In Level 1 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression, hand gestures, and without filler words.
  • They will do this by learning pantomime, charades, and acting.
• Learn the fundamentals of speech giving.
  • Understand the difference between a rhetorical speech and informative speech by delivering a Show-and-Tell and persuasive speeches
  • How to write and read a speech using projection, inflection, and eye contact.
  • Engage in the writing process of drafting and then redrafting their speeches.
• Learn the fundamentals of a debate.
  • Learn strategies such as filling time, creating “Points of Information,” and generating reasons
  • Work with fellow students in team debates to coordinate arguments.
  • Spar in two sided debates moderated by the teacher

 

In Level 2 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression and building rapport
  • Learning how to conduct introductions and interviews
  • Engage in a dramatic script reading activity, as well as construct their own scripts to read.
• Learn the fundamentals of speech giving with a focus on rhetorical devices.
  • Creating and reading informative speeches, such as authoritative and How-to-Do-Speeches.
  • Creating and reading rhetorical speeches aloud, utilizing rhetorical devices such as: repetition, alliteration, and changes in tone and tempo.
  • Continue to build on skills learned in previous levels, such as voice projection, eye contact, elimination of filler words, and etc.
• Learn British Parliamentary Debate.
  • Understand the history of British Parliamentary debate.
  • Learn about and take on the different roles of a BP debate team, such as the Primeminister, Deputy Leader, Member of Parliament, and the Whip.
  • Build on the debate skills learned from previous levels, such as POI’s, team coordination, and filling time.

 

In Level 3 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression, body language,  and building rapport
  • Learning how to conduct introductions and interviews
  • Engage in a dramatic script reading activity, as well as construct their own scripts to read.
  • Creating an instructional How-to-Do Speech, performing it, and then translating it into pantomime. This will be done after learning the pantomime techniques such as endowment, spatial awareness, and complementary facial expression.
• Learn the fundamentals of speech giving with a focus on rhetorical modes.
  • Understand the four ancient modes of rhetoric discussed by Aristotle (Logos, Pathos, Ethos, and Kairos), and implement them in your speech.
  • Begin to deliver speeches without reading them directly from the script the speaker created.
  • Continue to build on skills learned in previous levels, such as voice projection, eye contact, elimination of filler words, alliteration, changes in tone and tempo.
• Practice British Parliamentary Debate.
  • Engage in British Parliamentary Debate Drills to sharpen skills utilized by the opening and closing factions.
  • Review and take on the different roles of a BP debate team, such as the Primeminister, Deputy Leader, Member of Parliament, and the Whip.
  • Build on the debate skills learned from previous levels, such as POI’s, team coordination, and filling time.

 

In Level 4 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression, body language, and building rapport, and storytelling
  • Review how to conduct introductions and interviews.
  • Implement storytelling techniques via Aesop’s fables.
  • Learn storytelling devices such as onomatopoeia and dramatic pauses.
• Learn how to give new informative speeches and how to synthesize rhetorical devices with the modes of rhetoric.
  • Learn how to give a News Report and an Inspirational Speech, as well as rhetorical devices like metaphor, smile, and allegory.
  • Deliver speeches without reading them directly from the script the speaker created, as well as utilize rhetorical modes in unison with rhetorical devices.
  • Continue to build on skills learned in previous levels, such as voice projection, eye contact, elimination of filler words, alliteration, changes in tone and tempo, and the rhetorical modes.
• Learn Town-Hall style Debates and practice British Parliamentary.
  • Understand the history and perform a Town-Hall style debate.
  • Practice British parliamentary debate, with a focus on modeling an argument.
  • Build on the debate skills learned from previous levels, such as POI’s, team coordination, filling time, executing open and closing faction strategies.

 

In Level 5 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression, body language, and building rapport, and storytelling
  • Conduct professional introductions and a job interview.
  • Review storytelling techniques via Aesop’s fables.
• Learn new rhetorical speeches in addition to practicing previous speaking styles.
  • Observe and identify speech techniques in professional orators.
  • Learn how to give a pitch speech and rhetorical aspects of business.
  • Deliver speeches without reading them directly from the script.
  • Review and practice skills learned from previous levels, such as voice projection, eye contact, elimination of filler words, alliteration, dramatic pauses, onomatopoeia, tone, tempo, metaphor, and the rhetorical modes.
• Practice Town-Hall style Debates and British Parliamentary Debates.
  • Engage with complex themes and subject material within debates
  • Build on the debate skills learned from previous levels, such as POI’s, team coordination, filling time, executing open and closing faction strategies.

 

In Level 6 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression, body language, and building rapport, and storytelling
  • Conduct professional introductions and a job interview.
  • Review storytelling techniques via Aesop’s fables.
• Learn formal logic and logical fallacies
  • Understand the formal logic, syllogisms, and fallacies
  • Deliver speeches without reading them directly from the script.
  • Review and practice skills learned from previous levels, such as voice projection, eye contact, elimination of filler words, alliteration, dramatic pauses, onomatopoeia, tone, tempo, metaphor, and the rhetorical modes.
• Learn how to conduct a Model UN style debate and continue British Parliamentary and Town-Hall Style Debates.
  • Conduct and perform a Model UN Style Debate
  • Learn about Objective vs Subjective arguments and engage with complex themes and subject material within debates.
  • Build on the debate skills learned from previous levels, such as POI’s, team coordination, filling time, executing open and closing faction strategies.

 

In Level 7 students will:

• Focus on speaking with emotional expression, body language, and building rapport, and storytelling
  • Conduct professional introductions and a job interview.
  • Review storytelling techniques via Aesop’s fables.
• Engage in impromptu speaking and learn more formal logic
  • Understand the formal logic, syllogisms, and fallacies
  • Perform impromptu speeches with minimal preparation time.
  • Review and practice skills learned from previous levels, such as voice projection, eye contact, elimination of filler words, alliteration, dramatic pauses, onomatopoeia, tone, tempo, metaphor, and the rhetorical modes.
• Learn how to conduct Mock Trial Style Debate and continue British Parliamentary, Model UN, and Town-Hall Style Debates.
  • Conduct and perform a Mock Trial Style Debate
  • Heavy focus on British Parliamentary debate drills and content that requires a higher level of thinking.
  • Build on the debate skills learned from previous levels, such as POI’s, team coordination, filling time, executing open and closing faction strategies.

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In Level 8, students will:

• Review formal logic, rhetoric, and debate strategies. In addition, students will continue to be exposed to the speeches of great historical orraters.
  • Review fallacies, rhetoric modes and devices, and the strategies for organizing a debate.
  • Students will be exposed to a series of historical case studies showcasing the greatest orators of the English-speaking world.
• Engage in and learn the tactics of Lincoln Douglass, Mock Trial, British Parliamentary, Model UN, and Town-Hall Style Debates.
  • Review and further develop the strategies for the debate styles listed above.
  • Expose students to increasingly complex debate concepts. This will give them to opportunity develop the skills necessary to navigate through complex and theoretical subject matter, raising their higher-order reasoning and critical thinking.
• Researching and organizing information
  • Understanding the skills to research, quickly gathering information and using it to construct an argument.
  • Students will learn media literacy. This includes, but is not limited to, deciphering, manipulating, and establishing the credibility of information.
  • Students will learn research literacy. This includes, but is not limited to, learning the various types of research methodologies used in academic settings.

 

On the Debate Team students will: (Level-9)

• Review and further develop the strategies for Lincoln Douglass, Mock Trial, British Parliamentary, Model UN, and Town-Hall Style Debates
  • Because of the practical nature of this course, these concepts will be only briefly reviewed, the focus will be on the constant execution of various debates.
  • Concepts from other levels will be reviewed only if deemed necessary by the instructor. Students are expected to have mastered all of the skills in previous levels.
• Increasing difficulty of subject matter.
  • Students will be exposed to increasingly difficult theoretical subject matter at or beyond their grade level. This is including, but not limited to, subjects ranging from aesthetics, current events, politics, and philosophy. This exposure will prepare students for debate topics likely to be selected in competition.
• Exposure to competition.
  • The purpose of this course is to prepare students for competition, especially British Parliamentary Debate and Model UN.
  • Assessments will be made by the instructor, and other students, in a collaborative effort to provide feedback to improve the skills of our speakers. This will work to better prepare our speakers for competition.