Kindly note:
This is an ESL friendly class, CEFR  level — C1, C2 (Advanced)
Please feel free to write me via Outschool email with questions.

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ALL ESSAYS FOR THIS CLASS ARE PROVIDED FOR LEARNERS, POSTED ON THE CLASS PAGE EACH WEEK (NO BOOK PURCHASE NECESSARY)

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Spar Lit Sr 1 Essays and Debate: Great Stylists is, along with companion classes Spar Lit Sr 2 Essays and Debate: Bold Provocateurs, and Spar Lit Sr 3 Essays and Debate: Harbingers of the Future, are based on my own Spar Lit Sr.: Understanding Great Essays Through Speech and Debate Techniques. That ongoing class, soon ending,  has been revitalized and transformed into three separate six-session classes, each focusing on a different aspect of the essay. The essays in these three classes are the same as in Spar Lit Sr.: Understanding Great Essays Through Speech and Debate Techniques.

The newly-created classes can be taken in any order.
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UNDERSTANDING THE HOW AND WHY OF THE ESSAY IS ESSENTIAL.
THE ESSAY IS THE BACKBONE OF ALL GREAT WRITING.  

Spar Lit Sr 1 Essays and Debate: Great Stylists is a six-session class that will focus on understanding the deeper meaning of some of the finest examples of the essay form in history.   Moreover, this class blends the technique of Spar debating (a practice technique for High School Public Forum Debate)  with understanding of the specific essay through debate and discussion, shaping the learner's ability to speak with clarity and poise.  A focus on essay study is rarely taught in schools and a deeper understanding of essays will positively impact learners speaking and writing abilities going forward. 

Moreover, the beginning of each of the six session will closely examine the idea of Style in essay writing exploring: Diction/tone, different writing styles,  word choice, economy and concision, context and purpose, and exploring one's own writing style.

Spar means “SPontaneous ARgumentation” a quicktime technique that is used to prepare students for formal debate.  Our class will use Spar debating to explore the key points involving acknowledged masterworks of the Stylistic Essay with works from Virginia Woolf, Annie Dillard, Mark Doty, MFK Fisher, EB White, and Cynthia Ozick.

The result?  Students will learn to take a position on key issues involving intriguing literary questions, while gaining a nuanced and thorough understanding both sides of every issue. All students will gain an enhanced exploration of literature while expanding speech and debate skills. 

Spar Debate questions will focus on the literary aspect of each weekly essay and the Spar debates are evidence-based from the essays themselves.  The discussion at the beginning of each session, guided by me, will allow all students to engage in productive discussion. Guidance will be given as to the parameters of Spar debating which are evidence-based not guided by emotional responses.

This class has been purposely limited to six students to maximize the participation of every learner. 

Spar is quick debate! With debaters choosing a position, a short Spar debate can illuminate ideas and provide for more nuanced critical thinking. 

Each class will run as follows:

Part 1
Focus on one of the key aspect of the personal essay:
minutes of general introduction

Part 2
Interactive discussion on the Essay of the week 

Part 3
Spar Debate  involving key literary questions from the weekly reading


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How does Spar debating work?

SHORT MINI DEBATES

Spar Debating is a practice technique used by Public Forum Debate Teams at the High School level to improve quick thinking and fluidity in speech. There are no winners/losers in Spar Debating as we are debating ideas. 

Students face off to debate incisive questions involving the specific reading from literature for the day.

LEARNERS CHOOSE POSITION (POSITION 1 OR POSITION 2)

1
Students have 1 minute to brainstorm ideas for their position (evidence/arguments)
Note: Spar debate is not evidence based but idea based. In this minute, learners are not writing a speech but considering their arguments. 

2
Each student creates a 1 to 2 minute extemporaneous speech based on their ideas/arguments

3
When all learners have presented their speeches there is a 2-3 minute Crossfire discussion 
 where all students can ask each other questions about opposing statements.

4
Closing statements
Each students think again to prepare their closing statements or summation of their ideass.

No previous experience with speech and debate or Spar debating required, However, this class also provides an excellent outlet for speech and debate students interested in enhancing their ability to communicate their ideas with clarity and style that will be useful in classrooms and in ongoing discussions everywhere.