Chapter 14
Informative Speaking
ABOUT CHAPTER 14
This chapter applies the preceding theoretical chapters to the informative speech. Students
become familiar with messages of explanation, messages of description, and messages of
definition.
They learn to increase audience members’ “’information hunger” by accomplishing four tasks:
making listeners want to learn more about the topic, communicating information clearly and
understandably, stressing key points, and finding ways to involve the audience in the
presentation.
Finally, a transcript, a complete sentence outline, and speaker’s notes for a speech on Mad Cow
disease are presented for analysis. The speech is thoroughly analyzed in marginal notes, which
provide springboards for class discussions.
CHAPTER OUTCOMES AND CONTENT
Outcomes and Content Activities and Resources
LO1 Define informative speaking.In the text:
Pages 387-388
Discussion Starters
Review, Reflect & Apply
Recall
Understand
In the Instructor’s Manual:
Self Inventory
14.1 Skill Builder: Information Please
14.2 Skill Builder: Mediated Information
LO2 Distinguish among four types of
informative discourse.
In the text:
Pages 388-391
Ethics and Communication: Assessing
Informative Speaking Skills
Discussion Starters
Review, reflect, & Apply
Recall
Analyze
Apply
In the Instructor’s Manual:
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14.6 Skill Builder: Your Choice: Define or
Describe
LO3 Explain how to create information
hunger and increase the listener’s
comprehension.
In the text:
Pages 391-394
Exploring Diversity: Conveying
Information across Cultures
Discussion Starters
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Understand
Analyze
Apply
Create
In the Instructor’s Manual:
14.4 Skill Builder: Information Probes
14.5 Skill Builder: Imagery
14.7 Skill Builder: Brain Game
LO4 Develop and present an informative
speech.
In the text:
Pages 395-404
Sample Informative Speech Outlines: Food
Contamination
Outline
Transcript
Speaker’s Notes
Review, reflect, & Apply
Apply
Evaluate
In the Instructor’s Manual
14.10 Skill Builder: Listen/View
Self-Analysis Scale
14.8 Skill Builder: C-Span
14.9 Skill Builder: YouTube Examples
On the Online Learning Center (OLC):
Video: Informative Speech that Needs
Work
Video: Improved Version of Informative
Speech
Self-Analysis Scale
14.8 Skill Builder: C-Span
Additional Activities In the Text
418-419
On the Online Learning Center (OLC):
Key Term Flashcards
Self-Quizzes
Key Term Crosswords
Self Quizzes
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PowerPoint Files (Teacher Area of OLC)
LESSON OUTLINE FOR CHAPTER 14
I. Speaking Informatively
Incorporate activities from the text and the instructor’s manual
II. Types of Informative Presentations
A. Explanations of Processes
B. Descriptions
C. Definitions
Incorporate activities from the text and the instructor’s manual
III. Effective Informative Speeches: Increasing Interest and Comprehension
A. Create Information Hunger
B. Avoid Information Overload
C. Avoid Information Underload
D. Seek Information Balance
E. Emphasize Key Points
F. Involve Your Listeners
G. Provide Information Memorably
Incorporate activities from the text and the instructor’s manual
IV. Technology and the Informative Speaker
Incorporate activities from the text and the instructor’s manual
V. Samples Informative Speech: Mad Cow Disease
Incorporate activities from the text and the instructor’s manual
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Have students consider the chapter-opening quotation: “There are things that are known and
things that are unknown: in between are doors.” How does this idea relate to informative
speaking?
2. How does the informative speech or message relate to your life?
3. Consider this evening’s news report. How does it differ from, and in what ways is it similar
to, an informative presentation?
IM 14-3
4. Think of a time when you experienced information overload as an audience member. What
caused it? What might the speaker have done to prevent or reduce it?
5. What are some transitional words that you can use in a speech?
6. Carefully consider the sample speech presented in this chapter. How is it structured? What is
effective about it? What changes would you suggest?
MORE DISCUSSION STARTERS
1. Making Your Subject Come Alive. Have students think about the photograph in the text in
which the speaker has her audience standing and imagine themselves in the speaker’s place.
What is the speaker doing to involve her listeners?
2. How many people do you know whose job requires them to deliver speeches? What
percentage of their time is devoted to preparing and delivering speeches?
3. What processes are you equipped to speak about?
ADDITIONAL SKILL BUILDERS
14.1 SKILL BUILDER: Information Please
Have students work in groups to develop a short hypothetical message for one of the following
items, explaining a process, describing, or defining:
Quill pen
Lamp
Paper clip
Vitamin pill
14.2 SKILL BUILDER: Mediated Information
Videotape a random sample of “hard” and “soft” televised news stories using network news,
local news, 60 Minutes, CNN, magazine news programs such as PM Magazine, and others.
Have students consider these informative presentations. How do the presentations differ in style?
How are they the same? What can an informative speaker learn from the techniques the media
uses?
14.3 SKILL BUILDER: Ask Your Audience to . . .
What can we ask audiences to do? There is little doubt that involving an audience can improve
the response to a presentation. The challenge is to find effective activities that the audience
members can perform at or near their seats.
Have groups of students generate lists of activities that audience members can do. Raise hands,
close eyes, stand up, examine a chart, fill out a form, sing along, hold their breath, shake hands
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with a neighbor, imagine themselves doing something—these are just a few of the suggestions
groups may generate. Ask students to consider how the suggested activities might be used as part
of a specific speech.
14.4 SKILL BUILDER: Information Probes
1. Accompanied by two or three students, go to a location of your choice. Once there, observe
the environment, and compile individual lists of possible topics for a process speech,
suggested by the stimuli around you.
2. Compare your own list with the lists made by others in your group. Feel free to brainstorm
additional possibilities for topics.
3. To determine whether the topics generated will be suitable for delivery, consider these
questions.
A. Is the process of interest to me?
B. Do I know or want to learn about it?
C. Can I accomplish my objectives in the time allotted?
D. Will my presentation provide the audience with new, useful information?
4. Develop a five-to-six minute presentation demonstrating how to do or make something or
explaining how something works. Prepare an outline, and use appropriate visuals.
14.5 SKILL BUILDER: Imagery
1. Find a natural object, such as a piece of driftwood, a pine cone, or a photograph of a bird or
animal. Put it at the front of the classroom.
2. Divide the class into pairs. Each pair is to use as many sensory images as possible to
describe the object or photo.
3. Repeat the experience, substituting a new object or photo
14.6 SKILL BUILDER: Your Choice: Define or Describe
1. Prepare a five-minute speech of definition or description. Be sure to use whatever speaking
aids you believe will help bring your presentation to life for the audience.
2. Prepare an outline. Prepare a bibliography of the sources you consulted.
14.7 SKILL BUILDER: Narrative
1. Prepare a five minute speech using narrative. Be sure to use whatever speaking aids you need
to help bring the speech to life for the audience.
2. Prepare an outline and bibliography.
14.8 SKILL BUILDER: Brain Game
1. How many uses can you find for a block of wood?
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2. How many uses can you find for an old tire?
3. How might you approach a speech entitled, “Pins and Needles”?
14.9 SKILL BUILDER: C-Span
C-Span broadcasts many speeches. Some of them are very interesting; some of them less so.
Tape some samples and keep them ready for those days when students decide they just cannot
present their speeches. Show some of the C-Span speeches, and ask students to work in groups to
provide a list of suggestions for each speaker they view. The teams can compare their comments.
14.10 SKILL BUILDER: YouTube Sources
YouTube has many speeches that can be used for analysis. You can locate examples to use in
class. Or, you can give the responsibility to the teams.
They often find interesting and humorous examples. The speeches should be approved by the
instructor prior to showing in class.
The source gives you access to the most current speeches.
14.11 SKILL BUILDER: Listen and View
Ask students to work in groups. The group should select and bring in music and/or films
or film clips that they feel relate to the content of this chapter. Ask them to play the clips
and discuss why they feel they are related to the chapter.
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