Attention Getters

Is it Interesting?

Attention keeping methods in the body of a speech.

Objective: By the end of class the student will have an understanding of how to keep interest in the main section of any speech.

Materials: Only pen and paper are required.

Steps:
1. Instructor will list clarity, inclusion, and emotion on the board.

2. The three terms will be explained to the class.
A. clarity-descriptive words to add “color” to ideas. ex. – dog> cute and fluffy or hairy and smelly

B. inclusion-creating a connection with listeners. ex. – death> “Something we all have to face.” NOT “Something you will face.”

C. emotion-using emotional words to inspire listeners. ex. – “The crowd felt pride and joy at the end of the victorious game.”

3. The class will be split into pairs and entire class will be given a number from 1 to 3.
A. The number that each pair receives will be the language style they are to use for their assignment.

4. Each pair will then write a brief speech on their favorite pet (alive or deceased) using the language style they’ve been assigned.

5. Upon completion, the pair will then have to improvise their own sentences separately in front of the class. The instructor will inform the two which style they are to use.

6. The written speeches will be handed in to the instructor.

Result: The student will have practiced giving a speech using the tools given to keep an audience attentive in the middle of a speech.

Fall 2007

Attention Getting Methods

Objective: The students will write effective attention getting methods and incorporate them into the introductions of their speeches. The students will also list at least four attention getting methods from those discussed in class.

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

Steps:
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.

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.

Elissa Martin
Summer 2007

Wait, Wait! I’m Not Done Yet!!

Attention Keeping Methods in the Body of a Speech.

Objective: The students will be able to discuss within a small and large group the notes they took on a specific passage from their text.

Materials: Your class’s textbook

Steps:
1. Have the students read and take their own notes on the section in their book that talks about attention getters and motivating the audience to listen.

2. Split the students into groups of 3-4. In their groups they must discuss with each other what notes they took and add anything they missed to their won notes.
a. The Teacher should be actively monitoring the room and if there are questions encourage the students to write them down on a separate sheet of paper.

3. Give the students about 15 minutes to discuss.

4. Bring the groups back together and have them discuss their notes as a whole.
a. What did you find most interesting?
b. What did you learn?
c. How can you take “attention getters” and turn them into “attention keepers”
d. How can you apply this to your own speech.

5. During this time, allow students to ask their questions. Ask the class if anyone can explain. If someone can, let them, if no one volunteers, answer the question yourself. (you should probably brush up on some attention grabbing techniques yourself)
a. Try to point out where the question is answered in the book.

Results: For homework, the student must proofread their speech and if they need to, add statements to maintain audience attention. On a sheet of paper, they must record what they changed and any examples they already had in their speech of Maintaining Audience Attention.

Attention Getters

Startling Statements

OBJECTIVE: The students will be able to identity and write a startling statement for their speech topics.

MATERIALS: Topic worksheet, computer/internet usage

STEPS:

Give an overview to the students of what a startling statement/attention getter is. (It is statement or fact that grabs the audience’s attention in order to make them want to listen to your speech.)
Hand out the topic worksheet.
Pair students into groups of two.
Explain to students the instructions on the top of the sheet.
Give students a maximum of 20 minutes to search the internet to find or come up with a startling statement or attention getter for each of the topics on the worksheet. *BE SURE TO CONSTATNLY MONITOR THE STUDENT’S INTERNET USAGE TO BE SURE THEY ARE STAYING ON TASK!*
After students have found a startling statement for each topic, bring them back together into one group and have them share a few what they found with the class.
Explain to the class which suggestions/findings were good ones and which were not, and explain why.

RESULTS: Have students write down 5 startling statements that work with their speech topic. They will be expected to share them with the teacher the next day.

Name:___________________________________ Date:________________

Directions: Using the internet, find startling statements that would work as an attention getter for each of the following speech topics. Record the website you obtained your information from. Get creative! Don’t just use boring facts for each one! Remember: They are supposed to grab the audience’s attention and pull them into wanting to listen to the rest of your speech!

The movie Ghost Busters

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