Congressional Debate Camp (Live)
In this four-day intensive debate camp for middle schoolers, students will learn all about principles of rhetoric, logic, and research, and apply them with fellow campers in a mock Congressional debate round.
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursProjects
1 hour per week. Students may wish to work on their case writing and practice their speaking skills outside of the camp meetings. This is highly encouraged, but not strictly necessary.Progress Report
Students who wish to receive personalized feedback from the instructor on their performance and progress as a Congressional debater may ask for such feedback, as well as guidance on any future goals they may have with formal debate.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
In this four-day debate camp, students will learn all about principles of rhetoric, logic, and research, and how to apply them to the form and structure of Congressional debate, one of the most popular and accessible academic debate formats. This is an interactive camp where students will work on researching, writing about, and then debating several bills from one of the previous school year's Congressional debate competitions. Note that in Congressional debate, students debate each other as a whole group, like actual members of the House of Representatives do. They will not be debating each other one-on-one or in pairs. Students will receive coaching from an instructor who has coached numerous national qualifying and state champion debaters. This is the perfect camp for a middle school student considering joining a formal debate team when they reach the high school level.
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the principles of rhetoric, logic, and research that they will need to be successful in formal debate.Students will develop cases based on actual bills that were used in Congressional debate chambers in the previous academic year.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum4 Lessons
over 1 WeekLesson 1:
Principles of Rhetoric
On day one, students will learn all about best rhetorical, logical, and research practices for formalized debate. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
The Structure of Formal Debate
On day two, students will learn all about Congressional debate. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Bill and Case Writing
On day three, students will learn how to write their own bills and cases for Congressional debate. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Mock Debate
On day four, students will debate in a practice chamber based on a packet of Congress bills. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This camp will require students to research, write, and debate about several potentially hot-button political issues, such as the economy, international relations, or certain social issues. Students will be expected to prepare both sides of each bill for their practice chamber, both because of the structure of competitive Congressional debate and due to the educational value of having to adopt perspectives that differ from one's own.
Students will then engage in a robust exchange of ideas with each other about the bills and will thus be exposed through both the research and the debating processes to numerous perspectives on these issues. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to decide if this is an appropriate activity for their child. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Supply List
A pen and paper for "flowing," a style of notation used in debate rounds, will be required for each student. No digital tools will suffice for this; it must be a physical pen and paper.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2024
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Philosophy from Northern Illinois University
Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Illinois Wesleyan University
I have a BA in Philosophy with minors in Political Science and Greek and Roman Studies, as well as an MA in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and Political Philosophy. I’m the head coach of a competitive high school debate team and teach the liberal arts at a classical school. I’m also a professional creative writer and journalist.
I love helping students of all ages understand and interpret difficult subjects and learn how to crystallize their thoughts in writing and oral communication. I believe formal debate is a wonderful way to facilitate this kind of growth and learning.Reviews
Live Group Class
$80
for 4 classes4x per week, 1 week
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
1-18 learners per class
