Stage fright -> Plan -> Write -> Deliver -> Feedback ..

5W's and How for Informative Speeches Journalists commonly address the questions Who did What? When? Where? Why? and How? The same questions can be starting points for selecting and organizing a topic for an informative speech.

The purpose of this exercise is to use the journalistic method to find a speech topic and to organize a research strategy for finding additional sources on the Internet. We will also look at some common methods for arranging the main ideas of an informative speech and make a skeletal outline for a topic sentence and three main points.

NOTE: Any sites featured on this page will open a new browser window when clicked on. This will enable you to view the featured website and answer the questions on this page at the same time. (You may need to resize the windows to see both pages at one time.)

If you'd like to send your answers to yourself and/or your professor, enter your and your professor's email addresses below. If you'd like to print a hard copy or your answers immediately, click the "Print" button on your Web browser when you get to the results page.

Your Name:
Your E-mail Address:

Search for a topic

Use any of the following websites to search for a topic:

Who: Use Biography, an online magazine, at http://www.biography.com or consult one of the biographical sources organized by Bob Drucker at http://www.refdesk.com/factbiog.html/.

What: Encyberpedia is an online encyclopedia at http://www.encyberpedia.com/ency.htm. Scroll down to its subject list or use its search functions to find a range of topics. Or go to Drucker's My Virtual Encyclopedia at http://www.refdesk.com/.

When: Search through the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ or The History.net at http://www.thehistorynet.com/home.htm

Where: Take a virtual tour somewhere with National Geographic Online at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/. Or, explore an international topic with The Web of Culture at http://www.worldculture.com/.

Why: Try the "Why Files," a site funded by the National Science Foundation, at http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu.

How: Use "Learn2.com -- the ability utility" for many "how to" topics at http://www.learn2.com/.

As you surf for informative topics, make a list of keywords to use with Internet Search Engines. To access search engines go to http://www.abacon.com/pubspeak/research/search.html.

1. List of keywords:

Your informative speech ought to have a specific goal. For instance, to describe activities at Mardi Gras, or to explain how contemporary superstitions have historic roots.

2. Phrase three different specific goal statements for an informative speech based on the work you've just done on the Web.

Goal statement #1:
Goal statement #2:
Goal statement #3:

3. Which specific goal statement is likely to be the best informative topic in light of your interests, the interests and knowledge level of your audience and the research that you have done?

Goal statement #1
Goal statement #2
Goal statement #3

Next, rephrase your goal statement as a topic sentence. The topic sentence is a short declarative sentence that states the central idea of your speech. For instance, if your specific goal was to explain how streaming works in RealAudio transmission of sound files, you might state a topic sentence as "RealAudio transmits sound files as packets of information on the Internet."

4. Your goal statement rephrased as a topic sentence:

---

Methods of Arranging Main Ideas for an Informative Speech

With each of the following methods, you develop parts of your topic sentence one at a time. Decide which method of organization would work best for your topic:

Parts to whole breaks the topic into distinguishable segments. Each part is a sub-topic of the whole.

Chronological sets up a time line.

Spatial organizes points by mapping them geographically.

Causal explains a series of causes and effects.

Process identifies a sequence of steps or stages

1. Which method of organization did you choose?

Parts to whole Chronological Spatial Causal Process

2. Why did you select it?

3. Organize a skeletal outline of your speech starting with a topic sentence. Then outline between three to five main ideas that follow the method of organization you've chosen above.

Topic Sentence:

Main Idea 1:

Main Idea 2:

Main Idea 3:

Main Idea 4:

Main Idea 5:

©1997 Allyn & Bacon