How to Give an Informative Speech
INFORMATIVE SPEECH ASSIGNMENT
Overview: For this assignment you must present an informative speech to an audience of your peers. There are three general approaches to informing an audience: altering perception, creating virtual experience, or explaining (of course, these are not mutually exclusive categories – a speech may well do more than one, though one approach often dominates). An informative speech asks you to convey your knowledge and understanding of an object, process, event, or concept, in an accurate, clear, and meaningful way to your particular audience. You have approximately 7 minutes to speak on the topic of your choice. You need to consider your audience when deciding on your topic and thinking about how to develop and present your speech. An informative speech is not a speech on a controversial subject (i.e. “the true facts about abortion”), nor is it a barrage of factual statements. Of course you will make a great many factual statements in the speech, but these you will have selected from a huge set of factual statements that you could have offered. How is it that you select some facts for presentation while leaving out others? When you are in the process of fact selection, ask yourself what aspects of your subject area deserve mentioning and which deserve highlighting. Ask yourself what information is relevant to your central idea and what information is not relevant. Avoid a random selection and/or list of information about your chosen topic. Rather, have one cohesive central idea or thesis and make sure the information you offer adds up to that thesis.
Speaking Procedure: 7 minutes your speech 3 minutes discussion on the content of the speech (questions and answers)
3 minutes audience critique on organization, content, delivery, quality and ethics of the speech
Requirements:
1. You must hand in a typed, complete-sentence outline on the day of your speech. It should contain your thesis (core idea) and specific
Overview: For this assignment you must present an informative speech to an audience of your peers. There are three general approaches to informing an audience: altering perception, creating virtual experience, or explaining (of course, these are not mutually exclusive categories – a speech may well do more than one, though one approach often dominates). An informative speech asks you to convey your knowledge and understanding of an object, process, event, or concept, in an accurate, clear, and meaningful way to your particular audience. You have approximately 7 minutes to speak on the topic of your choice. You need to consider your audience when deciding on your topic and thinking about how to develop and present your speech. An informative speech is not a speech on a controversial subject (i.e. “the true facts about abortion”), nor is it a barrage of factual statements. Of course you will make a great many factual statements in the speech, but these you will have selected from a huge set of factual statements that you could have offered. How is it that you select some facts for presentation while leaving out others? When you are in the process of fact selection, ask yourself what aspects of your subject area deserve mentioning and which deserve highlighting. Ask yourself what information is relevant to your central idea and what information is not relevant. Avoid a random selection and/or list of information about your chosen topic. Rather, have one cohesive central idea or thesis and make sure the information you offer adds up to that thesis.
Speaking Procedure: 7 minutes your speech 3 minutes discussion on the content of the speech (questions and answers)
3 minutes audience critique on organization, content, delivery, quality and ethics of the speech
Requirements:
1. You must hand in a typed, complete-sentence outline on the day of your speech. It should contain your thesis (core idea) and specific