Ethics Bowl Camp (Live)
In this four-day intensive debate camp for high schoolers, students will learn all about principles of rhetoric, logic, and philosophy, and apply them with fellow campers in mock Ethics Bowl rounds.
New on Outschool
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursProjects
1-2 hours per week. Students are strongly encouraged to work on some of their case writing and practice their speaking skills outside of the camp meetings. They are also encouraged to do independent research.Progress Report
Students who wish to receive personalized feedback from the instructor on their performance and progress as an Ethics Bowler may ask for such feedback, as well as guidance on any future goals they may have with formal debate.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
In this four-day debate camp, students will learn all about principles of rhetoric, logic, and philosophy, and how to apply them to the form and structure of Ethics Bowl, one of the most rapidly growing academic debate formats. This is an interactive camp where students will work on researching, writing about, and then debating cases from the previous school year's Ethics Bowl competitions. Note that the topics here are much more philosophical than in the other debate events. These are not practical questions of policy, but abstract questions about what we ought to do in difficult personal, political, and international situations. Students will receive coaching from an instructor who has coached numerous national qualifying and state champion debaters. This is the perfect camp both for a novice student considering joining a formal debate or Ethics Bowl team and for an experienced debater interested in learning about incorporating frameworks from philosophy into their rounds.
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the principles of rhetoric, logic, and philosophy that they will need to be successful in formal and framework debate.Students will construct arguments based on actual cases that were used in Ethics Bowl rounds 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 Philosophical Debate
On day two, students will learn all about Ethics Bowl, including how to incorporate concepts from philosophy into their arguments about complex ethical issues. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Argument Composition
On day three, students will learn how to construct their own arguments based on Ethics Bowl cases. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Mock Rounds
On day four, students will practice debating in the Ethics Bowl format with each other. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This camp will require students to research, write, and debate about several potentially hot-button moral and political issues, such as medical ethics, war ethics, and ethical concerns that are raised by rapidly evolving technologies. Something unique about Ethics Bowl is that it is not divided into "sides," but rather students develop their own nuanced arguments about complex issues. This is because the designers of Ethics Bowl recognized that there are far more than two sides to any given issue, and because they wanted to incentivize students to develop broad and nuanced arguments about the topics.
No preferences from parents or students as to assigned cases or debating partners will be taken into account out of fairness to everyone. Students will be both encouraged and required to consider competing perspectives in their arguments due to the educational value of having to adopt perspectives that differ from one's own. Please note that a core part of any Ethics Bowl speech is a charitable exploration of why and where the debater's own arguments may be wrong. The goal in this event is not to attack one's opponent (though clash is of course encouraged), but to engage in a substantive dialogue together in pursuit of truth.
Students will then engage in a robust exchange of ideas with each other about the topic 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
New on Outschool
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: 14-18
1-18 learners per class
