Activities

1. To enrich your understanding of the chapter, check out:

   LearningCurve for adaptive quizzing for the chapter.

   The “Browse Resources for this Unit” tab to view videos illustrating key concepts.

2. Question

   Take a look at the outline of this chapter in the Contents (p. xxix). Do you see a clear hierarchy of points and subpoints? Within the chapter, how are transitions used to move from point to point? How might the techniques used in this chapter work in your speech?

3. Question

   Read a famous or familiar speech (such as Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech) or watch one online. (A great site to consider is TED, which offers inspirational speeches about “ideas worth spreading.” See ted.com.) Next, create an outline for your chosen speech. Can you follow a clear sequence of points? Do the subpoints support the speaker’s main points?

   Read a famous or familiar speech (such as Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech) or watch one online. (A great site to consider is TED, which offers inspirational speeches about “ideas worth spreading.” See ted.com.) Next, create an outline for your chosen speech. Can you follow a clear sequence of points? Do the subpoints support the speaker’s main points?

4. Question

   When creating the outline for your speech, write each main point on a separate index card. Spread the cards out on a table and then pick them up in the most logical order. Does this order match the order of your outline? How did you choose to arrange the topics—spatially, chronologically, or topically?

   When creating the outline for your speech, write each main point on a separate index card. Spread the cards out on a table and then pick them up in the most logical order. Does this order match the order of your outline? How did you choose to arrange the topics—spatially, chronologically, or topically?

5. Question

   Establishing a relationship with the audience is important when giving a speech. Make a list of all of the possible members of your audience. How do you plan to connect with all members of the audience? Pretend you are giving a speech at your old high school. Will your introduction affect the seniors the same way it will affect the principal?
6. Pick a general topic and try to come up with several different attention getters for that topic. Here’s an example for the topic “dogs”:

• Tell a funny story about your dog.
• “Did you know that the human mouth contains more germs than a dog’s mouth?”
• “In my hometown, there is a dog that walks upright like a human because he does not have any front legs.”
• “Did you know that approximately 10 million unwanted dogs are euthanized annually in the United States?”