Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Monday, September 16

Agenda

Feedback on Class

Learning Objectives

Announcements

Chapter 15

Informative Speech Assignments

Needs Improvement v. Finalized Speech

Reminders and Preview

Sign-Up For Informative Speeches

Feedback On Class

STOP

Please help me improve this class and your success in COMS 100 by giving me some feedback on the course so far. I know we have not had many classes together, but I want to hear your preliminary thoughts on the course. Write down your feedback based on the prompts, and do not include your name on your notecard.

What, if anything, do you want me to stop doing?

START

What, if anything, do you want me to start doing?

CONTINUE

What, if anything, do you want me to continue doing?

Announcements

• Topic Proposal due Friday, September 20 @ 11:59 (Blackboard)
• Chapters 5, 7, and 15 due Sunday, September 22 @ 11:59 (Connect)
• COMS Tracks #1 due Sunday, October 6 @ 11:59
• Don't forget to schedule your COMS Skills Lab Appointments

Informative Speech (170 pts)

Requirements

• 5-7 minute speech
• Verbally cite 3 sources
• Academic article from peer-reviewed journal
• Primary source
• Source of your choosing
• Works cited at the end of the outline in APA formatting

Informative Speech Assignments

Blackboard Assignments

• Topic Proposal due Friday, September 20 (15 pts)
• Gathering Information due Monday, September 23 (30 pts)
• Rough Draft due Monday, September 30 (15 pts)
• Self-Reflection due Sunday, October 20 (10 pts)

Topic Proposal (15 pts)

• Think back on the passions that you identified in your self-intro speech
• These passions may serve as good topics for an informative speech
• Answer the following questions about your chosen topic:
• What is your topic, and why is it important to you?
• What incident occurred that sparked your interest in this topic?
• What questions or issues do you have about this topic that you need to research? List a minimum of three questions or issues that will inform your speech.

Sign-Up for Informative Speeches

1. Monday, October 7
2. Wednesday, October 9
3. Monday, October 14

Learning Objectives

Explain informative speeches about objects and provide an example.​

Explain informative speeches about processes and provide an example.​

Explain informative speeches about events and provide an example.​

Explain informative speeches about concepts and provide an example.​

Apply the six guidelines for informative speaking discussed in this chapter.​

Chapter 15

Speaking to Inform

Pages 264-285 in The Art of Public Speaking​

Object Speech

Anything Visible, tangible, or stable in form

• Needs to be sharply focused​

• Organizational types​

• Chronological: History or evolution of an object​

• Spatial: Main features of an object​

• Topical: Most speeches about objects​

Object Speech Example

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the geographical regions of the Mississippi River.​ Central Idea: The Mississippi River is divided into three sections, each with its own unique features.​ Main Points:​ I. The upper Mississippi is known for its scenic parks and systems of dams and locks.​ II. The middle Mississippi is known for its wildlife refuges and fishing opportunities.​II. The lower Mississippi is known for its heavy river traffic and connection to the Gulf of Mexico. ​​

Process Speech

Systematic series of actions leading to a specific result

• Two kinds:​
• Explain a process so the audience understands it better.​
• Explain a process so the audience will be able to perform the process themselves.​
• Often requires visual aids and careful organization​
• Organizational types:​
• Chronological: Step by step process​
• Topical: Major principles or techniques​

Process Speech Example

Specific purpose: To inform my audience about the common methods used by stage magicians to perform their tricks.​ Central Idea: Stage magicians use two common methods to perform their tricks – mechanical devices and sleight of hand.​ Main Points:​ I. Many magic tricks rely on mechanical devices that may require little skill by the magician.​ II. Other magic tricks depend on the magician's skill in fooling people by sleight-of-hand manipulation.​

Event Speech

Anything that happens or is regarded as happening

• Organizational types:​
• Chronological: History of an event​
• Topical: Particular elements of an event

Event Speech Example

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the three aspects of Japan's Obon festival.​ Central Idea: Japan's Obon festival is famous for its lanterns, historic dances, and graveside gatherings.​ Main Points:​ I. Paper lanterns are hung outside homes to guide the spirits of departed family members.​ II. Historic dances are performed in public areas with special music and choreography.​ III. Graveside gatherings are held by families to maintain the burial sites of their ancestors.​

Concept Speech

Belief, theory, idea, notion, principle, etc.​

• Usually topical​
• More complex than other three types​
• Avoid technical language and define terms clearly​
• Use examples and comparisons to make concepts understandable to listeners​

Concept Speech Example

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the basic principles of nonviolent resistance.​ Central Idea: The basic principles of nonviolent resistance stress using moral means to achieve social change, refusing to inflict violence on one's enemies, and using suffering as a social force.​ Main Points:​ I. The first major principle of nonviolent resistance is that social change must be achieve by moral means.​ II. The second major principle of nonviolent resistance is that one should not inflict violence on one's enemies.​ III. The third major principle of nonviolent resistance is that suffering can be a powerful social force. ​

6 Guidelines of Informative Speaking

Don't overestimate what the audience knows

Don't get too technical with your descriptions

Relate your subject to your audience

Tooltip

Tooltip

Tooltip

6 Guidelines of Informative Speaking

Avoid abstractions

Tooltip

Personalize ideas

Tooltip

Be creative

Tooltip

Needs Improvement v. Finalized Speech

• I will give you a number 1-5. Each group will be given a specific aspect of the following speech to focus upon and some questions for discussion.
• Listen and take notes of the need's improvement version of "Supervolcanoes: The Sleeping Giant."​

• Then, discuss your thoughts to your given questions with your group.
• Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

• Now, listen to the finalized version of "Supervolcanoes: The Sleeping Giant."
• Once again, take notes and focus on how the speaker improved their speech.
• Go back and answer the same questions for the finalized version of this speech with your group.
• Be prepared to discuss with the class how the speaker improved their speech from the needs improvement version to the finalized version.

Reminders and Preview

• Topic Proposal due Friday, September 20 @ 11:59 (Blackboard)
• Chapters 5, 7, and 15 due Sunday, September 22 @ 11:59 (Connect)

Reminders

• Cover key concepts from Chapters 5 and 7
• Come prepared to class to work on your topic proposal

Preview