Learn to Debate - Introductory Argumentation in 5 Classes
In this five week long course, students will learn about the basics of public speaking and debate, improve their critical thinking skills, as well as their ability to listen, take notes, and respond to others through debating each week.
Broome County Debate Alliance
Average rating:
4.7
Number of reviews:(2,092)
What's included
5 live meetings
7 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursAssessment
Students will be assessed on whether or not they won their debate rounds based upon how well they argued their side and answered their opponents.Class Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Over the course of five weeks students will learn the basics of debate by teaching them how to become better at public speaking, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and argumentation. By the end of the course they will be better at forming arguments, taking notes, listening to others, and effectively advocating their beliefs through speech. Each class includes both a short lecture followed by an activity to help students learn the skill being taught during the lecture portion of class so that way students learn by participating. Students excited about learning to debate will excel in this course, and students who are curious but shy will be encouraged to come out of their shells. Each week will give students the opportunity to receive feedback and improve upon their performance, culminating in a mini-tournament in the final week. This course is the ideal starting course for students who are interested in debate but have very minimal to no prior debate experience. Each week is designed to get students excited about debate and public speaking with encouraging and constructive feedback. A breakdown of the course is as follows... Day One: Introduction to Debate and Mini-Debates. Day Two: Learning how to Impact and Weigh Arguments Day Three: Audience Adaptation and Persuasive Speaking Skills Day Four: Asking and Answering Questions to Win Day Five: Mini-Tournament Students interested in a more in depth debate experience should enroll in our 10 week introductory course. After completing this course, we recommend our five week intermediate course before enrolling in any of our advanced courses. Please note that in all our classes we deliberately create a diversity of instructors for feedback so that way students can learn how to adapt to different audiences and judges. We also create continuity in our instructor base so that way we can also provide feedback concerning ongoing improvement. We maintain at least a 1:6 ratio for students. Our larger sessions utilize multiple instructors and breakout rooms to match students based upon comparable skill and age. If there is a specific instructor you would like to work with please reach out after registering and we will do our best to accommodate.
Learning Goals
Students will learn the basics on how to construct arguments, how to adapt and persuade different audiences, how compare impacts, as as well as how to ask and answer questions. Each week will focus on one of those skills. After having a short lesson, students will then participate in an activity where students debate and will be given feedback based upon their performance. Students will be taught tricks on how to take notes and listen to their opponents and how to think strategically about argument through debate. By the end of each class, students should feel more confident about their abilities as a public speaker and express a greater interest in critical thinking about increasingly advanced topics.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Talking with parents and doing some limited research for the mini-tournament is suggested, but not required.
Supply List
Students should come with paper and something to write with. Taking notes on a computer is also entirely fine. A timer is suggested, but not required.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined March, 2020
4.7
2092reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
The BCDA's founder has been run a competitive college debate team for over twenty years. He holds a PhD in English and has received numerous awards from national debate organizations in the United States. He has also run elementary and middle school debate workshops for the past five years both in the US, and internationally. The majority BCDA's senior teaching staff have a MA in Communication. Some have PhD's and have taught at the college, high school, and middle school level. All of our instructors have been, or currently are, nationally competitive college debaters in the United States. We have now taught well over five thousand kids from countries around the world digitally through this platform with great reviews. If for whatever reason you feel the class didn't live up to what you were looking for, please contact us for a refund. We are offering these courses as a way for students to get the benefits of debate and peer-directed education. Debate is not necessarily for everyone, but we are confident that if your kid is excited about it they will enjoy this class, and don't want you paying if that's not the case.Reviews
Live Group Class
$25
weekly or $125 for 5 classes1x per week, 5 weeks
90 min
Completed by 2549 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
4-6 learners per class
