Public Speaking & Debate
Course Description
Public Speaking and Debate is a 9-week elective. Students from all grade levels are encouraged to join. Students do not need prior experience in public speaking or debate to succeed in class. The class is structured in a way that offers students the ability to build foundational skills and improve on existing skills.Â
Students are encouraged to grow each unit as they apply skills from each previous unit to the next. Individual and group assignments will be assigned. Students will be graded according to a specific rubric for each assignment and will receive constructive criticism after their presentations from the teacher and their classmates.
Students are encouraged to note what their peers do successfully in presentations and what they will need to improve on for the next assignment. This is a course dedicated to growth, not perfection.
Debate is the final unit due to the necessity of foundational public speaking skills in order to effectively debate on an individual and team basis.
Units of Study
Unit 1: Foundations of Public Speaking & Individual Evaluations
Unit 2: Group Skills & Presentations
Unit 3: Design & Visual Aids in Public Speaking
Unit 4: The Rhetorical Triangle & Commercial Rhetorical Analysis
Unit 5: Final Individual Speeches & Rhetorical Triangle
Unit 6: Debate Skills & Competiton
Student Work Examples
Take a look at these presentations created in the 4th week of this course. These presentations analyze commercials by using the rhetorical triangle. The rhetorical triangle is an important part of public speaking and debate and helps students to write stronger speeches and prepare for our debate unit.
