Informative Speeches Barry 2010

Organization is key to communicating effectively. If you don’t organize your information for your audience, they have trouble understanding your message, and they feel disoriented. To illustrate this point, let’s hear a disorganized version of an address by Robert F. Kennedy. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

It’s a great strategy to organize the body of a speech first, and then come up with the introduction and the conclusion. Once your body is in place, the intro and conclusion come more easily. If your body is well-organized, you’ll make listening easier for your audience, and you’ll also feel more confident. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Select main points carefully. Phrase main points precisely. Arrange main points strategically. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Sometimes, the main points will stem naturally from your specific purpose or central idea: Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the major uses of hypnosis Central Idea: The major uses of hypnosis today are to control pain in surgery, to help people stop smoking, and to help students improve their academic performance. What are the main points? From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Sometimes, you may need to reword main points in order to limit them. Too many main points will disorient your audience. Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the practice of yoga Central Idea: Yoga is an ancient practice that involves proper breathing and the whole body From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Main points: I. Yoga breathing starts with deep inhalation. II. Yoga breathing requires slow exhalation. III. Yoga breathing includes prolonged pauses. IV. Yoga breathing provides many benefits. V. Yoga postures involve all parts of the body. VI. Yoga postures increase flexibility. VII. Yoga postures strengthen muscle tone. VIII. Yoga postures demand precise movements. How can these main points be collapsed into two main points? From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

chronological order: a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a time pattern May narrate a series of events in the order in which they happened. May explain a process step by step. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how the Great Wall of China was built. Central Idea: The Great Wall of China was built in three major stages. Main Points: I. Building of the Great Wall began during the Qin dynasty of B.C. II. New sections of the wall were added during the Han dynasty of 206 B.C.-220 A.D. III. The Great Wall was completed during the Ming dynasty of From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the steps in laser-assisted corrective eye surgery. Central Idea: There are three main steps in laser- assisted corrective eye surgery. Main Points: I. First, a thin layer is sliced off the surface of the eye to expose the cornea. II. Second, an ultraviolet laser is used to reshape the cornea. III. Third, the thin layer sliced off at the beginning of the surgery is reaffixed to the eye. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

spatial order: a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a directional pattern Points proceed from top to bottom, left to right, front to back, inside to outside, east to west, or some other route. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the structure of a hurricane Central Idea: A hurricane is made up of three parts going from inside to outside. Main Points: I. At the center of a hurricane is a calm, cloud-free eye. II. Surrounding the eye is the eyewall, a dense ring of clouds that produces the most intense wind and rainfall. III. Rotating around the eyewall are large bands of clouds and precipitation called spiral rain bands. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the three major regions of Italy. Central Idea: Northern, central, and southern Italy have their own identities and attractions. Main Points: I. Northern Italy is home to Venice and its world-famous canals. II. Central Italy is home to Rome and its historical treasures. III. Southern Italy is home to Sicily and its culinary traditions. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

causal order: a method of speech organization in which the main points show a cause-effect relationship Will usually only have two points (I’ll make an exception on your speech for this). Can go in either order: cause to effect, or effect to cause From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the possible causes for the collapse of Mayan civilization Central Idea: The causes for the collapse of Mayan civilization have not yet been fully explained. Main Points: I. Mayan civilization flourished for over a thousand years until 900 A.D., when it mysteriously began to disintegrate. II. Scholars have advanced three major explanations for the causes of this disintegration. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

topical order: a method of speech organization in which the main points divide the topic into logical and consistent subtopics Some topics do not lend themselves to chronological, spatial, or causal order, but must be divided into subtopics. This is the most common way to organize a speech. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the major kinds of fireworks Central Idea: The major kinds of fireworks are skyrockets, Roman candles, pinwheels, and lances. Main Points: I. Skyrockets explode in the air, producing the most dramatic effects of all fireworks. II. Roman candles shoot out separate groups of sparks and colored flames with a series of booming noises. III. Pinwheels throw off sparks and flames as they whirl on the end of a stick. IV. Lances are thin, colorful fireworks used in ground displays. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

problem-solution order: a method of speech organization in which the first main point deals with the existence of a problem and the second main point presents a solution to the problem This order is probably only appropriate for persuasive speeches. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the electoral college should be abolished. Central Idea: Because the electoral college does not give equal weight to the vote of each citizen, it should be replaced with direct popular election of the President. Main Points: I. The electoral college is a serious problem in the U.S. political system because it does not give equal weight to each citizen’s vote in electing the President. II. The problem can be solved by abolishing the electoral college and electing the President by popular vote. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Keep main points consistent. Keep main points separate. Try to use the same pattern of wording for all main points. Balance the amount of time devoted to main points. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Effective example: Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the achievements of Ida Wells-Barnett Central Idea: Ida Wells-Barnett was a multitalented figure in the fight for racial justice. Main Points: I. As a teacher, Wells-Barnett spoke out against inferior school facilities for African-American children. II. As a journalist, Wells-Barnett campaigned against lynching. III. As a civic organizer, Wells-Barnett helped found the NAACP. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Ineffective example: Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the achievements of Ida Wells-Barnett Central Idea: Ida Wells-Barnett was a multitalented figure in the fight for racial justice. Main Points: I. As a teacher, Wells-Barnett spoke out against inferior school facilities for African-American children. II. As a journalist, Wells-Barnett campaigned against lynching. III. In the early 20 th century, Wells-Barnett expanded her activities and the scope of her influence. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Ineffective example: Topic: Producing a Broadway play Main Points: I. The first step is choosing the play. II. The second step is selecting the cast. III. The third step is conducting rehearsals and then performing the play. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Effective example: Topic: Producing a Broadway play Main Points: I. The first step is choosing the play. II. The second step is selecting the cast. III. The third step is conducting the rehearsals. IV. The fourth step is performing the play. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Ineffective example: Topic: benefits of exercise Main Points: I. Regular exercise increases your endurance. II. Your sleeping pattern is improved by regular exercise. III. It is possible to help control your weight by regular exercise. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Ineffective example: Topic: benefits of exercise Main Points: I. Regular exercise increases your endurance. II. Regular exercise improves your sleeping pattern. III. Regular exercise helps control your weight. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Sometimes it is not possible to keep all main points parallel; just do the best you can! From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Ineffective balance: I. 85 percent II. 10 percent III. 5 percent These main points should be rebalanced. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Effective balance: I. 30 percent II. 40 percent III. 30 percent Or I. 20 percent II. 30 percent III. 50 percent These are all obviously main points, and the time is divided fairly equally. From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas

Contains three to five main points (two in some exceptions) Main points organized according to chronological, spatial, causal, topical, or problem-solution order Main points are clearly separate and consistent (add this to handout!) Same pattern of wording used for all main points From The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas