Table 14.2 Types of Informative Speeches, Sample Topics, Informational Strategies, and Organizational Patterns
Subject Matter	Sample Topics	Informational Strategy (definition, description, demonstration, explanation)	Suggested Organizational Patterns
Speeches about objects or phenomena	Personal digital assistants Dialects Comparison of weight-loss diets El Niño wind patterns in the western United States	Define and describe the object or phenomenon in question. Depending on your specific speech purpose, either conclude at that point or continue with an in-depth explanation or a demonstration of the object or phenomenon.	You might use a spatial pattern if you are explaining how a geographic positioning system (GPS) works in cars. Other useful patterns include topical, problem-solution, and cause-effect.
Speeches about people	Authors Humanitarians Inventors Athletes Unsung heroes British royalty	Paint a vivid picture of your subject using description. Use explanation to address the person’s or group’s significance.	Narrative patterns could be useful for speeches about people since stories can include rich details about a person’s life. Other useful patterns include motivated sequence and chronological.
Speeches about events	MTV Awards Democratic or Republican National Convention Battle of the Bulge Iraq War Olympic Games	Use description to paint a vivid picture. Use explanation to analyze the meaning of the event.	You might use a chronological pattern for a topic focusing on events if time or sequence is relevant to your purpose. Other useful patterns include motivated sequence, problem-solution, and spatial.
Speeches about processes	How tsunamis form How the thyroid regulates metabolism How to practice “power yoga” Using visualization in sports	If physically showing a process, rely on demonstration. If explaining a process, vary strategies as needed.	Cause-effect patterns of speech organization are helpful in explaining processes of various kinds. Additional patterns of organization could include spatial, problem-solution, or chronological.
Speeches about issues	Police brutality Political issues in the Middle East Climate change	Focus on description and explanation.	Problem-solution is a strong choice for organizing speeches about issues. Other helpful patterns for issues include topical, spatial, and cause-effect.
Speeches about concepts	Artificial intelligence Chaos theory Nanotechnology Free speech Time travel	Focus on clear definitions and explanations; the more difficult a concept is, the more ways you will want to define and explain it. Vivid description can also be useful.	Consider topical organizational patterns for speeches about concepts, as well as the narrative pattern. Other patterns that might work well include spatial and problem-solution.