Introduction: Do you think you could walk from New York to just beyond Chicago? How about from Georgia to Maine? If you’re up for such a hike, take the route from Georgia to Maine—that will put you on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a trail that stretches over 2000 miles and traverses fourteen states. This trail is also the topic of my speech. My fascination with the trail began two years ago when I had the opportunity to spend a week hiking a portion of it with my Dad. Although I didn’t get to hike the entire trail, I fell in love with it and set out to learn everything I could about it. Today I’d like to share some of that knowledge with you. First, I’ll give you a brief history of the trail’s formation. Then, I’ll share some facts with you about the trail itself and how it’s maintained. Finally, I’ll tell you the stories from some of those who have hiked the trail. Conclusion: So, now do you think you could walk from New York to Chicago or from Georgia to Maine? Well, even if you’re not up for the hike, many others have been. As a result of the efforts to maintain the Appalachian Trail, individuals have hiked the 2200-mile-long footpath to raise funds, overcome disabilities, and seek out spiritual insights. The next time someone asks you if you want to “take a hike,” perhaps you’ll say, “why not?” Introduction: You’ve heard of the game ‘Strange but True’? Play with me for a minute. I’ll read the headline, and you tell me if it’s true or not. Ready? Okay. ‘Surfer Sues Surfer for Theft of Wave.’ True or false? ‘Deaf Bank Robber Wins Suit: Courts Say Alarm Exploited His Disability.’ True or false? ‘College Student Falls Out Fourth-Story Window During Mooning Prank: Sues University for Negligence.’ True or false? Each of these lawsuits is real, and these ‘crazy lawsuits’ are the subject of my speech today. In my research, I found many crazy cases that actually have gone to court, and today, I’ll discuss some of the craziest. I’ll begin with some basic legal terms that come up in these cases so you can follow them more easily. Then I’ll share with you some of my favorite cases and give you a sample of the kinds of things that tie up our court system. Finally, I’ll persuade you that we should help those who are organizing to control these lawsuits and stop the abuses of our legal system. Conclusion: In the past few minutes, I have shared with you some of the crazy things people go to court over. I’ve defined the terms tort, civil suit, and frivolous lawsuit. I’ve shared some representative examples of crazy lawsuits and encouraged you to get involved in reducing the time these suits take up in our court system. I’d like to leave you with the following quotation from Jon Opelt, from the CALA: “We support the rights of injured parties to use the legal system responsibly in seeking fair compensation. However, some lawsuits are just down right absurd!” Introduction: Ohayoo gozaimasu. You probably don’t know what I just said. I just ga.

1. Introduction:
Do you think you could walk from New York to just beyond
Chicago? How about from Georgia to Maine? If you’re up for
such a hike, take the route from Georgia to Maine—that will put
you on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a trail that
stretches over 2000 miles and traverses fourteen states. This
trail is also the topic of my speech. My fascination with the trail
began two years ago when I had the opportunity to spend a week
hiking a portion of it with my Dad. Although I didn’t get to hike
the entire trail, I fell in love with it and set out to learn
everything I could about it. Today I’d like to share some of that
knowledge with you. First, I’ll give you a brief history of the
trail’s formation. Then, I’ll share some facts with you about the
trail itself and how it’s maintained. Finally, I’ll tell you the
stories from some of those who have hiked the trail.
Conclusion:
So, now do you think you could walk from New York to
Chicago or from Georgia to Maine? Well, even if you’re not up
for the hike, many others have been. As a result of the efforts to
maintain the Appalachian Trail, individuals have hiked the
2200-mile-long footpath to raise funds, overcome disabilities,
and seek out spiritual insights. The next time someone asks you
if you want to “take a hike,” perhaps you’ll say, “why not?”
Introduction:
You’ve heard of the game ‘Strange but True’? Play with me for
a minute. I’ll read the headline, and you tell me if it’s true or
not. Ready? Okay.
‘Surfer Sues Surfer for Theft of Wave.’ True or false?
‘Deaf Bank Robber Wins Suit: Courts Say Alarm Exploited His
Disability.’ True or false?
‘College Student Falls Out Fourth-Story Window During

2. Mooning Prank: Sues University for Negligence.’ True or false?
Each of these lawsuits is real, and these ‘crazy lawsuits’ are the
subject of my speech today.
In my research, I found many crazy cases that actually have
gone to court, and today, I’ll discuss some of the craziest. I’ll
begin with some basic legal terms that come up in these cases
so you can follow them more easily. Then I’ll share with you
some of my favorite cases and give you a sample of the kinds of
things that tie up our court system. Finally, I’ll persuade you
that we should help those who are organizing to control these
lawsuits and stop the abuses of our legal system.
Conclusion:
In the past few minutes, I have shared with you some of the
crazy things people go to court over. I’ve defined the terms tort,
civil suit, and frivolous lawsuit. I’ve shared some representative
examples of crazy lawsuits and encouraged you to get involved
in reducing the time these suits take up in our court system. I’d
like to leave you with the following quotation from Jon Opelt,
from the CALA: “We support the rights of injured parties to use
the legal system responsibly in seeking fair compensation.
However, some lawsuits are just down right absurd!”
Introduction:
Ohayoo gozaimasu. You probably don’t know what I just said. I
just gave you the greeting for “good morning” in Japanese, the
ninth most spoken language in the world. Having studied
Japanese for over three years now, I would like to share a little
bit about this intriguing language with you today. I know you’re
probably wondering, “Why should I care about the Japanese
language when I live in the United States?” Well, according to
the Encyclopedia Britannica, there are currently over 125
million speakers of Japanese worldwide. In today’s world, that
means you’re more than likely to meet a Japanese speaker at
least once in your life. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to know at
least something about his or her language?

3. Today, I’ll share some of what I know about the Japanese
language with you. I’ll first talk about Japanese body language,
which is both similar to and different from American body
language. Then, I’ll discuss spoken Japanese, which requires a
lot of practice to learn. Finally, I’ll tell you a little about the
written language, which contains over 50,000 characters and
three alphabets.
Introduction:
(Begin by singing “Amazing Grace”.)
Comfort is what I feel when I hear this song. No matter if I am
at a funeral service or singing it in a choir, this song
overwhelms me with a sense of peace. I know it has the same
effect on others as well. But who was the man behind this song?
And isn’t it, as some say, a bit overdone? Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
states that he used to think “Amazing Grace” was just that,
overdone. Wilson says, “’saved a wretch like me,’ come on,
really now. But the author really was a wretch, a moral pariah.”
Wilson is the author of The Story of John Newton, and John
Newton is the author of America’s most popular hymn,
“Amazing Grace.”
But what happened to John Newton that made him a “moral
pariah”? What happened in this man’s life that it was only the
“grace of God” that could save him? Well, today I’m going to
share with you just how a “wretch” like John Newton wrote
such a well-known hymn. I’ll begin by telling you a little bit
about his early life. Then, I’ll tell you how he came to write
“Amazing Grace”. Finally, I’ll conclude by discussing this
hymn’s legacy.
Introduction:
“May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrock, / May your
heart be as light as the song. / May each day bring you bright
happy hours, / That stay with you all year long. / For each petal
on the shamrock, / This brings a wish your way-- / Good health,
good luck, and happiness / For today and every day.”

4. When some hear this Irish blessing, they think of a three-leaf
clover. Others think of Ireland or St. Patrick. My family has its
roots in Ireland, and we always think of all three. The shamrock
has a long history of meaning for the Irish, and it represents the
magical number 3. To fully understand the importance of the
shamrock, though, you need to knkow how it became the symbol
of Ireland. You must also understand how St. Patrick used it,
and how it is represented every year by St. Patrick’s Day. Even
if you’re not Irish, a little bit of information about the shamrock
will help you enjoy your next March 17 celebration or
understand those who make such a big deal of it.
The Introduction
The introduction is very important because it sets the tone for
your entire speech. Based on your introduction, your audience
members will decide whether or not they are interested in what
you have to say. Think of it as a first impression.
The four functions of a good introduction:
1. to catch the audience’s attention with an “attention grabber”
2. to reveal the specific topic to the audience
3. to establish credibility
4. to tell the audience how the topic relates to them (i.e. why
should they care?)
5. to preview the main points of the speech
Every introduction should accomplish these four purposes by
including these four elements:
The Attention Grabber
Grab the audience’s attention right at the outset, and you will
have a better chance at connecting with them throughout the
speech.
There are a number of different elements that you might use to
grab the audience’s attention, including:
1. facts and statistics
2. quotes

5. 3. stories, narratives, illustrations, or anecdotes
4. humor/jokes
5. questions
6. references to historical or recent events
7. references to self, occasion, or audience
8. references to prior speeches
9. displays of talent
Pages 198-203 in your book provide detailed descriptions and
examples of a variety of attention grabbers. Familiarize yourself
with them.
I would like to add a couple more the list:
1. Engage the audience in some way (other than asking a
question). Ask for a show of hands, get them to write something
down, or have them perform some sort of test or activity. For
example, in a speech discussing the benefits of stretching, have
them attempt to touch their toes.
2. Give a demonstration. In a process or how-to speech, you
might demonstrate part of the process to get the audience
interested in what else you have to say/show. If you have a
particular talent, you might find a way to incorporate it into
your attention grabber.
3. Start with a visual or aural aid. Show a clip from a movie, tv
show, or YouTube video. Play a song clip or show an object that
is interesting and related to your topic.
4. Make a startling or intriguing statement. Use caution here.
You don’t want to offend anyone. Don’t use anything too
graphic, inappropriate, or horrifying. A good rule of thumb is to
keep it PG-13 and below!
Example: “3.1415926535897932384626433832795. Most of you
know the name of the number I just recited. It’s a number found
in rainbows, pupils of eyes, sound waves, ripples in the water,
and DNA. This number has sparked curiosity in many minds
over the past 4000 years. I’m talking about pi.”
In this example, the startling thing would be the recitation of a
large number. Hopefully the audience members’ curiosity will

6. be aroused.
5. State the importance of the topic. If the audience members
are convinced that the topic is important, they will want to
listen.
Example: In a speech about phobias you might begin with
something like, “More than 19 million Americans between the
ages of eighteen and fifty-four suffer from some sort of phobia
every year. That’s one in ten people, or at least two of us in this
room today.”
Introduction of the Specific Topic
Once you have grabbed the audience’s attention, be sure to let
them know what specifically it is that you will be talking about.
It is okay to leave them hanging during the attention grabber,
but if you wait any longer to let them know, you will risk losing
their attention again. Your thesis statement will reveal the
details that you plan to cover concerning your topic, but you
will need to at least make mention of the topic itself before you
can establish credibility. Look back at the example under #4
above. At the end of the attention grabber, the speaker includes
a short sentence in which the topic is revealed (“I’m talking
about pi.”) Establishment of Credibility
This is typically more important in a persuasive speech than it
is in an informative speech, but it is always beneficial to let the
audience know why you are qualified to speak on your topic. It
might simply be the fact that you have been interested enough
in the topic to do an appropriate amount of research. It is also
possible that you are, for some reason, an expert on your topic.
If so, let the audience know that you are an expert and tell
everyone why you are an expert. If you are going to give an
informative speech on how to make a safe ascent while scuba
diving and you happen to be a diving instructor or you happen
to have hundreds of hours of diving experience, you should let
us know.
Demonstration of Relevance to the Audience
This does not have to be as involved as it may seem. In
actuality, if you do a great job grabbing the audience members’

7. attention, they will be interested in hearing more about your
topic. A topic may be relevant to someone simply because it’s
interesting to him or her. If your topic likely applies more
directly to your audience members, let them know. For example,
“As students you will find that the three key study skills that
I’m about to tell you about will come in very handy.”
Realize that you will rarely find a topic that will be equally
relevant to all members of the audience, and that’s okay!
Preview of the Speech Body/Main Points
When you compose your speech, you will already have a thesis
statement that you can most likely plug into your introduction.
If you have already previewed your main points in your thesis
statement, your work there is done. If you haven’t, you will
need to do so immediately after the thesis statement. This can
be accomplished in a single sentence, or it might require several
sentences to cover.
Not only will a preview remind you of where you are headed in
your speech body, it will help your audience to follow along.
Think of providing a little road map for your audience to
follow. If your main points match your preview as they should,
the audience will be able to recognize and mentally “check them
off” as you go.
Example:
For a speech on the Appalachian Trail: “The Appalachian Trail
has a fascinating history, is an incredible example of what hard
work and ingenuity can accomplish, and provides no shortage of
adventure for those who choose to hike it. Today, I’ll give you a
brief history of the trail’s formation. Then, I’ll share some facts
with you about the trail itself and how it’s maintained. Finally,
I’ll tell you a couple of amazing stories from some of those who
have hiked the trail.”
Additional Tips
1. Look for introductory material as you do your research. If
you find something that you believe might work well as an
attention grabber, be sure to set it aside so you can find it later.
2. Prepare the wording of the intro after you prepare the body of

8. the speech.
3. Prepare and practice the full introduction in detail. For
maximum impact you will want to maintain plenty of eye
contact and a smooth delivery. Practice the intro even more than
you practice the body of the speech.
4. Be brief. Brevity is the soul of wit. Don’t give away the
entire speech in the intro. You are whetting the audience’s
appetite
5. Never announce the topic BEFORE the actual beginning of
the introduction (which should begin with the attention
grabber). Many a great intro has been ruined by a student’s
failure to resist saying something like, “Hi, my name is so-and-
so, and I’m going to talk about ____________”.