SPCH 1203 Oral Communications Assignment No.

1
Small Group ActivityProblem Solving
Assignment Due Date:

Assignment Points: 50

Group Assignment Description:

1. Students will form groups of six.
2.
Groups must meet a minimum of three times prior to presenting their findings and
recommendations to the class. Two group meetings will be conducted during the class period
and one can be conducted outside of class via email. Participation in all meetings is mandatory.
3. For the purposes of this assignment assume that your group is a problems solving
committee which will discuss the issue you select. The group will split into two camps:
Pro (those who support the issue; believe it to be true, right etc.) and Con (those who
oppose the issue; believe it to be false, wrong etc.)
4. Your group will select a problem from the list provided. The selection should be a group
consensus. Each group member should either volunteer to research a particular facet of
the problem/issue or simply accept a research assignment if he or she is not drawn to
any particular element. Whenever the group has selected the problem they intend to
discuss; it should be written in the blank provided for it on the SMALL GROUP
ASSIGNMENT SHEET. Whenever the individual has selected a facet of the problem to
research; he/she should write it on the blank adjacent to their name on the SMALL
GROUP ASSIGNMENT SHEET. Please date the form and turn it in to the instructor at
the end of the class session.
5. Each group member will present a 3 to 5 minute speech reporting his/her findings and
recommendations in regard to the problem the group selected to investigate and to
solve.
6. A minimum of three sources must be cited in the body of the speech at the time of delivery.
Personal experience, encyclopedias, dictionaries and similar general reference materials may
not be used to fulfill this assignment requirement.
7. Extemporaneous delivery is required. You may use 3 x 5 note cards, but you may NOT
read your presentation from those note cards.
8. Dress appropriately for the occasion. The following clothing is considered inappropriate for a
formal presentation: athletic clothing, cut-offs, faded, torn or worn-out blue jeans, hoodies and
hats.

SPEECH ORGANIZATION:
INTRODUCTION
Begin your talk by capturing the attention and interest of your audience; avoid
starting by stating, Today, I am going to show you how to or My topic is or
Im going to talk about or any variation of the above.
Once you get the audiences attention, tell the audience what they will learn if
they listen to your speech and why the topic is important to them.
BODY
Break down what you are presenting into categories, steps or small units of
information.
Select two to five of these categories to turn into main points. Remember that
you cannot exceed five minutes, so 2 - 3 main points would work best. Also, too
many points are harder for audience members to remember.
Select points that will be useful and interesting to adult learners.
Make sure that the main points are presented in a logical order. Use transitions
such as My first point is Moving on to my second point etc.
Detail each main point with specific data; do not state your main point and then
move on to the next. Use explanation, illustrations, statistics, testimony etc.
Cite your sources; you might want to preface each source with the phrase
According to.. or maybe Found on-line at.. or I would like to quote.
CONCLUSION
Begin your conclusion by reviewing/summarizing your main points.
Close your speech with a memorable statement to drive home the point of your
speech and to give your audience a hook, an interesting tie-in to help them
remember your speech.
TIPS FOR DELIVERING YOUR SPEECH:
Step up to speak with confidence and authority.
Set up your visual aid/demonstration items before you start to speak.
Establish contact with your audience before speaking.
Begin without referring to your notes.
Maintain eye contact with your audience.
Sound conversational, not as if you are reading or delivering a memorized speech.
Limit the number of your note cards.
Refer to your note cards only occasionally.
Avoid ah, ya know, well, okay, etc.
Maintain good posture; dont lean, shift your weight, etc.
Dont play with pencils, pens, notes, clothes, etc.
Dress to help, not to hinder, your speech.
Speak loudly enough to be heard easily!