Organizing Informative Speeches, Visual Aids, & Course Updates

Course Logistics & Classroom Context

Instructor attempted to move the summer class to Manzanita (better suited for speaking) but was denied because admin. will not run A/C there; current room is hot (“sweat-lodge”).
Two informative and two persuasive speeches are required for the term; each follows different design principles.
Next class: bring a PRINTED outline; instructor will place it on the document camera and critique strengths/weaknesses.
• Not mandatory, but “golden opportunity.”
• No forced participation—students sign up to speak; you are treated as adults.
Visual-aid requirement: every informative speech must include at least one.
Exam results shared:
• 30 multiple-choice items.
• High = 29/30, Low = 6/30.
• Chance score =\frac{30}{4}=7.5\approx8.
• Any mid-term grade can still be redeemed through later work.

Informative Goal: CLARITY & RETENTION.
• Audience should recall structure & key points (e.g., steps in Heimlich, wrapping a present).
Persuasive Goal: ADHERENCE.
• Audience need not remember every reason, only be moved to action/belief.
Because goals differ, the organizational principles and use of support material differ as well.

Outline ≠ mere topic list; it shows hierarchy.
Terms:
• Superstructure = main points (Roman I, II, III).
• Substructure = sub-points (A, B, C).
Every outline therefore has two organizational levels; clear labeling improves audience retention.

Time (Chronological / “Steps”)
• Used when order matters (e.g., baking a cake: gather ingredients → mix → bake → cool).
Topic (Topical / Categorical)
• Used when order does NOT matter temporally (e.g., reptiles of North, Central, South America).

(“Two things taken two ways”)

Time–Time
• Time in superstructure AND time in substructure.
• Best for teaching ONE specific skill.
• Ex: “How to Change Your Oil”
– I. Gather materials (pan, filter wrench, jack) – steps a, b, c…
– II. Drain oil – steps a, b, c…
– III. Refill & dispose – steps a, b, c…
Topic–Time
• Topic superstructure, time substructure.
• Best for teaching MULTIPLE specific skills.
• Ex: Heimlich Maneuver
– I. Adult victim → steps 1-n
– II. Child victim → steps 1-n
– III. Self-application → steps 1-n.
Topic–Topic
• Topic at both levels.
• Used for ONE general skill (outcome varies by audience).
• Ex: “How to Write a Résumé”
– I. Objective section (what to include/omit)
– II. Education section (include/omit)
– III. Experience section (include/omit).
Time–Topic
• Time superstructure, topic substructure.
• Used for a general skill developing over a LONG period.
• Ex: “How to Apply to Graduate School”
– I. One year out: target programs (fit, location, funding)
– II. Six months out: gather references (academic vs. professional)
– III. Final month: complete application (forms, fees, statements).

Specific Skill = identical outcome for everyone.
• Fold a T-shirt, bake a given cookie recipe, perform Heimlich on adult.
• Always use a TIME substructure (patterns 1 & 2).
General Skill = tailored outcome (résumé, wardrobe budgeting).
• Always use a TOPIC substructure (patterns 3 & 4).
Therefore the SUBSTRUCTURE determines whether a speech is teaching specific or general skills—not the superstructure.

Parallel main points share TWO things:
1. Relation to the overall topic.
2. A common organizing principle (continent, age group, venomous vs. non-venomous, etc.).
Time patterns are automatically parallel (all “steps”).
Topical patterns require speaker to impose parallel categories.
• Bad: “Reptiles of N. America, extinct reptiles, reptiles of the future.”
• Good parallel options:
– By continent (N, C, S America).
– By time period (existing vs. extinct).
– By characteristic (venomous vs. non-venomous).

Actual Objects
• Easiest to obtain; most effective (e.g., sunscreen bottle, produce, filter wrench).
• Limits: may be too big, too small, or unsafe.
Models
• Enlarged/reduced replicas for items too large/small/dangerous/shocking.
• Examples:
– Oversized seat-belt retractor model (tiny mechanism otherwise invisible).
– Cardboard thimble for demo of miniature portrait painting.
– Lean-to scale model for emergency-shelter speech.
• Con: labor-intensive to build.
Visual Representations (Photos & Line Drawings)
• Good for process details (waxing a car, bird’s-eye croquet field).
• Line drawings are more polite/clear for sensitive topics (breast self-exam).
Symbolic Representations (Tables, Charts, Graphs, Timelines)
• Do not look like the item; they convey relationships numerically or logically.
• Examples: credit-card payoff graph, viral vs. bacterial symptom chart, target heart-rate table.
Handouts / Worksheets
• Recipes, insurance-accident checklist, etc.
• Distribute AFTER the speech to avoid audience disengagement.

Large Enough To Be Seen – If audience can’t see it, it distracts.
Must Enhance/Aid – Ask: does it clarify, energize, or organize? If not, omit.
Coordinate With Content – Reveal each aid exactly when relevant; avoid dumping the whole outline/slide deck at start.
Balance Throughout Speech – Spread aids across main points; don’t cluster in one section.
Rehearse With Them – Run at least one full practice including setup, handling, timing (e.g., dicing tomatoes took longer than speaker expected).
Maintain Audience Eye-Contact – Speaker looks at PEOPLE, not the aid; the aid is for them, not you.
• Modern lectern/computer stations tempt instructors to stare at screen—avoid.

Communication terminology that appeared on test:
• Encoding = assigning information to behaviors.
• Decoding = assigning meaning to observed behaviors.
• Cybernetic systems are goal-directed, self-monitoring (feedback loops).
• Models reviewed: Transmission (one-way) vs. Transaction (interdependence).
Practice math: 2 \text{ principles} \times 2 \text{ levels} = 4 \text{ patterns} permutations.

Education quality is student-driven; universities often reward mere “getting through.”
Lowering academic standards (e.g., no algebra requirement) shortchanges students.
Take ownership of your own learning; avoid being “a statistic.”
Real-world versus classroom: if you don’t want to be here, the world (beaches, mountains, etc.) is waiting—make deliberate choices.
Humorous cautionary tales:
• Emotional-support chihuahua & hidden python illustrate risks when bringing animals as visual aids.
• Oil-change speech with solitary filter-wrench example shows imbalance.

Choose an informative topic that is NARROW (avoid “How to save money as a college student” → too broad).
Determine whether it teaches a specific or general skill.
Build an outline using one of the four patterns; ensure parallelism.
Print outline; bring to class for document-camera workshop.
Begin sourcing/creating appropriate visual aids following the six guidelines.