Table :

TABLE 15.2 TYPES OF INFORMATIVE SPEECHES, SAMPLE TOPICS, INFORMATIONAL STRATEGIES, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS

Source: O’Hair, Stewart, & Rubenstein (2012), p. 334. Adapted with permission.

Subject Matter	Sample Topics	Informational Strategy (definition, description, etc.)	Suggested Organizational Patterns
Speeches about objects or phenomena	Egyptian pyramids Pre-Columbian artifacts Mona Lisa El Niño wind patterns	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 topical pattern if you are explaining the categories for Pre-Columbian artifacts. Conversely, you might use a chronological pattern if your speech focuses on a historical timeline of the artifacts.
Speeches about people	Celebrities Inventors Athletes Politicians British royalty	Paint a vivid picture of your subject using a 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. The chronological pattern can also be useful to describe someone’s life events or achievements.
Speeches about events	The terrorist attacks on September 11 The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings	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.
Speeches about processes	How a hybrid car works How lightning forms How to sew or knit How to sync your data on your mobile devices	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 or chronological.
Speeches about issues	Racial profiling Post-traumatic stress disorder Unemployment Police brutality	Focus on description and explanation.	Topical and spatial patterns can be particularly useful for speeches about issues (which can easily become persuasive).
Speeches about concepts	Art Patriotism Artificial intelligence Ethnocentrism 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. The spatial pattern may also work well for your purposes.