188 9.1 Organizing and Outlining YOur Speech
Speeches on such diverse subjects as the National Museum of the American
Indian, the travels of Robert Louis Stevenson, or the structure of an atom can all
be organized spatially. Here is a sample outline for the first of those topics:
Purpose statement: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able
to list and describe the four habitats re-created
on the grounds of the National Museum of the
American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Central idea: The grounds of the National Museum of the
American Indian in Washington, D.C., are divided
into four traditional American Indian habitats.
Main ideas: I. Upland hardwood forest
II. Lowland freshwater wetlands
III. Eastern meadowlands
IV. Traditional croplands^6
The organization of this outline is spatial, progressing through the grounds of
the museum.Organizing Ideas to Show Cause and Effect
If your central idea can be developed by discussing either steps or reasons, you
might consider a cause-and-effect organization of your main ideas. A speech or-
ganized to show cause and effect may first identify a situation and then discuss
the effects that result from it (cause → effect). Or the speech may present a situ-
ation and then seek its causes (effect → cause). As the recency principle would
suggest, the cause–effect pattern emphasizes the effects; the effect–cause pattern
emphasizes the causes.
cause–eFFect In the following example, Vonda organizes her speech ac-
cording to cause–effect, discussing the cause (widespread adult illiteracy) as her
first main idea and its effects (poverty and social costs) as her second and third
main ideas:
Purpose statement: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able
to identify two effects of adult illiteracy.
Central idea: Adult illiteracy affects everyone.
Main ideas: I. (Cause): Adult illiteracy is widespread in
America today.
II. (Effect): Adult illiterates often live in poverty.
III. (Effect): Adult illiteracy is costly to society.^7
eFFect–cause In contrast, Joseph organizes his speech on for-profit uni-
versities according to an effect-cause pattern, discussing the effect (for-profit
universities enrolling unqualified students) as his first main idea and its causes
(misleading recruiters and false advertising) as his second and third main ideas: