Krishnaswamy, SPCH 1321
America’s Leaders Informative Speech (55 points possible)
(15 points for the Speech Outline) (30 points for the Speech Presentation)
(Speaker Review 10 points)
Description: You are to create an informative speech presentation about an American leader by
video recording your speech. Think about what you’ve learned in class and read in your text about
how important self-awareness and mindfulness are to being a good leader and communicator.
Keeping this in mind, research America’s leaders; be it in the field of business or otherwise, and
make an interesting and informative presentation about one of these leaders. Some examples of
leaders that students have picked in the past include Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo), Steve Jobs (Apple),
President Obama, George Washington, etc.
You will start by researching American leaders and pick one whose leadership style
appeals to you. You’ll need to use at least 3 research sources, 2 of which have to be
scholarly sources.
In your presentation, you’ll have to include the following:
1. Who is this leader?
2. Provide some background information about this person (early childhood, young adulthood, etc.)
3. Talk about three of this person’s contemporaries (for the purposes of this assignment, contemporaries
are defined as those who were prominent in the same field, at the same time as this person)?
4. Talk about this person’s leadership accomplishments
5. Talk about any awards or accolades this person may have received
6. Talk about how this leader’s values and ethics affects the leadership style that he/ she
practices?
7. What are some leadership lessons you’ve learned from this person’s leadership style (these are
lessons that could help you become an excellent leader).
Requirements:
1) Prepare an interesting and informative presentation by video recording your speech. You will need
2)
3)
4)
5)
4)
to upload your Informative Speech video to YouTube and submit the link through the assignment
drop box. As a reminder, make sure you set the video privacy to "unlisted" so that only people
who have the link can view the video. Here’s a link with instructions to help you create a free
YouTube account: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/161805?hl=en.
Choose whether or not to have a live audience (you can either deliver your speech in newscaster
style or in front of friends/family). No matter which option you choose, make sure your recording
looks and sounds professional.
You must make sure that the recording is high enough quality that there is clear video and audio.
There are video cameras available for checkout at the CPC library and private rooms that can be
used for delivery.
The information presented in this speech should be unbiased (in other words leave out your
opinions, stay neutral).
You’ll prepare a detailed, spell-checked speech preparation outline for submission in the standard
outline format. Your outline should be your entire speech script formatted in the standard outline
format and should include the required components, including a Works Cited section that lists all
your research sources (at least 3 sources in MLA format and at least 2 of which should be
scholarly sources).
Stay within the allotted time.
Time Limit: 4-5 minutes
Krishnaswamy, SPCH 1321
Research Sources
When you use research sources, you have to give credit to your sources in two
places: 1) within your paper itself (this is known as an in-text citation or as giving
parenthetical credit), and 2) in a Works Cited section (this is where you take each of
these sources from your in-text citations and give more detail about them in your
bibliography or works cited section).
You CANNOT have one without the other.
There are various standardized formats available to do this. We will use the MLA
format.
Giving Parenthetical Credit (or in-text citations):
You are required to give parenthetical credit within your research papers. This is
when you give credit in parenthesis within your paper, to the sources from which
you’re stating facts or from which, you’re drawing ideas or conclusions. Examples of
in-text citations:
For book sources, you’ll include the author’s last name and page number. For
example; (Jackson 81)
For web sources where they name an author, you’ll just include the author’s last
name. For example; (Jackson)
For web sources where they do not indicate an author, you’ll state the name of the
website and not state the entire URL. For example; (CNN.com)
For other sources where no author is indicated, you’ll state the title in quotes. For
example; (“About the MLA”)
You can find more details on in-text citations (or giving parenthetical credit) at
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/
Works Cited Section:
The Works Cited section is a detailed list of all the sources that you gave
parenthetical credit for in the body of your paper. You CANNOT list a source here
that you didn’t give parenthetical credit to within your paper. Your Works Cited
section is just a formatted list that gives the details of each source that you’ve cited
within your paper.
Here are some useful links that will be helpful in formatting your Works Cited section
in MLA format. When using a website to format your sources, it is your responsibility
to check the resulting citation against MLA formatting guideline to makes sure they
conform.
http://www.mla.org/style_faq
America’s Best Leaders
Krishnaswamy, SPCH 1321
Informative Speech—55 points possible
Grading Standards
Did the student turn in a Preparation Outline in the standard outline format and include all the
required components? (15 points possible)
Did the student complete the audience speaker review? (10 points possible)
Grading Rubric for the presentation (30 points possible):
The speaker gained audience’s attention by introducing self and the topic (2 points possible)
The speaker provided required content based on research, including introducing the American
leader, providing background information about this person (early childhood, young adulthood,
etc.), and talked about at least 3 contemporaries (6 points possible)
The speaker highlighted leadership accomplishments and any awards or accolades this person may
have received (4 points possible)
The speaker explained about how the leader’s values and ethics affect the leadership style that he/
she practices and discussed some leadership lessons the speaker has learned from this person’s
leadership style (5 points possible)
The speaker sounded knowledgeable about the subject matter and showed evidence of
preparation. The speech was tightly crafted, was logical, coherent, flowed well, used language
appropriate for a college-level audience, and had an apparent structure (3 points possible)
The speaker showed evidence of practice, stayed within the allotted time, conveyed enthusiasm
for the topic through the usage of vocal variety, tone, and facial expressions (4 points possible)
The speaker paid attention to details of speech delivery, including positioning her/himself properly
in front of camera at eye level, making plenty of eye contact with the camera lens without staring
for long periods of time at notes or just reading from notes on the screen, using appropriate hand
gestures, sounding conversational without speaking too fast and using appropriate volume (3
points possible)
The quality of recording was professional with clear audio, minimal background noise, appropriate
lighting, and without distracting background objects “clutter” like un-made beds, groceries, dishes,
laundry, etc. (3 points possible)
CUT AND PASTE PREPARATION OUTLINE
Title:
Specific Purpose:
Thesis Statement (Clearly preview main points):
Audience Analysis: (NOTE: YOU CAN USE ANY 4 VARIABLES, NOT JUST THE ONES PROVIDED BELOW)
Age:
Gender:
Audience Interest:
Audience Prior Knowledge:
.
I. INTRODUCTION (NOTE THE VARIABLES BELOW CAN BE ARRANGED IN ANY ORDER)
A. Good afternoon, my name is________, and today I am going to be talking to you about
______________________________________________________.
B. (Attention getter)
C. (Credibility statement)
D. (Thesis statement):
II. BODY
A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
C.
1.
2.
3.
4.
III. CONCLUSION
A. (Summary)
B. (Closing Statement)
Bibliography
(Minimum 3 sources + cites throughout outline)
Example Speech Preparation Outline
Title: It’s All in the Approach
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how to effectively communicate with trouble-making teens as a
security officer by discussing the important aspects of an approach and how each can affect the success of the
situation.
Thesis Statement: Today I have been asked to talk to you about how to more effectively communicate with our
teen customers, specifically looking at the approach aspects of tact, clarity, and respect.
Audience Analysis:
Age: The audience will be mall security officers that work for ABC Security. They will range in age from 1865, however a majority of the officers are under the age of 25. It will be important for me to take this into
consideration so that I use language that is common to both age groups. I want to appear on a common ground
with my younger audience members, since I am also young, however I don’t want to alienate the older audience
members. I don’t want the older audience members to see me as a “kid” and hence tune me out. Therefore, I
will use professional yet conversational language. I will minimize the amount of slang that I use unless it is
specific jargon for the security industry.
Gender: The audience for this speech will be predominately men, with the exception of very few women.
Since I am a woman, it will be very important for me to take this into consideration. During my speech, I need
to make it clear that gender is not a factor with this issue. I need to be well prepared for my speech and come
across very professional, so that my audience sees me as a fellow office (no matter my gender) with expertise
on the subject.
Audience Interest: The audience will find this topic interesting because the information will be applicable and
relevant to all of their jobs. The security officers all have a common goal of creating a friendly and safe
shopping environment for customers and will want to listen to any information that will help them perform their
jobs better. With this in mind I will ask my audience to provide specific examples of incidents that they have
experienced and we will critique each situation as a group.
Audience Prior Knowledge: It will be important for me to take into consideration the various backgrounds
and levels of seniority of the officers. Some officers will have lengthy experience in dealing with teens and
other will not. It will be important to make the information given in the speech and communication style used
in the delivery both simple and interesting. I will draw on the experience of the veteran officers and make sure
my speech in interactive so they feel they are contributing to the content.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Good afternoon, as you all know, my name is Amy and today I am going to be talking to you about
some ways to improve the effectiveness of your communication with our teen shoppers.
B. (Attention getter) How many of you have approached a group of teens causing trouble in the mall, and
before you knew what happened, the kids were yelling profanities at you and you were calling for back
up to have them escorted off property? In fact, most of you have probably dealt with a situation like this
within the last week.
C. (Credibility statement) Interpersonal communication is something that I find very fascinating, and I
have spent the past 4 years working on a degree at MSU that focuses on communication. It would seem
that my knowledge about communication has paid off, because during the past 6 months that I have been
a security officer here at ABC Security, I have had only one approach go bad.
D. (Thesis statement): With this in mind, Today I have been asked to talk to you about how to more
effectively communicate with our teen customers, specifically looking at the approach aspects of tact,
clarity, and respect.
II. BODY
A. What does it mean to be tactful? In reality, tact involves many different things, and can change from one
situation to the another.
1. Your language leads to your image.
a. Reach a common level by choosing your vocabulary carefully and being friendly.
b. Make sure that the volume and tone of your voice is conversational, not overpowering.
2. Don’t create a scene, and if you have to, take the teens aside to speak with them.
3. Don’t embarrass or belittle the teens, especially in front of other shoppers or their friends.
B. Your ability to communicate your point is very important to the outcome of the situation, and often times
out point gets distracted by our actions.
1. Explain what specific behaviors are inappropriate.
2. Give alternatives to their behavior.
3. Use rule cards to back up your words.
a. The cards give them proof that you aren’t just making things up to pick on them.
b. They can take the cards with them and read them later, improving their future behavior.
3. Realize that communication is a two way street and give them the opportunity to ask questions.
C. Show respect and be patient.
1. Realize you can show authority, and still be friendly.
2. If you show them respect they will be more likely to respect you and the rules.
3. Be patient and don’t show frustration.
III. CONCLUSION
A. (Summary) In conclusion, I hope all of you will take into consideration that an approach can be broken
down into 3 important parts when you confront kids in the future, tact, clarity, and respect.
B. Unfortunately we all know that approaching teens is not an exact science, and we can probably count
on the fact that no matter what we do, negative situations will arise in our line of work
1. As sad as it is, some teens come to the mall just to cause problems and enjoy making us look bad.
2. Some teens will never be able to get past the fact that we are security officers there to enforce the
rules, and will only see that as us “picking” on them.
C. However, using an approach including the 3 factors that I have discussed with you this afternoon gives
your communication structure that you can reflect upon if a situation does happen to turn bad.
1. Were you tactful when you approached the situation?
2. Was your point made clearly?
3. Did you show the kids respect?
D. Closing statement: When all else fails, put yourself in the teen’s shoes. How would you want to be
treated and talked to?
+
Bibliography
(Minimum 3 sources + at least 3 cites throughout outline)
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