Chapter 4, p. 243
Before viewing such a tape or clip, have students spell out the criteria necessary for ethical
communication and have them use the criteria to evaluate what they view. Does the speaker
address the ethical criteria in terms of the audience to whom he or she speaks? It would also be
2. Think about the times you have spoken in groups or at meetings. Was there ever an occasion
when you could have been more ethical with your message? Explain.
Have students write about a recent speaking situation, whether it is a class discussion, a
club meeting, or another event at which they voiced their ideas. Could they have been more
ethical? Why or why not? Encourage students to assess past ethical behavior using key issues
3. Who are some of the most ethical people you have known personally? Have you tried to
emulate their behavior? What are some of the qualities that you admired most about these
people? On the basis of these qualities, what advice could you offer to other people about
becoming more ethical?
Students should be encouraged to think of people who follow the rules of trustworthiness,
integrity, respect, responsibility, fairness, and civic-mindedness. Students should also think of
II. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. Form a team of four or five people. Suppose you have been asked to give a panel presentation
at the international students’ orientation. What are some of the things you should think about to
ensure that your speech is ethical?
2. As part of a group project, find a relevant fact or piece of information on the internet. Give two
ways of conveying this information to your audience; include citations of your source.
Students may want to approach this activity by considering that internet sources differ in
credibility and content. If students collect information from what would be considered a more
“personal” source (e.g., Billy Bob’s home page), they should probably consider it less credible
3. Working in a small group, find a speech that was given sometime during the last ten years.
Examine the speech to detect any problems with ethics. Present a report to the class on your
findings.
This is an excellent opportunity for a group project that uses chapter concepts. Encourage
Chapter 4, p. 245
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate the important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
• Homework questions
• Quizzes
• In-class work (individually or in groups)
• Topics to generate discussion
• Question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
1. Think about ethics and freedom of speech, and generate some speech categories that may be
ethically questionable.
2. Ask students to provide examples of the preceding items.
Chapter 4, p. 246
3. Values play an important role in public speaking. When speakers are alert to differences in
values, they can deliver their message ethically. What can make a speaker more alert?
• Being sensitive to the existence of alternative viewpoints
4. Identify and explain the ground rules for ethical speaking.
• Dignity: a feeling of worth, honor, or respect as a person
• Integrity: incorruptibility; speakers who demonstrate integrity do not compromise for the
sake of personal expediency
5. Pick two of the preceding ground rules for ethical speaking, and give
personal examples of either complying with or breaking these rules.
Chapter 4, p. 247
What is plagiarism, and how can you avoid it?
• Plagiarism: the use of other people’s ideas or words without acknowledging the source.
7. To be perceived as a credible speaker, what types of behavior should you display?
• Solid grasp of the subject
ACTIVITIES
Is Lying Ever OK? When?
Purpose: To encourage students to think about lying and to determine their own thoughts and
feelings about the moral and ethical implications of lying.
Instructions: Part 1: First, have students form small groups (four to five members). Then have
them compile a list of ways they think they can tell if someone is lying. Next, have them list
6.
Chapter 4, p. 248
Becoming Credible through Competence
Purpose: To help students establish credibility when they are giving a speech.
Instructions: Have students choose a topic, either one they plan to give a speech about or one that
without being blatant.
1. Disclosing your relationship to the topic
3. Wearing clothing or objects to signal your relationship to the topic
5. Revealing experience related to the topic
7. Avoiding disorganization
ETHICAL SPEECH TOPICS
Purpose: To determine various types of appropriate and ethical speech topics for a public
speaking class.
Chapter 4, p. 249
What Is Plagiarism?
Purpose: To determine what constitutes plagiarism.
Instructions: Divide students into small groups of four or five, and have them make a list of what
they consider to be plagiarism. Then ask them to review the definition of plagiarism (“any act that
involves the obtaining, by any means, of another person’s work and the unacknowledged
submission or incorporation of it in one’s own work”*). Once students have heard the definition,
Ethos on Television
Purpose: To illustrate the idea of ethos and source credibility.
Instructions: Have students list three or four topics that they consider inappropriate or unethical
for a classroom setting. Then have students form into groups of four or five members to compare
their lists. Based on the lists of all group members, generate a list of five ground rules to determine
the appropriateness of a topic. Once each group has compiled a list, the instructor will write the
lists on the board, combining similar ground rules to generate a final list of ground rules. Students
should write this list down in their notebooks to use for future topic selection.
Chapter 4, p. 250
Instructions:
1. Students should think of public figures, such as television news anchors, actors, and
politicians, whom they perceive as credible.
3. Think of someone they perceive as lacking credibility, and identify what makes the speaker
appear less credible.
4. Bring a videotape to class and discuss and illustrate why a certain speaker is either credible
or not, using the characteristics of a credible speaker defined on page 21 of the textbook.
Additional instructions: This activity can also be given as an outside assignment or homework.
After each video clip is played, have the rest of the class either write down or verbally identify
which characteristics are being illustrated.
Chapter 4, p. 251
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
Bowan, J. S., & Menzel, D. C. (Eds.). (1997). Teaching ethics and values in public administration
programs. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Capaldi, N. (2007). The art of deception: An introduction to critical thinking. New York, NY:
Day, L. A. (2005). Ethics in media communications: Cases and controversies (5th ed.). Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth.
Gayle, B., Martin, D., Mann, S., & Chouser, L. (2002). Transforming the public speaking
classroom: A scholarship of teaching and learning project on civil public discourse. Journal of
the Northwest Communication Association, 31, 1–26.
Gudykunst, W., Ting-Toomey, S., Suweeks, S., & Stewart, L. (1995). Building bridges:
Interpersonal skills for a changing world. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Mallon, T. (2001). Stolen words: The classic book on plagiarism. New York, NY: Harvest Books.
Merrit, F., Wheatley, B., & Cash, W. (1972). Audience analysis: A computer assisted instrument
for speech education. Communication Quarterly, 20, 4950.
Nyberg, D. (1993). The varnished truth: Truth telling and deceiving in ordinary life. Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press.
Pearson, J. C., Child, J. T., Mattern, J. L., & Kahl, D. H. (2006). What are students being taught
about ethics in public speaking textbooks? Communication Quarterly, 54(4), 507–521.
Slagle, M. (2009). An ethical exploration of free expression and the problem of hate speech.
Stock, G. (1987). The book of questions. New York, NY: Workman.
Walker, S. (1994). Hate speeches: The history of an American controversy. Lincoln: University of
Nebraska Press.
Weaver, R. (1985). The ethics of rhetoric. Davis, CA: Hermagora.
White, J. K. (2002). Values divide: American politics and culture in transition. Washington, DC:
Chatham House.
Chapter 4, p. 253
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
CSEP: Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (at IIT) <http://ethics.iit.edu/>
Ethics in Academia: The Ethics Game <www.ethicsgame.com/Exec/GGEG/Academia.html>