About

This course is designed for the student who is interested in public speaking and argumentation.  The course will mainly stress two types of debate (Lincoln-Douglas Debate & Cross-Examination Debate).  However, other types of debate will be examined to help students strengthen speech and rhetorical skills including Public Forum, Parliamentary, and Individual Events. Debate I will include analysis of current controversial issues, methods & materials of research, evidence, applied logic and reasoning, construction of debate cases, audience analysis, and the use of strategy in debate. We will begin with basic speech/presentation skills, and then we will progress to argumentation. Research and preparation will focus around the current high school debate topic, as materials are readily available from a variety of sources. Competition and tournament participation will allow students to practice their skills.

0910Blues_and_Dues_Packet (Team Application)

SYLL_0910 SPEECH I (for class Speech I)

SYLL_0910 SPEECH II (for class Speech II)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Rationale for Centennial’s Debate Program

(AKA why should your student participate in debate?)

Benefits of High School Debate Ref. ONE Problem solving and analogy questions make up a large part of the standardized tests, as do vocabulary. The problem solving, research elements, vocabulary and use of analogy and argumentation in a forensics class rival any other class in a high school program (sometimes more than one class). When was the last time there was an art question on a standardized test?

“In Defense of Competitive Speech.” Rostrum November 2003. This article demonstrates the connection between Forensics/Debate and other English standards.

“National Study Finds Debate Can Dramatically Increase Student Reading Skills.” Youth Initiatives. Open Society Institute, May 13, 2004.
This is just one site that discusses the recent study that shows debate can increase reading abilities by 25% more than taking English classes alone.

Professor Minh A. Luong (Yale University). “Forensics and College Admissions.” The Rostrum, November 2000.
This article summarizes the Wall Street Journal article that shows colleges prefer debate/forensics experience to a variety of other activities, such as student council, newspaper, and several athletic programs. Luong’s article is based on “Education: Beating the Ivy League Odds,” Rochelle Sharpe, The Wall Street Journal, April 16, 1999

“ACT: Building Your Writing Skills.” ACT, Inc. 2006.
“ACT Scores Reveal Much About College Readiness.” Insight. Minnesota Office of Higher Education, August 2005.
These are the only two sites I could find that connected Forensics to the ACT. Both sites suggest that speech/debate classes are needed to increase the preparedness for the ACT.

Rusty McCrady. “Forensics, Debate, and the SAT.” Rostum, November 2004.
This article presents logical connections between Forensics and SAT tests. The logical connections are good.

Academic Advisors Resource Guide. Purdue University. 15 December 2005.
This webpage demonstrates that colleges give college credit for speech/debate classes (as opposed to clubs/teams). I hoped to prove that debate as a class should be considered in the same category as other classes that provide college credit, like AP.

Dahleen Glanton, “Urban schools argue in favor of debate teams.” Chicago Tribune, November 28, 2005.
Dana Williams, “Urban Debate Leagues.” Tolerance.org. September 3, 2003.

Melissa Maxcy Wade, “Replacing Weapons with Words.” AtlantaConstitution, Fall 1998,
These three articles all show the connection between strong debate programs and a reduction in student violence. The basic thesis studied is that students don’t act as violently when they have words to defend themselves. These articles look at studies done by the Urban Debate League.

Gary Alan Fine. Gifted Tongues: High School Debate and Adolescent Culture. Princeton Univ Press, 2001.
This website has a chapter from the book. Fine suggests a connection between debate and SAT scores, although he believes it is because debate attracts the “best and brightest,” instead of bringing other students up to higher achievement.

Eric Hoover. “Resolved: Change Happens.” Chronicle of Higher Education, July 25, 2003 (I accessed this through ERIC).
This article talks about the power of debate/forensics to empower minority students and give opportunities to more diverse populations.

Sherwood Ross. “Debating is top-notch job skill” The San Diego Union-Tribune, June 23, 2002 (I accessed this through Lexis-Nexis).
This article talks about how much employers love former debaters. While it focuses on college debate, it has some information that can be applied to high school