A typical assignment you might have in CMTH 102 is to write and give a 4-6 minute informative speech on a topic of your choice, with your ideas about it supported by sources and information you have found through research.
Your sources should be cited orally in your speech, formally in your outline, and in a bibliography or reference list. The number and types of sources you will need varies by professor. Check your assignment instructions to be sure you are meeting their requirements.
Use this page if you need help choosing a topic or want to see examples of topics. It also gives suggestions for how you can develop and refine your topic.
When picking a topic, consider:
Remember, you may need to revise and make adjustments to your topic as you start to find information about it.
How To: become an astronaut, build a boat, learn a foreign language, train your cat
A Person: famous, historically important, in your family or neighborhood
A Place: you've visited or would like to visit
An Event: the Superbowl, natural disaster, historical moment, a cultural celebration, a ritual
An Idea: free college tuition for all, universal basic income, service-learning, mindfulness, hygge
An Activity: knitting, basketball, container gardening, running
An Issue: controversy over gun control, prison reform, global warming, student debt, death penalty, pink tax, affordable housing
Historical topics (search tip: use books, encyclopedias, and the U.S. or World History databases)
Health topics (search tip: use books, encyclopedias, and health databases)
General topics (search tip: some of these topics are very broad, so you may need to develop and focus them more to have more success researching)