Spar Lit Sr.: Understanding Great Essays Through Speech and Debate Techniques

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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NEW ADDITION! LEARNERS CAN PRACTICE WRITING ASSERTION ESSAYS EACH WEEK WITH THE SPAR QUESTIONS FROM THE ORAL DEBATES IN CLASS. THE WRITING ASPECT OF THE CLASS IS PURELY OPTIONAL. IF LEARNERS CHOOSE TO COMPLETE A WRITTEN ESSAY I WILL PROVIDE A QUICK, NUANCED AND COMPLETE RESPONSE TO THEIR WORK.
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Now is the time to use the key skills of  speech and debate in the classroom and the world!
 
Our ongoing class will focus on blending the acknowledged technique of Spar debating with understanding literature through debate and discussion.  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 essay with works from Annie Dillard, E.O. Wilson, Eudora Welty and more. 

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 debate techniques. 

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 20 minute 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.  Prior to each weekly class the chosen essay will be posted along with the Spar debate questions for the week. 

Spar is quick debate! With debaters given the Pro or Con position, a short Spar debate can illuminate ideas and provide for more nuanced critical thinking. 

Each ongoing class will run as follows:

5 minutes of general introduction

20 minutes of interactive discussion on the chapter or pages set for the class

20 minutes of ongoing Spar pro/con debate involving key literary questions from the weekly reading

15 minutes of recap of the Spar discussions and the points raised by the students.

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How does Spar debating work?

10 MINUTE MINI DEBATES!

Students face off to debate  Pro/Con questions involving the specific reading from literature for the day.

LEARNERS CHOOSE  PRO/CON POSITION

2 minutes

Students have 1 minutes to brainstorm ideas for their position (evidence/arguments)

1 minute
Pro student gives a 1 minute opening statement to make their case (Con student listens quietly and takes notes)

1 minute
Con student gives a 1 minute opening statement to make their case (Pro student listens quietly and take notes)

30 seconds
Both students think!

2 to 3 minutes
Mini crossfire discussion where both students can ask each other questions about opposing statements.

30 seconds
Both students think again to prepare their closing statements

1 minute
Con student gives a 1 minute closing statement (Pro students listens quietly)

1 minute
Pro student gives a 1 minute closing statement (Con students listens quietly

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NOTE: THERE ARE TWENTY ESSAYS IN THE COMPLETE SERIES 
(COPIES OF ALL ESSAYS ARE PROVIDED FOR LEARNERS AND POSTED ON THE CLASS PAGE EACH WEEK)

SECTIONS:
Thursday, 6 am Eastern Section 
November 2, 2023--The Seam of the Snail by Cynthia Ozick
November 9-- On Seeing England for the First Time by Jamaica Kincaid
November 16, 2023-- No class for this date
November 23, 2023 -- No class for this date .We will skip Thursday, November 23 for Thanksgiving
November 30, 2023--  Why I Went to the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
December 7, 2023 --A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source by Susan Sontag
December 14--No class for this date
December 21, 2023-- Clamorous to Learn by Eudora Welty
January 4, 2024--On the Nature of Scientific Reasoning by Jacob Bronowski
January 11, 2024--Living Like Weasels by Annie Dillard
January 18, 2024 --On Dining Alone by MFK Fisher 
January 25, 2024--On the Pleasures of Hating by William Hazlitt
February 1, 2024-- Crickets, Cats, Bats & Chaos by Lewis Thomas
February 8, 2024--Souls on Ice by Mark Doty
February 15, 2024--Naps by Barbara Holland
February 22, 2024--The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf
-- Arriving at Perfection by Benjamin Franklin
--The Decay of Friendship by Samuel Johnson
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Thursday, 3 pm Eastern Section 

October 12, 2023--Cat People vs. Dog People by Laura Miller
October 19, 2023--The Seam of the Snail by Cynthia Ozick
October 26, 2023--On Seeing England for the First Time by Jamaica Kincaid
November 2, 2023--Why I Went to the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
November 9, 2023-- A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source by Susan Sontag
November 16, 2023-Clamorous to Learn by Eudora Welty

This section will skip Thursday, November 23 for Thanksgiving.

- On the Nature of Scientific Reasoning by Jacob Bronowski
- Once More to the Lake by E.B. White
-Living Like Weasels by Annie Dillard
--On Dining Alone by MFK Fisher 
--On the Pleasures of Hating by William HazlItt
--Crickets, Cats, Bats & Chaos by Lewis Thomas
--Souls on Ice by Mark Doty
--Naps by Barbara Holland
-- The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf
--Arriving at Perfection by Benjamin Franklin
--The Decay of Friendship by Samuel Johnson
--Stone Soup by Barbara Kingsolver
-- A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

January 4, 2024-- Consider the Lobster, David Foster Wallace
January 11, 2024- A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source by Susan Sontag
January 18, 2024-Clamorous to Learn by Eudora Welty
January 25, 2024- On the Nature of Scientific Reasoning by Jacob Bronowski
February 1, 2024- Once More to the Lake by E.B. White
February 8, 2024-Living Like Weasels by Annie Dillard
February15, 2024--On Dining Alone by MFK Fisher 
February 22, 2024--On the Pleasures of Hating by William HazlItt
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Tuesday 5 pm Eastern Section 

October  10, 2023--Consider the Lobster, David Foster Wallace
October 17, 2023-- Cat People vs. Dog People by Laura Miller
October 24, 2023--The Seam of the Snail by Cynthia Ozick
Skipping October 31 class for Halloween
November 7, 2023 --On Seeing England for the First Time by Jamaica Kincaid
November 14, 2023--Why I Went to the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
November 21, 2023--A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source by Susan Sontag
November 28, 2023- Clamorous to Learn by Eudora Welty
December 5, 2023--On the Nature of Scientific Reasoning by Jacob Bronowski
December 12, 2023-- Once More to the Lake by E.B. White
December 19, 2023-- Living Like Weasels by Annie Dillard
Skipping December 26 class post Christmas
January 2, 2024--On Dining Alone by MFK Fisher 
January 9, 2024-- On the Pleasures of Hating by William Hazlitt
January 16, 2024--Crickets, Cats, Bats & Chaos by Lewis Thomas
January 23, 2024-- Souls on Ice by Mark Doty
January 30, 2024--Naps by Barbara Holland
February 6, 2024--The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf
February 13, 2024 Arriving at Perfection by Benjamin Franklin
February 20, 2024--The Decay of Friendship by Samuel Johnson
February 27, 2024-- Stone Soup by Barbara Kingsolver
--A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift


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Tuesday, 6 am Eastern Section

 Clamorous to Learn by Eudora Welty
On the Nature of Scientific Reasoning by Jacob Bronowski
 Once More to the Lake by E.B. White
Living Like Weasels by Annie Dillard
Skipping December 26 class post Christmas
On Dining Alone by MFK Fisher 
 On the Pleasures of Hating by William Hazlitt
Crickets, Cats, Bats & Chaos by Lewis Thomas
 Souls on Ice by Mark Doty
Naps by Barbara Holland
The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf
Arriving at Perfection by Benjamin Franklin
The Decay of Friendship by Samuel Johnson
Stone Soup by Barbara Kingsolver
--A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift



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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.