Chapter 13: Public Presentations to Inform
Chapter Objectives and Integrator Guide
After reading and thinking about this chapter, students should be able to:
Objective
Resources
1. Understand the various goals
and purposes of informative
presentations.
Key Terms: Immediate behavioral
purpose.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 277–278
Table 13.1: Common Goals of Informative Presentations and
Examples of Topics
Study Question 1 (p. 298)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 1: Keeping Informative Speeches
Informative
Activity 13.1: Speech Significance
2. Effectively present
information to an audience.
Key Terms: Information hunger,
information relevance, extrinsic
motivation, informative content,
information overload of quantity,
and information overload of
complexity.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 278–284
Connecting Globally: Identifying Fake News (p. 281)
Figure 13.1: Information Overload in Quantity and Complexity
Skill Builder: Learn to Involve your Audience (p. 284)
Study Question 2 (p. 298)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 2: Creating Information Hunger
Activity 13.2: Hunger to Speak
3. Apply the following basic
information skills to your
presentations: defining,
describing, explaining,
illustrating, using analogies,
narrating, and
demonstrating.
Key Terms: Comparison, contrast,
synonym, antonym, operational
definition, imagery, explanation,
illustration, analogy, narration, and
demonstrating.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 284–288
Study Question 3 (p. 298)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 3: Informative Speaking Skills
Activity 13.3: Speaking of Values
Activity 13.4: The Document for an Informative Speech
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4. Effectively use visual
resources to inform.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 288–90
Table 13.2: Examples of Topics and Visual Resources
Challenge Yourself: How can I use visual resources Effectively
in my informative presentation? (p. 289)
Study Question 4 (p. 298)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 4: Effective and Ineffective Use of
Presentational Aids
Activity 13.5: Visual Appeal
5. Explain the appropriate use
of note cards when delivering
an informative speech.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 290–297
Sample Outline: Informative Speech about Genocide in Darfur
(p. 290-293)
Sample Note Cards: Informative Speech about Genocide in
Darfur (p. 293-297)
Study Question 5 (p. 298)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 5: Notecard Construction and Use
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Chapter Outline
I. Prepare an Informative Presentation
A. What is your goal?
i. Consider what you wish to convey to your audience.
ii. In general, you might focus on one of five different goals.
1. To increase what your listeners know about a topic
3. To clarify complex issues
5. To show how things relate in space
B. What is your purpose?
i. The immediate behavioral purpose reflects the actions you expect
from an audience during and immediately after a presentation.
ii. In informative presentations you will probably focus on one of four
immediate behavioral purposes:
1. Define words, objects, or concepts.
3. Distinguish between things.
4. Compare and/or contrast items.
II. Effectively Present Information to an Audience
A. Create information hunger
i. Information hunger is facilitating a need for information in the
audience.
ii. Use of rhetorical questions can help create information hunger.
Rhetorical questions are questions asked for effect, with no answer
expected.
iii. Tap the audience’s curiosity in some way.
B. Demonstrate information relevance
i. Information relevance is the importance, novelty, and usefulness of
the information to the audience.
ii. Ask yourself as you are determining a topical focus if your audience
will care about and want to know something about the topic that
you are presenting on. If not, focus on something else that will
impact them.
C. Reveal extrinsic motivation
i. Extrinsic motivation is the reason outside the presentation that
audience members will benefit from listening to the presentation.
ii. An audience is more likely to listen to and comprehend a
presentation if they have good reasons for doing so, especially if
they see some potential benefit or reward for themselves.
iii. Extrinsic motivation is related to the concept of information
relevance.
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iv. Extrinsic motivations need to be mentioned early in a presentation.
D. Design informative content
i. Informative content reflects the main points and subpoints,
illustrations, and examples used to clarify and inform.
ii. Consider the following five principles when selecting speech
content:
1. Audiences tend to remember and comprehend
3. Humor can make a dull presentation more interesting, but
humor does not seem to increase information retention.
4. Early remarks about how the presentation will meet the
5. Calling for overt audience response or behavior increases
comprehension more than does repetition.
E. Avoid information overload
i. Information overload is when you provide more information than the
audience can absorb, whether in quantity, complexity, or both.
1. Information overload of quantity occurs when the speaker
2. Information overload of complexity occurs when the speaker
uses language or ideas that are beyond the capacity of the
audience to understand.
ii. The solution for information overload is to focus on a limited
number of main points, include only the best supporting materials,
and keep the message at a level the audience can understand.
F. Organize content
i. Tell the audience members what you are going to tell them (in the
introduction), tell them (in the body), and then tell them what you
told them (in the conclusion).
ii. Use transitions and signposts to increase understanding.
iii. Tell your audience which points are most important.
iv. Repeat important points for better understanding.
III. Skills for Informative Speaking
A. Defining
i. There are multiple ways to define something in an informative
presentation.
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ii. A comparison shows the similarity between something well known
and something less known.
iii. A contrast statement clarifies by showing differences.
iv. A synonym defines by using a word or words that are close or
similar in meaning to the one you are trying to define.
v. An antonym defines an idea by opposition.
vi. An operational definition defines by explaining a process.
B. Describing
i. Describing requires presenters to be concrete rather than abstract,
specific instead of general, and accurate instead of ambiguous.
ii. Imagery is critical to effective description. Imagery includes using
figures of speech that hit at the senses and stimulate listeners’
synapses to see, hear, and feel what the words are saying.
C. Explaining
i. An explanation is a means of developing an idea that simplifies or
clarifies it while arousing audience interest.
ii. An important step in explaining is analyzing deconstructing, or
dissecting something to help the audience understand it.
D. Illustrating
i. An illustration clarifies by showing what something is.
ii. Stories, or narratives, can also provide illustrations.
E. Using analogies
idea.
F. Narrating
i. Narration is the oral presentation and interpretation of a study, a
description, or an event.
ii. To use narration is to move a little closer to oral interpretation of
literature, or even acting, because the narration can be more
dramatic than the rest of the presentation.
G. Demonstrating
2. Physicians demonstrate a variety of procedures and
technique for medical students.
3. People who wish to buy a new computer or car often
familiarize themselves with the products via demonstration.
IV. Use Visual Resources to Inform
A. Visual aids reinforce your verbal messages, as well as help you gain and
maintain audience attention.
B. Follow these tips and advice for using visual resources effectively:
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i. Be audience-centered.
ii. Be ethical.
iii. Keep the content clear and relevant.
iv. Explain the visual resources.
v. Understand that using resources takes time.
vi. Do not be too simple or complex.
vii. Strive for professionalism.
Discussion Starters
1. Keeping Informative Speeches Informative: The goals of informative speaking
relate to helping audience members acquire more knowledge and information about
2. Creating Information Hunger: Recall a time where someone shared their
perspectives with you in a way that created information hunger. What was it about
the content or the information presented that facilitated the creation of information
3. Informative Speaking Skills: The chapter describes seven main skills of
informative speaking (defining, describing, explaining, illustrating, using analogies,
narrating, and demonstrating). Which of these informative speaking skills are you
4. Effective and Ineffective Use of Presentational Aids: Recall a time that someone
used visual evidence to really increase the clarity of your own understanding about
the issues they were discussing. What was the visual aid, and how did it contribute
unique insight to the spoken message? How might you use presentational aids to
reinforce rather than simply repeat what you are saying verbally in your speech?
5. Notecard Construction and Use: Recall a time when you saw someone use their
notecards ineffectively when giving a speech. What are some of the reasons why
you felt the person’s use of the notecards was ineffective? Recall a time where you
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Activities
ACTIVITY 13.1 SPEECH SIGNIFICANCE
Purpose: Students should be able to assess the relevance of an informative speech
topic.
Procedure: Divide the class into small groups of five to seven students. Instruct the
groups to examine the list of potential speech topics found in the text. Assign each
This activity illustrates to students the importance of establishing topic significance.
Class interaction should center on how an audience may reject or attend to a speaker’s
Debriefing: This activity increases student awareness of selecting a topic that interests
the audience and relates to the students the importance of topic significance. Topic
relevance is an important issue in determining the ultimate effectiveness of a speech.
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ACTIVITY 13.2 HUNGER TO SPEAK
Purpose: Students should be able to illustrate how information hunger can be
instigated in an informative speech.
Procedure: Divide the class into groups of five to seven students. Examine the sample
topics for informative speaking in the text, and have each group select three topics from
As a variation to the above, the instructor might assign the same speech topics to all
groups. Students will then construct a number of information hunger statements using a
limited amount of speech topics.
Debriefing: This activity provides students with an integral component of informative
speechmaking. Moreover, students are exposed to the importance of arousing and
maintaining interest throughout a speech.
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ACTIVITY 13.3 SPEAKING OF VALUES
Purpose: Students should be able to construct a two– to three-minute introductory
informative speech that illustrates an individual value in their life.
Procedure: Instruct the students to identify the primary value that operates in their daily
life. Using relevant information, students should elaborate on their personal value to
Due to the nature of this activity, students are likely to respond to the speeches or be
rather apprehensive about discussing such personal values. Nonetheless, the instructor
should solicit opinions about the content and delivery of the informative speeches.
Debriefing: This activity provides the students with a unique method of informative
speech development. The activity also serves as a poignant example of how
explanation, definition, and imagery are essential in informative speaking.
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ACTIVITY 13.4 THE DOCUMENT FOR AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH
Purpose: Students should be able to compose a paper stating the title or topic, the
purpose, the obstacles, the organization, and the sources for an informative speech.
The written assignment, correctly completed, greatly increases the chances that the oral
performance will also be done correctly.
Procedure: Ask the students to write a paper that shows the title of the speech, a
statement of the immediate purpose, a list of potential obstacles and how they will be
overcome, an outline of the speech, and a reference list in correct form. Tell students to
make their statements brief, to enumerate, and to employ an outline format on this
assignment so that the paper is easier to write and evaluate.
This student did a particularly good job of selecting a topic that was appropriate to her
own knowledge and interests. It may have been somewhat less appropriate for an
audience of college students, many of whom do not pay taxes. The student did,
however, arouse her classmates’ interest with rhetorical questions, audience
participation, and visual aids. She adjusted the speech to the audience’s level of
knowledge, and she made certain that the audience recognized her credibility, both by
Debriefing: After completing this exercise, students are more familiar with the sections
of an informative speech.
A DOCUMENT FOR AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH
TITLE: THE OIL DEPLETION ALLOWANCE
Behavioral statement of
purpose:
Purpose
The audience should be able to define what percentage depletion means in
relation to tax policy.
Speech of definition.
Expectation of audience
and a means of
determining
The audience should be able to define percentage depletion and to state at
least one way in which it is related to tax policy.
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effectiveness.
Speaker lists obstacles
and how they will be
overcome.
Obstacles
1. Credibility: I am a business major with a special interest in taxation. That,
added to the fact that my audience analysis indicates that the audience
knows little or nothing about oil depletion allowances or taxation, should
make me a credible source.
2. Because of my audience’s level of information, I will have to explain
percentage depletion in the simplest of possible terms.
3. Language: I must not make the speech sound like a lecture. I will try to be
conversational and proper in my delivery by avoiding technical language
as much as possible.
4. Because the numbers and percentages are complex, I will simplify the
presentation with visual aids that will make the information easier to
remember.
Rhetorical questions to
arouse audience interest.
Active participation by the
class. Speaker creates a
need to know: information
hunger.
Organization
Introduction: How many students in this room own oil wells? Raise your
hands. (Prediction: none.)
How many of you have heard the term oil depletion allowance?
(Prediction: a few hands.)
How many of you know what it is? (Prediction: one or two.)
Overt statement of
purpose and transition.
Credibility established.
My purpose today is to define the meaning of the term oil depletion
allowance and to show you how that term relates to you. As a business
major in taxation…
Definition, an informative
purpose. Speaker
develops a main point
that the speaker wants
the audience to
remember. Subpoints to
explain the term. Visual
aids.
Body
I. Percentage depletion is a term used by the Internal Revenue Service to
refer to a tax break for people who invest in a natural resource like oil.
A. The laws of nature are related to our tax laws.
B. The Internal Revenue Service has a means of calculating percentage
depletion allowances. (Visual aid presented here to show method of
calculation.)
Second main point
divided into two parallel
subheads.
II. Percentage depletion affects development of natural resources and our
tax base.
A. Depletion allowances encourage the exploration and development of
oil fields in this country.
B. Depletion allowances reduce tax income by giving a tax break to
those wealthy enough to afford such investments.
Motivation for learning
and comprehension.
Review and repetition of
purpose.
Conclusion
As citizens, we should learn about our own tax laws and understand how
they work. As taxpayers, we should know and understand percentage
depletions and how they relate to our tax laws.
Sources of Information
Oil and Gas Journal, 72 (October 1974): 90–91
Sommerfeld, Ray M., Hershel M. Anderson, and Horace R. Brock. An
Introduction to Taxation. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1972.
Smith, Dan Throop, and J. Keight Butters. Taxable and Business Income.
New York: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1949.
A periodical published by the Independent Petroleum Assoc. of America.
“The Oil Producing Industry in Your State,” 1974.
ACTIVITY 13.5 VISUAL APPEAL
Purpose: Students should be able to recognize the value of integrating appropriate
visual resources into their speech.
Procedure: Divide the class into small groups of five to seven students. Instruct
students to examine the list of informative speech topics found in chapter 14 of the text.
The class discussion should address the manner in which groups arrive at a decision to
use a particular type of visual aid. What types of topics seem more conducive to using
visual resources? What types of visual resources seem more compelling than others?
Why would some speech topics not lend themselves to the use of visual resources?