished with only the finest items.a. According to a quotation from Shipbuilders magazine that isincluded in Peter Thresh’s 1992 book Titanic, “Everything hasbeen done in regard to the furniture and fittings to make the firstclass accommodation more than equal to that provided in thefinest hotels on shore” (p. 18).b. Fine parlor suites located on the ship consisted of a sitting room,two bedrooms, two wardrobe rooms, a private bath, and alavatory.c. The first class dining room was the largest on any liner; it couldserve 500 passengers at one sitting.d. Other first class accommodations included a squash court,swimming pool, library, barber’s shop, Turkish baths, and aphotographer’s dark room.3. The Titanic was widely believed to be the safest ship ever built.a. Tibbals, as previously cited, described the Titanic as having anouter layer that shielded an inner layer – a ‘double bottom’ – thatwas created to keep water out of the ship if the outer layer waspierced.b. The bottom of the ship was divided into 16 watertightcompartments equipped with automatic watertight doors.c. The doors could be closed immediately if water were to enterinto the compartments.d. Because of these safety features, the Titanic was deemedunsinkable.Transition: Now that I’ve discussed the Titanic itself, I will now discuss the tragedy thatoccurred on its maiden voyage.B. The Titanic hit disaster head-on when it ran into an iceberg four days after itsdeparture.1. The beginning of the maiden voyage was mostly uneventful.a. Tibbals (1997) stated that the ship departed from Queenstown inIreland at 1:30 pm on April 10th, 1912, destined for New York.b. The weather was perfect for sailing – there was blue sky, lightwinds, and a calm ocean.c. According to Walter Lord in A Night to Remember from 1955, theAtlantic Ocean was like polished plate glass on the night of April14.2. The journey took a horrible turn when the ship struck an iceberg andbegan to sink.a. In the book Titanic: An illustrated history from 1992, Lynchexplains that the collision occurred at 11:40 pm on Sunday, April14.b. According to Robert Ballard’s 1988 book Exploring the Titanic,the largest part of the iceberg was under water.c. Some of the ship’s watertight compartments had been puncturedand the first five compartments rapidly filled with water.d. Tibbals (1997) wrote that distress rockets were fired and distresssignals were sent out, but there were no ships close enough toarrive in time.3. As the ship went down, some were rescued but the majority ofpassengers had no place to go.a. Thresh (1992) stated that there were only 20 lifeboats on the ship.b. This was only enough for about half of the 2,200 people thatwere on board.c. The lifeboats were filled quickly with women and childrenloaded first.4. The ship eventually disappeared from sight.a. Tibbals (1997) explains that at 2:20 am on Monday, the shipbroke in half and slowly slipped under the water.b. At 4:10 am, the Carpathia answered Titanic’s distress call andarrived to rescue those floating in the lifeboats.c. Lynch (1992) reported that in the end, 1,522 lives were lost.Transition: Now that we have learned about the history of the Titanic, I will discuss the movie that was made about it.C. A movie depicting the Titanic and a group of fictional characters was made.1. The movie was written, produced, and directed by James Cameron.a. According to Marsh in James Cameron’s Titanic from 1997,Cameron set out to write a film that would bring the event of theTitanic to life.b. Cameron conducted six months of research to compile a highlydetailed time line so that the film would be realistic.c. Cameron spent more time on the Titanic than the ships’ originalpassengers because he made 12 trips to the wreck site that lastedbetween ten and twelve hours each.2. Making Titanic was extremely expensive and involved much hard work.a. According to a 1998 article from the Historical Journal of Films,Radio, and Television, Kramer stated that the film had a 250million dollar budget.b. A full-sized replica of the ship was constructed in BajaCalifornia, Mexico in a 17 million gallon oceanfront tank.c. Cameron assembled an expedition to dive to the wreck on theocean floor to film footage that was later used in the openingscenes of the movie.d. Marsh (1997) further explained that the smallest details wereattended to, including imprinting the thousands of pieces china,crystal, and silver cutlery used in the dining room scenes with White Star’s emblem and pattern.3. The movie was extremely successful.a. Kramer (1998) reported that Titanic made approximately 600million dollars in the United States, making it the #1 movie of alltime.b. It made approximately 1.8 billion dollars world-wide and is alsothe #1 movie of all time world-wide.c. Titanic was nominated for a record eight Golden Globe Awardsonly a few weeks after its release, and won four.d. It was also nominated for a record fourteen Academy Awards,and it won eleven.III. ConclusionA. Review of Main Points:1. Today I first discussed the Titanic itself.2. Second, I discussed the sinking of the ship.3. Finally, I discussed the movie that was made about the Titanic.B. Restate Thesis: From the disaster to the movie, the sinking of the Titanicremains one of the most famous tragedies in history.C. Closure: In conclusion, remember The Wreck of the Titan, thestory written fourteen years before the Titanic sank. Itnow seems as if it was an eerie prophecy, or a case of lifeimitating art. Whatever the case, the loss of lives on theTitanic was tremendous, and it is something that shouldnever be forgotten.ReferencesBallard, R. (1988). Exploring the Titanic. Toronto, Ontario: Madison Press Books.Kramer, P. (1998). Women first: ‘Titanic’ (1997), action adventure films and Hollywood’sfemale audience. Historical Journal of Films, Radio, and Television, 18, 599-618.Lord, W. (1955). A night to remember. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company.Lynch, D. (1992). Titanic: An illustrated history. New York, New York: Hyperion.Marsh, E. (1997). James Cameron’s Titanic. New York, New York: Harper Perennial.Thresh, P. (1992). Titanic: The truth behind the disaster. New York, New York: CrescentBooks.Tibbals, G. (1997). The Titanic: The extraordinary story of the “unsinkable” ship.Pleasantville, New York: Reader’s Digest. ................
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