1.
CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC:
INFORMATIVE-EXPOS: Pick a topic
where you will explain something, help people understand, show how to use or do
something, etc. Hot topics typically involve scientific or technological
breakthroughs that are obviously useful and important to the judges you will
have.
PERSUASIVE-ORATORY: Pick a topic
that you have a strong opinion on. Hot topics typically involve problems that
both the government and the judge can take action on.
AFTER DINNER SPEAKING-SPEECH TO
ENTERTAIN: Pick a topic that resonates with your audience in terms of its
importance in our society but also pick a topic that is going to lend itself to
humor--jokes, good stories, entertainment!
2. MAKE A THESIS STATEMENT:
What
point do you want to get across?
FOR
INFORMATIVE SPEECHES: “I will explain . . .” “I will show how to . . .”
FOR
PERSUASIVE SPEECHES: “The government should . . .” “We should stop . . .” “X is
a harmful practice.”
FOR
AFTER DINNER SPEECHES: Use either of the above kinds of thesis statements
although they are usually more persuasive. Just be sure to focus on a humorous
subject.
3. CREATE POINTS THAT SUPPORT YOUR THESIS:
Take a
moment and think up what would support your thesis. Write the points down on a sheet of paper, leaving room
after each one so that you can add supports for them.
TYPICAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH
How to
speech: 4 key steps to doing the thing you are talking about.
Example:
Step One: Reformat the hard drive. Step Two: Place the CD into the computer and
begin installation. Step Three: Fine tune your operating system.
History/what
happened speech: Points listing out from the beginning to the latest thing you
want to discuss in your speech.
Example: First, the people inhabited the territory. Second,
there were great conflicts. Third, there were good and sad after-effects.
What is
it speech: 2 to 4 main points that discuss the key elements of your subject.
Example:
First, there must be small numbers; Second, a focus on general rather than
specialized education; Third, a focus on more intellectual rather than practical
or technical knowledge.
Explain it speech: 2 or 4 main points that go through the key elements of something to explain it.
Example:
A plane flies by first, its wing design; second, engine forward movement;
third, direction of wing flaps.
Typical
organizations for an
TYPICAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR A PERSUASIVE SPEECH
Problem-solution: First
point shows there is a harmful problem; Second point shows a proposal and proof
that it would solve the problem; it is good to get the judge/audience involved
in taking their own actions to help solve the problem.
Demonstration
that something is wrong/right: First, list out an agreeable
standard for judging (things that kill should be rejected; things that intrude
on our civil liberties should be rejected); Second, show that the thing you are
talking about does indeed violate the standard you set.
Main
reasons approach: Just list out the reasons why your thesis is true.
First, because of x; Second, because of y; Third, because of z.
TYPICAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR AN AFTER DINNER SPEECH
Use any
of the above organizations especially the ones for the persuasive speech. Just
be sure to be humorous/entertaining.
4. NOW, DEVELOP SUPPORT FOR YOUR THESIS
Now,
write down supports for your points.
Take time to research your topic thoroughly and get yourself stories,
statistics, expert opinion, and more to make your speech standout. Kinds of
supports you should use in your speech:
1.
Interest supports to increase interest in your speech: stories, examples,
personal experiences, interaction (e.g. games or questions you ask of your
audience).
2.
Evidence supports to increase solid support in your speech: statistics, expert
opinions, direct quotations, studies, surveys, and facts.
3. Multimedia
aids such as posters with writing and pictures, PowerPoint, music or recordings
on a stereo player, videotapes and DVD’s.
5. WRITE YOUR INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION.
Write your
introduction. Give a quick
attention getter, state the thesis, tell why it is important to you and your
audience. Typically in forensic
competition, it is expected that you “preview” your main points in the
introduction by listing out the main points you will present.
Write your
conclusion. Tie the speech
together, build to a higher point and give it a sense of conclusion.
6.
DELIVER THE SPEECH
Practice and prepare to present
your material as effectively as possible.
INFORMATIVE
SPEECH--give us information that describes something or states how to do
something; it does not give your opinion as a main point; it avoids making
judgments that the things you are talking about are bad/good, etc.
PERSUASIVE
SPEECH--persuade us to change our beliefs or actions; shows us YOUR opinion on
a subject--that you think it is good/bad, right/wrong, moral/immoral,
justified/unjustified, that we should/should not do something.
AFTER DINNER
SPEECH--usually a persuasive speech but sometimes informative focused; key
distinguishing feature is that it is focused on entertaining the audience
usually with jokes and humor.