Informative Speech

It’s time to take what you’ve learned from all of your prior presentations and add an element of research to create your Informative Speech. You have to be cautious when choosing an Informative topic, as it’s easy to think an Informative Speech and a Persuasive Speech as the same thing. However, this is a fantastic opportunity to set the stage for your final Persuasive Speech.

You may want to approach this assignment as a way to inform your audience about the facts, stats and history of the topic you plan to argue in your final speech.

For example, let’s say you were going to take a side in the music piracy debate. Regardless of where you stand on the topic, this is an opportunity to present the history and the data behind this debate – but you must do some objectively and without passing judgment. Save that for the persuasive speech!

An Informative Speech JUST provides information. The most basic informative speech is the kind that teaches us (much in the way the Demonstration Speech taught us) something detailed about a topic with which we are already familiar. For instance, we know George Washington was our first President, but a lot of people don’t know much about his life prior to the military or serving in office. That would make for an interesting Informative Speech.

Feel free to do this speech on something much more recent or in the news.
With an informative Speech, you’ll want to establish credibility by referencing and citing your materials. “In the July 13, 2007 edition of the New York Times, John Smith said that George Washington suffered from depression as a young boy.” It is critical that you continue to discuss where you found your information or else the audience thinks you’ve pulled all of the information out of thin air.

Here are your parameters for the Informative Speeches:

1. Your speech should be 8-10 minutes in length. Watch your time! This is going to take a lot of preparation on your part.
2. Feel free to not only inform us but show us. This is not mandatory, but it makes for a better presentation, overall. “A” speeches will have this element.
3. Cite a minimum of four different sources for your materials. You may use Wikipedia as ONE source – but not all four. Wikipedia loses credibility with most people, so always be cautious how much you use it.
4. Be sure to have a good introduction, a body that elaborates and a conclusion that appropriately wraps everything up.

As always, you may draft your speech word for word, but be very careful not to simply read from your paper! We want eye contact and emotion! Good luck with this assignment and have fun!