CHOOSING A TOPIC AND DEVELOPING A STRATEGY SPEECH110 C.ShoreFall 2015 East San Gabriel Valley, ROP

Learning Objectives 6.1: State when it is appropriate for you to choose the topic of your speech and when the choice is beyond your control. 6.2: Identify the characteristics of a good topic. 6.3: Proceed through the steps involved in choosing a good topic. 6.4: Define strategic plan and explain the steps for developing and implementing one. 6.5: Formulate statements of the specific purpose and thesis of your speech and illustrate how these statements will influence other strategic decisions. 6.6: Analyze your thesis statement to figure out which issues you need to discuss and which ideas need support.

6.1: Topics Elements of a topic may include: For this class Commitment to a cause Reputation Occasion For this class All topics must relate to the 2016 Presidential Elections on Nov. 3, 2015

6.2: What Makes a Good Topic? Importance to the speaker Interest to the audience Worthy of listeners’ time Appropriateness of scope Appropriateness for oral delivery Appropriateness to the rhetorical situation

6.3: How to Choose a Good Topic Conduct a personal inventory What issues do I care about? Which of my experiences might be generalizable? Which of my interests overlap with those of the audience? Brainstorm Use categories or topoi to start Narrow the topic Move from most general ideas and make more specific

6.4: Developing a Strategic Plan Identifying the Purpose Providing new information/perspective Agenda setting Creating positive/negative feelings Strengthening commitment Weakening commitment Conversion Inducing a specific action

6.4: Developing a Strategic Plan Identifying the Constraints Constraints arise from: Audiences in general Your specific audience Your ethos as a speaker Nature of your topic The rhetorical situation Identifying the Opportunities Information advantage Audience analysis

6.4: Developing a Strategic Plan Selecting the Means How will you. . . Lead the audience? Structure the speech? Use language techniques? Present the speech?

6.5: Developing the Purpose Statement and the Thesis Statement General purpose: Ex.--To inform, (persuade or entertain) Specific purpose: Ex.--To inform students of cheating on campus The Thesis Statement Ex.: Far more students cheat than most of us think.

6.6: Analyzing the Thesis Statement Identifying the issues Determine what the speech must cover Direct your research Possibly modify your thesis © Monika Graff / The Image Works

6.6: More on Thesis Statements Hemingway – The six word novel “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.” Characters: A woman and the man who got her pregnant. Setting: newspaper ad Plot: Obviously, the woman became pregnant. She began preparing for the baby's arrival, which is evident from the fact that she bought or was given some new baby shoes. Conflict: The fact that the baby shoes were never used indicates that the baby died either before or during birth — quite a conflict for a young mother-to-be. Theme: The theme of this story is dealing with loss — specifically the loss of a child. Are the baby shoes kept as a reminder of the loss or in hope of having another child? Are they destroyed in a fit of anguished rage? No; they are put up for sale, giving us a glimpse of how the characters are dealing with the loss as well as some of the considerations that went into the decision to sell the shoes.

6.6: Identify the thesis Katy Perry: Firework http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/katyperry/firework.html Taylor Swift: Blank Space http://www.directlyrics.com/taylor-swift-blank-spaces-lyrics.html Hozier: Take me to church http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hozier/takemetochurch.html Firework Directly: Baby you’re a firework Implied: You are important TSwift Directly: I’ll put your name in my blank space Implied: Let’s date Hozier Directly: Take me to church Implied: I am homosexual and still worship the lord

Take Away 6.1: State when it is appropriate for you to choose the topic of your speech and when the choice is beyond your control. * 6.2: Identify the characteristics of a good topic. 6.3: Proceed through the steps involved in choosing a good topic.

Take Away 6.4: Define strategic plan and explain the steps for developing and implementing one. * 6.5: Formulate statements of the specific purpose and thesis of your speech and illustrate how these statements will influence other strategic decisions. 6.6: Analyze your thesis statement to figure out which issues you need to discuss and which ideas need support.