Expository Speeches
 Make up a short list by studying the expository speech topic
ideas below. Judge them with these selection criteria:
 Which topics you know a lot about in relation to your school,
community, or hobby?
 Are you an expert in something?
 Can you think of worldwide, national, regional or local issues,
or trends in relation to the topics you like?
 These questions also will help: What ..., When ..., Where ...,
How ... or Why ...
 E.g.: Describe how the world population increases, give the
facts and context figures, etc. But if you state that the
overpopulation is very bad for the world, then it isn't an
informative speech but a persuasive.
Expository Speech Topic Examples
 Pick an interesting and unique topic for an expository
speech. One that has not been used often before, where
you will explain something and help people understand
what or how things happened or what things actually are.
One that your audience will want to hear and will gain
new knowledge.
EXPLAIN IT
 Explain how an iPod works
 Explain how a car can drive
 Explain how a tree grows
 Explain how a car engine works
 Explain what exercise does to your brain
 Explain how computer viruses work
 Explain the working of the time zones in the world
 Explain the working of electricity
WHAT HAPPENED
 How I start collecting Paris Hilton pictures
 How I raise funds for my community
 How I choose my extracurricular activities
 How the Civil War started
 The designing of a new bedroom
 The preparation of my trip to Australia
 My search for an expository speech topic by using this
web site. Why not? Talking about creative speech topics ...
:-)
WHAT IS IT
 What is an RSS-feed?
 What is copyright protection?
 What is podcasting?
 What is artificial intelligence?
 What is autism?
 What is an eclipse?
 What is fair trade?
 What is an ecosystem?
Refine Your Expository Speech Topics
 Refine your short list of expository speech topics. Ask yourself:
 What does the audience want to know?
 Is it relevant to my listeners?
 If I were in the audience, and I didn't know anything about the
topic, what would me interest the most?
 What does the audience already know?
 Will the audience care about my topic?
 Now make a reasoned final choice. Ask yourself:
Why do I want to talk about this expository speech topic?
Investigate Your Expository Speech
Topics

Make a full investigation on the subject you have chosen and work on your credibility.
Provide background and definitions of terms are appropriate, because sometimes
your audience doesn't know anything about your topic.

Look in reference books or online for facts, evidence, statistics, examples and
quotations. These questions will help you in the right direction:

What are different aspects of my topic? Can I add new twist to common speech
topics? Are there new trends? Who are affected by my topic? How many people?
And how are they affected?

What ideas, stories, opinions, information and knowledge didn't my listeners
previously know?

Which of my personal experiences will motivate them to want to know more? How
did I do it? And why?

If your investigation efforts haven't the results you want, then try one of your other
expository speech topics of your short list.
Speech requirements:
 1. Choose topic to inform.
 2. Find two good sources on the internet and pull at least
one quote from each source.
 3. Write an outline and organize using note cards.
 4. Choose at least one visual aid to support your speech: it
may be a graphic from the web, a power point slide, or a
visual aid of your creation.
 5. Your speech must be between 5-7 minutes long.
 6. Dress to impress! You must be ready to go on your
assigned day. If you miss your spot you may receive a 0!
Research for your speech
 1. The purpose of my speech is to: ______________
 2. My intended audience will be: ______________
 3. I found the following websites on the internet related
to my topic: 1.
2.
3.
 4. I plan to use the following graphics/multi-media in
presenting my research information: _____________