Touchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help you refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can work on a Touchstone anytime, but you must complete this unit’s assessments before you submit it. Once you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded and counted toward your final course score.
Touchstone 3: Informative Speech
ASSIGNMENT: For this Touchstone, you will deliver a 5–7 minute informative speech on a topic of your choice. The speech can be for any context, but it must be informative. Below is a list of example informative speech topics for your reference.
Type of Informative SpeechPurposeExamplesObjectTo inform an audience about something visible or tangible
The human body
An episode of The Family Guy
A car engine
Equipment for riding a horse
ProcessTo explain a series of actions or steps with a defined ending point
How the modern electoral college works
How an ice cream sandwich is made
How to drive a car
How to study for a test
EventTo discuss or describe an occurrence of importance
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
A person’s first week at college
The invention of the telephone
The Norman invasion of England
ConceptTo discuss or explain an abstract idea or notion

The origins of the universe
Love at first sight

Optical illusions

Patriotism vs. nationalism
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.

Touchstone Support Videos
Evaluating Your Sources
Maintaining Relevance and Balance
A. Directions
Step 1: Select Informative Topic/Issue
Your speech should be consistently informative in nature. Identify your audience, purpose, and thesis. Imagine your audience and how you would want to convey your message to this audience.
Refer back to the following lessons for support:

Informative and Persuasive Speeches
Choosing and Developing a Good Topic
Informative Speeches: Definition and Types
Step 2: Consider Purpose, Thesis, and Audience

Identify your purpose, thesis, and audience. Imagine your audience and how you would want to convey your message to this audience. As you start to plan your speech, ask yourself the following questions:
What are you hoping to achieve with this speech?
Who will be in your audience? What do you know about them?
What is the key message of your speech?
Refer back to the following lessons for support:
Informative Speeches: Subjects, Goals, and Scope

Sample Informative Speech
Step 3: Find Credible Sources
Utilize your program resources, the internet, or a local library to find three credible sources that are relevant to your speech. As you look for sources, consider the following questions in your search to help ensure credibility:
How recent is the data or information presented in your source? 

When was the source published? If the source is a website, when was the website last updated? 
What does the source cover? 
How well-researched and detailed is the source? How much depth is the topic covered in?
How is this content and level of detail relevant to your purpose, audience, and message?
How is the author qualified to speak on the topic?
What is the author’s purpose?

What biases might they have? 
Is the information the author’s opinion alone or is it supported by cited facts?
Who funds the website or publication? 
Are there items endorsed or for sale? If so, what items?

What is the reputation of the website or publication?
Refer back to the following lessons for support:
Gathering Information
Sources of Information: The Library
Sources of Information: The Internet
Evaluating Sources
Step 4: Identify Pieces of Evidence
Read through your sources to identify fivepieces of evidence that support and reinforce your thesis. Be sure to use at least three different types of pieces of evidence from the following list: 
Statistic
Analogy
Definition
Visual
Story
Testimony
Refer back to the following lessons for support:
Supporting Your Ideas
Using Examples
Using Statistics, Analogies, and Definitions to Support Your Ideas
Using Visuals, Testimony, and Storytelling to Support Your Ideas

Step 5: Create Notes

Create notes or bullet points that you can refer to while presenting your speech. You should not read your speech word for word from your notes. Make sure to cite at least three sources or pieces of evidence as you deliver your speech.

Step 6: Use Clear Language

Ensure that the language you use is consistently clear and appropriate to the audience, which helps the audience connect with you and your topic. Explain any technical jargon you use where necessary.

Refer back to the following lessons for support:

How to Use Your Knowledge of the Audience
Mind Your Audience
Tailor Abstraction to Your Audience
Make It Memorable and Enhance Audience Understanding
Step 7: Practice Speech
Practice presenting your speech. Deliver a speech that is 5–7 minutes in length.

Refer back to the following lesson for support:
Best Practices in Public Speaking
Step 8: Review Rubric

Before filming, review the rubric to ensure that you understand how you will be evaluated.
Step 9: Film Speech

Film yourself presenting the speech. Be sure that you can be easily seen and heard—at minimum, your head and shoulders should be visible in your video, and you should make eye contact with your audience by directing your speech toward the camera.

Important: Be sure that your speech’s purpose, audience, and thesis are clear. If you choose, you can state this information at the beginning of your video before you begin your speech.

Refer back to the following lessons for support:

Audience
The Purpose and Thesis Statement
Step 10: Review Video
Review your video to ensure that you can be seen and heard. Refilm as needed. Your speech should be delivered in one video with no cuts or editing.
Step 11: Review Checklist and Requirements
Review the checklist and requirements to ensure that your Touchstone is complete.
Step 12: Submit

Upload your video using the blue button at the top of this page.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
? I have selected a speech purpose that is informative.
? My speech has an introduction, body, and conclusion.
? The introduction includes my key message (thesis).
? The body includes my main points and support.
? I have selected sources that are credible and support that is relevant.
? I have used language that is appropriate to my audience.
? The conclusion summarizes my main points and includes a call to action.
? I have filmed a video of myself presenting my speech.
? The video of my speech is 5–7 minutes in length.
? I have reviewed the video, and I can be easily heard and seen.
? I have adhered to all of the requirements.
? I have read through the rubric, and I understand how my Touchstone will be evaluated.
B. Rubric
Advanced (100%)Proficient (85%)Acceptable (75%)Needs Improvement (50%)Nonperformance (0%)
Purpose, Audience, and Thesis: Informative Speech (15 points)
Effectively define and align purpose, audience, and thesis.States a purpose, audience, and thesis within the speech that are aligned, clear, and specific.States a purpose, audience, and thesis within the speech that are somewhat vague, lacking in detail, or are not well aligned.States a purpose, audience, and thesis within the speech that are mostly vague, lacking in detail, or not well aligned. Purpose, audience, and thesis are not well aligned, vague, or lacking in detail, or one element (purpose, audience, or thesis) has not been stated within the speech.Does not state a purpose, audience, and/or thesis within the speech.
Sources (20 points)
Identify credible and relevant sources to support the speech.
Incorporates three different sources throughout the speech that are relevant and credible.Incorporates three different sources throughout the speech; however, one of the sources is lacking in relevance and/or credibility.Incorporates three different sources throughout the speech; however, two of the sources are lacking in relevance and/or credibility, or only two sources are included.Incorporates at least two different sources throughout the speech; however, all of the sources are lacking in relevance and/or credibility, or only one source is included.Incorporates only one source or does not list any sources and/or listed sources are all lacking in relevance and/or credibility.
Support (20 points)
Provide multiple types and pieces of evidence to support the thesis.

Includes five different pieces of support that directly support the thesis. Includes three or more different types of support.Includes five different pieces of support; however, one or two pieces of support do not directly support the thesis. Includes two different types of support.Includes three or four pieces of support; however, most pieces of support do not directly support the thesis. Includes one type of support.Includes less than three pieces of support. Most of the pieces of support do not directly support the thesis. Includes one type of support.Pieces of support used do not support the thesis, or the speech includes no support.
Language (15 points)

Choose the right language to convey your message.

Language is consistently clear and appropriate to the audience, helping the audience connect with the speaker and the topic. Where necessary, technical jargon is explained.Language is predominantly clear and appropriate to the audience, generally helping the audience connect with the speaker and the topic.Language is frequently clear but inconsistent with the audience and often fails to help the audience connect with the speaker or the topic.Language is mostly unclear or inconsistent with the audience and often fails to help the audience connect with the speaker or the topic.Language does not help the audience connect with the speaker or the topic.

Time Management (10 points)

Make effective use of the time without either finishing early or going over by more than a few seconds.

Makes effective use of the 5–7 minutes without either finishing early or going over by more than a few seconds.Runs a little short or a little long of the 5–7 minutes by no more than 30 seconds.Runs a little short or a little long of the 5–7 minutes by no more than a minute. Runs short or long of the 5–7 minutes by well over a minute.Speech is so brief or so long that it is not an appropriate response to the assignment.
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