Writing & Rehearsing the Informational Speech

Please take the first 3 minutes of today's class and watch the following poem/speech:

• High School Training Ground

TASK: Collect two other people from the room. Talk to them in response to the video poem you just saw. Add at least one story you can tell about your own high school experience:

• what's going well, what's disappointing, what's sad, what's cool, what's inspiring, what's frustrating or scary, etc.

Have a discussion in the next 5-10 minutes. When you have completed your conversation, return to your seat and watch the following:

Sample informational speeches:

• Phobias
• Joe Sabia: The Technology of Storytelling

After viewing, please move on to our focus activity today.

Today during period 3 & 4, please write your speech with your partner. Help each other by coming together and suggesting an effective hook, the organization of the speech itself (what are you going to include and how are you going to move from main point to main point), and suggest the use of similes, metaphors, anecdotes, imagery, and other effective literary devices you know. A few pointers and a bit of advice follows.

ADVICE when writing an informational speech:

• 1. Start with an interesting opener or "hook" for your speech. It is the job of the speaker to get the audiences attention. Do this by starting out with something interesting--a fact, a quote, a statistic, a personal story, an opinion that we don't expect, a joke, etc.
• 2. After your 'hook' narrow your focus by leading us from the hook to the thesis of your speech. You are writing an informational speech, so your thesis is: ________ (your subject) is important because...(and then identify what is important about your subject).
• 3. Pick at least 2-6 things that you found out from your research that you found most interesting. The more obscure the topic, the more preparation and explanation you must do. 
• 4. Use these interesting points to frame the body of your speech. 1 interesting point per paragraph (for example) followed by details (what is it, how does it affect the subject I'm talking about, how does it affect me and you?, etc.) Details should include imagery, metaphor, specific language, support from your research (and give credit to ideas that are not yours). 
• 5. Tag team effort: both partners should deliver part of the speech. If one partner started the speech, have the other partner end the speech. Take turns covering major points of the subject (if you have 4 points, for example, divide the speech into 2 major points for one partner and 2 major points for the other). Decide who will cover what part of the topic between you and your partner. Work together. If your partner is the shy one, adjust for that--maybe they only do 1 major point while you do 2, etc.) Help each other out. You and your partner will receive the same grade for your delivered speech.
• 6. End the speech with a recap of your main points. Remind the audience why the subject is important to their lives and what they can do with the information they now have.

Finally, after reading all of these six points, watch this video before the end of class today. Be prepared for a "ticket out the door" based on the five tips. What are they? Watch the video to find out.

• Five Basic Public Speaking Tips

Your speech should be completely written by next class. A standard speech should be about 2 full double spaced pages, up to 3 full double spaced pages (that's 1 full single spaced page or 1.5 single spaced pages). This will generally give you between 3-7 minutes of speaking time which is your target.

If you do not finish it in the lab today, please complete the speech on your own time at home and bring the completed speech to our next class. During our next class, groups will rehearse and prepare their speeches, and begin delivering them. If you finish your speech early today with time remaining in class, call me over and I'll explain how to set up your speech as text on notecards.

HOMEWORK: None, unless you did not complete your speech. I suggest using google docs to share your work with your partner over the weekend if you did not finish. That way, you will be able to collaborate on your speech together. Google docs can be found here.