Learn the art of persuasion!
In this engaging class, students will rotate through teams and practice debate skills in a supportive environment. They’ll learn how to develop strong arguments, issue effective rebuttals, provide relevant examples, rebuild their case, and summarize different points of view. Along the way, students will strengthen their public speaking skills, think on their feet, and build self-confidence through thoughtful discussion and respectful disagreement.
Weekly Focus
Week 1:
- What is debate?
- Explore the skills sharpened through debating
- Discuss real-world careers where debate skills are valuable
- Introduction to the Guide to Public Forum Debate
- Announce the debate topic for the following week
Week 2 and beyond:
- Warm-up: Impromptu public speaking on a topic of choice
- 4 Corners Exercise: Students choose between agree / strongly agree / disagree / strongly disagree in response to a prompt, then share their reasoning
- Team Debate: Students form pro and con teams based on the announced topic and begin structured debate
Dates & Times
August 26 – December 9, 2025
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
No class dates: 11/25