1. SPEAKING TO INFORM A NEW EVENT IN 2016

2. INFORMATIVE SPEAKING EVENT SUMMARY STUDENTS DELIVER A SELF-WRITTEN, 10-MINUTE SPEECH* ON A TOPIC OF THEIR CHOOSING. LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO QUOTE WORDS DIRECTLY, INFORMATIVE SPEAKING COMPETITORS CRAFT A SPEECH USING EVIDENCE, LOGIC, AND OPTIONAL VISUAL AIDS. ALL TOPICS MUST BE INFORMATIVE IN NATURE; THE GOAL IS TO EDUCATE, NOT TO ADVOCATE. THE SPEECH IS DELIVERED FROM MEMORY*. STUDENTS DELIVER A SELF-WRITTEN, 10-MINUTE SPEECH* ON A TOPIC OF THEIR CHOOSING. LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO QUOTE WORDS DIRECTLY, INFORMATIVE SPEAKING COMPETITORS CRAFT A SPEECH USING EVIDENCE, LOGIC, AND OPTIONAL VISUAL AIDS. ALL TOPICS MUST BE INFORMATIVE IN NATURE; THE GOAL IS TO EDUCATE, NOT TO ADVOCATE. THE SPEECH IS DELIVERED FROM MEMORY*. FOR THE PURPOSES OF CLASS WE WILL DELIVER A SELF-WRITTEN FIVE-MINUTE SPEECH, AND YOU’LL BE ABLE TO USE ONE NOTECARD. FOR THE PURPOSES OF CLASS WE WILL DELIVER A SELF-WRITTEN FIVE-MINUTE SPEECH, AND YOU’LL BE ABLE TO USE ONE NOTECARD.

3. TOPIC CATEGORIES FOR INFORMATIVE SPEECHES 1. SPEECHES ABOUT PEOPLE 1. SPEECHES ABOUT PEOPLE 2. SPEECHES ABOUT OBJECTS 2. SPEECHES ABOUT OBJECTS 3. SPEECHES ABOUT PLACES 3. SPEECHES ABOUT PLACES 4. SPEECHES ABOUT ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS 4. SPEECHES ABOUT ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS 5. SPEECHES ABOUT PROCESSES 5. SPEECHES ABOUT PROCESSES 6. SPEECHES ABOUT CONCEPTS 6. SPEECHES ABOUT CONCEPTS 7. SPEECHES ABOUT CONDITIONS 7. SPEECHES ABOUT CONDITIONS 8. SPEECHES ABOUT ISSUES 8. SPEECHES ABOUT ISSUES

4. ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS TOPICAL TOPICAL CHRONOLOGICAL CHRONOLOGICAL SPATIAL SPATIAL CAUSAL CAUSAL PRO-CON PRO-CON PROBLEM-SOLUTION PROBLEM-SOLUTION OTHERS? OTHERS?

5. SELECTING YOUR INFORMATIVE TOPIC DOES THE TOPIC INTEREST ME? DOES THE TOPIC INTEREST ME? IS THE TOPIC LIKELY TO INTEREST MY AUDIENCE? IS THE TOPIC LIKELY TO INTEREST MY AUDIENCE? WILL I BE ABLE TO FIND SUFFICIENT SUPPORTING MATERIALS ON THIS TOPIC? WILL I BE ABLE TO FIND SUFFICIENT SUPPORTING MATERIALS ON THIS TOPIC? CAN I DEVELOP A SPEECH THAT IS CLEARLY INFORMATIVE, RATHER THAN PERSUASIVE? CAN I DEVELOP A SPEECH THAT IS CLEARLY INFORMATIVE, RATHER THAN PERSUASIVE? DOES THIS TOPIC MEET ALL THE CRITERIA FOR THE ASSIGNED SPEECH? DOES THIS TOPIC MEET ALL THE CRITERIA FOR THE ASSIGNED SPEECH?

6. COMMON PROBLEMS WITH TOPICS “THIS IS TOO GENERAL” “THIS IS TOO GENERAL” “YOUR AUDIENCE ALREADY KNOWS THIS” “YOUR AUDIENCE ALREADY KNOWS THIS” “THIS APPEARS TO BE RELIANT ON A SINGLE SOURCE” “THIS APPEARS TO BE RELIANT ON A SINGLE SOURCE” “I’LL SEE THIS IN A DEBATE ROUND” “I’LL SEE THIS IN A DEBATE ROUND” “THIS TOPIC IS PERSUASIVE” “THIS TOPIC IS PERSUASIVE”

7. BASIC UNDERSTANDINGS AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH IS NOT SIMPLY AN ESSAY ABOUT THE TOPIC—IT IS A WELL RESEARCHED AND ORGANIZED PRESENTATION WITH EVIDENCE, LOGIC, AND SOMETIMES HUMOR TO CONVEY A MESSAGE. TOPICS ARE VARIED AND INTERESTING. INFORMATIVE SPEAKING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO TEACH THE AUDIENCE. AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH IS NOT SIMPLY AN ESSAY ABOUT THE TOPIC—IT IS A WELL RESEARCHED AND ORGANIZED PRESENTATION WITH EVIDENCE, LOGIC, AND SOMETIMES HUMOR TO CONVEY A MESSAGE. TOPICS ARE VARIED AND INTERESTING. INFORMATIVE SPEAKING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO TEACH THE AUDIENCE.

8. GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKING TO INFORM STRESS YOUR INFORMATIVE PURPOSE STRESS YOUR INFORMATIVE PURPOSE BE OBJECTIVE BE OBJECTIVE BE SPECIFIC BE SPECIFIC BE CLEAR BE CLEAR BE ACCURATE BE ACCURATE BE RELEVANT BE RELEVANT

9. JUDGING CRITERIA RELEVANCE RELEVANCE IS THE TOPIC TIMELY? IS THE THESIS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED? DOES THE DELIVERY ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC? IS THE TOPIC TIMELY? IS THE THESIS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED? DOES THE DELIVERY ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC? RELIABILITY RELIABILITY CAN THE AUDIENCE RELATE TO THE TOPIC? IS THE DELIVERY PERSONABLE? DOES THE SPEAKER ESTABLISH HOW OTHERS ARE IMPACTED BY THE TOPIC? DOES THE SPEAKER DO A GOOD JOB INFORMING? CAN THE AUDIENCE RELATE TO THE TOPIC? IS THE DELIVERY PERSONABLE? DOES THE SPEAKER ESTABLISH HOW OTHERS ARE IMPACTED BY THE TOPIC? DOES THE SPEAKER DO A GOOD JOB INFORMING? ORIGINALITY ORIGINALITY DOES THE SPEAKER ADDRESS THE TOPIC IN A UNIQUE, INVENTIVE WAY? ARE THE SUPPORTING EXAMPLES NEW AND INTERESTING? DOES THE SPEAKER ADDRESS THE TOPIC IN A UNIQUE, INVENTIVE WAY? ARE THE SUPPORTING EXAMPLES NEW AND INTERESTING?