South Dakota Informative Speech

Purpose: To inform the audience about my trip to South Dakota and why it is my favorite vacation. To inform the audience of the many different places I went and activities that I did while in South Dakota.

Thesis: My trip to South Dakota was the most memorable vacation I have been on because of the many marvels the landscape had to offer. I fondly remember diving into history and learning about the historic sites, marveling at the vastness of the Black Hills and Badlands, and gawking in amazement at the beauty and mystery of the caves.

Organizational Pattern: Topical

I. Introduction

a. Attention Getter: Imagine a place where time seemingly stood still and history left an impression as it etched its story into the hearts and minds millions.

Relevance of the topic to audience: Everyone has most likely been on a vacation, or traveled out of Illinois at some point in their life. Many, if not all of the audience members have seen a picture of Mount Rushmore and know where it is located.

c. Credibility: I traveled to South Dakota with my family when I was twelve. I visited each of these magnificent sites and remember them very well.

d. Thesis/Central Idea: My trip to South Dakota was the most memorable vacation I have been on because of the many marvels the landscape had to offer. I fondly remember diving into history and learning about the historic sites, marveling at the vastness of the Black Hills and Badlands, and gawking in amazement at the beauty and mystery of the caves.

e. Preview: My trip encompassed many of the famous sites that South Dakota has to offer. Visiting Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, the Black Hills, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave and Homestake Mine.

Transition: The trip began with visiting two well-known monuments in the United States, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy

Development/Support: Jewel Cave and Wind Cave: The next day we went on two cave tours, one being Jewel Cave and the other Wind Cave. (Citation) Jewel Cave had many magnificent geologic formations within it. I remember it getting really cold and being amazed at how quickly the temperature dropped as we continued to venture deeper into the cave. This is the first time I had ever been in a cave and I was wonderstruck. I distinctly remember being excited about Geology and wanting to know more about it. Wind Cave was our last cave tour for the day and had its own interesting features. Although it did not have as many unique features like Jewel Cave, it howled at the mouth. The wind was coming from within the cave and coming out at the opening. I learned so much about the history of the caves in South Dakota and how adventurers and scientists explored and mapped the caves.

Citation: According to Michel Bakalowicz, a geologic researcher and is a co-author of the 2014 article Thermal genesis of dissolution caves in the Black Hills, South Dakota, “Jewel Cave and Wind Cave are the world’s fourth and tenth longest known caves,