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Christensen - Speech and Debate

Course Description

 

Class Title:

Speech and Debate

Code:

HLA380

Text:

Various Resources

Rating:

3

Prerequisite:

None

Grade:

9-­12

Fees:

None

Max:

15

Can be repeated? Yes
 

Description: Students will explore the fundamentals of oral communication and public speaking. Students will become familiar with speech making as an ongoing process, the ethics of speaking, and a variety of speech types that will aid in personal relationships and career choices. Students will be introduced to the elements of debate and participate in one or more debates during the year.

Posts

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students! What a lively debate today! Both sides did great! This week everyone needs to add at least two new points or ideas to bring up in the debate next week. Add your new debate points to the "Flow" sheet that you shared with me. I'm looking forward to hearing some of these different sides next week as well as some new data and statistics. Have  a great week! Mrs. G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students: This week please prepare your Opening speech  with your team members. Everyone should be contributing to this speech. Opening speakers, please practice your opening speech so that you are ready to give a convincing speech! Think about which questions they will cross examine you with. If you make general statements in your opening speech, be ready to defend them with a piece of data or a statistic.
 
In addition to preparing the opening speech, everyone needs to come with a supporting piece of data from an article found in Google Scholar: Go to Google. Look up Google Scholar and then type in "Arming teachers in school" or "Should teachers carry guns?" Find an article that has evidence to support your side, Aff or Neg. Don't forget to be able to cite the source: Authors, Title of article and Journal title or institute. This will be great ammo for your opponent in the CX. Come to class ready to jump in!
Have a great week! Mrs. G 

Speech and debate

Hi Students! I hope your workshop time went well with your teams last week. We will have one more week of preparation in class  before we launch  into two solid weeks of debate before spring break. This is the time to memorize all of your key points. Please complete as much of your debate preparation sheets as you can. Have a great weekend! Mrs.G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students! Great job today with the Rebuttals and CX. We will start to research our new topic. I picked the "Arming Teachers" debate because there are two distinct sides with a lot of arguments for both. Let's remove our own biases (so hard to do) and try to find as much information as possible. For homework this week: Please Think of as many arguments for either side as you can. Do this before you do any research. What do you already know about the subject? Write 200 words about your feelings toward the subject. Add any ideas about the kind of research that will build arguments for both sides. Share this with me. Thanks! Mrs. G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students! Nice work on the Rebuttals this week. Please come with 5 areas of the opposing side that you want to challenge in a a cross examination. Also, Come up with 5 areas that you think, looking at your own team's rebuttal, they will challenge. I will give time before the CX for you to discuss with your team and compile CX questions as well as responses to their questions. Here is the video of the student debate we have been watching it you would like to watch some of the commentary plus a rebuttal it begins at 29:36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqjHz9laqgU
Please note the conversation about Flow notes. We will be doing this in class
next week as a way to keep track of what the speaker is saying and in order to know how to use it in the CX. We'll talk about it more in class. Please share your CX questions/response with me. Thanks! Mrs. G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students! Nice work today countering your "opponent"! You are now all aware of the main points of your opponent's argument. Begin writing a rebuttal speech. For Homework, write  a 300 word rebuttal that you could get up and read in class if needed. Do this in a Google Doc so that you can collaborate with your teammates in class.  Read the requirement of a rebuttal below so you know where to start. It doesn't have to be perfect but you need to bring some great points to the table. Have fun!
 

The Rebuttals 

In the Rebuttals you are responsible for both answering the points of your opponent as well as defending your own points. The challenge is that you do not have a long period of time to develop your speech. Therefore there are a couple of strategies which may assist you.

First of all anticipate what the other person might present. Since you have to be prepared on both sides of the debate topic thing of those points that you plan to bring up on the other side. Play “devil’s advocate” with yourself and answer your own points. It is even suggested that you write down the arguments of the other side might be and your possible answer to them. You could organize your research so that it is ready to go and answer those points.

Secondly make sure that you take careful notes during the debate. Don’t assume that you will be able to remember what your opponent says when you don’t write anything down. Instead what you need to do is take notes so that you remember what was said, and leave room for your own paraphrasing. You can take these notes up to the podium with you in the rebuttal and use them for reference. Remember however that they are noes and you do not have time to completely write out your entire rebuttal speech.

Respond to everything your opponent says. In a debate, if you do not respond to a point that the other person brought up, it is assumed that you agree with them. Since this is probably not true you want to make sure that you counter all of their arguments. 

Finally, make sure that you also defend your own arguments. Your opponent will have brought up some points against what you have said. In the rebuttal you have to constantly show the audience the contrast between your arguments and those of the other side. You can only do this if you take the time to re-defend your own points.   

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students! Nice start to our Homework debate. I love the enthusiasm. This week please reflect on the points the other team made in thier opening speeches. Come up with 5 questions about the other teams opening speech. At least one question should be a hypothetical...."So, imagine you are a student and you have three classes with tests the next day and your English teacher assigns a 2 page paper for homework...." Also, come up with one clarifying question..."when you said XYZ, what did you mean by that?" and then three other questionss of your choosing. Let's jump into collaboration right away on the cross examination so we can hopefully get into the rebuttals as well. Have a great week! Thanks! Mrs. G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students, Interesting discussion on debate topics today. You have a lot to say and that is exciting! Next week, please come prepared to debate the merits of homework ;) You will want to research the positives/benefits of homework as well as the negatives of homework equally. Please come with 10 pros and 10 cons about the issue of homework. Also, please find 2 expert opinions on the issue of homework (pro or con.) This could be an academic study or a research project that comes up in your search. You should be able to cite the expert by saying "according to so and so of the blah blah institute, 20% of students...etc."  Come with at least two point of expert research.
So, 10 pros, 10 cons and 2 expert cited opinions and b e ready to "debate" either side of the issue. Have a great week! Thanks! Mrs. G

Wednesday: Creative Writing

Hi Students, please make sure you have written on 4 stories by next week. Check to make sure the story you are writing on has been shared with me. Write double the amount on the story you get this week if you have only written two excerpts. Oh, and finish the story you are writing on this week. PLease email with any questions! Thanks! Mrs. G

Missing Assignments

Hi Everyone, just a reminder to check infinite Campus this week to see if you are missing anything. Do not send me an email saying, "I did this." If you think you did do it and it shows as missing, then resend it to me in an email. I will need to have grades in by Dec. 14 for High School students. I will accept missing work or corrected work until 12/14. Thanks! Mrs. G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students! Here is the rubric for your Holiday (or special event of your choosing) toast:
Please follow the rubric so that you get the maximum amount of points. Please send me a complete transcript of your speech (300 words).
Please read from cards with only the highlights of your speech written on them. This can be a more conversational tone but it needs to have the elements listed in the rubric.
Thanks! Mrs. G

Monday: Speech and Debate

Hi Students, nice job on your TEd Talks this morning. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break. No homework over the holiday. When we come back, we will work on one more short speech before the next holiday break!
If you want to watch the rest of that speech we started this morning, here is the link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBuIGBCF9jc

Have a wonderful time with your families! Take care, Mrs. G