Informative Speech: The History of Pluto

Informative Speech: The History of Pluto

Specific Purpose Statement: By the end of my speech my audience will be able to explain the history behind Pluto becoming a planet and in turn losing its planetary status.

INTRODUCTION:

Attention Getter: Growing up learning about the planets my first grade teacher told me, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies” was a way to remember the order of the planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Apparently now teachers teach it as, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos”. Come on what happened to pies, personally I prefer pies over nachos.

Thesis Statement: With the advances in technology, scientist have opened the door to the discovery of Pluto, however from its discovery to current day Pluto has gone from being a planetary object in the sky to the loss of its planetary status, resulting in new definitions of what is or not considered a planet.

Credibility Statement: Last summer I took an astronomy class at College of the Canyons. I became interested in the planetary system and how it was all discovered.

Preview: Today, I will discuss how Pluto went from being the ninth planet in our system to just another lonely space object in the night sky. First I will present the facts about Pluto’s initial discovery.

BODY:

I. On February 18, 1930 at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, Pluto was officially discovered and recognized as a planet for the next several decades.

A. American astronomer Percival Lowell was the first to think their might have been another planet passed Neptune and Uranus.

1. Lowell began his search for what he called “Planet X” in 1905 and continued his research trying to find the perceived planet until his...

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... how Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh after resuming Percival Lowell work from thirteen years prior. We also discussed how Venetia Phair at the age of eleven was able to have the honor of getting to name the newly discovered planetary object. Finally we discussed how Pluto unfortunately lost its planetary status and was demoted to a dwarf planet.

Restate Thesis: With all the advantages in technology Pluto has gone from being discovered, named, and sadly losing its reputation as a major planetary status, changing the definitions of what is considered to be a planet.

Tie to Attention Getter: Personally I miss the old mnemonic device My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas, this new one My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos just does not cut it for me. I miss Pluto being a major planet it would have been cool to live on Pluto one day.