1. What the class is and what the assignment is
- This is a college public speaking course.
- The first assignment is an Informative Speech.
- The speech must be 5–6 minutes (not shorter, not longer).
- It will be recorded on video, standing up, one take, no edits, like a real classroom speech.
- The speech is academic, not casual or persuasive.
2. What they need to produce for you
Ask them to write both:
- A full Informative Speech Outline
- Written in complete sentences
- That functions as a script I can practice and mostly memorize
This is important: 👉 The professor does not want bullet fragments. 👉 The outline is the speech.
3. Required outline format (this matters a LOT)
Tell them they must follow this exact structure:
Introduction
- Opening sentence (greeting or attention-getter)
- Strategy (question, statistic, short story, etc.) with a couple sentences
-
Specific purpose sentence:
- “Today I want to inform you about ___.”
- Thesis with 2–3 clear main points
Body
- Roman numerals for each main point (I, II, III)
-
Each main point must include:
- At least one credible source
-
The source must be verbally cited in the speech
(publication name + year at minimum) - Supporting details (definitions, stats, examples)
Conclusion
- Restate the purpose
- Briefly rephrase each main point
- Simple closing / thank you
Tell them: ➡️ The professor grades organization very strictly.
4. Sources (very important)
- Minimum 3 credible sources
- Journal articles are preferred
- Newspapers or reputable magazines are acceptable
- Websites must be credible (not blogs)
Each source must:
-
Be spoken aloud in the speech
- Example: “According to The Journal of Social Psychology, published in 2019…”
- Appear on a Works Cited page at the end
- Be formatted properly (hanging indent)
5. Tone and delivery expectations
-
The speech should sound:
- Clear
- Academic
- Natural when spoken out loud
- No overly long sentences
- No slang
- Written so it’s easy to maintain eye contact and speak smoothly
6. Topic guidance (if they’re helping choose one)
-
Topic should be:
- Something I already know or care about
- Easy to research with journal articles
- Narrow enough for 5–6 minutes
- The goal is to explain, not to argue or persuade
7. Grading priorities (what the professor cares about most)
Tell them this is what affects your grade:
- Clear introduction and thesis
- Logical organization
- Strong use of sources
- Clear, confident delivery
- Proper conclusion
The outline itself is worth points Videos that maybe helpful