438 Part 4 Public Speaking
not only to describe the place but also to talk about the people who designed and
built it and how the building has been changed over the years.Objects and Phenomena
A third source of ideas for informative speeches consists of objects or phenom-
ena. These speeches explore anything that isn’t human, such as living things (like
animals, plants, even entire ecosystems), as well as inanimate objects, such as the
Egyptian pyramids, Google Glass, pre-Columbian artifacts, or the Mona Lisa.
Objects can also be imaginary things (light sabers) or hypothetical ones (a driv-
erless car) or even entire phenomena (the El Niño wind patterns in the western
United States or citizen journalism). Audiences usually find these types of speeches
interesting because they captivate the imagination or because they stress a topic
that the audience hadn’t previously considered as having an impact on their lives.Events
Noteworthy occurrences (past and present) are good topics for informative
speeches. Our understanding of history is shaped by events—the RevolutionaryInformative or Persuasive?Speakers sometimes have a hard time clarifying the general purpose of their presenta-
tion topic. Does the speech intend to impart information (informative speech) or to
suggest a change in attitudes, belief, or behavior (persuasive speech)? Consider the
speech topics that follow, marking “I” for those that seem informative and “P” for
those that could be persuasive.1. How therapy dogs are trained
2. Why you should add omega fatty acids to your diet
3. How omega fatty acids modulate inflammatory responses
4. Title IX harms male athletes and eliminates important programs
5. Why you should become an organ donor
6. The importance of restricting handguns
7. How fracking works
8. The benefits of volunteer reading programs for at-risk children
9. How to cut the cable cord
10. Why athletic scholarships should be banned
Answers: 1. I; 2. P; 3. I; 4. P; 5. P; 6. P; 7. I; 8. I; 9. I; 10. Pwhat about you?