Speech and Debate Grades 5-6 Trending
Welcome to our Speech and Debate section! Here, students will learn how to argue for or against a subject point in a competitive setting. Have you always wanted to be a top-notch lawyer? It starts here! Students use this course in order to prepare for the upcoming end-of-semester competitions! On top of that, Speech and debate teach students the importance of decision making: students are asked to evaluate the pros and cons of a course of action and to come to a conclusion. Speech and debate teach critical thinking where they examine their opponents' arguments for weaknesses, in order to strengthen their own. Speech and Debate are open to all ages! No sense in arguing about it! Sign up today!
Course Description
Students will explore the fundamentals of Public Speaking & Debate. We will learn the basic aspects of speaking (impromptu and formal), types of persuasion, LD case structure, argumentation, refutation, and we will have in-class debates so student can practice these skills. We will also focus on student speaking with several speaking games to help students become comfortable in different speaking situations.
Course Objectives
Students will be able to:
1 Become comfortable with public speaking. By using several different speaking activities, students will give impromptu presentations and learn to process and to “think on their feet.”
2 Create an LD case (both AFF and NEG). Using case structure, we will follow Value, Criterion, Quotes, Evidence, and Philosophy in creating both cases.
3 Learn to Debate. Debate and Public Speaking are similar to learning a musical instrument or a sport; one must participate and practice in order to refine their skills. Rubrics and other means of feedback will be used to help students improve.
Instructor Profile
Michael Goodman has over 20 years of classroom teaching experience. He has earned a B.A. in Speech Communication from Humboldt State University and has abundant experience teaching Debate, English Literature, Photography, Yearbook, and newspapers throughout his career. He has spent his most recent years teaching in Shanghai for 3 years and in Colorado prior to China. Michael says "The wonderful thing about public speaking and debate is those skills are an asset in nearly every profession or occupation. My goal for this class is to make speaking and thinking fun and exciting as we learn the basics of debate."
Course Readings
No Required text for the class: However, I will provide PDF and Word documents to enhance and supplement the daily lessons. These will be available via Google Docs prior to the class. These documents may be homework, or may be used to help in the daily lesson.
Overview of Assignments and Grading
|
Assignment |
Points |
|
Class Attendance and Participation |
20 |
|
LD AFF Case |
20 |
|
LD NEG Case |
20 |
|
In Class Debate 1 |
25 |
|
In Class Debate 2 |
25 |
All assignments are due at the day and time noted on the syllabus.