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Chapter 12: Organizing Your Presentation
Chapter Objectives and Integrator Guide
After reading and thinking about this chapter, students should be able to meet the following
objectives.
Objectives
1. Present an effective introduction that captures the interest of audience in your topic,
the purpose of the speech, and the development of the talk.
Key terms: introduction, body
2. Write an effective outline for a presentation.
Key terms: outline, main points, subpoints, parallel form, rough draft, sentence outline,
key-word outline
3. Describe the most frequently used patterns of organization in public presentations.
Key terms: organizational patterns, time-sequence pattern, cause-effect pattern,
problem-solution pattern, topical-sequence pattern
4. Use transitions and signposts that link ideas and indicate direction to the audience.
Key terms: transitions, signposts
5. Present an effective conclusion.
Key terms: conclusion, brakelight function
6. Compile a list of references, or sources, to accompany your complete outline.
Key term: references
Activities
Activity 12.1 Writing the Introduction
Objectives
Students should be able to prepare an introduction using different attention-getting
techniques; to discuss the effect of each type of introduction on the audience’s acceptance
of and interest in the speech; and to describe the factors that determine the appropriate
technique.
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Procedure
Tell students to select and limit a specific topic for a classroom speech. Then distribute
copies of the following instructions to the students:
Speech Introductions
Some methods for introducing your topic follow. Prepare an introduction to your speech
using each of the methods listed.
1. A striking quotation from a magazine, book, or interview
2. A striking fact or statistic
3. An action or demonstration
4. A personal experience
5. A question or questions to arouse the audience’s interest through active participation
When everyone has finished, divide the students into groups of five and have group members
share their introductions. The students should note the feedback given and the interest shown
by the other members of the group. The groups should focus on the relevance of the
introduction to the topic, on the uniqueness and creativity of the introductory material, and on
Applications
This activity provides the student with experience in preparing introductions using various
techniques. The uses and guidelines of effective introductions are clarified. The activity is
also preparatory to a classroom speech.
Activity 12.2 Immediate and Long-Range Goals
complete the questionnaire independently and be able to defend their answers.
Then divide the students into groups of five. Group members should compare their answers
and resolve any differences. Each group should then announce its answers to the class.
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Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Class Discussion
The students as a class should discuss any differences in the answers. They should identify
criteria by which to ascertain whether a purpose is immediate or long-range. The discussion
should include the nature of the audience, the action to be taken, and the time limit for
accomplishment of the goal. The students should also consider the advantages of determining
immediate and long-range goals for a speech.
Applications
This activity illustrates the differences between immediate and long-range goals of a speech.
The students should be able to recognize the importance of establishing both an immediate
purpose and a long-range goal for a classroom speech.
Goals: A Questionnaire
Indicate on the blanks to the left of each statement whether the statement represents an
immediate goal (A) or a long-range goal (B).
________ To have the audience state three principles of good health
________ To get the audience to volunteer
________ To practice principles of good health
________ To inform audience members about two places where they might find
summer work
________ To start eating more nutritional foods
________ To encourage audience members
________ To write their state representatives in favor of tax cuts next year
________ To make audience members more open in their relations with others
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Activity 12.3 Preparing the Outline
Objectives
Students should be able to choose an appropriate organizational pattern for a topic of their
choice; to develop a coronal outline; and to develop a functional outline.
Procedure
Assign the following homework: Each student should choose a topic in which he or she is
interested, limit the scope of the topic, and prepare a statement of purpose. The activities for
topic selection can serve as a basis for this exercise. After selecting a topic, the students
should prepare a complete outline of the speech. The outline should incorporate the major
The students should discuss and assess each other’s work. Specific errors should be pointed
out, and appropriate corrections made. Other items the students should consider are: Were
the major functions of the outline included and correctly identified? Was the pattern of
organization appropriate for the purpose, the topic, and the audience?
Applications
This activity allows the students to practice organizing and outlining a specific speech. In
addition, it prepares the students for developing a classroom speech. Earlier text material—
on topic selection, supporting materials, credibility, and audience analysis—is important to
the successful completion of this activity.
Activity 12.4 Which Organization Do I Use?
Objectives
Students should be able to differentiate among the various organizational patterns; and to
specify the most appropriate organizational pattern for a specific topic.
Procedure
After a discussion of the patterns of organization, distribute the “Which Organization Do I
speech. The students should discover that most of the topics can be organized according to
any pattern, depending on the speaker’s purpose, but this conclusion usually is not reached
various topics and purposes. It is preliminary to preparing the classroom speech and to
understanding the principles of informative and persuasive speeches. A review of topic
selection and statements of purpose may help the students to apply the principles of
organization.
Which Organization Do I Use?
Examine the topics that follow and decide whether the best pattern of organization for the
topic and your audience would be: (a) a time-sequence pattern, (b) a topical-sequence
pattern, or (c) a problem-solution pattern. Be ready to defend your answer
________ 1. The benefits of higher education
________ 2. The causes of inflation
________ 3. Building a birdhouse
________ 4. Organizing a speech
________ 5. Maintaining a bicycle
________ 6. Explaining football plays
________ 7. Making an omelet
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Activity 12.5 Building an Outline
Objectives
Students should be able to organize statements coherently; to organize statements into an
outline that meets the criteria for good form; and to discuss the relationship between main
and subordinate ideas.
Procedure
Distribute the following collection of statements to each student:
1. Eye contact is an important skill for public speakers.
2. Speakers should establish eye contact with the entire audience.
3. Speakers can judge an audience’s interest by its nonverbal behavior.
4. People distrust others who have “shifty eyes.”
5. Speakers should talk from notes rather than from manuscripts.
6. Three components of eye contact are essential to effective delivery.
7. Speakers should avoid “false” eye contact.
8. Speakers should look directly at the audience.
9. Looking over people’s heads is not an effective way to establish rapport with
an audience.
10. Staring at one person or one segment of the audience makes the rest of the audience
feel excluded.
11. Speakers can ascertain their listeners’ comprehension through their facial expressions.
12. Glancing at the audience does not allow a speaker sufficient time to establish eye
contact.
13. There are three ways in which speakers can improve their eye contact with an
audience.
14. Speakers should be familiar with their material so that they don’t have to look
continually at their notes.
15. Speakers should look at an audience frequently.
16. Eye contact allows the speaker to perceive audience feedback.
17. Juries may decide a person is guilty because he or she won’t look at them.
18. People judge a speaker’s honesty and trustworthiness partially through the speaker’s
use of eye contact.
Have students organize the statements into the body of a speech. The principles of outline
form should be followed. Then have the students compare their work with the following
outline:
I. Eye contact is an important skill for public speakers.
A. People judge a speaker’s honesty and trustworthiness partially through the
speaker’s use of eye contact.
1. People distrust people who have “shifty eyes.”
2. Juries may decide a person is guilty because he or she won’t look at them.
B. Eye contact allows the speaker to perceive audience feedback.
1. Speakers can judge an audience’s interest by its nonverbal behavior.
2. Speakers can ascertain their listeners’ comprehension through their facial
expressions.
II. Three components of eye contact are essential to effective delivery.
A. Speakers should look directly at the audience.
B. Speakers should establish eye contact with the entire audience.
C. Speakers should look at an audience frequently.
III. There are three ways in which speakers can improve their eye contact with an
audience.
A. Speakers should talk from notes rather than from manuscripts.
B. Speakers should be familiar with their material so that they don’t have to look
continually at their notes.
C. Speakers should avoid “false” eye contact.
1. Glancing at the audience does not allow a speaker sufficient time to establish
eye contact.
2. Looking over people’s heads is not an effective way to establish rapport with
an audience.
3. Staring at one person or one segment of the audience makes the rest of the
audience feel excluded.
Class Discussion
The students should compare their outlines and discuss reasons for any discrepancies. The
discussion should focus on the correct form of the outline in terms of indentation and the
useful in developing informative and persuasive speeches.
Activity 12.6 Writing the Introduction and Conclusion
Objectives
Students should be able to demonstrate the ability to prepare an introduction and conclusion;
to identify the functions of an introduction and a conclusion; and to discuss techniques of
IM – 12 | 8
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Procedure
Have each student prepare an introduction and a conclusion for a speech, using the outline
prepared for activity 12.5. The students should be as creative as they wish, but they should
incorporate the principles of effective introductions and conclusions.
Class Discussion
When the students are finished, they should share their work with each other. The
it preview the content and purpose of the speech? Was there a suitable transition into the
body? Was there a smooth transition from the body to the conclusion? Was the summary
complete and clear? Was the final statement moving?
Applications
This activity provides the students with practice in preparing an introduction and a
conclusion for a speech. Text material on statements of purpose and audience analysis and
informative and persuasive speeches may help the students complete this activity.
Activity 12.7 Write, Cite, and Organize
Objectives
Students should be able to secure and organize references based on a particular speech topic.
Procedure
The instructor should distribute sample speech topics to small groups. Each group will be
responsible for locating at least five references relevant to the speech. Each group should be
prepared to provide other small groups with an accurate and organized version of references
relevant to the speech topic. Students should be encouraged to locate at least one magazine or
Applications
This activity is an effective one to use as an introduction to accurate reference form.
Students will be more sensitized to the fact that gathering sources is insufficient; citing them
accurately on paper is also important.