Informative Speech

Major Speech, 20%

Due Dates:
 Speeches will commence from October 31st 2022(Section A and E) and November 1st 2022
(Section B and C)
 Speech outline and works cited page due on your speech day

Length of Speech: 5-6 minutes

 Make sure that you connect your topic to your audience. For example, the topic how frog
lungs work should be made into how frog lungs work and why it matters. This will help direct
your whole speech to your audience. It is not persuading people to change their opinions about
frog lungs; rather, it is about you explicitly stating the information that answers the audience’s
concerns: “how does this relate to me?”, “why should I care?” and “so what?”

Visual aids: During the speech you are required to use appropriate and relevant visual aid that
enhances your speech. Powerpoint is not permitted (slides with words detract from you informing. It
may be used only for presenting images). Playing an audio or video recording for over 20 seconds is
risky, unless you are still talking clearly while it plays.

Research and Citations: You must cite from at least four sources that must be authoritative. You
must list these on a works cited page, which you will hand in on your speech day.
 Some authoritative sources you should use include academic scholarship and official sources.
 Non-authoritative sources that you cannot use: Wikipedia
 Read Ch.7 Gathering and Using Support Material about which sources count for the informative
speech.

Outline and reference page:

 You will display your outline and reference page after the speech is over.

Notecards: You can prepare notecards to use during your speech. The turning of pages is distracting to
the audience.

Attendance and Behavior: You must attend all speech days and help create the attentive “public”
necessary for public speaking. Your peers need your non-verbal feedback and support during their
presentations. It is your job to be a good watcher and listener. The following audience behaviors detract
from a constructive speaking environment and will result in these points taken off of your speech grade:
 Absent on any of the speech days: 8 points off
 Coming late on a speech day: 6 points off
 Leaving early on a speech day: 6 points off
 Being disruptive (e.g. talking; mobile use) during on a speech day: 2-10 points off (see rubric)
 Failure to give your speech on your assigned day: 0 for the assignment

Remember to:
 Type and proofread your outline

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  Use four authoritative sources for your speech

Avoid Plagiarism
 Do not use chunks of information from sources/references word-for-word. Put the information
into your own words by summarizing or paraphrasing and verbally cite the source when you are
speaking.
 For example: World renowned linguist David Crystal believes that ...

 To use a quotation, you must verbally introduce it with a citation so that we know which of
your words are quotations.
 For example: Bill Gates, former CEO of Microsoft, has said (pause): “Microsoft
will not bow to pressure from other software manufacturers.”

** If you have chosen to talk about a difficult subject, please be sure that you consider the audience and
avoid offending your peers. If you are worried about how to approach your topic, check with me and we
can discuss the best approach.

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