Notes on Out-of-Order Speech Preparation: AGD, Thesis, Significance, and Structure
AGD and How to Prep Information
The speaker emphasizes that you don’t prepare or deliver in a strict order. In fact, you should start with an AGD (Attention-Getting Device) and a relatable topic, but you should not lock in the order of your steps before or during delivery. The during phase refers to how you actually present the information, while the preparation phase is out-of-order and aims to be more effective and efficient. The first thing is to ask a guiding question to frame the speech, and the second is to gather concrete examples. This approach helps keep the content relevant to what you’re talking about rather than producing a disconnected story.
Purposes of a Speech: Informing vs Persuading
There are two general purposes for a speech: inform or persuade. When you ask questions while planning, you should tailor them to the type of speech you’re delivering. Informing means presenting information without taking a side, whereas persuading means presenting solutions to a problem. For example, if the topic is poverty, the informative thesis might be that poverty affects those around you, while a persuasive angle would propose a solution, such as socioeconomic reform, and argue why the audience should support it. The speaker emphasizes that the key question for informing is “Why should your audience know this?” and for persuading, “Why should your audience solve this problem?”
Generating Topics and Theses
For an informative topic, the speaker suggests focusing on poverty rates and asking why the audience needs to know about them. A thesis example given is: This frames the topic in a way that links data (poverty) to a societal outcome (crime). For a persuasive topic, the speaker uses a hypothetical problem and an objective: to increase a desired behavior (e.g., more people drinking apple juice than orange juice) and to justify why solving the problem matters (e.g., too much calcium intake or other health concerns). The problem is reframed as: too many people are not engaging in the desired behavior, and changing that behavior has health or social benefits. The essential distinction is that persuasion involves proposing a solution or plan (e.g., socioeconomic reform) and arguing its benefits.
A Persuasive Example: Solving a Real Problem
The speaker presents a concrete problem for persuasion: people should love apple juice more than orange juice. The underlying issue is framed as a health or value-based concern: too much calcium intake or other nutrients from orange juice, or simply insufficient consumption of the healthier option. The thesis for persuasion would then argue for solving this problem, and the plan would explain how to implement the solution. The ultimate aim is to justify the proposed change and explain what reducing the problem would achieve (e.g., better health outcomes, safer communities). The important principle here is to keep asking why to deepen understanding and justification.
The Power of a Specific Example
After establishing the thesis, the next step is to provide a specific example of the thesis in action. The speaker asks for a concrete example of someone who experienced the issue related to the thesis (e.g., a crime linked to socioeconomics). Movies or books can be used, but the example must be specific enough to be credible: name the person, describe what happened, and connect it back to the thesis. The specificity matters because it builds credibility and makes the story relatable. If a real person isn’t available, a hypothetical but vivid example with a name and details is acceptable, as long as it’s clearly framed as an illustrative scenario. The goal is to make the audience care by giving a real or convincingly real person to anchor the discussion. A vivid example like a woman who died after a delayed medical response, leaving a husband to raise the child, is more impactful than a vague mention of “a woman in a similar situation.”
Topic Relation: Connecting the AGD to the Topic
Once you have your AGD and an example, you connect them to your topic. The speaker uses a topic such as minority infant mortality and ties it to the story of the example (e.g., Sarah Johnson) to illustrate how the example reflects a larger pattern. This is the topic relation: the AGD is used to illuminate and personify the topic, showing why it matters in real-world terms. The aim is to demonstrate that minority infant mortality is not abstract but a real issue affecting families and communities.
Significance: Why the Topic Matters
Understanding significance means identifying what needs to be proven and why it matters. In the example of minority maternity mortality, you would look up statistics on how many minority women die during childbirth or face medical discrimination, and you would seek expert statements to support the claim. The significance is established by concrete data and credible sources, which help justify the argument. This step also guides what statistics or expert opinions you will cite in your speech.
Breaking Down the Thesis: From Thesis to Main Points
The speaker emphasizes breaking the thesis into smaller parts, especially when using three main points. If three points are used, break the thesis into three components, such as:
- P1: Reducing stress on families
- P2: Impact on society (economic aspects, quality of life, social dynamics)
- P3: Implications for race, gender, and broader outcomes
This breakdown helps determine the scope of research and the specific subpoints needed to support each main point. If two points are used, the same logic applies with two components. The main idea is that the number of main points equals the number of components into which you split the thesis. A formal representation can be written as for a three-point thesis.
Main Points: What Each Point Addresses
The three main areas suggested are:
- Stress on families: How reducing maternity mortality alleviates family stress and has downstream benefits for relationships and economic stability.
- Societal impact: How mortality and health disparities affect society at large, including economic costs, public health outcomes, and community well-being.
- Economic and quality-of-life implications: How health disparities intersect with race, gender, and access to care, influencing long-term outcomes and opportunities.
These main points guide the structure of the speech and the kinds of evidence you will present for each point.
Transitions and Conclusion: Building a Cohesive Flow
Transitions are necessary to connect the main points and keep the narrative coherent. The conclusion should mirror the introduction, reinforcing the thesis and summarizing what should be learned. The typical speech flow is established in advance so that transitions feel natural and the audience can follow the argument from the AGD to the final takeaway.
Practice and Collaboration
The speaker notes that not everyone will have everything down at first, and that revision is part of the process. The class will work together to develop and refine theses, AGDs, examples, and supporting evidence. The emphasis is on revisiting the planning steps repeatedly to build confidence and ease in delivering the presentation.
Quick Reference: Key Terms and Concepts
AGD (Attention-Getting Device): A story or hook to engage the audience at the start.
Topic Relation: How the AGD connects to the topic and grounds the speech in reality.
Thesis: The central claim or problem statement the speech addresses; can be split into main points.
Informing vs Persuading: Informing presents data; persuading argues for a solution.
Significance: Why the topic matters, supported by data and expert input.
Main Points and Subpoints: The components that organize the thesis into a clear structure.
Concrete Examples: Specific names and details to build credibility and empathy, or clearly labeled hypothetical examples when necessary.
Repetition and Conclusion: Restating the core message and outlining takeaways for the audience.
Formulas and representations (for planning clarity):
- Theses with multiple points:
- Significance as a sum of impacts:
- Mortality data reference (conceptual):