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Comm 101 - Informative and Persuasive Speeches: Informative Speeches

Resources designed to support the Comm 101 research requirements Information and Persuasive Speeches and Group Presentations. Library online and print resources and reliable Internet sources are included

Informative Speeches: Basic Info

Informative speeches at ISU require that you choose/describe a community or civic process, idea, theory, issue, event or problem, in an interesting manner.

Goal: Teach, explain, help audience understand; share important information

BUT DO NOT TRY TO 'PERSUADE'; that comes later

Informative Speeches

Typically the Informative Speech assignment at ISU has the following requirements:

  • explain or describe a person, place, process, problem or event
  • interesting manner
  • catch and keep your audience’s attention

Using

[at least] 5 cited sources

Possible sources:

  • Written [books, magazines, newspapers] that are credible and respected
  • Personal interviews
  • Personal experience

Use different types of sources - this can be a tricky part of the research process, but some databases may have some search features built in that can assist with this. 

Informative Speech Ideas

Topic Selection Helper from University of Hawai'i - Maui'sCommunity College Speech Department:

  • General Subjects
  • Popular Themes
  • Topics Based on Students' Own Lives
  • Topics for "How-to" Speeches