Your instructor will assign a number of speeches for you to prepare and deliver throughout this course.  The speech preparation process is similar for all types of speeches.  In this activity, you are required to craft your central idea/thesis statement for your current speech assignment, following the guidelines given to you by your instructor.

Step 1: Understand the requirements of the assignment from your instructor.  For example, requirements for a speech might look like this:  “This speech is an Informative Speech with a length of no less than three minutes and no more than five minutes.  It should not be a “How To” speech but should be focused on informing the audience about something interesting, new, or different that has the potential to impact the audience.  You must have at least three sources in your speech.  Presentation aids are optional. Your speech must have an introduction, a central idea, a preview, three major body areas, a review, and a conclusion.”

Step 2: Find appropriate sources. Our example requirements specify at least three sources.  Your assignment may require more or fewer.  It might also include specific requirements such as no sources may come from social media and at least one must come from a source that can be found in print (even if you find it digitally, such as a book, magazine, or newspaper).  When beginning to research, you should always find more research than the minimum requirement because not every source you find will work in your speech, and some may include repetitive information.

Step 3: Submit a bibliography of the research you plan to use in your speech.  After locating research that is relevant, timely, and appropriate for your speech, read through all of it, making note of what information is usable for your speech.  Upon finishing your research review, determine how many of the sources you found will be useful in your speech.  Then, create a bibliography (following the guidelines provided in your text or by your instructor) with your research and submit it to your instructor.