Puffing the Informative Speech Together
The following is intended for use as an aid for the process of working through the steps
necessary to maximize your effectiveness as you work through the Informative Speech
assignment.
Generating focus or a specific purpose is the first step after you brainstonn a bit. A
checklist is included as a way to bring your ambitions into focus. Remember, the
process of developing a speech topic is deductive (you work from the most general
sense of the subject/topic and flesh out a reasonable and workable degree of focus
given the constraints of the assignment).
2. Next, you must satisfy the expectations of a solid central idea. ln short, your
statement of purpose, or thesis should be sufficiently connected to what ideas or main
points you propose to pursue. Use the checklist to be certain that you have developed
an explicit sense ofpurpose for your speech as it is essential that you state this clearly
to your audience as part of your introductory remarks'
3. Now that you are committed to your topic focus, the next few pages offer insight on
how to cover the basic steps in the development of your speech
4. Often times students think that just because they are personally invested in a topic,
the topic will be just as appealing to the audience. This is a misnomer. One
centerpiece of Public Speaking is that it is an audience centered art. In other words,
as speakers we learn to say the right thing at the right time and it is essential that as
youwork on your topic you constantly make an appraisal in terms of what is it that
my audience knows on the topic, and what is it that I want them to know by the end
of my speech. Regardless of the differing interest levels and backgrounds each
person holds, the effective speaker is able to maximize the appeal of the topic by
teing audience centered and taking steps to ensure topic relevance as part ofthe
process of putting the speech and selecting appealing materials to cover.
5. Checklists are included to help reveal an assist in the decision making for basic
structure and what supporting materials to adopt as you develop your materials and
1.
ideas.
6.
Lastly, suggestions for composing your preparation outline and speaking outline are
included as inspiration to assist in your development of the full sentence outline along
with your bibliography page which must be turned in prior to your uploading your
speech.
SPECIFIC PURPOSE CHECKLIST
Yes
No
1.
Is the specific purpose written as full infinitive phrase?
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2.
Does the specific purpose include a reference to the audience?
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3.
Is the specific purpose phrased as a statement rather than a question?
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4.
Is the specific purpose free of figurative language?
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5.
Is the specific purpose limited to a distinct subject?
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6.
Does the specific purpose indicate precisely what I plan to accomplish in
the speech?
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Does the specific purpose meet the requirements of the assignment?
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8.
Can the specific purpose be accomplished in the time allotted for the
speech?
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Is the specific purpose relevant to my audience?
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9.
10. Does the specific
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1.
purpose deal with a nontrivial subject?
Is the specific purpose suitable for a nontechnical audience?
CENTRAL IDEA CHECKLIST
Yes
No
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2.Isthecentraiideaphrasedasastatementratherthanaquestion?
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3.
Is the central idea free of figurative language?
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discussed in
Does the central idea clearly encapsulate the main points to be
the body ofthe sPeech?
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speech?
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Is the central idea relevant to the audience?
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1.
A
a.
5.
6.
Is the central idea written as a complete sentence?
for the
Can the central idea be adequately discussed in the time allotted
,T.Isthecentralideaappropriateforanontechnicalaudience?
INFORMATIVE SPEECH PREPARATION WORKSHEET
Section
Name
l.
What is the topic ofyour speech? Why is it appropriate foryou?
2.
Why is the topic appropriate foryour
3.
How is your topic narrowed to conform to the time limits for the speech assignment?
4.
What is your specific purpose statement?
5.
on page I 5 of this
Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Specific Purpose Checklist
audience?
\=
workbook?
6.
What is your central idea?
7.
page
Can you answef yes to all the questions on the Central Idea Checklist on
workbook?
8.
what method(s) of gaining attention do you use in the introduction?
g.
How do you establishyour credibility in the introduction?
- over -
10. write
the preview statement you
will
use in your introduction.
-I of this
11
.
on page 'c1 of this
Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Speech Introduction Checklist
workbook?
12. What method of organization
13.
State in
do you use in the speech?
fulI sentences the main points to be developed in the body of your speech'
page '$ of this
14. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Main Points Checklist on
workbook?
15. What
it
steps have you taken to adapt the content of your speech so
will
be clear and interesting
to your audience? Be sPecific.
16. What method(s) of reinforcing your central idea do you use in the conclusion?
Checklist on page IOof this
1.7. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Speech Conclusion
workbook?
AU DI ENCE ANALYSIS WORKSHEET
Topic
Speaker
What is your audience for this speech?
What is the specific purpose of your speech?
In choosing your specific purpose, how
audience?
will you narrow the topic so it will
be appropriate to this
Demographic audience analysis: What special adaptation is necessary in the speech because of the
audience's
age
gender
sexual orientation
religion
racial, ethnic, and cultural background
group membership
other (specify)
Situational audience analysis: What special adaptation is necessary in the speech'because of the
audience's
size
response to the physical setting
knowledge about the topic
interest in the topic
attitude toward the topic
disposition toward the speaker
disposition toward the occasion
AU DI ENCE ADAPTATION WORKSH EET
What device(s)
What steps
will you use in the introduction to gain the attention
will you take in the introduction to relate
and interest of your audience?
the topic directly to your audience?
points for
What are the main points of the speech? Why do you plan to develop these particular main
this audience?
Why have you selected the supporting materials you plan to use for this audience?
What steps have you taken to make your language clear and appropriate to this audience?
voice' gestures' and the
What adjustments will you make in delivery-rate of speech, volume, tone of
like-to communicate your ideas to this audience?
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b
SUPPORTING MATERIALS CHECKLIST
Yes
No
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1.
Do I use examples to clarifu my ideas?
2.
Do I use examples to reinforce my ideas?
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3.
Do I use examples to personalize my ideas?
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4.
Are my examples representative of what they are supposed to
illustrate or prove?
5.
Do I reinforce my examples with statistics or testimony?
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6.
Are my extended ex4mples vivid and richly textured?
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7.
Have I practiced the delivery of my extended examples to give them
dramatic eflect?
8.
Do I use statistics to quantif,r my ideas?
9.
Are my statistics representative of what they purport to measure?
10. Are my statistics from reliable
1
1.
sources?
Do I cite the sources of my statistics?
12. Do I use statistical
measures (mean, median, mode) conectly?
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16. Do I use testimony to support my
ideas?
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17. Do I use testimony from qualified
sources?
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13. Do i round off complicated statistics?
14. Do I use visual aids to clarifr statistical
15. Do I explain my statistics
trends?
and relate them to the audience?
18. Do I use testimony from unbiased
sources?
19. Do I distinguish between expert testimony
20. Do I identiff
and peer testimony?
the sources of all testimony?
21. Do I quote and paraphrase all sources of testimony with
accuracy?
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complete
MAIN POINTS CHECKLIST
Yes
1.
Does the body of my speech contain two to five main points?
2.
Are my main points organized according to one of the following methods
No
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of
organization? (Check the one that applies-)
Causal order
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Topical order
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Problem-Solution order
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Problem-Cause-Solution order
B
Monroe's motivated sequence
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main points?
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5.
Have I roughly balanced the amount of tirne devoted to each main point?
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6.
Is each main point backed up with strong, credible supporting materials?
B
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7.
Do I use connectives to make sure my audience knows when I am moving
from one main Point to another?
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Chronological order
Spatial order
3.
Are my main points clearly separate from one another?
4.
As much as possible, have I used the same pattern of wording for all my
SPEECH INTRODUCTION CHECKLIST
Yes
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1.
using one or more of the
Do I gain the attention and interest of my audience by
methods discussed in this chaPter?
2.
Do I relate the speech topic to my audience?
a
Do I clearly reveal the topic of my speech?
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4.
Do I establish my credibility to speak on this topic?
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5.
Ifmytopiciscontroversial,doltakestepstoestablishmygoodwilltowardthe
audience?
6.
for the audience to understand
Do I define any key terms that will be necessary
the rest of mY sPeech?
'1.
points to be covered in the body
Do i provide a preview statement of the main
ofthe
sPeech?
8.
my entire speech?
Is the introduction limited to 10-20 percent of
g.
in detail?
Have I worked out the language of my introduction
so I can present it fluently'
10. Have I practiced the delivery of my introduction
confidently, and with strong eye contact?
No
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SPEECH CONCLUSION CHECKLIST
Yes
l.
Do I signal that my speech is coming to an end?
2.
Do I reinforce my central idea by (check all that apply):
Summarizing the main points of my speech
Ending with a quotation
Making a dramatic statement
Referring to the introduction
No
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a
J.
Is the conclusion limited to 5-10 percent of my entire speech?
D
B
4.
Have I worked out the language of my conclusion in detail?
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5.
Have I practiced the delivery of my conclusion so I can present it fluently,
confidently, and with strong eye contact?
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t,
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it'
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'r.l::
,t:,.
PREPARATION OUTLI NE CH ECKLIST
Yes
No
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1.
Does my speech have a title,
2.
Do I state the specific purpose before the text of the outline itself?
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3.
Do I state the central idea before the text of the outline itself?
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4.
Are the introduction, body, and conclusion clearly labeled?
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5.
Are main points and subpoints written in fuIl sentences?
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6.
Are transitions, internal summaries, and internal previews clearly labeled?
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Does the outline follow a consistent pattern of symbolization and
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7
.
if
one is required?
indentation?
8.
Does the outline provide a clear visual framework that shows the
relationships among the ideas of my speech?
9.
Does the bibliography
identiff all the sources I consulted in preparing the
outline?
10.
i.
lr'
t;
,t:
Does the bibliography follow the format required by my instructor?
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