L1
15 Lessons
Lesson 1 – Pre-assessment and welcome lesson – Introduction to Ustar debate and public speaking
Lesson 2- Voice The importance of tone, pitch, volume, and pacing in debating. Students will learn the importance of articulation and correct pronunciation of words and appropriate volume when delivering speeches.
Lesson 3 – Effective listening, thinking, and speaking skills are critical to all walks of life – how do you prepare for persuasive argumentation?
Lesson 4 – Why learn debate: the pros and cons – an opportunity to practice debate skills whether or not students have access to a competitive league
Lesson 5- Refutation and the Debate Pyramid – constructing points and counterpoints into affirmative and negative stances
Lesson 6 – Introduction to the Public Forum Debate format and practice
Lesson 7- Formal Spontaneous Argumentation format and practice
Lesson 8 – Practice Speech Day: students deliver an extemporaneous speech with a topic of the student’s choice
Lesson 9 – The Informative Speech – Introduction to an informative speech used as a first affirmative
Lesson 10 – Informative Speech – Four types of informative speeches (definition speeches, demonstration speeches, explanatory speeches, and descriptive speeches) and their applications to building a debate case
Lesson 11 – Developing debate partner skills through chain stories
Lesson 12- Impromptu Speech – organizing thoughts and opinions in a short amount of time
Lesson 13 -Persuasive Speech – The three steps of persuasion – logos, pathos, and ethos
Lesson 14 -Persuasive Speech – combine rhetorical appeals and three steps of persuasion into a formal yet fun speech. Students will have the opportunity to work with a partner to create and sell a product to improve their ability to persuade as they debate who has the better product.
Lesson 15- Students will participate in a mock debate
L2
15 Lessons
Lesson 1 – Pre-assessment and welcome lesson – Introduction to Ustar debate and public speaking
Lesson 2- Voice The importance of tone, pitch, volume, and pacing in debating. Students will learn the importance of articulation and correct pronunciation of words and appropriate volume when delivering speeches.
Lesson 3 – Independent learning – students learn techniques to self-evaluate their debate presentations.
Lesson 4 – Critical thinking – the ability to create an argument designed for a specific audience and situation along with the ability to analyze an audience and its needs.
Lesson 5- Debate terminology including constructing points and counterpoints into affirmative and negative stances
Lesson 6 – Public Forum Debate format and practice
Lesson 7- Formal Spontaneous Argumentation format and practice
Lesson 8 – Students deliver an extemporaneous speech with a topic of students’ choice
Lesson 9 – Students develop arguments that are informal claims backed by reasons that are supported by evidence
Lesson 10 – Students draft formal claims that are statements about what is true or good or about what should be done or believed, and their applications to debate (claim/counterclaim)
Lesson 11 – How an argumentative “case” shares many characteristics with the expository essay and other scholastic applications
Lesson 12- Impromptu Speech – focused practice of organizing thoughts and opinions in a short amounts of time
Lesson 13 – Debate Flowing: taking notes for cross examination and constructive speeches
Lesson 14 – Outlining techniques to enhance ability to take flow during practice micro-debates
Lesson 15- Students will participate in a culminating mock debate
L3
15 Lessons
Lesson 1 – Pre-assessment and welcome lesson – Introduction to Ustar debate and public speaking
Lesson 2- Students will also begin their major group project of “Shark Tank” where they will have to work together on creating a product to present to the Shark Tank Judges. This project is designed to help improve debating techniques as well as creative and critical thinking skills, leadership, and public speaking skills.
Lesson 3 – The major forms of debate are explored including switch-side policy debate, Lincoln–Douglas debate, SPAR, values debate, and ARE Debate Format – Assertion-statement that starts argument; Reasoning-statement that supports assertion and explains why audience should believe it; Evidence-statements that back up reasoning
Lesson 4 – The three types of persuasive speeches used in first affirmative speeches: the Factual Persuasive Speech, the Value Persuasive Speech, and the Policy Persuasive Speech
Lesson 5- Speed and Accuracy – taking debate and classroom flow directions in Spontaneous Argumentation debates (SPAR)
Lesson 6 – The Do’s and Don’ts of Questioning – effective cross-examination techniques
Lesson 7- The Do’s and Don’ts of Answering – effective response techniques
Lesson 8 – Students deliver an extemporaneous speech with a topic of student’s choice with 25-minute prep-time
Lesson 9 – Arguing without becoming argumentative – transitioning debate into real world applications
Lesson 10 – The three parts to an argument in debate: the claim, the warrant, and the impact
Lesson 11 – Applications of persuasion in everyday life and in school
Lesson 12- Truth vs. facts in persuasion – the “should”/”would” dichotomy
Lesson 13 – Debate Flowing: taking notes for cross examination
Lesson 14 – Preparation for final mock debate through micro-debates
Lesson 15- Students will participate in a culminating mock debate
