SPCM 200: Public Speaking

SPCM 200: Public Speaking Lesson Plan – Attention Getting Methods

Objective: Students will:  Comprehend methods of gaining audience attention  Understand the parts of an introduction  Recall previous information learned in class

Materials Needed: Rough draft copy of speech, or at least a possible speech topic.

Directions: 1. Call the class to attention. Use one of the attention getting methods to introduce the topic. You might tell a short story about a speaker that didn’t get your attention, or you might ask a question or pose a challenge. It is up to you! Tell them that today you will be talking about the introduction of their speeches. Explain that there are many important things that go in the introduction, but today you are going to talk about attention getters. 2. Ask the students what you did to get their attention. Answers will vary based on what option you chose. Ask the students if this method was effective and if they wanted to pay attention. 3. Discuss the different types of attention getters. Following are some of the most common, but these can be developed and there are variations of each:  Tell a story or anecdote: You might explain what led you to your topic. What interests you is likely to interest your audience too. Personal stories work well, as do stories or events from the news that you can draw comparisons with your topic.  Begin with a startling statement: An abrupt statement that is contrary to what is happening around you will get attention because it is so distinct. Even though it can easily be overused, shock value can be an effective tool.  Pose a question: When a question is asked, it is hard not to automatically think about an answer to the issue the question has raised. You can ask a dialectical question where you expect a response, like what happens in class, but most speeches before an audience often use rhetorical questions, which don’t require an audible answer.  Pose a challenge: Even though an audience may not like it if you have different views on a topic than they do, posing a challenge can help to earn their attention and respect if you have sufficient support to back up your argument.  Explore an analogy or draw comparisons to something else: Sometimes this indirect approach is very effective. An analogy serves to immediately gain your audience’s attention while gradually leading them to the point of your talk.  Introduce a quotation: This is another attention getter that can be effective if it is not overused. Quotations are useful if they are relevant and can give credibility to your position, especially if they are from a well known figure. Try to avoid using dictionary definitions, they are overused and detract from your speech.  Interject some humor: If you have something to say that is relevant to your topic and genuinely funny, then say it. However, if it is offensive or contrived, don’t do it! Humor is easy to overdo, and it isn’t fun to listen to someone who thinks they are funny when they really aren’t. A good rule of thumb is to remember to laugh at yourself, and then you won’t be offending someone else! 4. Let the students brainstorm ideas of what methods of attention getters they might use in their speeches. List their speech topics on the board and discuss what attention getting methods might be appropriate for each topic. For instance, if you are talking about a very serious subject, joking about it may not be appropriate. 5. Give the students a few minutes to write two different attention getting introductions for their speeches. 6. Have each student share their attention getters with a partner, then work together to choose the best one. 7. Ask each student to share his or her attention getting method with another partner. 8. Instruct each student to take out a piece of paper and write his or her name on it. Tell the students to list as many attention getting methods as they can. They will need to list at least four in order to earn full points. 9. Collect the quizzes and tell the students that their homework assignment is to continue working on the attention getters in their introductions.

Discussion Questions:  Why do we use attention getters? How do they function?  Why is it important to attain audience attention?  What types of attention getters can be used on your topics?

Results: At the end of this assignment, students should know the different methods of attention getters and should be able to incorporate them into their speeches. They will write introductions for their speeches that have effective attention getters.

Homework: Continue working on speeches