Informative speech about exotic pets

The Research Process for the Informative Speech .

1. GENERAL PURPOSE

o Determine what type of speech you are doing: informative or persuasive

Example: To inform the class

2. SPECIFIC PURPOSE

o Determine what your topic will be - several of the databases may give you some ideas.

Example: To inform the class about the film director Steven Spielberg.

3. THESIS STATEMENT with 3 main points

o Determine your 3 main points. The databases will often help you locate 3 main points.

o General Purpose + Specific Purpose + 3 main points = Thesis Statement

Example: I will talk about Steven Spielberg’s early years, his film career, and his philanthropic efforts.

4. After forming your thesis statement, GATHER INFORMATION.

TIP: By putting your information into NOODLETOOLS, you’ll have all of your information ready for

the final outline! (Use of NOODLETOOLS is optional. Make sure your citations are in MLA style)

o Start at the Library homepage: http://libguides.elcentrocollege.edu/

o click the pull-down menu for SEARCH BY COURSE OR TOPIC > click on SPEECH

OR

o click the pull-down menu for SEARCH BY COURSE OR TOPIC > click on specific topic, such

as BIOGRAPHY, MEDICINE

o Search the databases for relevant information. You’ll find the BEST BET databases on the Library Guide to Speech opening page. Remember, you must use a minimum of 3 database sources BUT all of your articles can come from one database.

o Look for information that will provide:

 Attention-getter to open with impact

o Examples: a startling fact or statistic, expert quote, an anecdote, personal story

 Connect to the audience .. motivating the audience to listen to what you have to say.

o Examples: a personalizing statistic or a story that helps the audience “see” how they

PERSONALLY could be affected

 3 main points (body of the speech):

o Gather 2 or more credible, reliable supportive pieces of evidence for each main point

o Find 5-10 sentences to support each main point

o Examples : testimony, definitions, statistics, expert quotes, examples

 Conclusion

o A memorable thought or impact statement

 Visual support (for PowerPoint).

o Examples: images, charts, graphs

5. Give credit to your sources – create your WORKS CITED as you gather your information.

o NoodleTools - creates and alphabetizes your citations AND stores your notes!

6. Complete your OUTLINE.

o Make sure to put the source of statistics, quotes, etc., in parenthetical quotes.

Example: According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. (Holohan)

7. Create your POWERPOINT.

o Do not rewrite your speech in PowerPoint. Your viewers can read faster than you can talk!

o A speech PowerPoint should contain pictures - not slides containing lots of text! As a guide, limit the entire PowerPoint presentation to less than 12 words.

Keep the audience interested by including a picture that enhances what you are saying but doesn't replace what you are saying.

8. Present your Speech.

SPEECH Research Process: Example .

Let’s walk through the research process together…

#1 - GENERAL PURPOSE: to inform

#2 - SPECIFIC PURPOSE: to inform about pet ownership

#3 - Identify 3 main points for an informative speech about owning a pet:

upkeep

time

other responsibilities

THESIS STATEMENT: I will inform my audience about upkeep, time commitme nts, and other responsibilities of pet ownership.

#4 - GATHER RESEARCH

o From the Library website, under THE LIBRARY GUIDE TO SPEECH, databases, identify databases that you think will offer good information on this topic.

Student Research Center

eLibrary

To complete the research process, you would need to use a minimum of 4 different database sources to locate the following:

As you find appropriate sources, Email more than enough articles to yourself so you will be able to refer to them later as needed.

WHAT YOU NEED:

 an attention grabber / opening with impact

 "connect to the audience"

 2-3 pieces of supporting evidence for each main point (5-10 sentences to support each main point)

 conclusion

 images for a PowerPoint presentation (eLibrary & Student Research Center are very good for pictures)

Example: You may find supporting evidence for several of your main points in the same article but you find an attention grabber and images in different articles. You can locate several main points from the same article.

#5 – GIVE CREDIT TO YOUR SOURCES

 Use NoodleTools (optional, but recommended) to create your Works Cited. Make sure to SAVE AS WORD DOCUMENT and then open in Word so that you get your citation formatted correctly with the indentions and double-spacing.

 DATE = YEAR ONLY = DATABASE > REFERENCE SOURCE

Example: Gale, 2013

 DATE = MONTH/YEAR OR MONTH/DAY/YEAR = DATABASE > MAG AZINES/NEWSPAPER

Example: May 20, 2013 OR March 2011

#6 – CREATE OUTLINE

 NoodleTools Notecards can be sorted into a rough draft and converted to your outline

#7– CREATE POWERPOINT

 TIP: store pictures with the citation in NoodleTools > copy and paste into PowerPoint (except PDF)

ATTENTION GETTER .

Using the databases, locate an attention grabber to open with impact.

Example: “ Six in 10 Americans own some type of pet .”

­­­

Database Info

Should a Tiger Be Your Pet? By: O'Neill, Justin. Scholastic Scope. 4/23/2012, Vol. 60 Issue 12, p16-17. 2p

What does this mean?

Title of Article: Should a Tiger Be Your Pet?

Authors: Justin O’Neill

Publication Title: Scholastic Scope

Date: April 23, 2012

Pages: 16-17

Database Title: Middle Search Plus

MLA Citation

O’Neill, Justin. "Should a Tiger Be Your Pet?" Scholastic Scope 23 April 2012: 16-17. Middle

Search Plus. Web. 19 May 2014.

­­­­­

1 ST MAIN POINT .

Locate a minimum of 2 pieces of supporting evidence from the databases for each main point.

Examples: testimony, definitions, statistics, expert quotes, examples

A. First Main Point : Upkeep

Owning a pet is lots of fun, but taking care of one can be tough-and expensive! Charlotte, 10, of New Haven, Connecticut,told DynaMath that her cat Gimley costs her family about $300 a year. "His new litter box and a scratching post were the most expensive things," she said. Charlotte's family saved money by adopting Gimley for free, using an old carrying cage,and buying cat food at a discount store.

You need to buy lots of things for a pet. Small items like toys don't cost much, but bigger items like carriers and cages do! Plus, visits to the vet for checkups and emergencies are expensive for all animals. In fact, most pets will cost you hundreds of dollars the first year you own them, no matter how big or small they are.

You'll see that owning a dog, cat, or bird isn't cheap-cheap!

Database Info

Costly Critters

Scott, Gretchen

Scholastic Dynamath

01-01-2005

What Does This

Mean?

Title of Article: Costly Critters

Authors: Gretchen Scott

Publication Title: Scholastic Dynamath

Date: Jan. 1, 2005

Pages : 6-7

Database Title: eLibrary

MLA Citation

Scott, Gretchen. "Costly Critters." Scholastic DynaMath 1 Jan. 2005: 6-7. eLibrary. Web. 31

Jan. 2014.

2 ND MAIN POINT .

B. Second Main Point: Time

Caring for a pet takes time. Depending on the type of pet you have, someone may need to groom and exercise the pet. If you chose a pet such as a cat or a dog, plan time to spend playing with them. It takes time and attention to build a good relationship between your family and your pet. Also be sure you are ready to take care of the pet as long as it lives, which could be 10 to 20 years for some pets.

Database Info

Pets and Children.

By: Written by Judith J. Becerra, MS, LPC. CRS - Pediatric Advisor. 2013, p1-1. 1p.

What Does This

Mean?

Title of Article: Pets and Children

Authors: Becerra, Judith

Publication Title: CRS – Pediatric Advisor

Date: 2013

Database Title: Health Source – Consumer Edition

MLA Citation

Becerra, Judith J. "Pets and Children." CRS - Pediatric Advisor. Broomfield: Clinical

Reference Systems, 2013. 1. Health Source: Consumer Edition. Web. 19 May 2014.

You spend enough time at home. Pets are dependent on their owners for everything: food, companionship, and hygiene (cleanliness). Do you have enough time to devote to taking care of a pet?

Database Info

Furry Friends. (cover story).

By: Paulos, Leah. Current Health 1. Mar2007, Vol. 30 Issue 7, p8-11. 4p

What Does This

Mean?

Title of Article: Furry Friends

Authors: Leah Paulos

Publication Title: Current Health 1

Date: March 2007

Database Title: Health Source – Consumer Edition

MLA Citation

Paulos, Leah. "Furry Friends." Current Health 1 Mar. 2007: 8-11. Health Source – Consumer

Edition. Web. 18 May 2014.

3 RD MAIN POINT .

C. Third Main Point: other responsibilities

 You have enough room in your home. Pets and their equipment require varying amounts of space. Dogs and cats need

extra space to move around.

 A pet is allowed where you live. Cats and dogs are sometimes banned from apartment buildings. In addition, some snakes and exotic pets are outlawed by local governments.

 No one in your home has pet allergies.

Database Info

Furry Friends. (cover story).

By: Paulos, Leah. Current Health 1. Mar2007, Vol. 30 Issue 7, p8-11. 4p.

What Does This

Mean?

Title of Article: Furry Friends

Authors: Leah Paulos

Publication Title: Current Health 1

Date: March 2007

Database Title: Health Source – Consumer Edition

MLA Citation

Paulos, Leah. "Furry Friends." Current Health 1 Mar. 2007: 8-11. Health Source – Consumer

Edition. Web. 18 May 2014.

Snakes, lizards, rodents, ferrets, and baby chicks and ducklings should be kept out of households that contain children younger than 5 years of age. About 11% of salmonella illnesses in children are thought to come from contact with lizards, turtles and other reptiles. Hamsters also can carry this germ, which can cause severe diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

Database Info

Pets and Children.

By: Written by Judith J. Becerra, MS, LPC. CRS - Pediatric Advisor. 2013, p1-1. 1p.

What Does This

Mean?

Title of Article: Pets and Children

Authors: Becerra, Judith

Publication Title: CRS – Pediatric Advisor

Date: 2013

Database Title: Health Source – Consumer Edition

MLA Citation

Becerra, Judith J. "Pets and Children." CRS - Pediatric Advisor. Broomfield: Clinical

Reference Systems, 2013. 1. Health Source: Consumer Edition. Web. 19 May 2014

CONCLUSION .

Pets can provide a child with many benefits. However, you need to think about what owning a pet will mean to your family. It is important that you chose the right kind of pet, and that you have realistic expectations of your child, yourself, and the pet. Bringing a pet into the family is not a decision that should be made lightly.

Research the kind of animal you want. Mature animals can be a good choice for younger children, since they do not need to be trained like a young puppy or kitten. A pet like a goldfish can be an good way to begin to teach a child about the responsibilities of a pet.

Database Info

Pets and Children.

By: Written by Judith J. Becerra, MS, LPC. CRS - Pediatric Advisor. 2013, p1-1. 1p.

What Does This

Mean?

Title of Article: Pets and Children

Authors: Becerra, Judith

Publication Title: CRS – Pediatric Advisor

Date: 2013

Database Title: Health Source – Consumer Editio

MLA Citation

Becerra, Judith J. "Pets and Children." CRS - Pediatric Advisor. Broomfield: Clinical

Reference Systems, 2013. 1. Health Source: Consumer Edition. Web. 19 May 2014.

SAMPLE SPEECH COVER PAGE, OUTLINE, WORKS CITED .

This is a sample. Take out the items in red and items explaining what to do. Make your assignments look like college level work .

“How Much is that Doggy in the Window?”

Submitted to

Professor Name Goes Here

Introduction to Speech Communication

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

Date

By

Jane Doe

Informative Speech

SPCH 1311.5XXX

“How Much is that Doggy in the Window?”

General Purpose – To inform

Specific Purpose – To inform my audience about owning a pet.

Thesis – I will discuss the upkeep, time, and responsibilities associated with owning a pet.

I. Introduction (Title Slide)

A. According to Scholastic Scope, 60% of Americans own a pet (O’Neill).

B. How many of you have owned or own a pet?

C. Today I'm going to talk about upkeep, time commitments, and responsibilities associated with owning a pet.

Transition: What’s involved with the upkeep of a pet?

II. Body

A. Upkeep (Slide 2)

1. According to Scholastic Dynamath, pets can be expensive. Dogs can cost $250/year to feed (Scott).

2. Supplies you will need to have include food, toys, crates or carriers (Scott).

3. Vet checkups and emergencies (Scott)

Transition: Along with upkeep, pets require time.

B. Time (Slide 3)

1. According to Current Health 1, pets are dependent on owners for taking the time to feed them, clean up after them, companionship (Paulos).

2. Depending on the type of pet: grooming, play time, exercise (Becerra).

3. Lifespan: 10 to 20 years (Becerra).

Transition: Along with a time commitment, what other responsibilities come with owning a pet?

C. Responsibilities (Slide 4)

1. Types of pets accepted by rentals/city/state (Paulos).

A. Rental requirements (Paulos).

B. Exotic pets (Paulos).

2. According to CRS: Pediatric Advisor, type of pet depends on: (Becerra).

A. Suitable for age of children - mature dog vs. kitten or puppy (Becerra).

B. Suitable for lifestyle – goldfish (Becerra).

3. Amount of space needed (Paulos).

4. Pet allergies (Paulos).

5. 11% of salmonella illnesses are from lizards, turtles and other reptiles (Becerra).

Transition: As you can see, there are many responsibilities associated with pet ownership.

III. Conclusion

A. I have just covered the upkeep, time, and responsibilities associated with pet ownership.

B. Choose the right pet by setting realistic expectations for yourself, your family, and your future pet.

NOTE: Your presentation does not include a PowerPoint so disregard references to slide locations.

Works Cited

Becerra, Judith J. “Pets and Children.” CRS – Pediatric Advisor. Broomfield: Clinical Reference

Systems, 2013. 1. Health Source: Consumer Edition, Web 19 May 2014

Joseph Luciano, right, and his wife Adriana play with their dogs, May 2, 2012, in

Clermont, Florida. Image Collection EBSCO, 2 May 2012 Web. 19 May 2014.

Calabrese, Darren. A woman shields herself from rain under an umbrella while walking her dog

along Toronto Lakeshore Saturday, May 14, 2011. Image Collection. EBSCO, 14 May

2011. Web. 19 May 2014.

O’Neill, Justin. “Should a Tiger Be Your Pet?” Scholastic Scope 23 Apr. 2012: 16-17. Middle

Search Plus. Web. 19 May 2014.

Paulos, Leah. “Furry Friends.” Current Health 1 Mar. 2007: 8-11. Health Source: Consumer

Edition. Web. 19 May 2014.

Scott, Gretchen. “Costly Critters.” Scholastic DynaMath 1 Jan. 2005: 6-7. eLibrary. Web. 19

May 2014.

Yingling. “Ohio Animals.” eLibrary. ProQuest, 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 May 2014.