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vaguely to “information I found online,” without telling us where she found the in-
formation and why it is reliable. Also in paragraph 5, she cites Amanda DeMatto,
but leaves us wondering who DeMatto is.
Conclusion: Paragraphs 8–9 constitute the conclusion of the speech. The speaker begins
paragraph 8 by signaling that her speech is coming to an end. However, she fails to
reinforce her central idea, stating only that she hopes the audience can one day
visit a supervolcano like she did. Then paragraph 9 arrives out of the blue, as
though the speaker forgot to include some information earlier but feels compelled
to add it here. The conclusion of the final version is much stronger; it effectively
summarizes the main points, reinforces the central idea, and ends with a meaning-
ful closing line.
Visual Aids: Although a speech on supervolcanoes almost begs for the inclusion of visual
aids, those in the needs improvement version are not designed or displayed as well
as they should be. In paragraph 2, for instance, the speaker presents video of Old
Faithful at Yellowstone National Park from her visit the previous summer. Unfortu-
nately, the video is hard to see, the colors of the slide are not well chosen, and the
slide remains on screen far too long. Realizing the error in paragraph 4, the speaker
finally moves past the slide, but she goes too far, running into the visuals for subse-
quent parts of the speech. Also in paragraph 4, she shows a picture of a regular
volcano because, as she says, “there are no pictures of supervolcanoes.” This is
true, but why show the picture at all unless you’re going to use it to illustrate a spe-
cific point, which the speaker does not do?
The same problem arises with her visual aid of the VEI scale in paragraph 5
216 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
In contrast, the visual aids in the final version are attractive, creative, and per-
fectly coordinated with the speaker’s words. They are designed and delivered in
3. Show students the needs improvement version of “Lady Liberty,” which appears on the DVD
of student speeches that accompanies this edition of The Art of Public Speaking. Have students
analyze the speech by focusing on how well the speaker develops the introduction, body, and
conclusion. Students should also pay attention to the speaker’s delivery and visual aids.
Lady Liberty
Needs Improvement Version
1 I think the Statue of Liberty is a great idea for a speech. If you live in New York, like
I do, you see it all the time. The Statue of Liberty stands for America. It’s a symbol of our
country.
3 There’s a lot of symbolism in the statue. Here, have a look at this photo. If you could
see the feet of the statue, you’d see that there’s a bunch of broken chains around her feet, and
these chains symbolize the end of slavery and the Union’s victory in the Civil War.
4 Then there’s the torch, which is right at the top. It’s because of that torch that Emma
Lazarus, the famous poet, wrote her lines about the poor and tired masses.
5 And then there’s the statue’s crown, which has seven rays. Listen to this: One of the
Web sites I used for research said there’s one ray for each continent on earth.
6 The Statue of Liberty has a really, really interesting history, and I found some great
information in a book called The Statue of Liberty. Did you know the statue was built in
France? These two Frenchmen came up with the idea for the statue. They thought it would be
CHAPTER 15—SPEAKING TO INFORM 217
9 One of the books I read says there’s a 92–foot skeleton under the copper. There are
these bars that come out and connect the skeleton to the copper skin. It’s so cool. I wish you
could see it. These bars help keep the whole thing together. They were designed by the same
man who built the Eiffel Tower, in France. In her book, Yasmin Sabina Kahn says that the
statue was thought of at the time as the eighth wonder of the world.
10 So, I hope you can now see how the Statue of Liberty is such a great idea for a
speech. Next time I go back to New York, I’m definitely going to visit it again.
Discussion: One of the most difficult things for students to grasp early in the term is the
difference between an ordinary speech and a superior one. You can help them by show-
ing the needs improvement version of “Lady Liberty” followed by the final version of the
Introduction: The speaker has an outgoing personality and seems comfortable in front of
the audience, but the content of his speech is not as fully developed as it might be.
This pattern begins in the introduction (paragraphs 1–2). Rather than opening by re-
lating his topic to the audience, the speaker starts with a statement of his personal
interest in the Statue of Liberty. In paragraph 2, he cites Neil Kotler on the signifi-
cance of the statue, but he neglects to say who Kotler is or where Kotler made his
statement about the statue being a “monument of breathtaking proportions.” At the
Body: The body of the speech consists of paragraphs 3–9. In both the needs improve-
ment and final versions, the speaker develops three main points—the first about
the statue’s symbolism, the second about the statue’s history, and the third about
the statue’s architecture. In the needs improvement version, however, the main
points are not adequately supported and lack the internal coherence of the final
version.
218 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
from top to bottom (as the speaker does in the final version) or from bottom to top
would better help the audience follow along. When discussing the statue’s symbol-
The third main point (paragraphs 8–9) deals with the statue’s architecture. Here
the speaker is more specific than earlier in the speech, mentioning that the statue is
2.4 millimeters thick, that it stands 300 feet tall, and that it contains a 92–foot–tall
skeleton under its copper skin. Notice, however, that the speaker does not expand
upon these facts. Without a comparison or point of reference, few listeners will know
how thin 2.4 millimeters actually is. At the end of paragraph 9, the speaker again fails
to provide an effective oral citation, something that he rectifies in the final version.
Overall, students should notice that the needs improvement version falls short of
meeting the guidelines for informative speaking. The speaker does not do enough to
Delivery: The speaker has an engaging manner, maintains strong eye contact, is not afraid
to gesture, and is animated and conversational. Clearly, however, he needed to put
in more time practicing the speech. At times he seems unsure of his material and of
what he should say next. The final version of the speech is much improved in deliv-
[Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2012], p. 11). Prezi becomes progressively distracting as
the number of visual aids in a speech increases. While the speaker has only a few
visual aids in the needs improvement version of “Lady Liberty” (far too few, as we
shall see below), one can get a sense of Prezi’s obtrusiveness by imagining all its
zooming effects with the number of visual aids used in the final version of “Lady
The creativity of the speaker’s slides in the final version also merits discussion.
Twice in the needs improvement version he says that he wishes the audience
could visualize the point he is trying to make—first, when he talks about the chains
at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, second, when he explains the internal structure
of the statue. In the final version, he comes up with ways to make both of these
4. Popular nonfiction writing often provides helpful models of informative discourse on technical
topics. Have each student select an article of interest from the medicine, science, or business
section of Time or Smithsonian. The student should prepare a brief report on the article an-
swering each of the following:
a. How effectively does the author use definition, explanation, description, comparison, con-
trast, and examples to make the subject clear and interesting to ordinary readers? Identify
two particular techniques used in the article that you might want to try in your next in-
formative speech.
220 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
c. Assume you will be giving a speech on the same topic as the article. What specific steps
would you take to relate the topic directly to your classmates? To make it fully under-
standable to them? Consider not only what you might say in your speech, but also how
you might use visual aids to enhance what you say.
Discussion: This can be a very helpful exercise if you have students give more than one
5. Divide the class into groups of three to four students each. Have each group select one of the
topics listed below (or other topics of your choosing). Each group has 15 minutes to work out a
two-minute explanation designed for an audience that knows absolutely nothing about the topic.
Each group should select one of its members to present the explanation orally to the class.
How to tie a shoe lace How to build a campfire
How to change a car tire How to lose weight
The basic rules of baseball The basic rules of checkers
Discussion: This exercise drives home the complexity of giving information to listeners
6. Have students complete the Informative Speech Preparation Worksheet, which appears on
pages 223–224 of this manual, or you can assign it from the assignments available in Connect.
Discussion: The Informative Speech Preparation Worksheet helps students develop their
speeches systematically. It is best assigned early in the informative unit, so students can
7. Have students complete the Informative Speech Self–Assessment, which appears on page 222
of this manual.
Discussion: There is a great deal of research confirming the pedagogical value of self–
assessments. The Informative Speech Self–Assessment asks students to write a full, objec-
tive evaluation of their informative speech. Assessment items include topic and purpose,
CHAPTER 15—SPEAKING TO INFORM 221
Informative Speech Self–Assessment
Your task is to review your informative speech and to reach a full, objective assessment of its
major strengths and weaknesses. Write a thoughtful evaluation of the speech in full–sentence and
paragraph form with an introduction and a conclusion.
Be specific and concrete in your comments. Note in particular the areas in which you believe
you did especially well and those areas in which you want to make special improvement in the
Topic and Purpose
Was the topic appropriate for the audience and the occasion?
Did you have a clear specific purpose that you could accomplish in the allotted time?
Organization
Was the speech well organized?
Did you fulfill all the major functions of a speech introduction?
Supporting Materials, Audience Adaptation, and Language
Did you conduct adequate research when preparing the speech?
Did you adapt your speech so it would be relevant and interesting to your audience?
Did you follow the criteria in your textbook for the effective use of supporting materials?
Did you make a conscious effort to use clear, nontechnical language?
Delivery and Visual Aids
Did you begin and end your speech without rushing?
Did you use pauses, rate, pitch, and vocal variety effectively in delivering the speech?
Overall Assessment
What were you most pleased with in the speech? What were you least pleased with?
If you had an opportunity to deliver this speech again next week, what changes would you
make? Be specific.
Informative Speech Preparation Worksheet
Name Section
1. What is the topic of your speech? Why is it appropriate for you?
2. Why is the topic appropriate for your audience?
3. How is your topic narrowed to conform to the time limits for the speech assignment?
4. What is your specific purpose statement?
5. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Specific Purpose Checklist on page 85 of your
textbook? __________
6. What is your central idea?
7. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Central Idea Checklist on page 90 of your
textbook? __________
8. What method(s) of gaining attention do you use in the introduction?
9. How do you establish your credibility in the introduction?
10. Write the preview statement you will use in your introduction.
11. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Speech Introduction Checklist on page 182 of
your textbook? __________
12. What method of organization do you use in the speech?
13. State in full sentences the main points to be developed in the body of your speech.
14. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Main Points Checklist on page 170 of your
textbook? __________
15. What steps have you taken to adapt the content of your speech so it will be clear and interest-
ing to your audience? Be specific.
16. What method(s) of reinforcing your central idea do you use in the conclusion?
17. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the Speech Conclusion Checklist on page 191 of
your textbook? __________