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CHAPTER 8
Developing Supporting Material
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Develop supporting material.
A. Supporting material should be accurate, relevant, and interesting.
II. Offer examples.
A. Examples illustrate, describe, or represent things.
B. Their purpose is to aid understanding by making ideas, items, or events more concrete.
2. An extended example offers a multifaceted illustration of the idea, item, or event
being described.
3. A hypothetical example illustrates something that could happen in the future if certain
events were to occur.
III. Share stories.
A. Stories (or narratives) tell either real or imaginary tales that help us make sense of our
experience.
2. As supporting material, stories may be brief and simple descriptions of short incidents
or relatively drawn-out accounts that constitute most of the presentation.
3. One popular type of brief story is the anecdote, a short story of an interesting, often
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humorous real-life incident.
IV. Draw on testimony.
A. Testimony is firsthand findings, eyewitness accounts, and people’s opinions.
B. Expert testimony is provided by professionals who are trained to evaluate or report on a
D. The credibility of the source is important, and it is up to the speaker to establish that
credibility.
2. Using a variety of supporting materials derived from multiple sources to illustrate
each main point will make your presentation more interesting and credible to your
audience.
V. Provide facts and statistics.
A. Facts are documented occurrences that include events, dates, times, people involved, and
places; statistics quantitatively summarize, compare, and predict things.
1. Most people require some type of evidence, usually in the form of facts and statistics,
B. Use statistics accurately.
1. Use frequencies to indicate counts.
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A frequency is a count of the number of times something occurs and can help
2. Use percentages to express proportion.
a. A percentage is the quantified portion of a whole and can clearly express
3. Use averages to describe typical characteristics.
a. Mean is the arithmetic average, arrived at by taking the sum of the scores and
dividing it by the number of scores.
b. Median is the center-most score in a distribution.
C. Use statistics selectively—and memorably.
1. Put a few figures in context to make your message more compelling.
D. Present statistics ethically.
1. To present statistics ethically, take care to avoid even unintentional inaccuracies.
a. Use only reliable statistics.
b. Present statistics in context.
KEY TERMS
supporting material examples, narratives, testimony, facts, and statistics that support the speech
thesis and form the speech
a.
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example (as form of support) an illustration whose purpose is to aid understanding by making
ideas, items, or events more concrete and by clarifying and amplifying meaning
brief example single illustration of an idea, item, or event being described
extended example multifaceted illustration of the idea, item, or event being described, thereby
getting the point across and reiterating it effectively
hypothetical example illustration of something that could happen in the future if certain events
were to occur
story (or narrative) an account of events
anecdote brief story of an interesting, humorous, or real-life incident that links back to the
expert testimony any findings, eyewitness accounts, or opinions by professionals who are trained
to evaluate or report on a given topic; a form of supporting material
lay testimony firsthand findings, eyewitness accounts, or opinions from nonexperts such as
eyewitnesses
facts documented occurrences, including actual events, dates, times, places, and people involved
statistics quantified evidence; data that measure the size or magnitude of something, demonstrate
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CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What are the best types of supporting material for speeches?
Supporting material includes examples, narratives, testimony, facts, and statistics. Examples
illustrate or describe things. Their purpose is both to aid understanding by making ideas, items, or
events more concrete, and to clarify and amplify meaning. A narrative, or story, is an account of
events. Narratives tell tales, both real and imaginary. As supporting material, narratives can be
What is the purpose of a narrative, and when should I use it?
Personal experiences can be the basis for powerful narratives. The speaker may tie the topic to
a personal experience that sheds light on the topic. It is effective to use tales or stories to broaden
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II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are the most important features of a source that contribute to its credibility? When people
are used as sources, would being famous be the only requirement? Consider talk-show hosts.
Would they be considered credible experts on the topics discussed on their shows? What about
their guests?
Some important features of a source’s credibility are expertise, experience, timeliness, and
trustworthiness. Famous people who are used as sources may be offering only their fame as
support, and may know nothing about the topic being addressed. Truly credible people who
2. When you listen to speeches, how much supporting material do you expect to hear? What type
of speech requires the most supporting material? Are some topics more dependent on support
than others? Give some examples. Can a speech ever have too much supporting material? If so,
when?
Information (e.g., ideas, theories, facts) that does not come directly from the speaker needs to be
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Develop a list of data sources with which you are currently familiar.
Include as many print and electronic sources as possible.
2. Make a list of sources that you think are not credible, unethical, or both. Explain why each one
falls into this category.
This is a good in-class activity in which sources that are not credible or are unethical are listed on
II. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. In a group of four or five people, record and critically analyze the supporting material found in
a few speeches delivered on C-SPAN. What types of sources do each speaker use? Think about
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Before doing this exercise, generate with the class a list of criteria with which to evaluate
supporting material. There should be criteria for each of the types of supporting material discussed
in the chapter. Students’ oral reports can be structured around the previously generated criteria.
2. In a small task force of four or five class members, decide which forms of support (e.g.,
examples, narratives, testimony, facts, statistics) would be best for the following speech topics.
Do this exercise for two different types of audiences. Your task force can either select its own
audiences or choose from the options given with the topics. Be prepared to justify your
decisions.
• Helping the Homeless (audience: local Rotary Club; student government association at
your college)
• The Joy of NASCAR Racing (audience: horseback-riding club; Boy Scout troop)
• Selecting an Academic Major (audience: recent high school graduates; nontraditional,
returning students)
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3. Working with a small group of four to five people, develop a short survey that can be
conducted among the other members of the class. Choose a topic, develop a goal, construct
some questions, and distribute your survey. Tally and analyze the results.
This exercise demonstrates the importance of careful research and appropriate use of statistics.
The reporting of the results itself can serve as a public speaking exercise. Discuss the variables that
go into acquiring this data. What implications does this have for potential uses of the data?
4. Have students discuss specific examples they have selected for their own speeches.
Referring to the chapter’s discussion of the use of examples to support a speech, students should
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
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Homework questions
• Quizzes
• In-class work (individually or in groups)
Examples, narrative, testimony, facts, and statistics
2. What is a narrative? What purpose does it serve? Give an example of a narrative you might use
in an upcoming speech.
Narrative: A story or tale, either real or imaginary. A speaker can employ the use of a brief or
3. What is testimony? Identify the two types of testimony, and give an example of each.
Testimony: Firsthand findings, eyewitness accounts, and opinions that directly support a fact or
an assertion
4. What are facts?
Facts: Documented occurrences that include actual events, dates, times, people involved, and
places.
•
ACTIVITIES
Remember That Time . . .
Purpose: To help students focus on relevant personal experiences and examples that might be
used in constructing a speech.
Instructions: This activity may be done as an in-class assignment or as a homework assignment.
Have students brainstorm to create a list of brief and extended examples for use in their speeches.
1. Based on your speech topic, what types of examples might be relevant?
2. How can a brief example be expanded into an extended example to illustrate a theme, an
Make a list of each, and be prepared to report your findings to the class.
Prove It! Using Evidence
Purpose: To help students understand the importance of using evidence to support claims as well
as gain experience in incorporating evidence into speeches.
Instructions: This exercise may be done as an in-class assignment or as a homework assignment.
Students should choose a magazine article or an advertisement that uses statistics to support a
their analyses.
1. What types of statistics are used in the article/advertisement?
2. Does the article/advertisement include information about the source of the statistics (who
compiled them)?
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3. Does the article/advertisement effectively use the statistics to develop an argument? Why
or why not?
4. What are the problems associated with making claims without evidence to back them up?
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
Bellew, M. (2006). Humorous anecdotes & random sayings. Victoria, BC, Canada: Trafford.
Ganzel, R. (2000). Destination: Presentation. Presentations, 48–66.
Gross, J. (2006). The new Oxford book of literary anecdotes. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press.
Kazoleas, D. C. (1993). A comparison of the persuasive effectiveness of qualitative versus
quantitative evidence: A test of explanatory hypotheses. Communication Quarterly, 41, 40–50.
Kirk, E. (1997). Evaluating information found on the Internet. Retrieved from
http://milton.mse.jhu.edu:8001/research/education/net.html.
Walsh, J. (2003). The art of storytelling: Easy steps to presenting an unforgettable story. Chicago,
IL: Moody.
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