info speech introduction

I. Purpose

a. The goal of an informative speech is “[t]o increase what your listeners know about a topic… [t]o help your audience learn information that will be useful to them… [t]o clarify complex issues… [t]o demonstrate something useful… [t]o show how things are related in space… [and] [t]o arouse interest in topics that might at first seem uninteresting or boring…”[footnoteRef:2] [2: Judy Pearson, Human Communication (United States: McGraw Hill, 2013), 313-314. ]

II. Points

a. Speech: 150 points

b. Outline: 50

III. Length of Speech: 5-6 minutes

IV. Sources

a. Minimum: 7 sources (each main point must have a minimum of two sources)

b. Maximum: 10 sources

c. Oral Citations must be given!

d. Written citations (in the outline) must be done according to the Chicago Manual of Style.

i. Footnotes and a Bibliography page must be done.

e. You should choose sources that aren’t inherently biased.

f. At least FOUR sources must be within the past two years.

V. Extra Credit

a. Dressing up is worth 5 points. (Business Professional)

b. Students may also earn extra credit for being a supportive audience member. These points are discretionary and based upon the professor noticing these individuals. Students should not have the expectation that they will automatically get these points.

c. Students making up the speech will not be able to earn any of these extra credit rewards.