Suggested Activities for Chapter 7

1. Highlight the importance of thinking outside the box when searching for information.
   • Give all students the same topic.
   • Have them write down as many searches as they can think of to research the topic.
   • Write their searches on the board, noting any strange or unique suggestions.
   • Mark the most popular searches and actually search those in databases or on the Internet if you have computer projection in the class. If time permits, search some of the stranger suggestions.
   • Compare the results of the different kinds of searches. Typically something great comes from using unusual keywords.
2. Choose a topic and search it on Google. (If you have computer projection, explore a few Web pages on the topic.) Break the class into small groups and have them rank the credibility of the Web sites you viewed together and present the ranking to the class.
3. Group students and give them various sources. Have each group identify usable research from each source. Then have students explain what evidence from the source they could use in an actual speech. Finally, have students explain what this research and evidence would add to their speech, compared to using only their previous knowledge and personal opinions.