Declaim Jr. Boot Camp  is the same expansive, fully-rounded speech and debate course as my own 8-week Declaim, Recite, Hold Forth!, held Monday through Thursday over a two week period.

Communication is key! From Declamation to Oral Interpretation of Literature, Original Oratory to Extemporaneous Speaking, this introductory course will introduce learners to all of the formal competition events in the National Speech and Debate Association. Over the course of the 8 sessions (Monday-Thursday over a two week period)  participants will learn to recite, to debate, and to craft and deliver memorable speeches of power and eloquence. Whether the goal is to ready oneself for formal competition at the high school level or simply learn to communicate with poise and confidence, Declaim, Recite, Hold Forth!  will absolutely transform every learner into a thoughtful and confident speaker. No previous experience in Speech or Debate is needed. 

Moreover this class will guide students in applying these essential skills to every aspect of their day to day lives, in the classroom and in the world. Students completing this course of study will be able to speak elegantly and thoughtfully as they will understand the power of listening closely to those around them and will be able express themselves with the same clarity on the printed page.
We will present a short general history of rhetoric from Aristotle to Churchill and utilize primary sources with a nuanced study of speeches from Cicero to Ronald Reagan, Pericles to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Susan B. Anthony to Bob Costas. Games and exercises will strive to expand students’ vocabulary and memory retention and we will enrich our studies utilizing the vast resources of The National Speech and Debate Association. The class will be a mixture of lecture and interactive give and take as students also learn to assess and judge each others presentations. We will be utilizing video clips of great speeches both by students and acknowledged masters of the craft. By the conclusion of this course all students will understand how to think deeply and speak skillfully and write with persuasion and power, skills that will carry them throughout their lives.  Class size is purposely limited to give individualized attention to each learner. 

We will cover:

Week One:
Class 1:  Introduction to Speech and Debate/the Purposes of Speech and Debate and a Little Bit of History
This welcoming class will focus on the history of speech and debate, introduce Improvisational Speaking, explore memory techniques, and give students the opportunity to reflect on how to put their best selves forward.

Class 2:  Declamation
Explanation of Declamation -- the entry level of competitive speech where a student brings a great memorized speech to life in their own voice. The focus of this class are the skills that make for a great speaker.

Class: 3: Oral Interpretation of Literature
Utilizing both poetry and prose, this is  an interpretive event that is read from a binder.  But the key here is focusing on how competitors can transform themselves and truly connect with an audience.

Class 4: Original Oratory
We will spend this class focusing on Original Oratory, as students will learn how to craft and present a ten-minute persuasive speech on a subject of their choosing. There will be an at home writing opportunity for an original speech. 

Week Two:

Class #5  Extemporaneous Speaking
In this fast moving event students are presented with a choice of three questions related to current events and in 30 minutes, prepare a seven-minute speech answering the selected question.   

Class #6: Public Forum Debate
Public forum debate (PF) is a type of current events debate where students give short (2-4 minute) speeches that are interspersed with 3 minute "crossfire" sections, questions and answers between opposed debaters. 

Class #7: Public Forum Debate Continued

Class 8: Presentations of favorite type of Speech/Debate
Choose your favorite speech creation to present--official Awards Ceremony included!