ABQ Secular Homeschool Collaborative
SPEECH & DEBATE
with NICOLE CAPEHART
AGES 13+
In this class, students will learn to research topics thoroughly, construct coherent arguments, and communicate their ideas effectively to persuade judges or audiences. There are several formats of debate, each with its own rules and styles. In class, students will learn about each debate format and participate in actual debates using the national rules and competition best practices. Students will be expected to research and learn about academic sources in order to support their debate arguments. In speech events, participants prepare and deliver speeches on a variety of topics, ranging from informative presentations to persuasive arguments. The combination of a speech focus, with debate, will help students become strong public speakers and will allow students to develop important critical thinking skills.
The class will be a combination of lecture and hands-on activity. Because speech and debate centers around both philosophical and current world problems, difficult topics such as the death penalty, mental health, and politics may be addressed. A large part of debate is being able to engage with and think about issues from multiple perspectives, even if you don't agree with the perspective assigned to you.
Skills required: Students need either a strong upper middle school, or high school level of reading and writing. Students will be asked to do extensive research and will need to be able to read academic/scholarly sites (sites ending in .org, .edu, or, .gov). Additionally, students will be writing debate opening and closing arguments, along with crafting debate questions on a variety of topics. Students will need strong critical thinking skills, the ability to listen to up to 15 minutes of lecture, the ability to receive feedback, and the ability to pay attention and take notes during debates.
Homework: There will be homework for this class. Students will be asked to research and write for debates most weeks.
Lecture time: There will be up to 15 minutes of lecture per class.
Special supplies parents will provide: Students will need a clipboard and something to write with. From time to time, a device that can connect to the internet will be helpful, but not required.
Is fall semester required for spring semester? YES