Exercises — COM 1010 11: Message Development and Organizational Skills

1. Informative Speech Topic Selection

1. Step 1 — Brainstorm: List three topics related to the arts that genuinely interest you (music, visual art, theater, dance, film, literature, etc.).
2. Step 2 — Narrow: For each topic, write one specific angle that could be covered in 3–5 minutes (e.g., not 'jazz' but 'the origins of bebop jazz in 1940s New York').
3. Step 3 — Audience fit: Which topic would your classmates find most relevant, interesting, or surprising? Circle it.
4. Step 4 — Purpose statement: Write a specific purpose: 'After my speech, the audience will be able to explain ___.'
5. Step 5 — Thesis: Write one sentence stating your central idea about the topic.