PublicSpeaking: Adapting to an Audience Project (details and instructions)

Name:

Ms. Hoffmann

Public Speaking

Date:

Discovering and Adapting to an Unknown Audience Direction Sheet

Goals:

To practice writing and speaking to a specific audience
To practice adapting our speeches and framing our messages for a particular audience
To practice ethical adaptations. (In other words, we maintain our position--no flip-flopping--while finding a way to identify with our given audience.)

Overview:

When it comes to giving speeches, we do not always have the luxury of knowing our intended audience well. In this case, you will receive an unfamiliar audience to which you will need to present information on a specified topic. (Your topic and your position on the topic are assigned. You may not agree with your position, but for the purpose of this practice assignment, I am asking you to work with it to get to our focus on audience.) You will go through the steps below, which synthesize the important ideas that we reviewed regarding the demographics and dynamics of audiences. Once you complete them, you should know your audience and topic well enough that you could figure out how to approach your position on your topic with its members.

Directions:

Read your scenario. (Located at the end of this handout) Who is your audience? What is your speech topic? Record your answers on the worksheet.

What are your immediate thoughts on your audience? What do you think would be challenging or easy about addressing this group of people? Answer these questions on the worksheet.

Perform demographic research for your assigned audience. You should be using the same sites that you used to perform the Proctor Demographic Research. Record your answers on the worksheet.

In addition to the research you perform in step 3, look up some local news for your location. You may find this on an actual news site--if it happens to be in national or regional news--or you may find it on a town’s webpage. On the worksheet, record any major headlines or issues happening in this setting. In a paragraph, reflect on the extent to which and how these events may impact what you have to say.

Potential Sources:

Those used for Proctor Research
www.people-press.org
www.pollingreport.com
www.geis.ucla.edu (Focuses on statistics related to younger people.)

Now that you know a little more about your audience, you need to make sure that you know something about your topic. Research your topic while paying attention to resources, statistics, information from authority figures, etc. that might appeal to your assigned audience. Remember that the key here is to maintain your provided position while finding ways to get others to listen to your message. Record your findings for at least three websites on your topic on the worksheet. You should include the URL of each site as well as an outline of important points from it.

Once you have done enough research, write at least half a page explaining how you would hook your audience. Write this on your worksheet. Do not skimp on your explanation. You are not writing any part of a speech. You should be arguing how you could hook this audience.

Grading Checklist:

List of relevant, immediate issues (10 points)
Demographic research on the group and location provided (30 points)
List of news headlines and paragraph on potential impact (30 points)
Research-based page explaining how you would hook your audience (30 points)

Total (100 points)

Possible Locations:

Los Angeles, California
Bigfork, Montana
Albany, New York
Miami, Florida
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Possible Speech Topics and Stances:

An argument for the right to bear arms (anti-gun control)
An argument to end the death penalty
An argument to restrict immigration
An argument to continue to allow gay marriage
An argument to keep the death penalty
An argument to require body cameras on law enforcement

Name:

Ms. Hoffmann

Public Speaking

Date:

Discovering and Adapting to an Unknown Audience Worksheet

As you work your way through the directions, record your responses on this sheet. Remember that the work provided on this sheet will count as credit towards a portfolio piece grade. You should write in complete sentences (except where you are bullet pointing information) and proofread your work.

Step 1:

Who is your audience? _____________________________

What is your topic? ________________________________

Step 2:

What are your immediate thoughts on your audience?
What do you think would be challenging or easy about addressing this group of people?

Step 3: Demographic Research

These steps should be familiar to you from the work you did looking up information on Proctor or another nearby town or city.

1. What is the age of this audience?

________________________________________________________________________

Link of source: