About the Course

Embark on an exciting journey designed to empower students with essential communication and critical thinking skills. Over five engaging weeks, students will progress through carefully crafted stages, each focused on a key aspect of debate:

Week 1: Communication Skills

In the first week, students will focus on building foundational communication skills. They will engage in activities that enhance their understanding of tone, emotion, and non-verbal communication. Through games and interactive exercises, students will practice expressing themselves clearly and persuasively, both verbally and non-verbally.

Week 2: Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Week two introduces students to Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, a one-on-one debate format focusing on values and philosophy. Students will learn about LD debate structure, explore simple debate topics, and engage in mini-debates. They will also practice cross-examination and work on constructing affirmative and negative cases.

Week 3: Impromptu Speaking

The third week is dedicated to impromptu speaking, where students will learn to think and speak on their feet. They will practice structuring impromptu speeches, brainstorming ideas quickly, and delivering speeches on random topics. Group activities and improvisational games will further develop their quick-thinking and public speaking abilities.

Week 4: Public Forum Debate

In week four, students will delve into Public Forum (PF) debate, which emphasizes teamwork and current events. They will be introduced to the structure of PF debates, research skills, and the importance of teamwork in preparing and delivering constructive speeches. Students will also practice rebuttals and crossfire rounds, culminating in mini PF debates.

Dates: October 1 to October 24, Every Tuesday and Thursday

Time: 4:30 to 5:30 PM PDT

The course will take place in a secure virtual classroom on Zoom.

Free! At Equity Debate, we aim to provide completely affordable instruction to all students no matter what.