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How To Speech Topics

Here's a list of 100 "how to" speech topics on which you can base your demonstration speech. If you're new to writing this type of speech, then I have some great tips here to help you get started.

10 Web-Related Topics

• build mobile websites
• rank in Google's search engine
• design a Wordpress blog
• unzip a .zip file
• take a ".xml" file and make it a feed
• optimize website graphics
• use an FTP program to upload files to the web
• open a Facebook account
• get set up on Twitter
• sell stuff on eBay

10 How To Speech Topics on Technology

• download from iTunes
• send text messages
• program a GPS tracker
• install more memory into a laptop
• properly clean a computer screen and accessories
• transfer music from an iPhone to a PC
• choose the best computer
• program a TV remote controller
• unlock your Wii console

10 Topics on Health

• lose weight safely
• increase your metabolism
• lift weights properly
• keep your heart healthy
• get rid of lice
• get rid of acne
• keep your teeth healthy
• quit smoking
• improve your eyesight
• exercise your brain

10 How To Speech Topics on Pets

• teach your parrot to talk
• teach your dog to play dead
• saddle a horse
• set up an aquarium
• breed animals to sell
• bathe a cat without getting scratched
• introduce new pets to older pets in your household
• choose the right pet for you
• control the pets on Sims 2
• get rid of fleas and ticks

10 Topics on Fashion

• make your eyes look bigger with makeup
• tie a hair bow
• get rid of static cling in hair and clothes
• shop for clothes on a budget
• curl hair with a curling iron
• apply false eyelashes
• pick clothes that make you look 10 pounds lighter
• care for dry, brittle hair or nails
• remove stains from fabric
• clean a suede or leather jacket

10 How To Speech Topics on Gardening

• design a desert garden
• create a raised bed garden
• grow bigger tomatoes
• compost when you live in an apartment
• attract butterflies to a garden
• attract hummingbirds to a garden
• grow an indoor herb garden
• repel and kill garden pests
• develop humane animal traps
• control mole damage

10 Topics on Jobs

• never work again
• get a job after being fired
• write a resume
• write a cover letter
• ask for a raise
• make money on the internet
• work as a virtual assistant
• deal with office politics
• search for a job online
• add my resume to online job sites

10 How To Speech Topics on Education

develop a photographic memory ace your PSAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc. become valedictorian apply for college financing get an online degree avoid problems with homeschooling get a GED write a speech deal with bullying decorate school books

10 Topics on Holidays

• put on makeup to look like a zombie for Halloween
• make fake vampire teeth
• carve a scary pumpkin
• create a Christmas tree out of wire hangers
• make a pop-up Christmas card
• build a gingerbread house
• make a Thanksgiving turkey out of lunch bags
• make firework fuses
• decorate a cake like a flag
• decorate Easter eggs

10 How To Speech Topics on Sports/Recreation

• do a 360 flip on a skateboard
• improve your golf swing
• knot a climbing rope
• tighten wheels on rollerblades
• put together a wakeboard
• repair a bicycle shifter
• arm wrestle someone more muscular than you
• play ping-pong like a pro
• choose the best paintball gun
• put a spin on a baseball

Phew! There you go, 100 how to speech topics for you to choose. Hopefully, they'll give you some ideas so you can come up with a hundred more!

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100 Best How To Speech Topics & Ideas In 2023

How to topics make students feel like experts. They also allow them to practice non-fiction writing. That’s because these topics require them to explain how a person can do something. It can be something simple like how to follow more topics on Pinterest or something complex like how to create a nuclear reactor.

When writing about how to essay topics, students should dissect processes from the beginning to the end. They should also include all the necessary information to enable the reader to achieve their desired results. Essentially, essays and speeches on these topics should guide readers into doing something successfully.

The Purpose of How To Speech Topics

Good how-to topics make learners more confident and competent nonfiction writers. Some students consider this as their writing genre. These topics describe how certain tasks are completed. Something good about this writing genre is that it allows learners to describe processes that they are familiar with.

This enables learners to focus on writing while enjoying the experience that’s enjoyed by experts. They also feel good about communicating something meaningful to their audiences. In most cases, students are asked to write how-to speeches. That means they have to choose how to topics for demonstration speech. And, this genre has many topics that students can choose from. Here are some of the major categories of how to speech ideas.

How To Speeches Topics for High School Students

Some high school teachers ask students to write speeches demonstrating how certain things are done. If you’ve been asked to write on such a topic, here are good how-to speech topics to choose from.

• How to write an admission letter for university or college
• How to remain safe in an unfamiliar or new environment
• How to make new friends at a new college
• How to choose a college or university
• How to choose a study program
• How to choose a career
• How to choose the best game
• How to become a public speaker
• How to choose activities that improve self-esteem and confidence
• How plants produce and use oxygen
• How to put off something you don’t like without hurting others
• How to prepare for a marathon or a long race
• How to get a scholarship to study overseas
• How to stay fit in high school
• How to grow flowers indoors or in a garden
• How to create something like a painting or building at home
• How to prepare French fries at home
• How to prepare for college
• How to search for academic articles on the internet
• How to prepare for a trip with family

These are great how-to speech topics that can earn top grades for high school students when researched and written properly. It’s, however, important that learners choose the topics they are familiar with and comfortable writing about.

How To Topics for Second Grade

Second grade is the time when children are developing writing skills. At this time, children start to express their opinions and recount narratives. They can also provide instructions in writing. Here are some of the best topics of how to teach writing to second-grade children. Asking second-grade children to write about these topics will engage them in writing and spark their creativity.

• How to be kind to other people
• How to make your birthday special and memorable
• How to build a beautiful house
• How to read a bedtime story
• How to tell a story
• How to make chocolate
• How to play your favorite games
• How to tie your shoes
• How to keep a friend
• How to take care of your pet
• How to get a good school report card
• How to make a friend
• How to prepare for dinner
• How to sharpen a pencil
• How to blow bubbles
• How to draw a picture
• How to paint the best picture
• How to tidy your room
• How to tidy your desk
• How to give a pet a bath

These are great how to presentation topics that can enable second-grade children to express their opinions with simple words and improve their writing skills.

How To Speeches Topics for College Students

College time provides a chance to sharpen writing skills. This is the place where students learn to research, analyze, organize, and present solid ideas. Here, students are expected to write on how to process speech topics that can be used to do something professionally.

Here are great how to demonstration speech topics community college students can choose from:

• How to use a Smartphone to complete homework
• How to avoid peer pressure
• How to avoid recurring nightmares
• How to write a great essay
• How to write a research paper
• How to look stylish and fashionable in college
• How to choose a major
• How to avoid procrastination in college
• How to avoid stressful situations in college
• How to finish Aleks topics fast
• How to study for exams
• How to write a great film review
• How to start a business after college
• How to improve your writing skills
• How to improve your public speaking skills
• How to enhance your leadership skills
• How to survive a recession
• How to start an online business
• How to avoid drug addiction in college
• How to learn a second language in college

These are also amazing how to topics for speech or presentation. However, they should be researched properly to come up with informative pieces.

Topics for How To Speech for University

Maybe you’ve been asked to write a speech and present it to demonstrate how to do something. Here are amazing how to process speech topics that you can choose from.

• How to survive a pandemic
• How to introduce a topic for an essay
• How to write a narrative essay
• How to choose an essay topic
• How to devise a lesson plan for teaching preschool children
• How to campaign for a leadership position
• How to search for academic journals on the internet
• How to write a book review
• How to research a topic before writing a paper
• How to effectively manage finances and save money
• How to perform a qualitative study using people as your subjects
• How to avoid stress in the workplace
• How to start and run an online cosmetic business
• How to stay fit during a pandemic
• How to prepare for a new job
• How to prepare for an interview
• How to install new software on a laptop or desktop computer
• How to stay fit without skipping essential meals

Funny How To Topics

Perhaps, you want to write the most interesting speech or essay. In that case, consider the following topics.

• How to fail exams easily
• How to become the best in procrastination
• How to look more intelligent
• How to use hobbies to judge others
• How to catch a liar
• How to persuade your parents to do homework for you
• How to use the horoscope to explain failures
• How to boost your IQ by playing computer games
• How to convince your friends to pay your bills
• How to determine the intelligence level of your pet
• How to teach your pet to talk
• How to become the most annoying person in your school
• How to make your parents accommodate you when you are already 30 years old
• How to ensure that your parents do not spend a lot of time on social media
• How to make your first date a total failure
• How to be the happiest person in your family
• How to make your girlfriend or boyfriend love you forever
• How to make other people hate you
• How to make people love you
• How to push an annoying person away

Every student knows how it feels to walk into hot topics. If you don’t want to struggle to search for the information required to write an essay or a speech, consider topics in this category. Ask our thesis writers to help you, if you cannot make your choice.

Choosing topics in this genre can mark the beginning of the nonfiction writing journey for most students. Nevertheless, learners should know how to come up with story ideas and research them properly to come up with informative, solid essays or speeches.

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5-minute speech topics: Everything You Need to Know (With Examples)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking , Speech Topics

Coming up with 5-minute speech topics is a more tedious task than researching, framing, and delivering your speech altogether.

It is a general rule that having a fantastically written and presented speech adds less value when the speech topic isn’t interesting and effective enough.

In 5-minute speeches, your topic becomes more crucial as the length of your speech increases compared to any 1–2-minute speeches which are very brief.

How long are 5-minute speeches?

When we talk about how long 5 minutes speeches should be, we are essentially answering the question,

How many words are there in a 5-minute speech?

With an average individual speaking about 130-150 words per minute, 5-minute speeches are usually 650-750 words long .

But to gauge the exact number of words you should speak for your 5-minute speeches, try to understand your pace of speaking. Your pace of speaking is the number of words you can talk in a minute. And then frame the speech accordingly.

How many slides are there in a 5-minute speech?

As a general rule, adding 5-6 slides for your 5-minute presentations is ideal . However, there are compulsions which means you can add as many slides as you wish as long as you are able to present your topic effectively.

What do 5-minute speech topics look like?

Before coming up with a 5-minute speech topic for your speech, you must understand what the topic should look like so as to grab everyone’s attention and instill enough curiosity in them.

Keep your title short. Very lengthy titles are challenging to recall and can be very boring for the audience members. Keeping the title of your article within the limit of 50 characters is usually a good idea.

2. Informative

After reading the above point, you might be tempted to cut down words and that is okay but try to make sure that it doesn’t steal the very essence of the speech. The title should give a brief idea to your audience so that they know what they can expect to gain from your speech.

3. Relevant

Make sure that your topic is relevant to the occasion and preferences of your audience.

How to go about selecting a 5-minute speech topic?

There are 2 ways to find a topic for your 5-minute speech:

• Research and elimination : When you try to come up with a topic yourself by conducting research about your audience, your own interests, and knowledge areas and then narrow it down to a specific topic, it is the process of research and elimination.
• Picking a topic from the internet : A very convenient way to choose 5-minute speech topics is to find one on the internet!

Research and Elimination

To find a perfect 5-minute speech topic for yourself, you will have to take into consideration a couple of things while researching. Here is a list of things to consider before selecting a 5-minute speech:

1. Audience

Before selecting a topic for your 5-minute speech, ask yourself “who is my audience?”

The idea is to understand what the majority of your audience would comprise. Are you giving a speech to college students? Or working professionals? Which gender makes the majority of your audience? What ethnicity do they come from?

Answering all these questions will give you an idea of what your audience would likely prefer to hear.

For example, if you have to give a speech on future financial planning, you can focus on retirement planning in case your audience is made up of mid to senior-level working professionals. Or you can focus on the trending investment options like cryptocurrencies and small cases if your audience comprises a young crowd.

2. Occasion

Understand the occasion for which you will be giving the speech. Is it a wedding toast or for a product launch? In both cases, your language, humor, and the same content of your speech would be very different.

A speech for a wedding toast for example would sound more like,

“To all those who know Nisha, I am her best friend. We have been friends since the 2nd grade and have been inseparable since. On this wonderful day, if I am happy to see her as a beautiful bride, I am equally saddened to see her leave all of us behind. But as she always says, She will just be a call away”

On the other hand, a speech for a product launch would look like this,

“Hello and good evening, everybody. We are excited and elated to have you here with us today to experience the magnificence of a new powerful gadget that would be the future of hair drying: Stylion ”

3. Interests

No matter how good a speaker may be, if he or she isn’t passionate about a topic, it will be visible to their audience. This is where the interests of the speaker come into the picture.

Having an immense interest in the topic you would like to speak on is important because it helps you reach the audience and makes the entire process of researching, formatting, and delivering the speech very enjoyable for you!

4. Knowledge

You could be very interested in astrology but if you have no idea how these planetary movements affect individuals’ lives, then giving an effective speech could be challenging.

Besides interest, you also need to have enough knowledge about the topic that you’ll be speaking on so that you have some credible content to deliver passionately to your audience.

The last and the most important factor to take into consideration is the purpose for which you are giving the speech.

Are you trying to educate your audience or sell a product or give them a different perspective on a topic?

Whatever your purpose is, it needs to be taken into consideration so that you can narrow down your topics and select one that perfectly fits your requirements.

Some purposes of 5-minute speeches could be:

Informative speeches are where the speaker tries to inform his audience about the topic. It doesn’t focus on tweaking the audience’s perception in any way. Rather the idea is to share with the audience some facts and statistical figures or events in history with as detailed speech as possible.

An example of an informative speech would be a speech on the Indian freedom struggle.

To Persuade

Persuasion is an act of asking others to behave a certain way or do a certain thing. Oftentimes, politicians and salespersons are famous for using persuasion techniques like rhetoric and metaphors to persuade the crowd to do something.

To celebrate

Wedding toasts are the best example of celebratory speeches. The purpose of these speeches is to s hare an emotional or fun memory or tell stories to the audience in an attempt to enjoy and celebrate the event.

How can I talk for 5 minutes straight?

5 minutes is actually a very convenient time to give an effective speech. However, it can seem very daunting to talk for 5 minutes straight if you are trying to memorize your speech by heart.

So the first thing to effectively talk for 5 minutes straight is to avoid memorizing it by heart. You can use various interactive methods like storytelling , using props, or dividing your speech into points to make it easier for you to give your speech for such an extended time.

Create a well-defined outline for your speech and practice it a couple of times in order to make the task of giving 5-minute speeches a little easier for yourself!

All this discussion would suggest that 5-minute speeches are tricky but is that really the case?

Is a 5-minute speech hard?

While from the audience’s perspective, 5-minute speeches are nothing but a blessing; for you as a speaker, 5-minute speeches could actually be a little too less or too much. Thus making it a tad bit difficult to give effective and engaging 5-minute speeches.

If for instance, you are to present your research proposal, then 5 minutes would not do justice to years of your dedicated efforts. While on the other hand, if you are giving a speech on some generic topic like climate change then even 2 minutes would be sufficient to get your point across.

So whether 5-minute speeches are hard or not would depend completely on how you perceive them.

If you do feel that they are difficult then remember the old saying “Practice makes the man perfect!”

5-minute speech outline

Once you come up with a topic for your speech, the next step is to look at its outline. The outline of any speech refers to the way in which you plan on structuring it.

Usually, 5-minute speeches are structured in the format given below:

1. Opening the speech

For a 5-minute speech, you can spend about a minute introducing yourself and the topic you will be speaking about.

Make sure to give the audience a glimpse of what you’ll be talking about so that they get a clear idea of what to expect from your speech.

It is also recommended to start with a very effective and attractive opening line so as to grab the audience’s attention quickly.

A few ways you can open your speech are:

• Proactive Statements : Provocative statements are the ones where you try to break the audience’s long-held views and later provide an alternative through your speech.

An example of this is

I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you are going to fail to have a good career Larry Smith

• Imagination : Imagination is a great tool to give your audience a chance to relate to you.

You can begin your speech with the word “imagine” and then proceed to narrate an incident that is relevant to your speech. An example of this is given below.

Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3000 feet. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. Rick Elias

Check out the video below to get a more detailed idea about the opening lines.

2. Main body

The main body of any speech is where the main essence of your speech lies. You can structure this segment in 2 ways:

a. Pointer format

In the pointer format, the idea is to divide the main content into smaller parts or points. This helps in allocating specific time to each topic. It also helps in easy recall for the audience members.

b. Flow format

A flow format is one wherein two ideas are not separated by points. Rather there is a flow maintained throughout the speech.

3. Conclusion

It is necessary to summarise your speech in the last one minute. This is also the time wherein you will have to restate your takeaway.

Ending any speech on a high note is always recommended. You can do that by quoting a famous personality or calling for action from the audience members.

Check out the short video below to understand more about closing lines in a speech.

Examples of 5-minute speeches

1. the danger of silence.

Clint Smith has done a great job with his 5-minute TED speech wherein he begins by quoting Martin Luther King Jr . He further establishes credibility when he states that he is a teacher and how the quote inspires him to challenge his students to embrace silence in their life.

He speaks as if it were spoken word poetry , emphasizing events that happened in his life and how they changed him to perceive silence in a different light.

2. 3 Things I learned while My Plane Crashed

Ric Elias has used the most effective technique to get the audience to relate to you, the technique of imagination . He begins his speech by asking the audience members to imagine being a part of a plane crash and to feel all the things that he felt when he experienced a similar incident.

There is the use of good humor as well in his speech, taking a dig at how he didn’t have to ask the flight attendant for anything as they clearly knew they were all about to die. He further jokes about his daughter when he says,

About a month later, I was at a performance by my daughter. First grader, not much of an artistic talent…Yet!

Lastly, He very effectively divides the main content of the speech into 3 points or things that he learned from his experience.

3. Being an Introvert is a Good Thing

Crystal Robello has given this amazing 5-minute speech on How being an Introvert is a good thing.

The speech is worth taking a look into as her speech provides a great argument in favor of introverts and tries to break the long-held view against them by society. She shares her own story adding a personal touch to her speech.

Further, she makes use of rhetorical questions which are questions that do not necessarily require an answer from the audience. Check out the rhetorical questions she uses below:

• ..and I have opinions. I just didn’t want to share them, but is there anything wrong with that?
• (mentions famous introverts) Do you think being an introvert has stopped them from achieving their goals or being happy?

Lastly, she ends her speech on a very powerful note by quoting a line from the book Quite and saying,

So the next time you see that quiet kid in the back of the class who doesn’t participate very much, I want you to think “I wonder what wonderful things they are going to come up with next?”

5-minute speech topics

In case you don’t have enough time to go through the entire topic selection process, the second-best option is to select a topic that is available on the internet.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to do another google search.

We have curated a list of 5-minute speech topics so that you can take a look at it and select a topic that suits you!

General 5-minute speech topics

• Climate Change
• Domestic Violence
• Environment
• Importance of Cleanliness
• Women’s Day Speech
• Teachers’ Day Speech

5-minute speech topics depending on the type of the speech

The purpose of your speech defines the type of your speech. A few broad speech types are

• Informative speech
• Demonstrative Speech
• Persuasive speech

Informative Speech Topics

Informative speeches focus on educating or introducing the audience to new concepts or ideas. thus, it provides information about a topic to the audience and doesn’t try to make them believe in a particular viewpoint or opinion., 5-minute informative speech topics:.

• The reality of adoption in India
• Technological developments in organ transplantation
• The freedom struggle of any country
• History of body art
• Women warriors who made a difference
• The Indian freedom struggles
• Story of the greens
• Side effects of Anti-depressants
• The rise of Adderall uses among college students
• Impact of diet on Mental health
• Impact of sleep deprivation on productivity
• The great resignation
• The reality of beauty pageants
• All about sustainable traveling
• The efficiency of ayurvedic medicine
• Western influence on traditional yoga
• Impact of music on mood
• Why does playing musical instruments keep you healthy?
• Evolution of the electric guitar
• COVID restrictions around the world

Demonstrative Speech Topics

The only difference between an informative speech and a demonstrative speech is the use of visuals.

In a demonstrative speech, the speaker tries you help you understand a new topic or information by demonstrating a few fundamentals of the topic to you.

For example, a salesperson trying to pitch his product through his speech would make use of the product to show his audience how that product can make their lives easy.

A few verbs or phrases that you can use in your demonstrative 5-minute speech topics are:

• N ways to..
• Structure..

Examples of Demonstrative 5-minute speech topics

• How to ace a test in 5 days
• How to make mac n cheese
• How to Organize a party
• How to prevent a financial loss
• How to stop procrastinating
• How to learn a new language in 30 days
• How to start a successful business from home
• How to use chopsticks
• How to wear a scarf in 5 ways
• 10 steps to writing a blog
• 20 ways to add protein to your diet
• 4 ways to motivate yourself every morning
• 5 ways to calm your anxiety
• Top 3 ways to deal with stress
• 5 ways colors can elevate your mood
• 3 tips for studying abroad
• 5 ways to know if someone is lying to you
• Top 3 tips to take care of your white shoes
• 10 reasons why people prefer online shopping
• How to revive a dead plant?

Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speeches are the ones wherein the speaker aims to persuade the audience to do something or act in a certain way. as discussed, it is a very common speech type used by salespeople and politicians., examples of 5 -minute persuasive speech topics.

• How advertisements trick you
• Why money can’t buy happiness
• 21: the only legal age to get married
• Being vegan and sustainable
• Why wearing sustainable clothes should be a norm
• Fast fashion: A compromise on the quality of clothes
• Why reality TV shows need to stop
• Impact of online classes on poor grades
• Why investing early is necessary
• Dogs over cats
• Private colleges are not fair
• Why do schools need to start late
• Cults need to be banned
• Global warming is not real
• We can save our planet
• Endangered species need to be saved
• Rainwater harvesting should be mandatory in all houses
• Why xenotransplantation is unethical
• Depression is overrated
• Legalizing prostitution

5-minute speech topics for college students

• Implications of online dating
• Are movie reviews an accurate indicator of the movie?
• Teen depression and suicides
• Should uniforms be compulsory?
• Academic stress
• Moving abroad for education
• Dangers of substance abuse
• 5 tips for finding the perfect major
• Can poverty be eradicated?
• How can world hunger be curbed?
• Are electronic vehicles a solution to the pollution problem?
• Legalizing same-sex marriages
• Brain drain
• Impact of meat production on the environment
• Importance of communication
• Offers and Benefits of being a college student
• Cashless economy
• Need for gun control
• Is school really a safe place?
• The dangers of Artificial Intelligence

Motivational 5-minute speech ideas

• Not giving up: A guide for anyone with depression
• How I overcame my anxiety
• You are more than your thoughts
• 3 Reasons why you need to stop comparing yourself to others
• 4 techniques to beat procrastination
• Being a great leader is more than the position
• Importance of positive thinking
• Breaking societal stereotypes
• More than my skin color
• Embracing everybody
• Failure: A way to learn and grow
• Time management and self-growth
• Self-development: a key to self-growth
• Consistency over motivation
• The joy of being in nature

General 5-minute presentation ideas

• The future of communication
• Population problem
• Climate Crisis
• The melting glaciers
• Pollution and its solution
• Changes required in the education system
• Discrimination and hate crimes
• The rise in migration and poor housing facilities in urban areas
• Advantages of Artificial intelligence
• Everything you need to know about the metaverse

5-minute presentation topics for a job interview

• The future is cashless
• Data is the new oil
• Dangers of data privacy
• women empowerment
• Gender equality
• Importance of communication skills
• The education system in India
• My biggest accomplishment
• My role model

5-minute funny presentation ideas

• How to memorize notes for exams without studying
• How to pretend to be interested in the conversation?
• If your boss was honest with you
• Tips to handle a bridezilla
• How to prepare a presentation you forgot about?
• Way to steal your boyfriend’s sweatshirts
• 4 tips to be the center of attention
• How to Get a Toddler to stop talking in 383 Easy Steps?
• How to Live in Your Mom’s Basement?
• Ways to ruin a date
• The perfect way to lie
• When is it okay to give up?
• 5 things That Are Better Than Doing the Dishes
• Where to find your missing sock?
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Finding the right 5-minute speech topic can be a task, but ensuring the audience’s preferences, your own interests, and knowledge areas can help in narrowing down the range of topics to a large extent.

If you do not have enough time to research and narrow down on one topic, you can pick out one topic from a plethora of topics available online.

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

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75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

To write a captivating and persuasive speech you must first decide on a topic that will engage, inform and also persuade the audience. We have discussed how to choose a topic and we have provided a list of speech ideas covering a wide range of categories.

What is persuasive speech?

The aim of a persuasive speech is to inform, educate and convince or motivate an audience to do something. You are essentially trying to sway the audience to adopt your own viewpoint.

The best persuasive speech topics are thought-provoking, daring and have a clear opinion. You should speak about something you are knowledgeable about and can argue your opinion for, as well as objectively discuss counter-arguments.

How to choose a topic for your speech

It’s not easy picking a topic for your speech as there are many options so consider the following factors when deciding.

Familiarity

Topics that you’re familiar with will make it easier to prepare for the speech.

It’s best if you decide on a topic in which you have a genuine interest in because you’ll be doing lots of research on it and if it’s something you enjoy the process will be significantly easier and more enjoyable. The audience will also see this enthusiasm when you’re presenting which will make the speech more persuasive.

The audience’s interest

The audience must care about the topic. You don’t want to lose their attention so choose something you think they’ll be interested in hearing about.

Consider choosing a topic that allows you to be more descriptive because this allows the audience to visualize which consequently helps persuade them.

Not overdone

When people have heard about a topic repeatedly they’re less likely to listen to you as it doesn’t interest them anymore. Avoid cliché or overdone topics as it’s difficult to maintain your audience’s attention because they feel like they’ve heard it all before.

An exception to this would be if you had new viewpoints or new facts to share. If this is the case then ensure you clarify early in your speech that you have unique views or information on the topic.

Emotional topics

Emotions are motivators so the audience is more likely to be persuaded and act on your requests if you present an emotional topic.

People like hearing about issues that affect them or their community, country etc. They find these topics more relatable which means they find them more interesting. Look at local issues and news to discover these topics.

Desired outcome

What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? Use this as a guide to choosing your topic, for example, maybe you want people to recycle more so you present a speech on the effect of microplastics in the ocean.

Persuasive speech topics

Lots of timely persuasive topics can be found using social media, the radio, TV and newspapers. We have compiled a list of 75 persuasive speech topic ideas covering a wide range of categories.

Some of the topics also fall into other categories and we have posed the topics as questions so they can be easily adapted into statements to suit your own viewpoint.

• Should pets be adopted rather than bought from a breeder?
• Should wild animals be tamed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like monkeys?
• Should all zoos and aquariums be closed?

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should automobile drivers be required to take a test every three years?
• Are sports cars dangerous?
• Should bicycles share the roads with cars?
• Should bicycle riders be required by law to always wear helmets?

Business and economy

• Do introverts make great leaders?
• Does owning a business leave you feeling isolated?
• What is to blame for the rise in energy prices?
• Does hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt the economy?
• Should interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should schools include meditation breaks during the day?
• Should students be allowed to have their mobile phones with them during school?
• Should teachers have to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as the regular form of teaching?
• Is higher education over-rated?
• What are the best ways to stop bullying?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their drivers’ licenses?
• Should prostitution be legalised?
• Should guns be illegal in the US?
• Should cannabis be legalised for medical reasons?
• Is equality a myth?
• Does what is “right” and “wrong” change from generation to generation?
• Is there never a good enough reason to declare war?
• Should governments tax sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Has cosmetic surgery risen to a level that exceeds good sense?
• Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity?
• Should school cafeterias only offer healthy food options?
• Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Does consuming meat affect health?
• Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Law and politics

• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Should the President (or similar position) be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Would poverty reduce by fixing housing?
• Should drug addicts be sent for treatment in hospitals instead of prisons?
• Would it be fair for the government to detain suspected terrorists without proper trial?
• Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
• Should celebrities who break the law receive stiffer penalties?
• Should the government completely ban all cigarettes and tobacco products
• Is it wrong for the media to promote a certain beauty standard?
• Is the media responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Has freedom of press gone too far?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Does religion have a place in government?
• How do cults differ from religion?

Science and the environment

• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in supermarkets?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should selling plastic bags be completely banned in shops?
• Should smoking in public places be banned?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• How does parental pressure affect young athletes?
• Will technology reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have mobile phones?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Should we recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency?
• Should bloggers and vloggers be treated as journalists and punished for indiscretions?
• Has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should mobile phone use in public places be regulated?
• Do violent video games make people more violent?

World peace

• What is the safest country in the world?
• Is planetary nuclear disarmament possible?
• Is the idea of peace on earth naive?

These topics are just suggestions so you need to assess whether they would be suitable for your particular audience. You can easily adapt the topics to suit your interests and audience, for example, you could substitute “meat” in the topic “Does consuming meat affect health?” for many possibilities, such as “processed foods”, “mainly vegan food”, “dairy” and so on.

After choosing your topic

After you’ve chosen your topic it’s important to do the following:

• Research thoroughly
• Think about all of the different viewpoints
• Tailor to your audience – discussing your topic with others is a helpful way to gain an understanding of your audience.
• How involved are you with this topic – are you a key character?
• Have you contributed to this area, perhaps through blogs, books, papers and products.
• How qualified are you to speak on this topic?
• Do you have personal experience in it? How many years?
• How long have you been interested in the area?

While it may be difficult to choose from such a variety of persuasive speech topics, think about which of the above you have the most knowledge of and can argue your opinion on.

For advice about how to deliver your persuasive speech, check out our blog  Persuasive Speech Outline and Ideas .

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Speech Topics - 100s of them!

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 01-10-2023

Speech ideas ordered by speech type & theme 

So you're preparing to give a speech.

The next step, unless you've been told or you've already decided for yourself, is choosing a topic.

What will you talk about?  There are literally so many possibilities.

To make choosing a subject easier, here's a collection of speech topic suggestions arranged either by speech type,  age group or theme. 

• Demonstration speech topics  (5 pages: 738 + topics)
• Speech topics for kids  (2 pages: 150 + topics)
• Persuasive topics  (6 pages: 998+ topics)

125 examples of narrative speech topics

• 60 vocal variety and body language topics

145 good cause and effect topics for students

• Fun public speaking topics  (2 pages:165 topics)
• 180+ interesting topics for students  (1 page: 180 + topics)
• Good informative speech topics  (1 page: 100s of topics)
• Commemorative speech topic ideas  (1 page: themes)
• Argumentative/controversial speech topics  (1 page: 290 topics)
• Easter themed speech topics  (1 page: 32 topics)
• Impromptu speech topics  (4 pages: 570 topics)
• Printable impromptu speech topics  (98 proverbs or quotations ready-to-go)

Teacher or student, these lists are for you.

I hope they're useful! Happy speaking, Susan

Demonstration speech ideas

These are the 'show and tell' or 'how to' speeches where you demonstrate a skill, make something, or explain how something works. Think of these speeches as stepping through a process from beginning to end, showing and explaining every step of the way.

The goal of them is often to inspire those listening to try whatever is being shown for themselves.

I have five pages of topics specifically selected because they are good for demonstration speeches. You'll see the lists are adaptable to meet the needs of people of middle school age and upwards.

• 290 themed 'how to' demonstration speech ideas   
• 6 themed demonstration topic lists using the magic of 'how'
• 50 soft skill 'how to' demonstrative speech topics
• 100+ 10-minute, or less, demonstration speech topics
• 188 funny how-to speech topics

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Speech topics for kids

I've got two pages of speech topics especially chosen with children in mind. They're mainly for kids in the middle school age bracket (11 - 14 years old) but are readily adaptable for those either younger or older.

Both pages are really useful if you're a teacher or parent looking for inspiration! I've carefully put together lists covering social/community issues, arts and culture, sports and games, food, fun and whimsy, hobbies, and more. 

-  8 themed lists of speech topics for children

- 50+ elocution topics for kids

Persuasive speech topics

Convince me!

Change my mind!

Challenge my thinking!

Convert me!

And, if appropriate, make me laugh!

Whatever topic you choose you will be expected to take a position on it and persuade your audience to consider what you're saying about it seriously.

For example:

'To be vegan is the only right, and moral way to live.'

'Good or right thinking is a matter of opinion.' 

My six persuasive speech topic pages are below.

• 50 good persuasive speech topics
• 5 0+ persuasive speech topic ideas
• 105 fun persuasive speech topics
• 309 easy persuasive speech topics
• 310 persuasive speech topics for college
• 108 feminist persuasive speech topics

125 strong ideas for effective story telling speeches, preparation guidelines, plus a printable narrative speech outline.

If you're looking for suggestions for the Toastmasters Level Three Project 'Connect with storytelling' these will get you off to a great start.

Go to: 125 examples of narrative speech topics

60 vocal variety & body language topics

60 speech topic ideas to help you work with body language and gesture. They're perfect for evocative personal storytelling speeches or for either of these Toastmasters Pathway projects:

• Level 2: Learning Your Style: Effective Body Language or,
• Level 1:  Mastering Fundamentals: Vocal Variety and Body Language

Go to 6 0 vocal variety and body language speech topics

Cause and effect topics for speeches and essays to challenge, connect and make a difference. With explanations, examples and a free printable blank fish bone diagram, (an extremely useful visual cause and effect analytical tool), to download for your own use.

Go to 145 good cause and effect topics

Fun public speaking topics

They're silly; deliberately daft and ridiculous!

These speech topics focus on light-hearted nonsense, tilting the world side-ways, giving your audience a glimpse of it funny side-up.

Gems include:

• 'How to procrastinate like a professional',
• 'How to look innocent',
• 'Why lying can be useful', ...

Go on. Make them snort with laughter. Visit:

• 60 fun public speaking topics for kids of all ages 
• 1 88 funny how-to speech topics

180 + interesting speech topic ideas

Here's a page of topic suggestions encouraging people to push beyond ordinary.

There's a bundle of 50 ideas around the growing influence of social media, a collection of 45 thought provoking suggestions centered on your very own community and family history, 61 'weird' topics, and more. 

You only need ONE truly bright and original idea, right?

Have a look here for it.

There are  180  interesting speech topic ideas   to browse through. 

Good informative speech topics

An informative speech does what its title says: it informs. It gives the facts about the topic. Not people's feelings about the subject - just the facts.

Informational speech topic possibilities are quite truly endless.  Use my page as a beginning to set your own creative juices in motion.

Visit:  100s of good informational speech topics

Commemorative speech topic ideas

A commemorative or tribute speech honors the memory of  a person, a group, an institution, a thing, an event or an idea.

Use this  commemorative speech topic helper  page (and its resource links) to identify the right topic and theme to match the event you've been asked to speak at.

239 controversial or argumentative speech topics

These topics are deliberately provocative. They cover four broad areas affecting us all: the food we eat, our children (from infancy through to teenage years), and the communities/countries we live in.

In addition to the 239 topics there are comprehensive guidelines about choosing the best topic: one fitting yourself and your audience. 

Find yourself a controversial speech topic .

Note: these topics are best suited for high school and college students.

32 Easter themed speech topics

Easter - what is its history? What are the special days, like Palm Sunday, all about? What do bunnies and chocolate eggs have to do with it? Why does the White House have a tradition of egg-rolling as part of its Easter celebrations?

Use this page of 32  Easter speech topic possibilities  to find an idea for an inspirational  demonstration or an interesting informative speech.

Impromptu speech topics

Help! I have a class and need lots of impromptu speech topics for them to practice with.

You've got them here. I have four pages of topics for impromptu speeches.

You'll find them suitable for middle school and upwards. They're great for public speaking clubs too.

• 200 impromptu speech topics
• 150 1 minute speech topics - with sample speech outlines, speeches: full text & audio
• 11 themed sets of fun topics for impromptu speeches
• 80+ themed table topic questions, with printables   

And last, but not least there's ...

98 printable impromptu speech topic cards, an almost* instantly available resource for busy public speaking teachers.

If you're time-poor and need a grab-and-go solution to your "HELP! I want speech topics for my public speaking class, and I need them now" problem, check these out.

Printable Impromptu Speech Topic Cards

* It'll take you 5 minutes to select the set you want, (proverbs or quotations), pay, and have it downloaded ready for printing. You'll be getting 98 themed speech topic cards - a great reusable resource for $4.75.

& One Minute Speeches!

Another almost instantly available resource.

A fun and hugely effective impromptu speaking activity. You get topics + instructions for the core activity, plus three advanced variations for $5.95. Take a look - One Minute Speeches .

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'A good speech': Biden praises Schumer's blistering criticism of Netanayhu

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden on Friday praised a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in which the New York Democrat called for Israel to hold elections to replace Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu five months into Israel's war with Hamas.

Biden told reporters that Schumer contacted senior White House staff in advance that he planned to deliver Thursday's speech, in which Schumer from the Senate floor blasted Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace in the Middle East, saying he has "lost his way" by putting "political survival" ahead of the best interests of Israel.

"I'm not going to elaborate on the speech," Biden said. "He made a good speech, and I think he expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans."

Schumer, a close ally of Biden and the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in U.S. history, said Thursday that "it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after Oct. 7."

“Nobody expects Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, preserve Israel’s credibility on the world stage and work toward a two-state solution," Schumer said.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Schumer called a new election in Israel "the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel."

The White House stopped short of endorsing Schumer's push for new elections in Israel. John Kirby, the White House's spokesman for the National Security Council, said, "That's going to be up for the Israeli people to decide," when asked whether Biden supports new elections to replace Netanyahu.

Kirby said Biden was speaking to "the passion with which Leader Schumer made that speech," adding that Biden knows Schumer's remarks "resonate with many Americans."

"For our part, we're going to keep supporting Israel in their fight against Hamas," Kirby said, declining to elaborate further on Biden's views on Schumer's position. "I'll leave it at the president's comments."

The Biden administration has become increasingly at odds with Netanyahu over Israel's refusal to scale back the war in Gaza and its efforts to get humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. Biden has faced increasing pressure from progressives and Arab-Americans for his unwavering support of Israel in the months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Netanyahu has refused Biden's demand for a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis and has pledged to continue the war in Gaza until Hamas is crushed.

Last week, top White House officials including Vice President Kamala Harris met with Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s wartime Cabinet and a centrist political rival of Netanyahu, who did not authorize Gantz's trip to Washington. Gantz is widely considered to be Netanyahu's most likely election opponent.

After Biden's State of the Union address last week, Biden was caught on a hot microphone saying he's going to need a "come to Jesus meeting" with Netanyahu.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @Joeygarrison.

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Chuck Schumer on His Campaign to Oust Israel’s Leader

The senate majority leader, chuck schumer, explains why he decided to speak out against benjamin netanyahu, the israeli prime minister..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From The New York Times, I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.”

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Today, in a speech without precedent, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Israelis to hold an election and vote out their current leader. Soon after, my colleague Annie Karni sat down with Schumer to understand why he did it. It’s Friday, March 13th.

Annie, this story begins with a speech. So let’s start there. Tell us about this speech.

I rise to speak today about what I believe can and should be the path forward to secure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.

So last Thursday, without much warning, Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority leader took to the Senate floor and started delivering what ended up being a really personal, really meaty speech about his Jewish identity and about Israel.

I speak for myself, but I also speak for so many mainstream Jewish-Americans, a silent majority whose nuanced views on the matter have never been well represented in this country’s discussions about the war in Gaza.

So he starts by describing himself and giving a sense of why he sees himself as a guardian of the people of Israel.

Of course, my first responsibility is to America and to New York. But as the first Jewish Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and the highest ranking Jewish elected official in America ever, I also feel very keenly my responsibility as a Shomer Yisrael, a guardian of the people of Israel.

But he quickly turns to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and describes some of the suffering and displacement there.

Entire families wiped out, whole neighborhoods reduced to rubble, mass displacement, children suffering.

And he gets to his point very quickly that Israel has a moral obligation to do better.

Palestinian civilians do not deserve to suffer for the sins of Hamas. And Israel has a moral obligation to do better. The United States has an obligation to do better.

And that this is not in line with Israel’s values what’s happening in Gaza.

What horrifies so many Jews especially is our sense that Israel is falling short of upholding these distinctly Jewish values that we hold so dear. We must be better than our enemies, lest we become them.

That Israel’s approach to its war against Hamas in Gaza is not in sync with what he sees as the very meaning of being a Jew and what Israel is supposed to represent.

That’s right. And he also kind of frames it as this is not only hurting the Palestinians, but it’s hurting Israel.

Support for Israel has declined worldwide in the last few months. And this trend will only get worse if the Israeli government continues to follow its current path.

He thinks that when they’re prosecuting the war in this fashion, they are quickly losing global support, American support, their reputation on the world stage. And he thinks that Israel’s future is in jeopardy if it doesn’t have public support from the rest of the world.

The existence of Israel, he’s saying, is in jeopardy.

We cannot let anger or trauma determine our actions or cloud our judgment.

So Schumer in the speech carefully lays out that he thinks the only path out of this is a peace deal. He specifically says they need to work towards a two-state solution.

The only real and sustainable solution to this decades-old conflict is a negotiated two-state solution, a demilitarized Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in equal measures of peace, security, prosperity, dignity, and mutual recognition.

And then he goes through four obstacles to such a peace deal.

Right now, there are four — four major obstacles standing in the way of two states. And until they are removed from the equation, there will never be peace in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank. The four major obstacles are — Hamas and the Palestinians who support and tolerate their evil ways; radical right wing Israelis in government and society.

The most shocking one that he lists —

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas —

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

I will explain each in detail. The first major obstacle —

And what specifically does Schumer point to about Netanyahu?

Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel.

He has filled his government with far right extremists that Schumer called out by name in the speech.

He has put himself in coalition with far right extremists like Minister Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. And as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows. Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.

And Netanyahu has ruled out what Schumer is saying is the answer, which is a two-state solution.

And he has shown zero interest in doing the courageous and visionary work required to pave the way for peace even before this present conflict.

The way he’s carrying out this war, even the Biden administration has criticized him for not doing more to mitigate civilian deaths.

He won’t commit to a military operation in Rafah, that prioritizes protecting civilian life. He won’t engage responsibly in discussions about a day after plan for Gaza and a longer term pathway to peace.

In Schumer’s view —

The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7th.

He is stuck in the past.

Nobody expects prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, to preserve Israel’s credibility on the world stage, and to work towards a two-state solution.

And can’t do the things necessary to move Israel into the future past this war.

Five months into this conflict, it is clear that Israelis need to take stock of the situation and ask, must we change course?

Then he gets to what becomes the real big headline of this speech and makes it kind of the bombshell moment in US-Israeli relations that it became.

I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel.

He says that as the war winds down, Israel should have a new election. And he makes it clear that he thinks Netanyahu should be removed from power.

I also believe a majority of the Israeli public will recognize the need for change. And I believe that holding a new election, once the war starts to wind down, would give Israelis an opportunity to express their vision for the post-war future.

The reason he is saying this now is because Israel doesn’t have to hold an election until 2026.

Two years from now.

Yes. That’s a lot of time for Netanyahu to stay in power. And according to Schumer, watch Israel’s reputation abroad erode. So what Schumer is saying is, hold that election much sooner, as soon as this war is over, and get rid of Netanyahu so Israel can correct course.

I mean, everything about that is highly unconventional.

It’s unprecedented. And this is why Schumer is really careful with his language in this section of the speech.

Of course, the United States cannot dictate the outcome of an election, nor should we try. That is for the Israeli public to decide.

Making it clear that Israeli voters will decide. He’s not trying to decide for them.

If Prime Minister Netanyahu’s current coalition remains in power after the war begins to wind down —

But then later in the speech, he also makes it clear that if Netanyahu stays in power, the US will have no choice but to take additional measures to pushback on him.

Then the United States will have no choice but to play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course.

And he is not specific about what those are, but makes clear that there will be more pushback from America if Netanyahu stays.

The United States’ bonds with Israel is unbreakable. But if extremists continue to unduly influence Israeli policy, then the administration should use the tools at its disposal to make sure our support for Israel is aligned with our broader goal of achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.

Right. And I was listening to this section of the speech. And he uses the word, “tools.” And it definitely felt to me, and I wonder how you heard it, that the word “tools” meant money, American aid to Israel.

Almost certainly. The US sends several billion of military aid to Israel every year that is underpinning this war in Gaza. Schumer’s critical to moving that aid through Congress. And this is him sort of saying that — not explicitly, he doesn’t say money, he says tools. But that they have a lot of leverage over Israel. And this is also what makes the speech so remarkable in the first place, because Schumer is calling for these new elections and then following it up by saying we have other tools if this continues in the direction it’s going right now.

From the ashes, may we light the candles that lead to a better future for all.

Right. And what did feel so historic about this speech I think to so many of us is that Schumer is saying so many quiet things out loud, the first being that the US sees Bibi Netanyahu as a problem that needs to be removed, big enough saying that. And on top of that, he says, we are willing and ready, if we need to, to essentially turn off the US financial spigot to Israel if the Netanyahu government doesn’t leave or significantly change. And both of those just cannot be overstated for their enormity and their unprecedentedness.

It was a huge, historic, risky speech that Chuck Schumer made. I mean, I think this was probably one of the riskiest moments of his career, that he is putting himself out there to make this call and ramp up this pressure on Netanyahu.

The people of Israel at home and in captivity deserve America’s support.

Immediately after Schumer leaves the floor, Mitch McConnell, the Minority Leader, takes to the podium and blasts the speech.

It is grotesque and hypocritical for Americans who hyperventilate about foreign interference in our own democracy to call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of Israel.

Republicans try immediately to say —

We need to be standing with Israel. And we need to give our friends and allies our full support.

Democrats aren’t being anti-Bibi, they’re being anti-Israel.

Chuck Schumer speech was an act of courage, an act of love for Israel.

Democratic response is mixed. Some said he did a great job. He did something brave. And others —

I’ve got full faith and confidence in the Israeli people to make the right determination about what their future should look like and —

Said he crossed a line, and this was inappropriate. President Biden was brief in responding, but he called it a good speech.

I’m not going to elaborate on his speech. He made a good speech. And I think he expressed a serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans.

Many people interpreted that as the administration thinking that Schumer speaking out was helpful to their aims. And then there’s Trump.

Because he was always pro-Israel. He’s very anti-Israel now.

— who called any Jew who votes for Democrats to be self-hating and hate Israel.

Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel. And they should be ashamed of themselves.

And finally on Sunday, Netanyahu made the rounds on some of the Sunday shows here.

I think Schumer’s statements are wholly inappropriate. I think we’re not a banana republic. The people of Israel will choose when they’ll have elections who they elect. And it’s not something that will be foisted upon us.

And in fact, he continues to say we’re going to invade Rafah. We’re going to keep up the aggression in Gaza. So clearly, he doesn’t feel the need to react in terms of his policies to the speech in any way.

But we have to finish the job. We need total victory. There’s no substitute for total victory.

Netanyahu’s message to Schumer basically is, go fly a kite. I don’t care what you say to me. I am not changing a thing about my approach to this war.

That’s right. This is a watershed moment for Schumer and a turning point in the US relationship to Israel in the middle of this war. And in part, because the reaction to the speech was all over the place, I was left with a lot of questions about why Schumer decided to do this in the first place. And that’s how I ended up sitting with him in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon to ask him, why did you give this speech? What were you hoping it would do? Who is it for? And how does it fit in with your long standing relationship with Israel and with your own Jewish faith?

We’ll be right back.

So Annie, tell us about this interview you end up having with Schumer in Brooklyn.

So we end up meeting at James Madison High School in Midwood, Brooklyn.

Nice to see you. Thank you. Want me to sign? Great. Thank you.

We walk in together. And he has to sign in at the front desk.

This is his alma mater a few blocks away from the house he grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s.

What a moment to come back here.

To where it all began.

Sort of. I guess that’s the golden nights.

It was a heavily Jewish neighborhood at the time.

OK. Now we can go — this is the library.

So as we’re walking around the school, he’s reminding me of what it was like to grow up in this neighborhood.

It was right after World War II. And America was advancing.

As a Jew in the shadow of the Holocaust.

Recent memory. There were ladies on my block who would show you the numbers on their arms from the camps. And I remember —

That was a very present reality for him.

And yet at the same time, for the Jewish people, for me, so much part of my existence, Israel was there. Well, out of the Holocaust came Israel. And we were so proud of Israel.

And he talked about how exciting and enamored he was with the creation of a Jewish state that came out of the Holocaust.

In the Holocaust, Jewish people, we didn’t fight back enough. And here is Israel fighting to create a homeland against overwhelming odds.

And in 1967, when Israel was fighting a war with Arab neighbors and was nearly wiped off the map, he was very invested.

When I walked around the halls of this high school, Madison High School, in 1967, I was walking with a transistor radio — it’s June, we’re ready to graduate — attached to my ear because I thought Israel would be pushed into the sea. That’s the connection. This is long before politics.

This was part of his identity in these formative high school years.

Right. The story he’s telling, which is familiar to many American Jews, is of growing up at a time when the Holocaust is still casting a very long shadow. And Israel is such a potent symbol of Jewish survival and strength. And for somebody like Schumer, the very idea of Israel, its very existence, tugs at their heart. They don’t live there, but it is a source of extraordinary inspiration.

That’s right. Absolutely. And by the time he gets into politics in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, he’s also very aware of the fact that Israel is a bipartisan issue. Democrats and Republicans alike steadfastly support Israel. They’re committed to the close relationship and giving aid and military support to Israel. And he is really proud of the fact that he said, whenever I carried legislation for Israel, I always had a Republican. That was a credo. And that, he thinks, is key to Israel’s success, that it’s bipartisan.

So how do I know Bibi? I’ve known him for a long time. I didn’t know —

It’s around this time that he first crosses paths with Bibi Netanyahu. He had gone to Harvard with Bibi’s brother, who was an Israeli war hero who died in combat and became a huge national figure. They didn’t know each other personally, but he said that kind of helped foster a connection with Bibi.

And in the beginning, Bibi did a lot of good things for Israel. He was the economic minister and created almost an economic miracle. We were so proud that Israel was doing startups and tech and all these things. When he first became prime minister, he was fine. Look, he was to the right, but not far right.

And when Netanyahu becomes prime minister, he wanted to back him. His gut was to stay with him and back Netanyahu even as other Democrats thought he was moving too far to the right.

Right. And Bibi’s rightward drift becomes extremely pronounced, so much so that he opposes President Obama’s plan to make peace with Iran through a nuclear deal. And Netanyahu actually travels to the US Congress to give a speech asking Congress, asking someone like Schumer, to reject that nuclear deal.

Exactly. And Schumer at the time was the rare Democrat who broke with Obama over the Iran deal.

You sided with Netanyahu against Obama.

Yes. And I talked to Netanyahu quite a lot.

He must have been thrilled with that vote.

And said it was a matter of conscience to protect Israel. And he voted against that deal.

I mean, suffice it to say, for a very long time, Chuck Schumer is a supporter of Bibi Netanyahu, so much so that he is even willing to break with his own Democratic president because he agrees with Netanyahu that policies like the Iran nuclear deal are bad for Israel.

Yes. I’d say that maybe he had some criticisms, but Chuck Schumer was Netanyahu’s best hope in terms of Democratic leadership in the United States.

But somehow, Bibi drifted way to the right. And one of the turning points was when he just embraced Trump so completely.

For Schumer, his views on Bibi start to change when Donald Trump is elected here. And Netanyahu becomes extremely close with him and starts to pursue policies that Democrats see as not at all in keeping with their values. So Bibi, together with Trump, pursues diplomatic deals between Israel and its Arab neighbors that do not take into account the future of Palestinians. His government expands settlements with Trump’s support. And basically what this means is that Israel is taking the land that would be essential to creating a two-state peace deal in the future.

And all of this infuriates Democrats who think these policies are making a two-state solution impossible, and taking away the leverage that Palestinians might have had.

He has now become so interested in self-preservation that he does —

Bibi also faces corruption investigations, which force him to bring very right wing politicians into his government.

And Schumer told me that he thinks he never would have made these alliances 10 years ago. So really, what happens during the Trump years, in Schumer’s mind, is that Bibi just gives up on Democrats and what they want for Israel and the Palestinians, and just wants to be aligned with Trump.

— and I’ll tell you in a meeting I had. He comes in to see me. It’s about 2018/2019. And I said, Bibi, I agree with you. The greatest short-term threat to Israel is the rockets Iran gives Hezbollah, and they put them in Lebanon and shoot them at Israel. But the greatest middle and long-term danger is you lose America, particularly the half of America that’s more progressive and/or the half of America that’s young. And by your embracing Trump, you are making that happen.

So in his mind, Bibi chooses Republicans and walks away from this history of bipartisan support.

That’s right. And that becomes even more of a problem after October 7th.

Well, just explain that, Annie.

Well, after October 7th, there’s broad support for Israel, who was just the victim of a terrorist attack against defenseless citizens. But as the war continues and the Netanyahu regime starts to take these aggressive actions in Gaza, that support starts to dwindle.

— United States, because I look at the numbers, and they’re rapidly decreasing. When you ask people, do you support Israel or the Palestinians, it’s getting all too close.

And in his mind, his fear that Israel will lose the support of America seems to be playing out in a really acute way. He can see it in his party, who’s really divided over what’s happening in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.

I am worried, if Israel loses support from America, its future could well be over. I want —

And his fear, what he fears is that there could come a tipping point when the majority of this country does not support Israel, and it’s alone in a hostile goal Middle East without the necessary financial backing from the United States.

So as the highest elected Jewish official in America, and one of the leading Jewish — whatever you want, people in America, I felt an obligation to do this. This was not political.

And this is why he says he ultimately sat down to write this speech.

This is so part of my core, my soul, in Yiddish, my neshama —

In his mind, the goal here is to try to save Israel from Bibi’s actions, which he thinks imperil its future.

Once Schumer decides to write this speech, Annie, and to encourage Israelis to hold an election, and in that election vote out Netanyahu, I’m curious, how does Schumer tell you he thinks about the precedent that that sends, that the US will try to influence a foreign country’s decision about who should lead it?

I asked him about that. And he said he was aware that this section of the speech was the most delicate line he had to toe.

Did you consider — did you consider not personalizing it with Netanyahu and just calling for policy changes?

I didn’t think that would be enough. And he’s the fount of the problem. To just call for policy changes, I thought it wouldn’t pierce, it wouldn’t do anything.

It wouldn’t do anything. It would forgettable.

Yes. It’s so urgent and so important. I didn’t think it was appropriate to call for him to step down. But I thought the next step thing over, and say why I think he’s a bad leader.

And did you think —

So he was writing this speech with the notion of being careful about appearing to interfere front of mind. And he thought where he landed, going further than simply calling for policy changes, but stopping short of calling for her resignation and calling for new elections, he thinks he toed the line and didn’t cross it.

Got it. Now clearly, many people, including Netanyahu, disagree about whether Schumer crossed a line. But I’m curious if those people were his audience. I mean, who is Schumer really talking to with this speech? Does he think he’s speaking directly to Israelis and asking them to demand a new election and that they’re going to listen? Or actually, is he really talking to a more domestic audience, in particular his fellow Democrats, who are increasingly upset about this war, and potentially, it looks like willing to hold it against their party’s leaders?

He put this pretty simply when I asked him.

It’s intended for all people who love Israel and feel so conflicted by what’s going on there. The purpose of the speech is to say, you can still love Israel and feel strongly about Israel and totally disagree with Bibi Netanyahu and the policies of Israel.

He said that it was aimed, above all, at American Jews and non-Jews who love Israel. And what he wanted to do here was separate Netanyahu from Israel and make it crystal clear to people that you can be anti-Netanyahu, you can totally disagree with how he’s conducting the war in Gaza, and you can still be as pro-Israel as ever. He wanted to create this separation between Netanyahu and Israel and make Jews and non-Jews alike feel like it’s still OK to be pro-Israel.

This is kind of important, so I want to linger on it for a second, Annie. Schumer is telling you that what he’s really trying to do is give Americans a kind of new structure and vocabulary for thinking about Israel in this moment. And that structure and vocabulary is there is an Israel separate from Netanyahu. And so if you’re angry at Israel in this moment, you should really be angry at Netanyahu, not Israel.

That’s right. He’s asking them to blame Bibi, not Israel. That Israel is better than this, is better than Bibi, and to see it that way. It’s almost the same way that people who love America but hate Donald Trump would have felt during the Trump administration. That they still believe in this country, but they don’t believe in Trump.

That feels like a very complicated request that Schumer is making. Because the reality is that Israelis have repeatedly made Bibi Netanyahu their leader. So much so that if you’re an American, especially a younger American, and Schumer wants those younger Americans to separate Bibi from Israel, that would be pretty hard to accomplish. Because he’s been leader of Israel for as long as some of these young Americans have been alive. So how is Schumer thinking about whether what he’s asking for is really possible?

I mean, yes, it’s a little bit of wishful thinking. It’s true that a lot of Americans don’t really know the Israel of Schumer’s childhood that he’s able to remember. But they are not. He’s doing this in the middle of a six-month long war, where people are just horrified by the conditions in Gaza. And the Israeli government is the one that is carrying on this offensive.

But a lot of Jews, a lot of American Jews are really conflicted, because at the same time, they understand that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas. And I think that Schumer is trying to give voice to these conflicted, maybe middle-of-the-road politically American Jews who don’t know what to think about Israel right now, and do probably love Israel the way he does, but also feel awful about the images they’re seeing from Gaza.

So this call from Schumer for a new leader of Israel is kind of his way of resolving that internal conflict that people are feeling. But of course, it’s not clear if that election will be called. And even if it were called, it’s not clear whether Israelis would elect a new leader.

So I guess my question is, what then? Schumer’s speech does mention these other tools that the US has at its disposal. When would Schumer be willing to use those tools?

Yeah. I asked him about the question of, what then?

You don’t want a ceasefire, but is there like 30,000 more Palestinians dead —

Well, I wouldn’t I’d say — look, Israel — no, I have to, I just feel —

I said, what’s your red line? What is the civilian death toll that would have to be reached for you to say we’re pulling this funding?

You said in your speech, if something doesn’t change, then there’s the threat of American —

I didn’t say conditions and I didn’t say leverage. I just said America is going to look at it as a thing —

And you didn’t say exactly what —

No, because I didn’t want to.

You didn’t want to. But what would the scenario be where that would —

Well, you’d have to see. I couldn’t speculate on the future.

And he didn’t want to say.

Well, then why even give the speech if Schumer is not willing to talk about the real consequences for Israel, if there are no elections, and if Israelis don’t end up removing Netanyahu from office? If he can’t explain that, why give this speech?

I asked him that. And he kept coming back to the fact that, for him, this came from a deeply personal and emotional place, and a moral obligation that is central to him, to speak up for Jews and to stand up for the State of Israel. And he really dreads that Israel’s future, its very existence could be vulnerable, in the same way that it was when he was growing up, and in a way that he’s worked throughout his entire career to help fend off, and in a way, now Schumer at the pinnacle of his power as Senate Majority Leader, could be incapable of helping to fend off in the future.

No, I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I didn’t do it. And then three, four months from now, the US has turned on Israel, and people, even my colleagues, are putting things, conditions and stuff, which will hurt Israel. I can’t do it. Couldn’t do it.

And I think that’s his deep terror about Israel’s future. And that’s why he felt called to do this speech now, he said, before it’s too late.

Well, Annie, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Thank you, Michael.

On Thursday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said that in the coming days, he plans to invite Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, an invitation that would first have to be approved by Senator Schumer.

Here’s what else you need to know today.

Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law.

On Thursday, the US government sued Apple for violating antitrust laws through practices that it says were designed to keep consumers reliant on Apple’s iPhone and unlikely to switch to a competing device.

We allege that Apple has employed a strategy that relies on exclusionary anticompetitive conduct that hurts both consumers and developers.

The lawsuit alleges that Apple has blocked rival software developers and mobile gaming companies from offering better options on the iPhone, resulting in higher prices for consumers. In response, Apple said it would vigorously defend itself in court and warned that if successful, the government’s lawsuit would hinder its ability to make the technology that customers want.

Today’s episode was produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson, with help from Eric Krupke. It was edited by Marc Georges and Paige Cowett, contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you on Monday.

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Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Annie Karni

Produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson

With Eric Krupke

Edited by Marc Georges and Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

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In a pointed speech from the Senate floor this month, the majority leader, Chuck Schumer, called for Israel to hold a new election and for voters to oust the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Soon after, Annie Karni, a congressional correspondent for the Times, sat down with Mr. Schumer to understand why he did it.

On today’s episode

Annie Karni , a congressional correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading

Mr. Schumer, America’s highest-ranking Jewish elected official, said he felt obligated to call for new leadership in Israel .

His speech was the latest reflection of the growing dissatisfaction among Democrats with Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Annie Karni is a congressional correspondent for The Times. She writes features and profiles, with a recent focus on House Republican leadership. More about Annie Karni

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

509 Informative Speech Ideas and Topics

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

How to Choose the Right Informative Topic

Half the battle of presenting a speech or writing an essay is choosing the right topic. Choosing a good informative speech topic or informative essay topic can keep your audience entertained, your reader interested, and your own work process more enjoyable. Here are a few tips to help you choose a topic:

Know your audience or reader: Your informative presentation – whether through speech or essay – should cover a subject not already well known to your audience, but still relevant to them. If you do choose a topic they’re familiar with, then present new and exciting information. Consider the age, knowledge level, and interests of your audience when preparing your informational speech or essay.

Consider your own interests: Think of your own passions and areas of expertise that you think people could benefit from learning more about. Choosing a topic you care about will help your speech or essay be better received. Your passion will keep them engaged and curious to learn more.

Consider length requirements : How much time are you allotted for your informative speech? What is the page requirement for your informative essay? You should be able to thoroughly cover the topic in the amount of time you are given. If you don’t think you have enough knowledge or personal interest to talk about illegal drug use among teens, saving money as a college student, or another informative topic for 20 minutes, you may need to consider a different subject.

The good news is that there are countless options available. Below are lists of informative topics for speeches and essays. Remember that, in order to choose the best informative topic for you, you need to consider your audience, your interests, and your time and length requirements. Then, customize the central idea to suit your situation.

Best 10 Informative Speech Topics

Don’t have time to read our full list of 500+ topic ideas? Here is our list of 10 best informative speech topics.

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• How to adopt a dog
• The history of motorcycles
• The best sales tactics
• The differences between male and female communication
• America’s fastest growing cities
• The importance of education for the economy
• Different stages of poverty
• How to cook vegetarian
• How to keep your skin looking young and wrinkle free
• The different types of poetry

List of Informative Speech Topics

• Communication
• Current Events
• Environment
• Food and Drink
• International Relations
• National Security

Relationships

• Supernatural
• Demonstration
• Easy / Simple
• Interesting
• Legislation
• Pop Culture

10 Animal Informative Speech Topics

• The role of cats throughout history.
• Caring for hermit crabs.
• What are the best pets?
• The lives of ants.
• The different types of tropical fish.
• The different exotic breeds of cats.
• How to raise rabbits.
• The beauty of wolves.
• How to adopt a dog.
• Raising pet snakes.

See this page for a full list of Speech Topics About Animals .

10 Automotive Informative Speech Topics

• Is it better to buy or lease a car?
• How to choose the right tires for your car.
• How to make your car run better.
• What to look for in a new car.
• How to change your car’s oil.
• Dirt bike riding safety tips.
• How to drive a stick shift.
• The history of motorcycles.
• How to change a flat tire.
• The best muscle cars.

14 Business Informative Speech Topics

• Taking your brand to the next level with three easy steps: promoting, advertising and marketing.
• How business owners’ personal characteristics impact their business.
• What is the impact of training and development on employee job performance?
• Leadership styles and their effects on employee productivity.
• Engaged employees result in high retention.
• Developing personal power in an organization.
• Impacts of incentives on employee performance.
• Psychological tactics in marketing.
• How to create a successful brand.
• The importance of accounting research.
• The benefits of enterprise resource planning.
• The benefits of multilevel marketing.
• The best sales tactics.
• How to nail the negotiation in your first meeting.

See this page for a full list of Informative Speech Topics for Business .

8 Communication Informative Speech Topics

• How deaf people talk with emotion.
• The differences between male and female communication.
• How to be a persuasive speaker.
• How to improve your conversation skills.
• Some simple conversation tips.
• What is neural linguistic programming (NLP)?
• Why smiles are contagious.
• How to manage communicative disorders.

4 Current Events Informative Speech Topics

• America’s fastest growing cities.
• The Occupy Wall Street movement.
• Poverty in New York City.
• What is the national happiness rate?

6 Economy Informative Speech Topics

• The history of taxes on carbon dioxide emissions.
• What would be the impact on economic growth if everyone produced their own food?
• The impact of progressive taxation on the provision of social services.
• Economic growth of the People’s Republic of China.
• The effects of price and demand of agricultural products.
• The importance of education for the economy.

10 Education Informative Speech Topics

• How EFL teachers can use the internet as a classroom aid.
• Should teachers and students be friends on social networks?
• Why is our education system only based on theory and not practical knowledge?
• Should students be permitted to eat during classes?
• The importance of formal education for building a successful career.
• The pros and cons of teaching students three languages in school.
• What materials work best in a sandbag for blocking floodwaters?
• Hypnosis: its misconceptions and common uses.
• Learning disabilities and their effects on learning in college.
• Are test scores a good indication of a school’s competency?

See this page for a full list of Informative Persuasive Speech Topics .

10 Environment Informative Speech Topics

• Should politicians bring more pollution to our country?
• What would happen if finite resources were not used wisely?
• Four main reasons for generating genetically modified crops.
• The effect of organic and inorganic fertilizer on maize.
• Are we going to lose the rainforest?
• The best ways to protect the environment.
• Commercial crops and their effect on the water table.
• The environmental impact of a meat based diet.
• Recycling helps mitigate the greenhouse effect.
• Why we should stop global warming.

See this page for a full list of Environmental Informative Speech Topics .

3 Ethics Informative Speech Topics

• Is it sometimes better to tell a lie than to tell the truth?
• Is tolerance the same as love?
• Is hunting morally acceptable?

10 Family Informative Speech Topics

• Adopted children should always have the option to see their biological parents.
• The impact of single parenting and its effects on children.
• The appropriate penalties for parental negligence.
• What it is like being the youngest of a family of 19 kids.
• The importance of the parent-child relationship.
• My father is my hero.
• How to pick a name for your children.
• Cases of domestic violence against men.
• The importance of family.
• The history of foster care.

See this page for a full list of Family Informative Speech Topics . We also have a page with Speech Topics for Kids .

18 Financial Informative Speech Topics

• How banks are getting paid twice for your mortgage.
• How to save money in college.
• How to build credit.
• How to save money on your income taxes.
• How to apply for a credit card.
• The basics of financial aid.
• The importance of saving money.
• How to recognize stock market trends.
• The process of buying a house.
• The basics of internet banking safety.
• The best investment strategies.
• How to live on $5 a day/ Eating well on $5 a day.
• Tips on how do deal with money problems.
• The history of our currency.
• How the US Dollar affects the Euro.
• Debt relief programs.
• Does China have a serious stock market?

9 Food and Drink Informative Speech Topics

• The difference between Gatorade and Powerade.
• How to cook a delicious dinner.
• How to grow your own food.
• The different types of coffee.
• How to cook vegetarian.
• How to make a cocktail.
• The best types of cheese.
• The best exotic fruits.
• How to make Chinese food.

See this page for a full list of Speech Topic Ideas On Food, Drink, and Cooking .

11 Fun Informative Speech Topics

• The history of Valentine’s Day, the celebrations in different cultures.
• Some laugh, but there are many courageous people who overcome stuttering.
• Funny Saint Patricks Day parades, pub decorating, Irish fun runs.
• Differences between apes and monkeys, monkeys in space programs, how they live in groups in the zoo.
• Your hand: what your signature, handwriting and your hand palm lines say about your character.
• Amphibian vehicles – search for information about those rare car-boat vehicles, and you have lots of fun informative speech topics to talk about!
• Cartoons in relation to our Freedom of Speech and Expression principles.
• Show the listeners to your public speaking speech some flags of unknown countries, ask them what nation you mean and explain colors and symbols.
• The extraterrestrial life stories and future theories from French author Jules Verne.
• Etiquette and manners, how to cope with special situations, how to behave at official ceremonies you see enough public speaking speeches spicing humor.
• Fashion styles and dress codes at parties and ceremonies.

See this page for a full list of Fun Informative Speech Topics .

5 Geography Informative Speech Topics

• The antipodes – Places on Earth which are diametrically opposite to each other.
• Cartography – How terrestrial globe spheres are crafted.
• Climatology – Patterns in climate change, like rising temperatures and flooding.
• Coasts – Types of coasts, deltas, sea cliffs and beaches.
• What does the continental drift theory mean in vulcanology?

See this page for a full list of Speech Topics On Geography .

9 Government Informative Speech Topics

• The role of accounting in the control of public expenditures in Nigeria.
• What factors affect community participation in public meetings?
• How difficult is it to run a country of 1.2 billion people?
• Speeding cameras are meant to provide government money.
• Should the President be paid while being in office?
• The Federal government’s separation of powers.
• Journalism is our weapon against corruption.
• How a bill passes in state government.
• The best city planning practices.

10 Health Informative Speech Topics

• Steroids, antibiotics, sprays: are these things hurting us?
• The effects of dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder.
• Bigger isn’t always better: the effect fast food has on America.
• The importance of proper stretching before a workout.
• How to keep your skin looking young and wrinkle free.
• The different types of insomnia.
• The causes and effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
• The psychosocial aspects of organ transplantation.
• Controversial ideas about whooping cough vaccines.
• The reasons why stress and depression should be taken seriously.

See this page for a full list of Informative Speech Topics on Health and Fitness . We also have a page with Medical Topics and Psychology topics.

10 History Informative Speech Topics

• The beauty of ancient Egyptian art.
• The most beautiful paintings in history.
• The history of fashion.
• The history of high heels.
• The history of cosmetic makeup.
• The history of Tibetan burial practices.
• What Olympic events did ancient Greece have?
• The history of swear words and their impact on society.
• Words and their meanings that have changed with time.
• Why dragons perform in Chinese New Year celebrations.

See this page for a full list of History Speech Topics .

16 International Relations Informative Speech Topics

• Economic development and the role of the private sector in reducing poverty in Lesotho.
• Tourism and remittances are the solutions for Tonga’s economic growth.
• The military of the Philippines.
• Is South Africa ready for a female president?
• Can democracy bring stability to Pakistan?
• South Africa is an amazing country.
• The impact of U.S drone strikes.
• The discovery of oil in Equatorial Guinea.
• How to help refugees.
• Why everyone should live in China.
• The status of trade relations in East Africa.
• The effects of the Dowry system in India.
• Sri Lanka after thirty years of war.
• Why Africa is underdeveloped.
• The political system of India.
• The purpose of the United Nations.

2 Language Informative Speech Topics

• English is a link language for many parts of the world.
• The origins of cliches.

6 Literature Informative Speech Topics

• Inside the mind of Edgar Allen Poe.
• How to write a book.
• The three trials of Oscar Wilde.
• The meaning of The House on Mango Street.
• The history of vampires in literature.
• The different types of poetry.

21 Media Informative Speech Topics

• What steps are involved in creating a movie or television show?
• How Spotify hurts new artists.
• The benefits of watching less TV.
• How the media has hurt our body image.
• Books that were turned into terrible movies.
• The benefits of reading a newspaper.
• The basics of photography.
• The history of the Titanic movie.
• Some famous advertising campaigns.
• The effects of misleading advertisements.
• Some important women in the media.
• The best foreign TV shows.
• The benefits of satellite radio.
• The best TV sitcoms.
• Al Jazeera, the largest Arabic news channel is the Middle East.
• How Disney produces and distributes short animated films.
• The amazing stage performance of Christina Aguilera.
• The love life of Jennifer Aniston,
• The story of CNN International reporter, Christiane Amanpour.
• The ten actors who played James Bond.
• Top three worst Woody Allen movies.

9 Music Informative Speech Topics

• The different types of marching bands.
• The history of french horns.
• The history of house music.
• The evolution of rock and roll.
• The beauty of reggae music.
• Music as a “lifestyle”.
• The best electronic dance music.
• How to play the kazoo.
• The beauty of Haitian music.

4 National Security Informative Speech Topics

• How illegal things are smuggled into the country.
• The United States military branches.
• The importance of the Air Force.
• The branches of the military.

10 Politics Informative Speech Topics

• Should the U.S. restrict immigration?
• The benefits of communism.
• The most important women in politics.
• Define the term foreign policy and offer current examples.
• The delicate position of women and children in war torn societies and countries on the globe.
• How issues on oil in Nigeria lift the oil prices worldwide.
• How a free trade agreement works.
• The major environmental problems in Australia.
• National gun control statistics compared to the statistics of other countries.
• The function of the Federal Reserve Board in maintaining a stable financial system.

See this page for a full list of Speech Topics about Politics .

10 Psychology Informative Speech Topics

• The benefits of greeting people.
• Positive thinking is the key to peaceful living.
• The meaning of dreams.
• How to explain child geniuses.
• Difference between empathy and sympathy.
• How to be more sensitive for an emotionally insensitive person.
• How to know a person’s true personality when we are so good at disguise nowadays.
• Secrets about quiet people.
• How to respond or take a compliment.
• Why do people lie and how to deal with that.

See this page for a full list of Psychology Speech Topics .

12 Relationships Informative Speech Topics

• How marriages today differ from marriages from the 60’s.
• The secrets of happy and successful relationships.
• How to choose the right relationship.
• How to get along with your roommate.
• The guidelines for military marriages.
• How to make long distance relationships work.
• The average age to get married.
• How to talk to people when you have nothing to say.
• How to recognize toxic friends.
• Your Brain Falls in Love Not Only Your Heart.
• Who Was and Is Cupid and Co.
• All You Wanted to Know About Engagement.

10 Religion Informative Speech Topics

• A comparison of Genesis and Revelation in the Bible.
• Modern values are violating religious values.
• How Christ is present in our world.
• What percentage of the world’s population are Christians?
• Why worshipping Satan isn’t a bad thing.
• Why the bunny symbolizes Easter.
• God helps those who help themselves.
• A comparison of different religions.
• The history of the Christian church.
• The main principles of Christianity.

See this page for a full list of Speech Topics on Religion and Spirituality .

10 Science Informative Speech Topics

• The difference between an alligator and a crocodile.
• Why whales should not be hunted for food.
• Transhumanism and the evolution of the human race.
• How we can create geniuses.
• Falabella horses are the smallest in the world.
• Why is the colonization of Mars important?
• Albert Einstein’s contributions to science.
• The isolation of nicotinic acid from tobacco.
• The journey to becoming a nuclear physicist.
• Some interesting facts about the human brain.

See this page for a full list of Informative Science Speech Topics .

31 Self-Help Informative Speech Topics

• The difference between boundaries and limits.
• The benefits of affirmation.
• Three goals to strive for in life.
• How to present yourself with confidence.
• Why it’s important to be yourself.
• How to manage your anger.
• How to make a good first impression.
• How to prepare for a job interview.
• Your actions determine your future.
• How to set goals and achieve them.
• How to enhance your public speaking skills.
• How to increase your motivation.
• What makes life meaningful?
• How to take your next big step in life.
• How to construct an argument.
• How to boost your self-esteem.
• How to be happy being single.
• How to avoid procrastination.
• How to improve your manners.
• How to be a good leader.
• The importance of a good attitude.
• How to be more romantic.
• How to break bad habits.
• How to overcome conflict.
• Happiness: The thing we all look for but never really understand.
• What it’s like to be falling in love.
• What is love and what’s not.
• The secret to resolving conflicts.
• Dancing is your secret weapon for happiness and health.
• Things to remember if you don’t want to die with any regrets.

10 School Informative Speech Topics

• Schools should not make money by selling unhealthy candy and soft drinks to students.
• Music with foul language in it should not be allowed at school dances.
• Students should be able to listen to their MP3 players during class.
• Students who commit cyberbullying should be suspended or expelled from school.
• Boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms.
• Homeschooling produces better results than public schools.
• High School will be the best time of your life.
• Boys are lazier than girls.
• All students should wear school uniform.
• It is possible to Ace your way through High School.

See this page for a full list of School Speech Topics for All Grades .

10 Society Informative Speech Topics

• Why it is bad to judge people by their appearance.
• The lives of isolated indigenous people.
• How to tell someone they are annoying you without being rude.
• How human behavior affects society.
• Left handed people: the underrepresented minority group.
• Is the military a fulfilling career choice for women?
• The effects of discrimination.
• The importance of newspapers in our daily life.
• Do actors and athletes make too much money?
• Why I’m optimistic about our nation’s future.

See this page for a full list of Informative Society Speech Topics .

10 Sport Informative Speech Topics

• Should female students be allowed to play on male sports teams?
• How to do a walking handstand or a cartwheel into the splits.
• Is netball or hockey more dangerous?
• The benefits of sports for all ages.
• Why the spelling bee shouldn’t be on ESPN.
• The worst professional sports teams.
• The importance of sports and games.
• What you should have in your golf bag.
• The history of professional fighting.
• The worst trades in sports history.

See this page for a full list of Informative Sports Speech Topics .

3 Supernatural Informative Speech Topics

• The mystery of the Bermuda triangle.
• The evidence that bigfoot exists.
• The existence of telepathy.

41 Technology Informative Speech Topics

• How roads are built.
• Is wind energy cheap, effective, and practical?
• Why college students should be careful about what they put on social media.
• The uses for artificial intelligence computer networks.
• The danger of putting too much personal information on social networks.
• Modes of communication are constantly changing.
• How has social media impacted our daily lives?
• The line between the human brain and a computer.
• Why technology is a bad thing for growing minds.
• How technology has destroyed human interaction.
• How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
• The advantages and disadvantages of social media.
• The effects of violent video games on children.
• The decline of interpersonal communication due to technology.
• The difference between hardware and software.
• Antivirus software: beware of malware functions.
• The history of programming languages.
• How voice over IP works.
• What would we do without electricity?
• The benefits of 3D printing.
• The major technological changes since 1990.
• The negative effects of cellphones.
• How to avoid computer viruses.
• The evolution of the internet.
• Computers through the decades.
• How airport biometrics systems work.
• Robots now and in the future.
• How satellites help communication.
• How a water plant operates.
• How watches work.
• The evolution of video games.
• How cellular phones work.
• The evolution of the iPhone.
• How to build a computer.
• How nuclear power works.
• How search engines work.
• How air pressure works.
• The best new technologies.
• The future of electric cars.
• How to practice cyber safety.
• A guide to different social media sites.

15 Travel Informative Speech Topics

• How students can find great vacation bargains.
• The best cruise vacations.
• Famous parliament buildings
• How to test the quality of water when traveling.
• Interesting underground railroad systems in capital cities.
• Investigation shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea.
• The benefits of wind tunnels on transport.
• The discovery of the famous temples in the Maya culture.
• The influence of global warming on Alpine skiing.
• The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• The Wright Brother’s first flight.
• Totem poles and obelisks are symbols of unity, tradition, and pride.
• What you need to know about the Principality of Andorra.
• Why is there a Titanic replica?
• Why the unsinkable and invincible Titanic sank.

9 Workplace Informative Speech Topics

• The benefits of break time for nursing mothers in the workplace.
• The prevalence of dangerous chemicals in the workplace.
• How to survive working in a restaurant.
• Why underwater welding is dangerous.
• How it is to work in the fast food industry.
• How to get a great internship.
• How to become a comedian.
• The most dangerous jobs.
• What are the fastest growing careers?

List of Informative Essay Topics

14 college informative essay topics.

• Benefits of a college degree
• Crimes on college campuses
• Healthiest foods in the campus cafeteria
• How students can stay safe on a college campus
• How students can use eLibrary Curriculum Edition for research
• How to beat senioritis
• How to find cheap textbooks
• How to pick a major
• How to study for and pass a test
• Saving money as a college student
• The story of how your school was founded
• Ways of preventing college dropout
• Whether binge drinking is a problem on your college campus
• Your favorite club or organization on campus

5 Demonstration Informative Essay Topics

• How to bake a cake
• How to knit a scarf
• How to organize a closet
• How to swing a golf club
• How to train your dog

7 Easy / Simple Informative Essay Topics

• A genre of music
• America’s fastest growing cities
• Breeds of dogs
• How a computer works
• Interesting cultures
• Lesser known presidents
• Natural disasters

9 Education Informative Essay Topics

• How to choose a persuasive speech topic
• How to deliver a funny informative speech
• How to deliver a persuasive speech
• How to maintain audience attention during a speech
• How to win your audience with descriptive speech
• How to write a persuasive essay
• How to write an argumentative essay
• How to write an expository essay
• The difference between a thesis statement and a topic sentence

10 Fun Informative Essay Topics

• An impressive world record
• Fun games to play at the beach.
• The history of ice cream
• The revolution of the selfie
• Ways different cultures celebrate Valentine’s Day
• What do people do when they win the lottery?
• What people don’t know about Disneyland
• What you can learn from grade K students
• What your horoscope means
• Why people get tattoos

6 Funny Informative Essay Topics

• Everything you need to know about skinny jeans
• Funny St. Patrick’s Day parades
• How to be nice to people you don’t like
• How to cheat in poker
• How to look attentive when you’re actually not
• Things you can learn from your pet

See this page for a full list of Funny Informative Speech Topics .

10 Health Informative Essay Topics

• All about gluten
• Cause-and-effect relationship of air pollution
• Causes of cancer
• How caffeine works
• How stress affects your body
• How to make exercise a habit
• How to quit smoking
• Symptoms of Alzheimer Disease
• Symptoms of depression
• How to get rid of bad habits

6 Hobbies Informative Essay Topics

• Best places for scuba diving
• Choosing your next book to read
• Peace lily care tips
• Professional baseball stadiums
• The history of your favorite sport
• Types of tropical fish

9 Interesting Informative Essay Topics

• Effects of global warming
• Exotic pets
• How to perform an attention-getting first dance at your wedding
• Near-death experiences
• Places to see in northern Nevada
• The biography of Clyde Tombaugh
• The history of a cliche marriage ritual
• What is your dog actually thinking?
• What your handwriting says about you

See this page for a full list of Informative Interesting Speech Topics .

7 Life Informative Essay Topics

• How to drive a stick-shift
• How to pay off your student loans in under 10 years
• How to succeed in multi-level marketing
• The process of buying a car
• Tips for being an effective networker
• Traveling the world for cheap
• Why people lie

7 Legislation Informative Essay Topics

• Fees and taxes for an electric car
• Minimum wage laws
• The history of drinking age rules
• What dogs are affected by breed specific legislation?
• Anti-trust crimes.
• Benefits of pleading guilty.
• Felony penalties for aggravated stalking.

See this page for a full list of Legal Speech Topics .

10 Pop Culture Informative Essay Topics

• A biography of your favorite celebrity
• All about your favorite author
• All about your favorite television show
• Former childhood stars
• History of your favorite product brand
• Instances where the movie is better than the book
• The Miss America pageant
• The pop art movement during the 20th century and the changes it brought about
• What makes a pop sensation
• Your favorite form of public broadcasting

7 Relationships Informative Essay Topics

How to be a good friend

• How to choose your friends
• How to get along with your in-laws
• How to make a marriage work
• How to survive a blind date gone wrong
• The different types of friendships
• The history of online dating

Picking Your Topic

At first glance, an informative speech may seem like the simplest type of presentation . The basis of an informative speech is to introduce a topic to the audience and then describe or explain it . It sounds fairly straightforward, but special care must be given to selecting a topic or the entire speech may not be well received.

Informative speeches can easily become boring for an audience for several reasons. First, the speaker should be sure not to present a topic which is already well known, or the audience will quickly lose interest. The topic should be something the audience has never encountered, or at least include new and exciting information on a familiar topic. Speakers should remember, when preparing the speech, that their own level of interest will become apparent during delivery of the presentation. In other words, if the speaker is bored by the topic, the audience will feel bored as well.

Knowing the audience is a primary factor in choosing an informative speech topic. The speaker should consider the age, knowledge level, subculture, and other demographics of his listeners when preparing the speech. It is important to present information which is neither too elementary nor too difficult for the audience to comprehend. The chosen topic should reflect the interests of the audience, and should be intriguing to them without rehashing information they already know. For example, college students may be interested in a topic on alcohol use, but they are already very familiar with a topic like the dangers of drinking and driving. In this case the speaker might concentrate his topic on the health benefits of red wine. This way, he has chosen a topic which interests the audience, but is likely to present new information which will not bore his listeners.

Finally, speakers should consider time limits when choosing an informative speech topic. A topic should be covered thoroughly enough that the audience feels as if most of their questions on the topic have been answered. On the other hand, a tight time restriction may prevent the speaker from adequately covering a very intricate topic. When time is limited, a subject which requires lengthy explanation should be avoided. The audience should leave an informative speech feeling as if they’ve gained new insight on a topic. It is good if they are interested in doing their own research to learn more about the subject, but they should never leave the presentation feeling confused or unclear about what they have just heard.

Informative Speech Idea In 5 Steps

1. step one – make a list.

Make a short list of your personal interests and informative speech topic ideas. To help you determine your interests on an informative speech topic, think about your favorite objects, products, people, animals, events, places, processes, procedures, concepts, policies, theories, and so on. Answer these important questions:

• Is there something you love to talk about, always have wanted to research?
• What interests you very much, or do you like or love at first glance?
• Do you have developed special skills in personal or professional life?
• What interesting informative topics do you know a lot of or want to know more about?
• What are some personal or professional experiences and skills in certain situations related to your favorite subjects?
• Can you reveal hidden secrets, new perspectives or insights on some topics?

2. Step Two – Analyze Your Audience

Determine the interests and needs of your audience. What do they want to learn? Can you teach them on a subject you like?

3. Step Three – Check Your Interests

Review the short list of your interests and make a decision. Choose the informative speech topic that is also interesting to your audience. Take care of their interests, questions and needs.

4. Step Four – Research and Write

Research  just one new single aspect  of that informative speech idea. Look for valuable or amazing information that surprises your listeners. Fresh data, facts, intelligence, and advice will catch their attention immediately! To help you researching: look for new facts, figures, stories, statistics, surveys, personal experiences, professional experiences, quotations, comparisons and contrasts.

5. Step Five – Add Help Props

Demonstrate steps, stages, pros and cons, and remarkable effects by the use of public speaking software or other visual aids , that display the material you want them to be understood or remembered.

Informative Speeches FAQ

1. Speeches About Objects 2. Speeches About Processes 3. Speeches About Events 4. Speeches About Concepts

An informative speech is one that provides information and educates the audience on a specific topic. An informative speech should help your audience learn, understand, and remember information you are presenting.

1. Know your audience or reader 2. Consider your interests 3. Consider length requirements

You can see this page with speech examples .

Vote of Thanks Examples

613 Original Argumentative Speech Topics Ideas

15 thoughts on “509 Informative Speech Ideas and Topics”

Demonic Possession

Creativity is the Mother of Invention.

1-How to be a good friend: you have to do everything to make them happy, don’t snatch on them

2-How to choose your friends: Choose friends with similar values Choose friends with common goals

3-How to get along with your in-laws:1-Get to know them. … 2-Know your limits. … 3-Keep things cordial. … 4-Put your relationship first

4-How to make a marriage work

5-How to survive a blind date gone wrong 1-Ask open-ended questions. … 2-Tell a funny anecdote. … 3-Let your date talk. … 4-Answer questions fully. … 5-Listen to them carefully.

6-The different types of friendships

7-The history of online dating

the evolution of humans

school doesn’t need to exist

Nice compilations this is helpful

Hamburgers vs hotdogs

Chocolate Caffeine Grass is Greener on the other side April Fools Why teens should have a part time job or not

History of Tobacco

Effects of anxiety on teenage students.

how depression affects people and others around them

peer pressure and its effects on students

Different ways kids handle peer pressure.

depression and how it can effect a students mindset

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2 simple ways to get people to listen when you speak, according to a Stanford communication expert

You're probably not as good of a listener as you think you are.

Statistically, it's true for most people. Many professionals believe that they're highly attentive, but 70% of them actually exhibit poor listening habits in the workplace, according to a 2020 University of Southern California report . So you've got to be clever if you want to grasp someone's attention, says Matt Abrahams, a communication consultant and organizational behavior lecturer at Stanford University.

It's a lesson that Abrahams learned, in part, while lecturing. Polite requests for his students' attention fell on deaf ears, drowned out by their "chit-chatting," he tells CNBC Make It.

Here are the two ways he recommends commanding a room instead.

Don't say anything at all

You're in a meeting room, chatting with co-workers. One of your company's executives walks up to the front of the room, stands behind a podium and gazes out at the group. Odds are good that you'll stop talking.

"One of the best things to do to command attention and get people to be quiet is to actually just stand in front of them and not say anything," Abrahams says. "Just to physically stand up in a position where everybody can see you."

It only takes four seconds for silence to become awkward, according to a Dutch psychology study published in 2011. It might feel uncomfortable for you too, but the awkwardness alone "will typically draw people in," says Abrahams.

While you're waiting, you can try to control your breathing or clear your mind. "It's very hard to stand in silence, but that can be very helpful," he adds.

Make a declarative statement, repeat it if necessary

Saying something impactful or thought-provoking with no warning can have a similar effect, says Abrahams.

"Just this past Monday, we were talking [in class] about nonverbal presence. They're all talking and I just stood there for a moment. And then I said, 'How you say something is often as important or more important than what you say,'" Abrahams says. "And then I paused, and they're still shuffling on, and then I repeated it. And then everybody was quiet."

Put simply, don't ask for control — just demonstrate it. You can also try other tactics like starting a big presentation with a question, or playing music before an event starts, which signals that something else is about to happen, says Abrahams.

"Just exerting that control, either by asking a question, standing in silence or making some kind of declarative sentence that's provocative will help people [listen]," he says. "You might have to repeat yourself once or twice, but that's what I do."

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